ABSTRACT

This project basically deals with the critical analysis of the great vijaynagar empire which
was established in 1336 AD with Hastinavati (Hampi) as its capital city by Harihara and
Bukka. In southern India, they held sway over Andhra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and portions
of Kerala.
Projects starts with taking about the basic background information about this great kingdom
in the very early years . This includes various parts like administration , economic condition ,
social,culture and architecture and religion Epigraphs, sources and monetization
Then project deals with the different rulers which ruled this dynasty over the years .under
which ruler this dynasty was at its best in terms of development .

Then it talks about the peak time period of this dynasty when it was at the top and was doing
wonders in all various fields like economic , literature and cultural aspects .

Then it talks about the egacy of its greatest king and the kind of growth this kingdom showed
like during Krishna Deva Raya's reign, the Vijayanagara army won every battle. The empire
seized lands in the northern Deccan that had previously belonged to Sultanates, including
Raichur and Gulbarga from the Bahamani Sultanate, areas in the eastern Deccan from battles
with Sultan Quli Qutb Shahi of Golkonda, and the Kalinga region from the Gajapatis of
Odisha. In addition to the existing presence in the southern Deccan, this was there. King
Krishnadevaraya oversaw the construction of a large number of significant monuments.

Then it comes to the defeat and decline of this kingdom discussing what were those points
due to which this kingdom declined as mentioning deccan sultanate  to the north of
Vijayanagara united and attacked Aliya Rama Raya's army in January 1565 in battle of
tailkota . Regarding the Vijayanagara defeat in battle, Kamath opines that the Sultanate
armies, though numerically disadvantaged, were better equipped and trained. Their artillery
was manned by expert Turkish gunmen while the Vijayanagara army depended on European
mercenaries using outdated artillery. The Sultanate cavalry rode fast moving Persian horses
and used spears that were fifteen to sixteen feet long giving them a greater reach, and their
archers used metal cross bows which enabled them to reach longer distance targets. In
comparison, the Vijayanagara army depended on slow moving war elephants, a cavalry riding
mostly locally bred weaker horses wielding shorter reach javelines, and their archers used
traditional bamboo bows with a shorter range.

This project includes all those various relevant areas related to critically judging and studying
the vijaynagar empire , providing the readers knowledge in terms of various things if asked
about this great dynasty .
Social Conditions of the City 

Four dynasties made up the Vijayanagar empire: the Sangama, Saluva, Tuluva, and Aravidu.
Given its significant contribution to prosperity and growth, it is crucial for understanding
social situations. The kings worshipped to Vishnu, however they also fervently upheld a
policy of religious tolerance for all. In comparison to men, women were granted equal
standing in fields like literature and politics.

The kingdom featured female wrestlers, accountants, political reporters, musicians, and other
professionals. All employment were open to women, which is not acceptable in the social
hierarchy.

Sati and other Brahmans' practises were given great favour in a variety of areas, including
social, religious, and others, despite the fact that men were granted more authority via
practises like double marriage and taking large dowries. As a result, people who were
allowed to eat everything they wanted, with the exception of ox and cow, which were
associated with religious beliefs, nonetheless lived in a society where the caste system and
ethnic divisions were prevalent.

From the social situation, it is evident that monarchs of various dynasties were dedicated to
advancing cities, industries, and other improvements, which aided in bolstering the financial
situation.
ADMINISTRATION IN VIJAYNAGAR EMPIRE
The rulers of this great kingdom were able to set up very efficient system of
administration .its not correct to say that the system of vijaynagar empire represented no ideal
of human progress and therefore could not the lasting . in fact the rulers of this kingdom kept
to organise the administration demanded by the circumstances .
KING
The king was the fountain head of all the power and the system , being the supreme authority
in civil , military and judicial system .he was bound to follow the dharma and was doing all
his work the dharma .He was required to bring peace and prosperity in his kingdom .
The ideal of kingship was given by Krishana dev raya in his Amuktamalyada . according to
him a crowned king should always rule with an eye towards Dharma . He was supposed to
put an nd to the mixing up of the caste among them ,should always try to increase the merit of
brahmins, should strengthen his fortress and lessen the growth of the unwanted things and
should be ever mindful of the purification of his cities .
MINISTERS
The vijaynagar empire was a very vast feudal organisation and the king was at the head of the
whole system . he was helped in his work by the various council of ministers who were
ready with their useful suggestion . these members were not elected else selected by the
ministers . these ministers were taken not just from the brahmans but also from kshatriya and
vaishyas .the prime minister advised the king in all the matters .The perfect was like the
kotwal and his duty was to maintain the law and the order .
THE COURT
The rulers of Vijaynagar empire maintained court and spent a lot of money for that purpose .
The court was attended by the nobles , learned priests ,astrologers and musicians . festivals
were celebrated with great zest . according to Abdul Razzaq the king of the Vijaynagar
empire directed that the nobles and the chief should assemble at he royal abode from all the
provinces of the country , which extended to the distance which required the journey of even
three to four months .The king was seated in great state in the forty pillared hall and a great
crowd of brahmans and others stood on the right6 and left of them .
PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT
The vijaynagar empire was divided into many parts for the purpose of the administration .the
terms used for the province are rajya , mandala and chavadi . the province were also divided
into sub divisions higher than a nadu , sima, village and Sthala in tamil portion .relying on
the statement of domingos paes ,some writers have come to the conclusion that there were
200 provisions in his empire .every governor exercised civil ,military and judicial powers
within his jurisdiction .however he was required to submit regularly his account of the
income and expenditure of his charge to the central government . The village was the unit of
administration . each village was self -suffcient . the village assembly was responsible for the
administration of the village .its hereditary officers were paid either by grants of land or from
a portion of the agricultural produce . the head of the corporation seem to have formed an
integral part of the village assemblies . the king had his control over village through an
officer called mahanayakacharya .

The Economy of the Vijayanagar Empire

The empire was in a dire economic state. Many alleged foreign visitors to the city are
believed to have observed its richness, expansion, and prosperity. Following are some of the
variables that affected the state of the economy.

Industries: The monarchs' governments encouraged the growth of a number of different

industries, the most popular of which are textile, mining, perfumery, and metallurgy.
Industries and crafts were governed by guilds. People who worked in the same trade
frequently resided in a city or region.

Agriculture: Every monarch has implemented measures to promote agriculture in various

regions of Vijayanagar. A sensible and effective irrigation strategy also helped to improve
agricultural productivity. A Portuguese traveller by the name of Nuniz once indicated the
existence and continuous building of dams and canals. As a result, the area became self-
sufficient and agriculturally rich.

Trade: The same trade stores' location is mentioned by another Persian traveller called Abdur
Razzak. There was fierce rivalry among the participants since roughly comparable shops
were established near to one another.

Trade growth ascribed to inland, marine, and international trade Exports might be viewed as
well-known sources of income and expansion. Additionally, more than 300 seaports
supported the exports, enabling commerce and transportation.
Construction of commercial areas: Kings built but what are regarded as crucial sources of
family revenue. Malabar, which is situated on the Western shores, was a significant economic
area due to the existence of Cannanore ports.
According to reports, the port has established diplomatic ties with a number of nations,
including Burma, China, the Arab states, South Africa, Portugal, and others. The port also has
excellent connections to both the Malay Archipelago and the Indian Ocean. These
characteristics helped the commerce, which in turn fueled growth and prosperity.

Taxonomy and Coinage 

Emperors issued gold coins in considerable numbers to conduct trade and other economic
activities. The coins were commonly known as Varahas and Pagodas. 
The symbol within coins changed as per the King. Hence, Harihara and Bukka I engraved the
picture of Hanuman (Hindu God), while Krishna Dev Raya used Venkatesh and Balkrishna
figures on the money.  
Since the economic condition was strong, many foreign travellers mentioned high living
standards. However, despite the kingdom being wealthy, the disparity was common. Also,
trade and business were divided as per caste systems, creating a massive divide in the lower,
middle, and upper classes.