Vijayanagara and

Bahamani
 Chapters for Module III

Satish Chandra
9. The Age of Vijayanagara and the Bahmanids, and the Coming of
the Portuguese (Circa 1350–1565)

NCERT XII Part II

THEME SEVEN- AN IMPERIAL CAPITAL: VIJAYANAGARA (c. fourteenth
to sixteenth century)
Vijayanagara
• During the period of disintegrating Sultanate in North India at
the time of Muhammad bin Tughlaq: Vijayanagar and Bahmani
kingdoms gave long periods of stability in the Deccan region
south of Vindhyas.
Harihara I Bukka I

• According to tradition and epigraphic evidence two brothers,

Harihara and Bukka, founded the Vijayanagara Empire in 1336.
Deva Raya Deva Raya
• On their northern frontier, the Vijayanagara kings competed I II
with contemporary rulers – including the Sultans of the Deccan
and the Gajapati rulers of Orissa – for control of the fertile river
valleys and the resources generated by lucrative overseas trade.
Vira Krishna
Narashima Deva Raya
• The rising power of the Vijayanagara empire brought it into
clash with many powers both in the south and to the north.

Achyuta
• In the south, its main rivals were the sultans of Madurai. The
Deva Raya
struggle between Vijayanagara and the sultans of Madurai
lasted for about four decades.
•As warfare during these times depended upon effective cavalry, the import of
horses from Arabia and Central Asia was very important for rival kingdoms.

•This trade was initially controlled by Arab traders. Local communities of

merchants known as kudirai chettis or horse merchants also participated in these
exchanges.

•In fact, Vijayanagara was also noted for its markets dealing in spices, textiles and
precious stones. Trade was often regarded as a status symbol for such cities,
which boasted of a wealthy population that demanded high-value exotic goods,
especially precious stones and jewellery.
• While historians use the term Vijayanagara Empire, contemporaries described it as the karnataka
samrajyamu

• Three dynasties ruled Vijayanagar Empire

Sangama dynasty (1336-1486 C.E.)
Saluva dynasty (1486 – 1505 C.E.)
Tuluva dynasty (1505 – 1569 C.E.)

The Sangama Dynasty

• Sangama dynasty was founded by Harihara and Bukka, who were the feudatories of Kakatiyas of
Warangal in 1336. They were the son of Sangama.
• The rising power of the Vijayanagara empire brought it into clash with many powers both in the south and
to the north. In the south, its main rivals were the sultans of Madurai. The struggle between Vijayanagara
and the sultans of Madurai lasted for about four decades.
• By 1377, the Sultanat of Madurai had been wiped out. The Vijayanagara empire then comprised the
whole of south India up to Rameshwaram, including the Tamil country as well as that of the Cheras
(Kerala).
•After a period of confusion, Harihara II was succeeded by Deva Raya
(1404–1422). Early in his reign, there was a renewed fight for the Tungabhadra
doab. He was defeated by the Bahmani ruler Firuz Shah, and he had to pay ten
lakhs of huns and pearls and elephants as an indemnity.

•He constructed a dam across the Tungabhadra so that he could bring the canals
into the city to relieve the shortage of water. It irrigated the neighbouring fields
also, for we are told that the canals increased his revenues by 350,000 pardaos.
He also built a dam on the river Haridra for irrigation purposes.

•According to Ferishta, Deva Raya II felt that the superiority of the Bahmani army
was due to their sturdier horses and their large body of mounted archers. He,
therefore, enlisted 2000 Muslim cavalrymen, gave them jagirs, and commended
all his Hindu soldiers and officers to learn the art of archery from them.
The Suluva Dynasty

1491 – 1505
1486 – 1491- 1491 Tirumal Immadi
Suluva Narashima Narasimha- Minor Narashima- Vasco-
Founder of Suluva during the reign of da-Gama landed
dynasty Narasa Nayaka in Calicut during
his reign
The Tuluva dynasty

● Krishnadevaraya was the emperor between 1509–1529. He was the third ruler of the Tuluva Dynasty.

● He possessed the largest empire in India after the decline of the Delhi Sultanate.

● His rule was characterised by expansion and consolidation. This was the time when the land between the
Tungabhadra and Krishna rivers (the Raichur doab) was acquired (1512), the rulers of Orissa were subdued
(1514) and severe defeats were inflicted on the Sultan of Bijapur (1520). Although the kingdom remained in
a constant state of military preparedness, it flourished under conditions of unparalleled peace and prosperity.

● During his reign he kept a strict control over his ministers. He abolished taxes such as the marriage fee. To
increase revenues, he brought new lands under cultivation by ordering deforestation of some areas.

● A large-scale work to obtain water for irrigation around Vijayanagar was also undertaken by him. Foreign
travelers, such as Paes, Nunez and Barbosa, who visited Vijayanagar spoke highly of the efficiency of
administration and prosperity of the people during his reign.
 Nayankara System
• The nayankara system was an important characteristic of the Vijayanagar political
organization.

• Among those who exercised power in the empire were military chiefs who usually
controlled forts and had armed supporters. These chiefs often moved from one area to
another, and in many cases were accompanied by peasants looking for fertile land on
which to settle.

• These chiefs were known as nayakas and they usually spoke Telugu or Kannada. Many
nayakas submitted to the authority of the kings of Vijayanagara but they often rebelled
and had to be subdued by military action.

• The amara-nayaka system was a major political innovation of the Vijayanagara Empire. It
is likely that many features of this system were derived from the iqta system of the Delhi
 Nayankara System
• The amara-nayakas were military commanderswho were given territories to govern by the raya.
They collected taxes and other dues from peasants, craftspersons and traders in the area. They
retained part of the revenue for personal use and for maintaining a stipulated contingent of horses
and elephants.

• These contingents provided the Vijayanagara kings with an effective fighting force with which they
brought the entire southern peninsula under their control. Some of the revenue was also used for the
maintenance of temples and irrigation works.

• The amara-nayakas sent tribute to the king annually and personally appeared in the royal court with
gifts to express their loyalty. Kings occasionally asserted their control over them by transferring them
from one place to another.

• However, during the course of the seventeenth century, many of these nayakas established
independent kingdoms. This hastened the collapse of the central imperial structure.
 The Ayagar System

•The ayagars were village servants or functionaries and constituted of groups of

families.

•These were headmen (reddi or gauda, maniyam), accountant (karnam senabhova)

and watchmen (talaiyari).

•They were given a portion of or plot in a village. These plots were manya or tax-
free.

•In exceptional cases, direct payments in kind were made for services performed
by village functionaries.
Territorial division
• Rajyas or Mandalams – Provinces
• Nadu – District
• Sthala – Sub-district
• Grama – Village
• P a g o d a s / Va r a h a s – G o l d c o i n s i s s u e d i n
Vijayanagar
• Tax rate fixed based on fertility.
• Amaram – territory with fixed revenue which
were given to Military chiefs called Nayaks who
had to maintain a fixed number of horses, elephants
and foot soldiers for the service of the state.
 Water Resources

•The most striking feature about the location of

Vijayanagara is the natural basin formed by the river
Tungabhadra which flows in a north-easterly direction.

•The surrounding landscape is characterized by

stunning granite hills that seem to form a girdle
around the city. A number of streams flow down to
the river from these rocky outcrops.
 Bahamani Kingdom
• Alauddin Hasan established the Bahamani dynasty. The organisation of administration
under the Bahamanis was initiated by Muhammad I. To consolidate his position in the
region Alauddin Hasan subdued those who favoured Tughlaq rule and tried to win over the
local chiefs.

• Muhammad Shah-I (1358-1377) was the next ruler of the Bahamani Kingdom. He
defeated the Vijayanagar ruler Bukka-I.

• Muhammad Shah-II (1378-1397) ascended the throne. He was a peace lover and
developed friendly relations with his neighbors. He built many mosques, madrasas (a place
of learning) and hospitals.

• The most remarkable figure in the Bahmani kingdom during the period was Firuz Shah
Bahmani (1397–1422). He was well-acquainted with the religious sciences, that is,
commentaries on the Quran, jurisprudence, etc., and was particularly fond of the natural
sciences such as botany, geometry, logic, etc.
 Firuz Shah Bahmani
(1397–1422)

According to Ferishta, he was

Firuz Shah Bahmani was
He was a good calligraphist well versed not only in
determined to make the
and a poet and often Persian, Arabic and Turkish,
Deccan the cultural centre of
composed extempore verses. but also in Telugu, Kannada
India.
and Marathi.

The most remarkable step It is said that from his time the
The king also encouraged taken by Firuz Shah Bahmani Deccani Brahmans became
learned men from Iran and was the induction of Hindus in dominant in the administration,
Iraq. the administration on a large particularly in the revenue
scale. administration.
 Mahmud
Gawan
• The Bahmani kingdom gradually expanded, and reached its height of power and territorial limits during the
prime ministership of Mahmud Gawan. The early life of Mahmud Gawan is obscure.

• He was an Iranian by birth and was at first a trader. He was introduced to the sultan and soon became a
favourite, and was granted the title of Malik-ut-Tujjar.

• Soon, he became prime minister. For almost 20 years, Mahmud Gawan dominated the affairs of the state.

• He extended the Bahmani kingdom by making further annexations in the east. A deep raid in the
Vijayanagara territories up to Kanchi demonstrated the strength of the Bahmani army.

• Mahmud Gawan’s major military contribution, however, was the overrunning of the western coastal areas,
including Dabhol and Goa. The loss of these ports was a heavy blow to Vijayanagara. Control of Goa and
Dabhol led to further expansion of the Bahmani overseas trade with Iran, Iraq, etc. Internal trade and
manufacture also grew.
Administrative Structure

He was assisted by a host of officials for

discharging his duties viz. Wakil (Prime Under Muhammad I the
Minister), Wazir (Minister) Dabir kingdom was partitioned into
(Secretary), Sarhaddar (Warden of
The king stood at the pinnacle of four atrafs or provinces which
Marches), Qiladar (Commander of
the administrative system. Fortresses), Bakshi (paymaster), Qazi had their headquarters at
(Judge), Mufti (interpreter of law), kotwal Daulatabad, Berar, Bidar and
(police), Muhtasib (censor of public morals) Gulbarga
etc.

Mahmud Gawan carried out The salaries and obligations of The salary could be paid in cash
many internal reforms also. He each noble were fixed. For or by assigning a jagir. Those
divided the kingdom into eight maintaining a contingent of 500 who were paid by means of a
provinces or tarafs. Each taraf horses, a noble received a salary jagir were allowed expenses for
was governed by a tarafdar. of 1,00,000 huns per year. the collection of land revenue.
Art and Architecture

•Mahmud Gawan was a great patron of arts.

He built a magnificent madarasa or college
in the capital, Bidar.

•This fine building, which was decorated with

coloured tiles, was three storeys high, and
had accommodation for one t h o u s a n d
teachers and students who were given
clothes and food free.

•Some of the most famous scholars of the time

belonging to Iran and Iraq came to the
madarasa at the instance of Mahmud
Gawan.
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