THEME : SEVEN AN IMPERIAL CAPITAL-VIJAYANAGARA

• Harihara and Bukka founded the Vijayanagara Empire in 1336
• Sangama dynasty -first dynasty – till 1485
• Saluvas – military commanders – remained in power till 1503
• Tuluvas and Aravidu dynasty rulers.

• Krishnadeva Raya – belonged to the Tuluva dynasty.
• Krishnadeva Raya’s rule – expansion and consolidation.
• Acquired land between the Tungabhadra and Krishna rivers
• Subdued the rulers of Orissa (1514) and severe defeats were
  inflicted on the Sultan of Bijapur.
• Vijayanagara was also noted for its markets dealing in spices,
  textiles and precious stones.
• Krishnadeva Raya – credited with building some fine temples
  with impressive gopurams
• Founded Nagalapuram after his mother.

• The Sultans of the Deccan and the Gajapati rulers of Orissa
• the import of horses from Arabia and Central Asia.
• Kudirai chettis or horse merchants provided horses to
  Vijayanagara rulers.

• The adventurous policy of Rama Raya to play off one
  Sultan against another that led the Sultans of Bijapur,
  Ahmadnagar and Golconda to combine together and
  wage war on Rama Raya.
• 1565 Rama Raya – the chief minister of Vijayanagara,
  led the army into battle at Rakshasi – Tangadi
  (also known as Talikota).
• Where his forces were routed by the combined armies of sultans.
• The victorious armies sacked the city of Vijayanagara.
• The city was totally abandoned within a few years.

• Derived from the iqta system of the Delhi Sultanate
• military chiefs – controlled forts and had armed supporters.
• amara-nayakas – military commanders
  • governed territories; collected taxes and other dues;
    horses and elephants.
  • maintenance of temples and irrigation works.
  • tribute to the king annually
  • Transferred from one place to another
• These nayakas established independent kingdoms

• the natural basin formed by the river Tungabhadra
• embankments were built to store rainwater and conduct it to
  the city, irrigated fields, and royal centre
• Hiriya canal – One of the most prominent waterworks

• Abdur Razzaq mentions Seven lines of forts.
• Hills surrounding the city.
• No mortar or cementing agent.
• Enclosed agricultural tracts.
• Abdur Razzaq noted – between the first, second and
  the third walls there are cultivated fields, gardens and houses.
• Paes observed a great distance from the first fort until the city

• medieval sieges – starve the defenders into surrender.
• building large granaries within fortified areas.
• more expensive and elaborate strategy to protect
  the agricultural belt.
• major buildings were surrounded by its own high walls.

• well-guarded gates linked the city to the major roads.
• roads were identified – tracing paths through gateways.
• roads wound around through the valleys, avoiding rocky terrain.

• 30 building complexes – identified as palaces.
• secular buildings were made of perishable materials.
• king’s palace – a royal residence.
• two platforms of kings palace – audience hall and
  the mahanavamidibba.
• Audience hall – the high platform with slots for wooden pillars.
• Mahanavamidibba – a base of about 11,000 sq. ft to a
  height of 40 ft.

• worship of the image
• worship of the state horse
• The sacrifice of buffaloes and other animals
• Dances, wrestling matches, and processions of caparisoned
  horses, elephants and chariots and soldiers
• Ritual presentations – before the king and his guests – by
  the chief nayakas and subordinate kings

• • On the last day of the festival the king inspected his army
    and the armies of the nayakas in a grand ceremony in
    an open field.
  • On this occasion the nayakas brought rich
    gifts for the king as well as the stipulated tribute.

Beautiful Buildings in the Royal Center

• • Lotus Mahal – named by British travellers
  • the Elephant Stables – 11 rooms
  • Hazara Rama temple

• hills near the sacred centre sheltered the monkey kingdom
  of Vali and Sugriva mentioned in the Ramayana
• worshipped Pampadevi, the local mother goddess
• Jaina temples of the pre-Vijayanagara period
• Significant religious, social, cultural and economic centres

• Kings claimed to rule on behalf of the god Virupaksha
• Raya gopurams or royal gateway
• other features include mandapas or pavilions and long,
  pillared corridors
• a characteristic feature – chariot streets that extended
  from the temple gopuram in a straight line.

• The Virupaksha temple was built in the 9th and 10th centuries.
• The hall in front of the main shrine was built by Krishnadeva
  Raya to mark his succession.
• He credited the eastern gopuram
• The halls in the temple were used for a variety of purposes and
  special programs of music, dance, drama, etc.
• Others were used to celebrate the marriages of deities,
  and the deities to swing in.

• the principal deity was Vitthala, a form of Vishnu
• the introduction of the worship of the deity is an indication of the
  different traditions accepted by the rulers of Vijayanagara.
• this temple too has several halls.
• unique feature that of the – main shrine designed like a chariot.

• from travellers accounts and inscriptions.
• Archaeological Survey of India and the Karnataka Department
  of Archaeology and Museums.
• 1976 – Hampi was recognized as a site of national importance.
• In the 1980s – become an important project.

Mapping

Steps of mapping include

• divide into a set of 25 squares.
• Squares were set of the even smaller square.
• smaller squares –  into yet smaller units.

• thousands of structures – from tiny shrines and residences
  to elaborate temples.
• John M. Fritz, George Michell and M.S. NagarajaRao – worked for
  years at the site