Vijayanagara :-
The Vijayanagara Empire was one of the most respected and illustrious kingdoms of South India. Its capital was Hampi.
The Vijayanagara Empire was founded in 1336 by two brothers, Harihara and Bukka .
The rulers of the Vijayanagara Empire were called Rayas .
The most powerful ruler of the Vijayanagara Empire was Krishnadeva Raya . During his tenure, the empire touched its glory.
After a flourish of about two and a half hundred years, in 1565 , this kingdom suffered a heavy defeat and the capital Vijayanagara was burnt.
The administration of the Vijayanagara Empire was very good and its people were very happy. The Vijayanagara Empire began to decline by the 16th century and ended in the 17th century .
Karnataka Empire :-
Where historians used the term Vijayanagara Empire, contemporaries called it the Carnatic Empire.
History of Hampi :-
Hampi Khoj originated from the name of the local mother goddess Pampa Devi.
Hampi was discovered in 1815 by Colin McKenzie, the first Surveyor General of India .
Alexander Greenlaw made the first detailed photography of Hampi in 1856, which proved to be very useful to the scholar.
In 1876 JF Fleet began collecting and documenting inscriptions from the walls of temples at Hampi.
John Marshall started the conservation of Hampi in 1902.
In 1976, Hampi was declared as a Site of National Importance and in 1986 it was declared a World Heritage Center.
Discovery of Hampi :-
The ruins of Hampi were brought to light by Colonel Colin McKenzie in 1800 AD.
In order to reconstruct the history of the city, sources such as the memory of the priest of Virupaksha temple and the temple of Pampadevi, numerous inscriptions and temples, accounts of foreign travelers and other literature written in Telugu, Kannada, Tamil and Sanskrit have led to the discovery of Hampi. played a very important role.
Colonel Colin McKenzie :-
Birth = Colonel Colin McKenzie was born in 1754 AD.
He was very famous as a historian, surveyor, cartographer.
In 1815, Colonel Colin McKenzie was made India's first Surveyor General. He remained in this position until his death in 1821.
Imperial Center of Hampi :-
- The imperial center of Hampi was located in the south-western part of the settlement of Hampi.
- In which there were more than 60 temples.
- Thirty building complexes were identified as palaces.
- The king's palace was the largest of the enclosures and had two platforms. The Audience Hall and the Mahanavami Dibba.
- Some of the beautiful buildings in the royal center are Kamal Mahal, Hazara Ram Mandir, etc.
Mahanavami Box :-
Situated on one of the highest points in the city, 'Mahanavami Diba' is a huge platform.
Which grows from about 11,000 square feet to a height of 40 feet . Various ceremonies were performed here.
Mahanavami :-
The literal meaning of Mahanavami is the 9-day long festival, that is, the great new day.
Note:- The rituals associated with this structure are celebrated in the autumn months of September and October.
At present it is a 10-day Hindu festival known as Dussehra and Durga Puja in North India and Navratri or Mahanavami.
Many state rituals were performed on this occasion. On this occasion, the Vijayanagara rulers used to display their status, strength, performance and other states.
On this occasion idol worship, worship of state horse and buffalo and other animals were sacrificed.
Dancing, wrestling, competition and the ceremonial gifts made by the subordinate kings to his guests were the main attractions of the horse with equipment.
These festivals had deep symbolic meanings. On the last day of the festival, the king used to inspect his army and the army of his heroes in the planned gatherings in the open field. On this occasion, the Nayakas used to bring a large amount of gifts as well as fixed taxes for the king.
Temples of Hampi :-
There was a long history of temple construction in this area. The Pallavas, Chalukyas, Hoysalas, Cholas, all the rulers encouraged temple construction. Temples were developed as religious, social, cultural, economic and educational centers.
The Shrines of Virupaksha and Pampadevi are very important sacred centers. The Vijayanagara kings claimed to rule on behalf of Lord Virupaksha. They indicated their close ties by using the title 'Hindu Sultan', 'Hindu Suratana' (Sanskritisation of the Arabic word sultan).
In terms of temple architecture, the Rayas' gopurams and mandapas were developed by the rulers of Vijayanagara. Krishnadeva Raya built the hall in front of the main temple in the Virupaksha temple and he also got the eastern goparam constructed.
The halls in the temple were used for music, dance, drama and special events for the marriages of the deities. The rulers of Vijayanagara established the Vittala temple. Vitthal, a form of Vishnu, was commonly worshiped in Maharashtra. Some of the most splendid gopurams were built by the local Nayak.
Hampi: As a site of national importance :-
In 1976, Hampi was recognized as a site of national importance. Over nearly twenty years, dozens of scholars from around the world worked to reconstruct the history of Vijayanagara.
In the early 1980s, a variety of recording techniques were used by the Archaeological Survey of India, due to which the markings of roads, paths, bazaars, etc.
John M Fritz, George Nickell and MS Nagaraja Rao worked for years and made important observations of the site.
The details left by the travelers allow us to sum up some aspects of the vibrant life of the time.
Geographical Structure and Architecture of Vijayanagara :-
Geographical Structure and Architecture of Vijayanagara :- Vijayanagara was characterized by a distinctive physical layout and building style.
Vijayanagara was situated on the natural basin of the Tungabhadra river which flows in the north-east direction.
Since it is one of the driest regions of the peninsula, several arrangements were made to store rain water for the city. For example, water from Kamalapuram tank and Hiriya canal was used for irrigation and communication.
Abdur Razzaq, an ambassador to Persia, was very impressed with the fortifications of the city and mentioned seven lines of forts. Along with the city surrounded by them, it also has agricultural fields and forests.
The arches at the gateway were moved to the fortified settlement and the domes on the gate were architecture introduced by the Turkish sultans known as the Indo-Islamic style.
There was little archaeological evidence in the homes of the common people. We find the description of the houses of the common people from the writings of the Portuguese traveler Barbosa.
Dynasties and rulers of Vijayanagara :-
Note: - The rulers of Vijayanagara were called Rais. And the army chief of Vijayanagara was called Nayak.
Four dynasties ruled Vijayanagara:
Sangam Dynasty
Saluva dynasty
Tuluva dynasty
Aravidu dynasty
The Sangam dynasty established the empire, the Saluvas expanded it, the Saluvas took it to the pinnacle of its glory, but it declined under Aravidu.
Weak central government, weak successors of Krishna Deva Raya, various dynasties against the Bahmani kingdom, various reasons contributed to the decline of the empire. The most important feature of the empire was that its water requirement was met by a natural barn formed by the Tungabhadra river.
Krishnadevaraya: -
During the rule of Krishnadeva Raya, Vijayanagara flourished under conditions of unparalleled peace and prosperity. Krishnadeva Raya established some of the finest temples and gopurams and sub-urban settlements called Nagalapuram.
After his death in 1529, his successors were troubled by rebellious 'nayakas' or military chiefs. By 1542, control over the center was transferred to another ruling dynasty, the Aravidu, which remained in power until the end of the 17th century.
Rai and Nayak:
Note:- Rai was called the ruler of Vijayanagara.
Nayak – The army chiefs were called nayakas.
The army chiefs were among those who exercised power in the empire. Those who generally controlled the kilo and who had the rightful supporters.
These chiefs usually traveled from one place to another and were sometimes accompanied by farmers in search of fertile land to settle down.
These chiefs were called Nayakas and generally spoke Telugu or Kannada language. Many Nayaks had surrendered to the sovereignty of the Vijayanagara rule, but they often rebelled. These were done in the bus through military action.
Gajapati :-
Gajapati literally means lord of elephants. It was the name of a ruling dynasty that was very powerful in Odisha in the fifteenth century.
Ashwapati :-
In the popular tradition of Vijayanagara, the Deccan sultans are said to be the asvapatis of the lord of horses.
Narpati :-
In the Vijayanagara Empire, the rayas are called narapatis or lords of men.
Amar Nayak System :-
The word Amar is believed to have originated from the Sanskrit word Samar. Which means fight or war. It is similar to the Persian language word Amir, which means a person of a high family or a high rank.
The Amar Nayaka system was a major political discovery of the Vijayanagara Empire. It appears that many elements of this system were taken from the Iqta system of the Delhi Sultanate.
The Amarnayakas were military commanders who were given territories for administration by the Rais. They used to collect land revenue and other taxes from farmers, craftsmen and traders.
They used to keep some part of the revenue for personal use and for the maintenance of the prescribed group of horses and elephants.
These parties were helpful to the Vijayanagara rulers in getting an effective military power. With the help of which he controlled the entire southern peninsula under his control. A part of the revenue was spent for the maintenance of the temples and the means of irrigation.
Amarnayak used to visit the king once a year and used to present himself with gifts in the royal courts to express his devotion to his lord.
The king sometimes used to show his control over them by transferring them to another place, but in the seventeenth century many of these heroes established their independent kingdoms. Due to this the disintegration of the central political structure started happening rapidly.
Business :-
- Hot spices, clothes, gems were traded in Vijayanagara.
- Trade was the main source of income for the empire.
- The people there were rich and liked to buy valuables.
- Horses of good breed for war were imported from Arabia and the horse traders were called "Kudirai Chetties".
- Seeing the trading situation here, the Portuguese started settling here and started playing their role in the trade.
In this period, the art of warfare was based on the effective cavalry. Therefore, the import of horses from Arabia and Central Asia was very important for the competing states.
This trade was initially controlled by Arab traders by local groups of traders called kudirai chettis or horse traders. People also participated in these exchanges.
In 1498 AD, a few more people came to the table, it was the Portuguese who came to the west coast of the subcontinent and started trying to establish trading and strategic centers.
His superior tactical techniques, especially the use of guns, helped him emerge as a significant force in the complicated politics of the period.
Water supply of Vijayanagar :-
- Two rivers flowed in Vijay Nagar.
- Krishna and the second Tungabhadra
- Krishna Deva Raya built a dam on these rivers.
- And arranged for the water supply of Vijayanagara from these rivers.
Features of Kamalapuram Reservoir :-
- This reservoir was constructed in the early years of 15th century.
- The surrounding areas were irrigated from this reservoir.
- It was also carried through a canal to the royal center.
Forts, Bands and Roads :-
Looking at the walls of the 15th century, it seems that they were surrounded by them. Abdur Razzaq, a messenger sent by the ruler of Persia to Calicut (Kozhikode) in the 15th century, was very impressed with the fort captives, so he mentioned the seven lines of the fort.
(i) It encircled not only the city but also the surrounding areas and forests used for agriculture.
(ii) The outermost wall connected the hills around the city.
(iii) These huge Rajgiri hills and their structure was slightly conical.
(iv) The slurry or binder was not used anywhere in the manufacture of any article.
(v) The most important thing about this fortification was that the fields were also surrounded in it.
(vi) Why were agricultural areas included in fortified land?
Often the main purpose of medieval sieges was to force the opposition to surrender by depriving them of food. This siege could last for many months and even years, usually the rulers used to build huge granaries within the fortification areas to deal with such situations. The rulers of Vijayanagara adopted more expensive and policy to save the entire agricultural land.
(vii) The second fortification was built around the inner part of the urban center and the third surrounded the official centre.
Gopuram and Mandap :-
In the context of temple architecture, by this time new elements come to light. These include large-scale structures which are included in the state power.
The best example of these was the Raya Gopuram or the royal gateway. The massive structures built in these represent the Gopurams. The royal entrance gates often dwarfed the minarets of the central shrines and indicated the existence of the temple from a long distance.
Other distinctive features included the pavilion and the elongated pillared corridors that often surround the shrines located in temple complexes.
Virupaksha Temple :-
- The Virupaksha temple was built in Novi – 10th century.
- This temple was in the center of 10 km from Hampi Bazar.
- It is still the same today as it was during the time of Krishna Deva Raya.
- The stones here were of granite.
- There were paintings on the wall of the temple like dancing, war, hunting.
- Which tells us many stories.
- In these, Shiva is worshipped.
Vitthal Temple :-
- It was a strong and beautiful temple.
- Here the walls were made of copper vessels from bottom to top.
- There was an idol of animals on the roof of the temple.
- 2500 to 3000 lit lamps have been found inside the temple.
- The figures of women, soft flowers, animals have been carved on the stones here.
- There are granite chariots of the Sun God in the courtyard.
- Whose wheels still spin today, but the government has banned it from spinning.
- And here Vishnu is worshipped.
Peak :-
The top or very high roof of the temples is called shikhara. Generally, it can be seen from a reasonable distance by the visitors of the temples. At the bottom of the summit we find the idol of the main God or Goddess.
sanctum sanctorum :-
It is a central point of the main room located in a central position of the temple. Usually, each devotee approaches the gate of this room to pay respect and feelings of devotion towards his main duty.
Auditoriums :-
The auditoriums of the temples were used for various purposes. Some of these were such in which the idols of the deities were kept for special functions of music, dance and plays.
All the other auditoriums were used to celebrate the wedding of deities and some others were used for swinging the deities. Special idols were used on these occasions. They were different from the idols installed in the Ghote central temples.
Continuous research about Vijayanagara :-
The buildings that survive express ideas about materials and techniques, builders or patrons, and the cultural context of the Vijayanagara Empire. Thus, we combine information from literary inscriptions and popular traditions.
But the examination of architectural features does not tell us about the places where the common people live, what kind of wages the masons, stone pelters, sculptors get, how the building materials were transported and so many other questions.
Continuing research using other sources that available architectural examples may give some more clues about Vijayanagara.
Reasons for the fall of Vijayanagara :-
- (i) Enmity with neighboring states
- (ii) Absolute ruler
- (iii) Commission successor
- (iv) Orissa's invasion of Bijpur
- (v) Military campaign against Golconda and Bijpur
- (vi) Battle of Talikota and end of Vijayanagara Empire
(i) Enmity with neighboring states - The rulers of Vijayanagara always fought with neighboring states / Vijayanagara kings always had a fight with Bahmani Rai. In this the condition of the empire became powerless.
(ii) Absolute rulers - Most of the rulers were absolutist rulers. They could not become popular with the public.
(iii) Commission successor - After Krishna Deva Raya, his nephew Achyuta Rai sat on the throne.
(iv) Orissa Invasions of Bijpur – In the days when the Vijayanagara Empire was involved in civil war, Prataparudra Gajapati, the ruler of Orissa and Ismail Adil, the ruler of Bijapur, attacked Vijayanagara, Gajapati returned after defeating, but Adil captured the fort of Raichur and Magdal. took .
(v) Military campaign against Golconda and Bijpur - With this campaign the Muslim princely states of the south formed a federation. In this the military power of Vijayanagara became weak.
(vi) Battle of Talikota and end of Vijayanagara Empire – This war took place in 1565 between Vijayanagara and Bijapur, Ahmednagar, Golconda. Vijayanagara was led by Prime Minister Ramaraya. Vijayanagara was defeated in this war. The armies plundered the Vijayanagara city a lot, due to which Vijayanagara was ruined within a few years. And this war is known as the battle of the demonic Tangri.
Causes and consequences of Vijayanagara's defeat in the Battle of Talikota :-
The increasing interference of Vijayanagara:
Vijayanagara being very powerful was interfering in Muslim states which they did not like at all.
Abuse of Ahmednagar:
During the war, Vijaynagar had treated the women of Ahmednagar very badly.
Policy of Ram Rai:
Ramaraya was trying to isolate the Muslim sultans, so that no power could compete with them in the south, but all the Muslim kingdoms united and defeated Vijayanagar.
Result :-
- Lakhs of soldiers of Vijayanagar were killed and a lot of money was also looted.
- In this, Vijayanagara went towards its decline within a few years.
- After the war its center moved from south to east.
- For Vijayanagara, Muslim power in the south remained a headache forever.
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History – Themes
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Pol
Science – Contemporary World Politics |
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– Politics
in India since Independence |
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Geography – Indian
People and Economy |
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– Fundamental of Human Geography |
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Chapter 1: - Population: Distribution, Density, Growth
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Chapter 12: - Geographical Perspective on Selected
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