VIJAYANAGARA EMPIRE AND BAHAMANI KINGDOM-Notes

 

VIJAYANAGARA EMPIRE AND BAHAMANI KINGDOM

The establishment of the Vijayanagara Empire is a landmark in Indian history. The South Indian dynasties – the Yadavas of Devagiri, the Kakatiyas of Warangal, the Pandyas of Madurai, Hoysalas of Dwarasamudra (Halebeedu), the Cholas of Tanjore attacks were all victims of violent Allauddin Khilji. As a result, political instability, lawlessness, fear and religious turmoil prevailed everywhere. In such a situation, the establishment of Vijayanagara empire enabled the protection of the Hindu religion and Indian culture. Harihara and Bukka established this empire on the banks of the Tungabhadra river in the year 1336. Later Hampi became the capital of Vijayanagara empire.

The famous kings of Sangama dynasty (1336 – 1486) were Harihara I, Bukkaraya, Harihara II and Praudhadevaraya. Harihara laid the foundation for the Vijayanagara empire and developed a capital amidst of hillocks.

Bukkaraya Bukkaraya defeated the Reddys of Kondaveedu and merged Penukonda area with Vijayanagara. Bukka was successful in solving the differences between the Jains and the Srivaishnavas, thereby upheld religious harmony. This fact is revealed by one of the inscriptions in Shravana Belagola. He constructed a fort and a few temples in the capital and encouraged agricultural activities. Bukkaraya sent an ambassador to the court of a Chinese king belonging to the Ming dynasty. Harihara II : During the 27 years rule of Harihara II, Do you know this ? T h e w r i t i n g o f commentaries on the Vedas was completed during Harahara II period. Hence he earned the title ‘Vaidika Margasthapanacharya’. He developed markets in 26 important cities of his kingdom. the son of Bukkaraya, the Vijayanagara Empire comprised of vast area. He took into his control Kondaveedu,Kurnool and Nellore forts. Harihara II expanded his kingdom from Goa to the north of the Konkan coast. He occupied the fort of Pangala lying to the north of Krishna river in the year 1398.

 Devaraya II (Praudhadevaraya) : The most famous king in the Sangama dynasty was Devaraya II. He had earned the title of ‘Elephant Hunter’. Do you know this ? Nicole Conti, an Italian t r a v e l l e r , v i s i t e d Vijayanagar and has recorded interesting facts about the kingdom. He has revealed that the capital spread across 60 sq.miles. Devaraya II defeated the king Gajapati Kapilendra of Orissa and seized Kondaveedu. By suppressing the regional leaders across the border, he expanded the kingdom upto Krishna river in the north east. Later, he defeated the Kerala ruler and received royalties from Kerala and Sri Lanka. This earned him the title “Dakshinapathada Chakravarthi” (the Emperor of the South). Through these conquests the Vijayanagara Empire extended from Sri Lanka to Gulbarga and Telangana to Malabar.

Devaraya II chased the traditional foe Do you know this ? The Persian Ambassador, Abdul Razak, visited the capital of Vijayanagar towards the end of April,1443. Impressed by the glory of the kingdom, he exclaimed thus: “The eye has not seen nor the ear heard of any place like Vijayanagar. There is no place on earth which is comparable to Vijayanagar.” Ahmed Shah of Bahamani till Bijapur and occupied Mudgal and Bankapura. His commander, Lakkanna Dandesha, took up a successful naval victory. Devaraya II was tolerant towards other religions. He constructed Mosques, Jain and Vaishnava temples in the capital. Being a poet himself, he had in his court the Sanskrit scholar, Dindima and the Kannada scholar, Lakkana Dandesha. During his period, Veerashaiva tradition and literature saw a revival. After the death of Devaraya II in 1446, weak kings came to power, and the rule of the Sangama dynasty came to an end. Krishnadevaraya The son of Narasanayaka of Tuluva Shri Krishnadevaraya dynasty and his second wife, Nagalambika, Krishnadevaraya was the most famous king among the rulers of the Vijayanagar Empire. During his rule, the Vijayanagar Empire reached the pinnacle of glory in comparison with world-famous rulers like Ashoka, Samudragupta and Harshavardhana. He ruled for 20 years. When he came to power, the kingdom faced various complicated internal and external problems. The Europeans who had arrived through new sea-route established their colonies. The Moghuls of the north tried to expand their Empire in the south. The five Shahi kingdoms of the Bahamani dynasty became powerful Sultanates and plunged into wars with Krishnadevaraya. In addition to these, the kings of Ummatthur and Orissa were a constant source of threat.

The military achievements of Krishnadevaraya As mentioned by Robert Sewell, Varaha - The state emblem Krishnadevaraya was an unparalleled warrior, shrewd commander and political expert. He won all the wars and expanded his empire in the South.He defeated Ummatthur’s Gangaraja and took over the Shivanasamudra fort from him. Then he conquered the Raichur fort. He helped the Portuguese army to conquer Goa from the Bijapur Sultan and established trade relations with them. He attacked the Udayagiri fort. When he attacked it he thought that it was a very strong fort and very difficult to conquer it, but decided to conquer it in a day and conquered it. This shows his determination. He conquered Kalinga’s capital Cuttack and defeated Gajapati Prataparudra. He signed a peace agreement with him.

Krishnadevaraya defeated Adil Shahi of Vijayapura(Bijapur) and won the Raichur fort. At the time of attacking the Raichur fort, he encouraged all the soldiers saying: “Everyone has to die one day. If you die in the battlefield, you go to heaven. If you win, you will be blessed. Therefore, everyone of you come and fight with me; don’t be cowards.” After occupying Raichur fort, Krishnadevaraya seized Bidar and Kalaburagi (Gulbarga) forts. He defeated the Prime Minister of the Bahamani kingdom, Kasim Bareed and freed the Bahamani prince he had imprisoned and coronated the prince on the Bahamani throne at Bidar and earned the title “Yavanarajya Pratisthapanacharya”. By the time Krishnadevaraya died, the Vijayanagara empire had spread over in all directions and was very vast.

 Krishnadevaraya was not only a skilled warrior but also an able administrator. His Telugu work ‘Amukta Maalyada’ reveals the shrewdness he possessed in matters of state. He provided irrigation facilities for expansion of agriculture. With the friendship of the Portuguese, he increased foreign trade. He abolished tax on marriages. He was a great patron of art, literature and religions. There were eight Telugu poets known as Ashtha Diggajas in his court.

 Krishnadevaraya was a poet himself and wrote the play ‘Jambavati Kalyana’ in Sanskrit. Allasani Peddanna, Nandi Timmanna, Durjuti, Tenali Ramakrishna and others were the Telugu poets in his court. Krishnadevaraya constructed Krishna temple at Hampi. Along with many of the temples, he erected Maharangamantapa in Virupaksha temple at Hampi and also many other temples. The Portuguese travellers, Paes and Barbosa, have applauded the dignity and ability of Krishnadevaraya, during whose time people of all religions enjoyed religious freedom. Fall of the Vijayanagara Empire After Krishnadevaraya, Achyutaraya Activity : Read stories of Tenali Ramakrishna which reveal and Sadashivaraya came to the throne, his intelligence Krishnadevaraya’s son-in-law, Ramaraya of the Araveedu dynasty handled the administration in an able manner. Although Ramaraya had improved the prestige of the kingdom by waging many wars during his 23-year reign, many foes had sprung up against Vijayanagar.

Counteracting to the frequent attacks Do you know this? Penugonda, Chandragiri, Paddebidu, Tiruvadi (Tiruvankuru),Muluvayi (Mulubagilu), Santalige (Shivamogga area) and Mangaluru were the important provinces of the Vijayanagar empire. by the Deccan Shahi Sultans, Ramaraya had occupied Vijayapura and Golkonda forts. This had provoked the Sultans to wage war against Ramaraya. The Deccan Sultans who were envious of the progress and prosperity of the Vijayanagara empire, forgot their political differences and were united. In 1565 the united army of the four kingdoms mounted an attack on Vijayanagar. Ramaraya’s army was defeated in this battle, and he died. The victorious army of the Deccan Sultans plundered the glorious kingdom of Vijayanagar. As a result, the capital Hampi became a ruin. Later, the Araveedu dynasty ruled from Penugonda, Chandragiri and finally Vellore till 1646. The chieftains of Mysuru, Keladi and Chitradurga in Karnataka became independent. The cultural contributions of Vijayanagar Administration : The administration in the Do you know this? • H o n n a m m a w a s a reporter in the court of Devaraya II.

 Wrestling was the most popular sport during the Vijayanagara period. Hariyakka was a famous female wrestler of that time. Vijayanagara empire was carried on in a traditional manner. The kings selected their eldest sons as their heirs. The central administration was strong and some powers were decentralised. The Council of Ministers, strong military, provincial chieftains or the king would give land to the leader or chieftain in return for military service. There were different bodies like the State Council leader (Nayankar), village administration etc. Thimmarasa was a Prime Minister. The kingdom had various administrative levels like the state, district and village. The king enjoyed absolute power in Do this yourself : Visit a G r a m Panchayat and collect information about the way Gram Sabhas work. judicial matters. The provincial officers used to dispense justice in the provinces. Punishment used to be severe. The village was the last level of administration and the Grama Sabhas used to carry on the administration there.

 The Gowda, Karani and Talwar used to assist in the village administration. In the Provinces the Nadagowdas and in the cities the Pattanaswami used to look after the administration. Vijayanagar had a mighty army. It consisted of three hierarchies of permanent troops, troops sent by vassal states and troops of royal guards (this looked after the king’s security). Infantry, cavalry, elephants and cannons were the main factions of the army.

There were mammoth elephants. Horses brought from Arabia were a major attraction at Vijayanagar. There was a naval squad in the army. People from all religions could occupy high positions in the army. Farmers and hunters became chieftains. Forts and moats played an important role during the wars. Social system : There was also occupation-based caste system. There were many skilled artisans, blacksmiths, goldsmiths, bellmetal smiths, carpenters, weavers and cobblers in the society. The practices of child marriage, sati and devadasi systems were prevalent. Though monogamy was the common practice, kings and rich people had many wives. Women enjoyed a dignified status in society. There were female wrestlers and female palace guards. Holi, Deepavali and Dasara festivals were celebrated publicly. Dasara festival used to be celebrated with pomp and glory at Hampi under royal patronage. Music and dance enjoyed great popularity. Economic system : Vijayanagar was Do this yourself : Compare the Dasara celebrations at present in Mysore and in those days at Hampi. economically prosperous. Land tax was the main source of revenue for the kingdom. Farmers used to give of their income to the government in the form of tax. Professional tax, revenue tax, road tax, market tax, commercial tax, import and export taxes and tributes from the vassals were the other forms of revenue to the kingdom. Agriculture was the backbone of the economy. People grew different kinds of crops throughout the year. Jowar, ragi, paddy, wheat, lentils, pulses like green gram, black gram and tuvar, sesame (til) seeds, groundnuts, cotton, sugarcane and coconut were the main crops. The Vijayanagar kings constructed wells, tanks and canals to encourage irrigation and agriculture. There were five kinds of practices of land holdings like Do you know this? Vajrakaroor near Gutti in Anantapur district was the diamond center. Sapphires used to be available in plenty in Calicut. Bhatkal was the center for iron ore. Rose perfume used to be manufactured at Pulicat. The Portuguese traveler, Paes, has recorded that there used to be a fair every day at the Vijayanagara capital, Hampi.

The seven main markets were Virupaksha, Krishna, Pansupari, Varadarajamma, Achyuta, Vittala and Malyavanta. Bhatkal, Honnavara and Mangaluru were the important ports of Vijayanagara, and foreign traders from Arab, China and Portugal had trade relation with the Vijayanagara empire. Religious system : Vijayanagara empire enjoyed the distinction of having encouraged all religions equally. The atmosphere was such that Shrivaishnavites and Jains forgot their religious differences and lived in perfect harmony. The early kings of Vijayanagara patronized Shaivites and Veerashaivites, whereas the later kings encouraged Vaishnavites. In Vijayanagar, masjids and dargas were built for Muslims. The kings of Vijayanagar developed business with Portuguese and encouraged Christianity by giving permission to construct churches. Literature : Due to the peace and order, economic progress, literature flourished. Various works were created in Kannada, Sanskrit, Telugu and Tamil languages.

Ratnakaravarni’s ‘Bharateshavaibhava’, Chamarasa’s ‘Prabhulingaleele’, Kumaravyasa’s ‘Gaduginabharata’ are the important Kannada works of the time. Bheemakavi translated Palkurike Somanatha’s Telugu work, ‘Basavapurana’, to Kannada language.

The collection of Veerashaiva vachanas called ‘Shunyasampadane’ was also published. Besides Lakkanna Dandesha’s ‘Shivatatvachintamani’, books in Kannada on human medical science, veterinary science, poetics, astrology and cookery were also published. Saint Purandaradasa, Kanakadasa, Shripadaraya and Vyasaraya enriched dasa sahitya. Among these, Kanakadasa’s ‘Mohanatarangini’, ‘Nalacharitre’, ‘Haribhaktisara’ and ‘Ramadhanyacharitre’ are important. Vidyaranya wrote ‘Shankaravijaya’ and ‘Sarvadarshana samgraha’ in Sanskrit. His brother, Sayanacharya, wrote commentaries on the Vedas called ‘Vedarthaprakasha’, ‘Ayurvedasudhanidhi’, ‘Purusharthasudhanidhi’ and other books. Kampannaraya’s wife, Gangadevi, wrote a book called ‘Maduravijayam’.

This book deals with Kampanna’s invasion and a description of places of pilgrimage. The court poet of Devaraya II, Srinatha, had earned the title ‘Kavichakravarthi’. There were eight famous poets called the Asthadiggajas in Krishnadevaraya’s court. Allasani Peddanna’s ‘Manucharitam’, Timmanna’s ‘Parijatapaharanam’, and Tenali Ramakrishna’s ‘Ubhataradhyacharitam’ are important works of this period. Krishnadevaraya’s court had also Tamil poets, paranjyothiyer Veeraraghavar, Mandala Purusha, Gyanaprakasha, Harihara and others. Paranjyoti Iyer wrote ‘Tiruvalayadal puranam’. In the period of Vijayanagara empire they encouraged Sanskrit, Kannada, Telugu & Tamil languages. Art and Architecture: The excellent work done by Vijayanagar kings in the fields of art and architecture is memorable. The emperors were known as great patrons of architecture. During this period, temples, palaces, forts, towers, huge halls (mahamantapa), public buildings, tanks, bunds, canals and dams were constructed.

The unique features of Vijayanagar art : The Vijayanagar kings continued the architectural style of Chalukyas, Cholas and Hoysalas. The unique feature of their architecture was the construction of huge auditorium and marriage halls. Temples had huge towers (rayagopura), leaf-shaped arches and platforms. In this art, more than ornamentation, the qualities of grandeur, awe and elegance were given importance. Rough granite stone (kanashile) was used for construction of these structures. Important temples: During the period Do you know this?

The temples, buildings and idols constructed by the kings of Vijayanagar have been referred to by the famous art historian, Percy Brown. He has described the architectural style as a great evolution of Dravidian style. of the Vijayanagar kings, temples were built in Hampi, Shringeri, Tirupati, Lepakshi, Karkala, Moodabidri, Bhatkal, Chidambaram, Kanchi, Kalahasti, Nandi, Srishaila, Kolar and other places. The most important temple constructed in the beginning of the Vijayanagar dynastic rule was Vidyashankara temple at Shringeri.

The structure of this temple is unique in India. The most ancient temple of Vijayanagar is Virupaksha temple at Hampi. Having a vast courtyard/hall, this temple has many pillars with sculptures and decorative ceilings. The Vijaya Vitthala temple of Hampi is known for its magnificent architectural beauty. The saptaswara musical pillars, huge Kalyana Mantapas and the Stone Chariot have enhanced the beauty of this temple. Vijaya Vitthala Temple Hampi Virupaksha Temple The Dasara festival was celebrated on the Mahanavami Dibba constructed by Krishnadevaraya. The Persian ambassador Abdul Razak, recorded that during this festival, kings from distant places and provincial leaders used to assemble as per the orders of the emperors.

 Kamal Mahal, Elephant stable, Queen’s bath are wonderful examples of Indo-Muslim architectural style. Lakshminarasimha, Kadalekalu Ganesha, Sasuvekalu Ganesha and Uddana Veerabhadra’s idols are attractive. The fort of Hampi during Vijayanagar empire was very strong with seven circular walls around it. At present, there are only four circular walls around it. Music and Dance: The Vijayanagar Stone chariot kings patronized fine arts like music, dance, drama and yakshagana. Artists enjoyed great respect in the palace and temples. Saint Purandaradasa and Kanakadasa had enriched Carnatic music through kirtanas. Dancers, adorned in exquisite costumes and jewellery, performed dance in the temples and palaces.

 

 

BAHAMANI KINGDOM

The other important historical change seen in the 14th century was the rise of the Bahamani kingdom. In the year 1347, Alauddin Hasan Gangu Baheman Shah established this dynasty. The Bahamani and Shahi dynasties ruled from 1347 to 1686. Among their rulers, Mohammad Shah I, Mohammad Shah II, Feroz Shah, Usuf Adil Khan, Ibrahim Adil Shah I, Ibrahim Adil Shah II are very famous. Mohammad Shah, son of Allauddin Hassan Gangu Bahaman constructed the famous vast Jamia Masjid in Gulbarga in the year 1367. Feroz Shah who came after him, built a new capital called Ferozabad. He constructed a planetarium. He was a great scholar.

Mohammad Gawan (1411-1481) From1347 to 1426, Kalburgi was the capital of Bahamani kingdom. During this period, Mohammad Gawan ruled the kingdom with selflessness and dedication. As a Prime Minister, he took the Bahamani kingdom to great heights. He learnt Muslim religious verses and law at Kairo, also gained proficiency in Arabic and Parsi languages. He served as the Prime Minister during the rule of Bahamani kings Humayun, Nizam Shah and Mohammad Shah III. He was responsible for enhancing the glory of Bahamani kingdom by his efficient administration and victories. Gawan conquered Konkan, Goa and Belagavi. Later, he invaded Orissa and conquered Kondaveedu. In the year 1481., he invaded Kanchi and plundered its huge wealth. Thus, Mohammad Gawan who was responsible for the all-round development of the Bahamani kingdom, became a victim to a conspiracy of his enemies and was beheaded on the false charge of betrayal to the kingdom. After him, the kingdom became weak and disintegrated into five parts.

Ibrahim Adil Shah II (1580 – 1627) The most famous king of Adil Shahi, Ibrahim II ascended the throne in his 9th year. He ruled over for 47 years with historic incidents. Politically he took Vijayapura to the pinnacle of glory with his efficient administration, and was responsible for the tremendous progress in art, literature and education. His book ‘Kitab-E-Navaras’ begins with prayers to the God’s Ganesha, Saraswathi and Narasimha. There are prayers to Muhammad, the Prophet too. This book is an evidence of the knowledge, magnanimity and religious tolerance of Ibrahim II. Contributions of the Bahamani Sultans The Bahamani and Shahi Sultans ruled over Karnataka for almost 200 years. In addition to Karnataka, they extended their kingdom upto Tanjore in Tamil Nadu. They had organised their administration based on Islamic religious principles. Administration: There were three levels of administration namely Central, Provincial and Village. Among these, there was revenue, judicial and military administration too. The Sultan was the chief of the central administration. The cabinet was called Majlis-E-II. Top officials, commandants, ulemas and amins, friends and relatives of the Sultan, attended the meeting.

Gawan converted the then existing four provinces into eight units and these provinces were divided into fifteen Sarakars. The Subedar was the administrator in each of these Sarakars. Sarakars were divided into paraganas. Kotwal, Deshmukh and Desai were the administrators of the paraganas. The village head was Patel, Kulkarni and guards as staff. The village units were independent units. Revenue, military and judicial system: Amir-E-Jumlas were the head of the revenue authorities. Land tax was the main source of income for the kingdom. to of the agricultural production was collected as land tax. There were 50 kinds of taxes including house, mines, tobacco, grasslands, trade and employment. The money earned by taxation was used for maintaining palaces, wars and bodyguards, construction and maintenance of forts. The Bahamani kingdom depended on the Do you know this? Bibiji Khanum, Yusuf Adil Shah’s wife, Dilsha Agha, Chand Bibi and Shahar Banu Begum were the famous women of this dynasty. strength of their military force. Military expenditure was huge. They had four types of armed troops. Permanent troops, troops recruited during war-time, troops for religious wars and untis for the protection of the Sultan and the palaces. Infantry, cavalry, elephants and explosive units were the important divisions of the army. Bijapur fort was the most formidable of the Adil Shahi forts. The Sultan was the supreme Judicial authority. He ruled according to the prevailing customs, traditions and principles of the Islamic religion. Kazis and senior officers assisted the Sultan in dispensing justice. Due to their efficient administration, the state witnessed progress in economic, social and cultural fields.

Economic, social and religious systems : Agriculture was the main occupation in the villages. Spinning, oil extraction, sugar and jaggery manufacture, thread-weaving, leather work, pottery, carpentry, goldsmithy, perfumery and sculpture were also the other occupations. There were ports in Dhabol, Rajapura, Chawla and Goa. Silk, wine, gold, silver, copper, tin, lead and glass were the main imports. Trade and employment organisations were in existence.

 Gold coins known as ‘honnu’ and silver coins were known as ‘lorry’ and ‘tanka’ were in circulation. Undivided patriarchal families continued in the society. Caste system and polygamy were practised. Haridasas of the Bhakti panth and Muslim Sufi saints tried to imbibe tolerance in society. In Muslim society, Sunni, Shia, Syed, Sheikh and Pathan were the main groups. Muslim women practised burkha system. Education, art and architecture : The educational policy of the Adil Shahis was to propogate Islamic culture. There were schools known as maktabs. They were under the control of mosques. The students in the maktabs were taught the alphabet, religion, law, poetry and rhetoric. The madrasas were centers of higher education. Mohammad Gawan who was a scholar himself, established a madrasa (college) at Bidar to encourage study of the Islamic religion and law.

 This college was 242 ft. length, 222 ft. width and 56 ft height three-storied magnificent building constructed in the Deccan style. It had a library with around 3000 manuscripts. The college was also a lodge for students, teachers and orthodox people. Astronomy, grammar, mathematics, philosophy and political science were studied in this college. The Sultans developed Indo-Saracenic style of architecture. The Jamia mosque built by Ali Adil Shah I is a prominent monument even today. Ibrahim Roza, Gol Gumbaz, Gagan Mahal and Asar Mahals are the important monuments of this time. These monuments have made the Adil Shahis world famous. The Gol Gumbaz at Vijayapura is one of the greatest structures in the world. It has an area of 1800 sq.ft. There are 7- storied minarets in the four corners of the building. There is a huge dome in the center.