7 AN IMPERIAL CAPITAL VIJAYA NAGARA
Vijaya Nagar empire (1336-1565)
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➢ Vijayanagara means city of victory
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➢ Capital - Vijayanagara or Hampi
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➢ The name Hampi derived from Pampadevi local mother goddess
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➢ Vijaya nagara empire also known as 'Karnataka samrajyavu'
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➢ It stretched from the river Krishna in the north to the extreme south of the peninsula.
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➢ Vijaya nagara founded by two brothers Harihara and Bukka in 1336
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➢ Contemporary rulers include
Decan sultans(Ashvapati) Rulers Orissa (Gajapati) Cholas of Tamil nadu Hoysalas of Karnataka
➢ In 1565 Vijayanagara was plundered and deserted following the battle of Talikkotta
Discovery of Hampi
➔ Hampi discovered by Colonel Colin Mackenzie in 1800
➔Colin Mackenzie was an engineer,surveyor,and cartographer
➔He was employee of English East India company
➔He was First Surveyor General of India
➔He prepared first survey map of Hampi
➔He collected information from priests of Virupaksha temple and pampadevi shrine
Sources for Vijaya nagara history
1. Works of Colin Mackenzie 2. Archaeology
3. Monuments
4. Inscriptions
5. Oral traditions
6. Accounts of foreign travellers
7. Literature written in Tamil Telugu Kannada
Trade in Vijayanagar
➔ Horse imported from Arabia
➔Horse traders known as kudirai chettis
➔Trade with Portuguese developed
➔Vijaya nagara famous for markets of spices,textiles,and precious stones
Vijaya nagara Dynasties
➔Sangama Dynasty (1336-1485) ➔Saluva Dynasty (1485-1505) ➔Tuluva Dynasty (1505-1570) ➔Aravidu Dynasty(1570-1646)
Krishna Devaraya (1509-1530)
• Greatest ruler of Vijayanagar
• Belongs to Tuluva dynasty
• known as Andra Bhoja
• Received title 'establisher of Yavana kingdoms' • Expanded and consolidated empire
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Captured the land between Thungabhadra and Krishna(Raichur doab)
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In 1512 he defeated the rulers of Orissa
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In 1514 he defeated the Sultan of Bijapur
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He built the Hazara Ramaswami temple and Vittal swami temple at Vijayanagar
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Founded a town called Nagalapuram after his mother Nagaladevi
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Built massive Gopurams
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Patron of art and literature
• Wrote '
(work on statecraft) in Telugu and' Usha
Amukta malyada'
parinayam'
in Sanskrit
Battle of Rakshasi Tangadi(Talikota)1565
➔ In 1565 Ramaraya ,chief minister of Vijaya nagar was defeated by combined forces of Bijapur,Ahmadnagar,and Golkonda
➔The city of Vijayanagara destroyed
➔This was the end of Vijayanagara empire
➔Aravidu dynasty changed capital to Penukonda
➔They again changed capital to Chandragiri
Rayas
➔ Vijaya nagara rulers called themselves 'Rayas' ➔Vijayangar rulers also known as Narapati
Amara Nayakas
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Amaranayaka system taken from Iqta system of Delhi sultanate
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Nayakas were military chiefs of Vijaya nagara
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Amara was territory ruled by Nayakas
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Amara nayakas were given territory by Rayas
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Amara nayakas collected taxes from people
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Amara nayaka provided fighting forces to Vijayanagara kings
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After the collapse of empire many Amara nayakas established independent kingdoms
Vijayanagara :The Capital and its Environs
Vijayanagara, was characterised by a distinctive physical layout and building style.
A Big City Lying between several range of hills
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Had several grand palaces,temples,houses gardens and lakes
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Nicolo de Conti (Italian traveller) wrote vijayanagar has 60 mile circumference
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Abdu Razzaq (Persian ambassador)- wrote Vijayanagara most outstanding city of world
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Fernao Nuniz -(Portuguese)-wrote all the vessels in the palace made of gold or silver
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Domingo paes-(Portuguese)-wrote city is so large that it can not all be seen from any one spot and vijayanagar as large as Rome
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Durate Barbosa-(Portuguese) wrote about houses of ordinary people in the urban core
Water resources
➔River Tungabhadra
➔A number of streams flow down to the river from these rocky
outcrops
➔Kamalapuram tank. (built for water conservation)
➔Hiriya canal. (built for water conservation)
➔Domingo Paes gives description about tank constructed by Krishna
deva raya
Fortifications and Roads in Vijayanagara
➔ Abdur Razzaq,an ambassador sent by the ruler of Persia to Calicut (present-dayKozhikode) in the fifteenth century, was greatly impressed by the fortifications, and mentioned seven lines of forts.
➔ Abdur Razzaq noted that “ between the first, second and the third walls there are cultivated fields, gardens and houses”.
➔Domingo Paes observed an agricultural tract between the sacred centre and the urban core.
➔Agricultural tracts were incorporated within the fortified area to defend sieges
➔First line of fortification Agricultural land
➔Second line of fortification went round the inner core of the urban
complex
➔Third line surrounded the royal centre, within which each set of major buildings was surrounded by its own high wall
➔The fort was entered through well-guarded gates, which linked the city to the major roads.
➔Gateways were distinctive architectural features
➔The arch and the dome over the gate are regarded as typical features of the architecture introduced by the Turkish Sultans.
➔Roads generally wound around through the valleys, avoiding rocky terrain.
➔Some of the most important roads extended from temple gateways, and were lined by bazaars.
Urban Core
➔Chinese porcelain in some areas, suggest that urban core occupied by rich traders.
➔Urban core was also Residential quarters for Muslims(tombs and mosques located here)
➔Barbosa described houses of the people are thatched, but nonetheless well built and arranged according to occupations, in long streets with many open places.”
➔Numerous shrines and small temples
➔Wells,rainwater tanks temple tanks
Two divisions of Vijaya nagar
1) The royal centre 2 )The sacred centre
The Royal centre
➔Located south western part of Vijayanagara ➔The royal centre had 30 palaces
Buildings in Royal centre
1. Kings palace with two platforms
a) audience hall
b) Mahanavami dibba
2. Lotus mahal(council chamber or place where king met advisers)
3. Hazara Rama temple( used only by the king and his family)
4. Elephent stables(11 rooms for elephants)
The mahanavami dibba
➔The mahanavami dibba situates in the royal centre
➔The “mahanavami dibba” is a massive platform rising from a base
of about 11,000 sq. ft to a height of 40 ft.
➔Rituals associated Mahanavami (literally, the great ninth day) of the ten-day Hindu , known variously as Dusehra (northern India), Durga Puja (in Bihar)and Navaratri or Mahanavami (in peninsular India).
➔The ceremonies performed on the occasion included worship of the image, worship of the state horse, and the sacrifice of animals.
➔Dances, wrestling matches, and processions of 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.
The Sacred centre
➔Sacred centre situated northern end of the city Vijayanagara
➔Rocky and hilly area on the banks of the Tungabhadra.
➔According to local tradition, these hills sheltered the monkey kingdom
of Vali and Sugriva
➔Other traditions suggest that Pampadevi, the local mother goddess, did penance in these hills in order to marry Virupaksha, the guardian deity of the kingdom, also recognised as a form of Shiva.
➔To this day this marriage is celebrated annually in the Virupaksha temple.
➔Among these hills are found Jaina temples of the pre-Vijayanagara period as well.
➔Temple building in the region had a long history, going back to dynasties such as the Pallavas, Chalukyas, Hoysalas and Cholas.
➔Temples developed as significant religious, social, cultural and economic centres.
Buildings in Sacred centre
➔1 Virupaksha temple (Shiva)
➔2 Pampadevi temple
➔3 Vitthala temple(Vishnu)
➔4 Gopurams
➔5 Mandapams ➔6 Chariot streets
Why Vijayanagara chosen as capital
➔Existence of the temples of Virupaksha and Pampadevi. ➔The Vijayanagara kings claimed to rule on behalf of the god
Virupaksha.
➔All royal orders were signed “Shri Virupaksha”, usually in the Kannada script.
➔Rulers used title “Hindu Suratrana”. The Virupaksha temple
➔The Vrupaksha temple was built over centuries.
➔The hall in front of the main shrine was built by Krishnadeva
Raya to mark his accession.
➔Krishnadeva Raya constructed of the eastern gopuram.
➔The halls in the temple were spaces in which the images of gods were placed to witness special programmes of music, dance, drama, etc.
Plotting Palaces, Temples and Bazaars.
➔The site was preserved by the Archaeological Survey of India and the Karnataka Department of Archaeology and Museums.
➔In 1976, Hampi was recognised as a site of national importance. ➔In the early 1980s, an important project was launched to
document the material remains at Vijayanagara
➔The first step was to divide the entire area into a set of 25 squares, each designated by a letter of the alphabet.(abc)
➔ Then, each of the small squares was subdivided into a set of even smaller squares.
➔ Each of these smaller squares was further subdivided into yet smaller units.
➔These detailed surveys have recovered and documented traces of thousands of structures –from tiny shrines and residences to elaborate temples.
➔They have also led to the recovery of traces of roads, paths, bazaars, etc.
➔ John m Fritz, George Michell and MS Nagarajarao who worked for years in the site imagined a whole series of vanished wooden elements columns brackets beams ceilings over hanging eaves and towers
Bazars in Vijaya Nagara
Remains found by analysing the pillar bases and platforms
The accounts of foreign travellers provide clear picture of bazaars
Domingo Paes (Portuguese traveller)described Vijaya nagara as ,'the best provided city in the world' itsmarkets were stocked with rice,wheat,grains,corns, barley,beans,moong,pulses,and horse gram The merchants lived in the streets All sort of rubies diamonds emeralds,pearls,sold. There were evening fair. Allsort of things on earth available in the bazars
Fernao Nuniz (Portuguese traveller)described the Vijaya nagara markets overflowing with abundance of fruits grapes oranges limes pomegranates, jack fruit and all very cheap. Mutton pork venison partridges hares doves quail and all kinds of birds sparrows rats and cats and lizards sold in Bisnaga(Vijaya nagara)
Questions in Search of Answers
➔What ordinary men, women and children, thought about these impressive buildings
➔Would they have had access to any of the areas within the royal centre or the sacred centre?
➔Would they hurry past the sculpture, or would they pause to see, reflect and try and understand its complicated symbolism?
➔What did the people who worked on these colossal construction projects think of the enterprises to which they had contributed their labour?
➔While rulers took all important decisions about the buildings to be constructed, the site, the material to be used and the style to be followed, who possessed the specialised knowledge required for such enormous enterprises?
➔Who drew up the plans for the buildings?
➔Where did the masons, stonecutters, sculptors who did the actual building come from?
➔Were they captured during war from neighbouring regions? What kind of wages did they get?
➔Who supervised the building activity? How was building material transported and where did it come from?