Vijayanagara Empire

The Vijayanagara empire was south India's bulwark against the Bahmani and Deccan sultanates for 200+ years. NDA tests its founders, greatest king Krishnadeva Raya, and the Battle of Talikota.

Founding and Dynasties

• Foundation: 1336 CE by Harihara I and Bukka — Sangama brothers — under guidance of saint Vidyaranya. Capital at Vijayanagara (now Hampi, Karnataka) on the Tungabhadra river.
• Sangama dynasty (1336-1485): Founding dynasty. Devaraya II — strong king who included Muslim cavalry in his army.
• Saluva dynasty (1485-1505): Saluva Narasimha.
• Tuluva dynasty (1505-1570): Peak period. Krishnadeva Raya — greatest king.
• Aravidu dynasty (1570-1646): Post-Talikota decline.

Krishnadeva Raya (1509-1529)

• Greatest Vijayanagara ruler. Tuluva dynasty.
• Military victories — defeated Bahmani fragments, captured Raichur (1520), conquered Orissa, repelled Gajapati attacks.
• Patron of Telugu literature — his court had Ashtadiggajas (eight scholars). Authored Amuktamalyada (Telugu) and Jambavati Kalyanam (Sanskrit).
• Italian Niccolò de' Conti and Portuguese Domingo Paes visited his court — recorded the wealth and grandeur.
• Architecture — Krishnaswamy temple, Hazara Rama temple, Vittala temple with stone chariot (Hampi).

Hampi — Capital City

• UNESCO World Heritage Site (1986).
• Key monuments:
  • Virupaksha temple (older than the empire).
  • Vittala temple — stone chariot, musical pillars.
  • Hazara Rama temple — royal chapel.
  • Lotus Mahal — Indo-Islamic architecture.
  • Mahanavami Dibba — royal pavilion.
  • Queen's Bath, Elephant Stables.
• Foreign accounts (Nuniz, Paes, Abdur Razzak, Domingo Paes) describe Hampi as "as large as Rome" with wealthy markets.

Battle of Talikota (1565) and Decline

• Combined armies of four Deccan sultanates — Bijapur, Ahmadnagar, Golconda, Bidar — vs Vijayanagara under Rama Raya.
• Vijayanagara forces defeated. Rama Raya executed.
• Hampi sacked and looted for months — never recovered.
• Empire continued under Aravidu dynasty from Penukonda then Chandragiri then Vellore — but greatly diminished.
• End: ~1646.

NDA PYQ Examples

Frequently Asked Questions

Who founded the Vijayanagara empire?

Harihara I and Bukka I — the Sangama brothers — founded the empire in 1336 CE on the advice of the saint Vidyaranya. The capital city was named Vijayanagara, meaning 'City of Victory.'

Why did the Vijayanagara Empire fall?

The decisive blow was the Battle of Talikota (1565), where four Deccan sultanates combined to defeat the empire under Rama Raya. The capital city was looted and destroyed; the empire continued in reduced form for ~80 more years.

Who were the Ashtadiggajas?

The eight Telugu poets who adorned Krishnadeva Raya's court — Allasani Peddana, Nandi Thimmana, Madayyagari Mallana, Dhurjati, Ayyalaraju Ramabhadra Kavi, Pingali Surana, Ramaraja Bhushana, Tenali Ramakrishna.

What is Hampi famous for?

The ruins of Vijayanagara's capital city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Features Virupaksha and Vittala temples, the Lotus Mahal, royal pavilions, elephant stables, and the stone chariot — all from the empire's height.

Who were the foreign travellers to Vijayanagara?

Niccolò de' Conti (Italian, 1420s), Abdur Razzak (Persian, 1442), Domingo Paes and Fernão Nuniz (Portuguese, early 16th century). Their accounts are major sources on the empire's prosperity.

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