Some mighty empires that flourished many centuries ago and were famed for their great wealth, power and magnificent architecture also suffered rapid decline. Today, hauntingly beautiful ruins whisper of a magnificent past and hold mysteries that we are still in the process of discovering. One such empire was the great Vijayanagara Empire.
This empire was also referred to as the kingdom of Bisnagar by the Portuguese and was based in the Deccan Plateau region of South India. This empire was founded in 1336 by Harihara I and his brother Bukka Raya and traced its origins to an effort by the kingdoms of South India to stave off the repeated Islamic invasions that plagued India at the end of the 13th century.
Before the rise of the Vijayanagara Empire, the Hindu states of the Deccan, the Yadava Empire of Devagiri, the Kakatiya Kingdom of Warangal, the Pandyan Empire of Madurai, and the small kingdom of Kampili had been repeatedly harassed by Muslim invasions from North India.
By 1336 they had all been vanquished at the hands of Alaudin Khilji and Muhammad bin Tughluq, the Sultans of Delhi. The Vijayanagara empire reached its pinnacle during the reign of Krishnadevaraya when Vijayanagara armies were consistently emerging as victorious.
Until its decline in 1646 following a major military defeat in 1565 by the Deccan sultanates, this empire tasted incredible wealth and power. Named after its capital city of Vijayanagara, its still magnificent ruins lie scattered in the present day Hampi in Karnataka. The extensive accounts of medieval European travellers, literature in the local languages and archaeological excavations have revealed significant information about the life and wealth of this great empire.
Although, many monuments spread over South India are remnants of this empire, it is the ruins of Hampi which are the most famous and draw crowds from visitors all over the world. Hampi was the last capital of the empire and was conquered by the Deccan Muslim confederacy in 1565. After being pillaged over a period of six months, it was finally abandoned.
Hampi continues to be an important religious centre where the Virupaksha Temple, and several other monuments belonging to the old city are located. The ruins of Hampi are today a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The earlier South Indian temple building traditions were the inspiration for Vijayanagara architecture. The architecture of the empire was also heavily influenced by the mingling of all faiths which led to a unique innovation of Hindu temple construction, first in the Deccan style followed by the Dravidian styles using local granite. The influence of the Northern Deccan Sultanate architecture is also apparent in the secular royal structures. The hallmarks of the empire were a highly efficient system of administration and a thriving overseas trade which brought the empire new technologies such as water management systems for irrigation.
The empire’s fervent patronage enabled fine arts and literature in Kannada, Telugu, Tamil and Sanskrit to soar to great heights whilst Carnatic music evolved into its current form. The Vijayanagara Empire created a significant footnote for itself in South Indian history by transcending regionalism and making Hinduism the unifying factor.
The Hindu caste system was rigidly followed and each caste was headed by a local body of elders who represented the community.
Although the practice of Sati was common, it was voluntary and mostly prevalent among the upper classes. After a woman performed sati, she was raised to the level of a demi-goddess and proclaimed by the sculpture of the Sun and crescent of the moon on stone.