All about Vijayanagar, the city of Victory

Vijayanagar- From the pages of history

Thursday, 23rd September 2021

Vijayanagar is the famed ruined city in south India. The empire that was ruled from the city of Vijayanagar is also called Vijayanagar only. Later the empire came to be ruled from Penukonda (now in southwestern Andhra Pradesh) between the time period of 1336 and 1614. At present, the location of the city, on River Tungabhadra, is partly occupied by the city of Hampi located in the state of eastern Karnataka. The city’s ruins at Hampi were recognized by UNESCO in 1986 as World Heritage Site.

In the year 1336, the Vijayanagar city was founded by the Sangama Dynasty’s five sons. Of those five sons, Bukka and Harihara became the first rulers of the city. In the course of time, Vijayanagar turned out to be the largest of empires in Southern India. The city served as a kind of fortress defending Southern India from the attacks of the Muslim Sultans of the north. Also, it helped in the reconstruction of Hindu administration and culture; post the disunities and disorders during the 12th and 13th centuries. The rise of the kingdom of Vijayanagar stimulated free flow of creative productivity, flourishing of peace and prosperity, thriving of regional literatures and more.

The first of the dynasties, the Sangama dynasty ruled over Vijayanagara until 1485. Next powers moved to Raja Narasimha of Saluva dynasty. By the year 1503, Saluvas lost to the Tuluvas. A notable Tuluva ruler was Krishna Deva Raya. During his ruling period (1509–29) the stretch of land between River Tungabhadra and River Krishna (the Raichur doab) was gloriously acquired (1512). Also, Udayagiri in Orissa was captured in 1514 and that way the Hindus in Orissa were made to bow down. Furthermore, the Bijapur Sultan was defeated badly in the year 1520. The above were some grand accomplishments made by Raja Krishna Deva Raya. The successors of Krishna Deva Raya however did not follow his example and enemies took advantage of that. In the year 1565, the chief minister of the empire of Vijayanagar led it into the disastrous battlefield of Talikota in which the empire’s forces clashed against the combined armies of the Muslim provinces of Ahmadnagar, Bijapur and Golconda. The result was that Vijayanagar was demolished. Later Rama Raya’s brother Tirumala then took control of that empire but for a short time. The ultimate collapse of Vijaynagar took place in 1614 due to the conspiracies of the sultans and due to internal chaos and dissensions.

The News Talkie Bureau

Source-

Britannica