Vijayanagara Empire: Rise and Fall

Foreign Travellers

• Duarte Barbosa (1500-1516 A.D.) - Portuguese traveller who gave a valuable narrative of the government and the people of the Vijayanagar empire.
• Domingos Paes (1520-1522 A.D) - Portuguese traveller who visited the court of Krishna Deva Raya.
• Fernao Nuniz (1534-1537 A.D) - Portuguese merchant who wrote the history of the empire from its earliest days to the closing years of Acchyutdeva Raya's reign.
• Ibn Battuta (1333-1347 A.D.) - Moroccan traveller who visited India during the reign of Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq and came to Vijayanagar during the reign of Harihar I.
• Nicolo de Conti (1420-1421 A.D.) - Venetian traveller who gave a comprehensive account of the Hindu kingdom of Vijayanagar.
• Abdur Razzaq (1443-1444 A.D.) - Persian traveller who stayed at the court of the Zamorin at Calicut.

Local Vernacular Literature

• Amuktamalyada of Krishna Deva Raya - gives details of political ideas and the polity of Vijayanagar empire.
• Allasani Peddana's Manucharitam - gives account of social condition especially caste system of Vijayanagar empire.
• Maduravijayam of Gangadevi - gives account of Kampana's conquest of Madurai during the reign of Bukka I.
• Gangadasa Pralappa Vilasam of Gangadhara - gives account of the siege of the Vijayanagar city by the Bahamanis and the Gajapatis of Orissa after the death of Deva Raya II.
• Saluvabhyudayam of Rajanattha Dindima - gives account of historical eulogy of Saluva dynasty.

Archaeological Sources

• Baggapelsi copper plate - gives account of Harihara I achievements.
• Bitraghunta grant of Sangama II - gives genealogy of 5 Sangama brothers who laid the foundation of Vijayanagar empire.
• Channarayapateena of Harihara II - gives details of Bukka I conquests.
• Srirangam copper plate - gives details of achievements of Deva Raya II.
• Devulapalli copper plate - gives genealogy of Saluva dynasty.

Vijayanagara Empire

• Established in 1336 by Harihara-I and his brother Bukka Raya I of Sangama Dynasty.
• Four dynasties - Sangama, Saluva, Tuluva, and Aravidu - ruled Vijayanagar from A.D. 1336 to 1672.
• Reached its climax in the end of 14th century.
• Lasted until 1646, although its power declined after a major military defeat in 1565 by the combined armies of the Deccan sultanates.
• The empire is named after its capital city of Vijayanagara, whose ruins surround present day Hampi, now a World Heritage Site in Karnataka.

Test your knowledge of the Vijayanagara Empire, which was established in 1336 and lasted until 1646. Learn about its rise to prominence, its four dynasties, and its eventual decline. Explore the history of this powerful empire that played a significant role in warding off Islamic invasions in southern India.