The Rise of Vijayanagara

Summary

This comprehensive study seeks to determine when and how the Vijayanagara empire emerged in the Deccan. The author surveys the political scene in the early 14th century, noting the decline of the Yadavas and Hoysalas and the expansion of the Delhi Sultanate into the south. He reviews early chronicle traditions and epigraphic records, criticising exaggerated claims that Harihara I became king as early as 1326. Key evidence comes from the Kopaluru and Kapaluru grants, which date to 1340 A.D. and refer to Harihara I as ‘Sangama’ and ‘Maharajadhiraja’. The article argues that Harihara and his brother Bukka initially served the Hoysala ruler Ballala III and only asserted independence after Ballala’s death in 1343. The author analyses the genealogy of the early Sangama family, discussing Harihara’s father, Bhavana Sangama, and the role of their teacher Vidyaranya. He emphasises that Vijayanagara’s rise was a gradual process: the brothers consolidated power in the upper Tungabhadra region, repelled Muslim incursions and extended their authority over Karnataka and Andhra. The article also examines the economic resources – fertile river valleys, trade routes and temple patronage – that enabled the new kingdom to flourish. By comparing inscriptions, the author proposes a chronology of rulers: Harihara I (c. 1336–1356), Bukka I (1356–1377) and subsequent Sangama kings. He disputes the notion that the empire was founded to defend Hinduism, suggesting instead that political and economic factors were primary.