The Rise of Vijayanagara

Summary

This study reassesses the early history of the Vijayanagara empire in south India. Building on and critiquing the conclusions of previous historians, particularly Mr. Sastri, the author examines epigraphic evidence to trace the careers of Harihara I and Bukka I, the Sangama brothers who founded the empire. Sastri had argued that the brothers slowly rose in power during the reigns of Hoysala rulers Ballala III and Ballala IV and that they first attracted notice around 1340 CE, building forts and interacting with foreign travellers. The present article scrutinises two key inscriptions on which these conclusions depend. The first is interpreted to show that Hoysala power had declined so severely that Bukka could attack a Hoysala town with impunity; the second appears to suggest that by 1336 the brothers were forging alliances and strengthening their position. The author, however, proposes alternative readings. He argues that the Hoysalas still possessed significant strength, as evidenced by their ability to defend and administer territory, and that Bukka’s actions should be understood as part of broader patterns of fluid allegiance rather than outright rebellion. Additional inscriptions indicate that Harihara and Bukka were serving under the Hoysala court before establishing their own power. The article also analyses accounts of the brothers’ association with the ascetic Vidyāraṇya and the legend that he directed them to found a new capital at Vijayanagara. While acknowledging later tradition, the author suggests that practical considerations such as defence against the Delhi Sultanate and control of trade routes played a more decisive role. Cross-referencing contemporary foreign accounts, the study paints a picture of rapid but strategically planned expansion. It concludes that Vijayanagara’s rise was not the product of a sudden collapse of the Hoysala state but rather the result of opportunistic leadership, strategic alliance-building and the mobilisation of regional resources. By challenging earlier interpretations, the article refines our understanding of one of medieval India’s most significant polities.