Rayas, nayakas and sultans

The essentials

According to tradition and inscriptions, Vijayanagara was founded in 1336 by the brothers Harihara and Bukka. Its rulers called themselves rayas. The empire stretched from the Krishna–Tungabhadra doab towards the south of the peninsula. Its neighbours and rivals were the Deccan sultans (successors of the Bahmani kingdom) and the Gajapati rulers of Orissa. Conflict often centred on control of the fertile river valleys and on trade.

Four dynasties ruled in turn: Sangama, Saluva, Tuluva and Aravidu. Krishnadeva Raya (Tuluva dynasty) consolidated the empire, gained control over the Raichur doab, defeated the Gajapatis and the sultan of Bijapur, and built temples and gopurams. He wrote a Telugu work on statecraft, the Amuktamalyada.

In 1565, Rama Raya, the chief minister, led the army at the battle of Rakshasi-Tangadi (also called Talikota) against the combined forces of Bijapur, Ahmadnagar and Golconda. Vijayanagara was defeated and the city was sacked, and within a few years it was abandoned.

Key points

• Horses were vital for warfare; they were imported from Arabia and Central Asia, first through Arab traders and later through the Portuguese. Local merchants in this trade were called kudirai chettis.
• Amara-nayaka system: amara-nayakas were military commanders given territories to govern. They collected taxes from peasants, craftspersons and traders, kept part of the revenue, and maintained a fixed number of horses and elephants for the king. It was similar in some ways to the Delhi Sultanate's iqta system.
• Nayakas sent annual tribute and appeared at court with gifts; kings sometimes transferred them to assert control.
• Over time many nayakas became independent rulers.

Common mistakes

• The 1565 battle was not fought against the Mughals.
• Relations with the sultans were not only hostile: there were also alliances, trade and cultural exchange.