Medevial
Indian History is always characterized by many “secular” historians as a
chronicle of military disasters. But is India’s history, a series of defeats?
NO!! It is a tale of sacrifice, valour and final victory! Dear readers, I now
try to bring your attention towards the unparalleled achievements of the
Vijayanagar Empire, glorious yet unfortunately forgotten by the sons of this
soil.
“Founded
in 1336 AD, Vijayanagara would soon grow to be one of the world’s mightiest
empires. At its peak, the Vijayanagara Empire covered a size that was larger
than the Austrian empire. It was one of the richest empires of its time, which
made foreign visitors wonder in awe, be it the architecture, the urban layouts or
its immense wealth in diamonds and riches.”
“For three
centuries, the Vijayanagara Empire, stood like a mighty bulwark, protecting the
Hindu dharma in the South and in the Deccan. It stood like a rock against the
Muslim invasions that had ravaged and destroyed large parts of the North. Today
it exists only in stones and stories, but its legacy would forever be
remembered.”
1) ESTABLISHING AN INDIGENOUS EMPIRE AGAINST UNPARALELLED
ODDS
The
picture of South India in the first quarter of the 14th century was a miserable
one, with practically the whole of the peninsula under foreign Turkish yoke.
The hordes of Alauddin Khilji and his general Malik Kafur (a Hindu convert),
followed by the Tughlaqs had wiped out ancient Indian dynasties like Kakatiyas
of Warangal, Yadavas of Devagiri, and Pandyas of Madurai. Hoysalas of Mysore, though earlier defeated,
remained fighting. Thus, it can be rightly considered as one of the darkest
periods in Indian History.
The
period of Turkish domination of the South, (1320-1336) was one terrible
suffering for the people as illustrated in Madhuravijayam. Desecration
of temples, forcible conversions to Islam, rape of womenfolk and slavery become
common. As soon as the Turkish invasions (both Khilji and
Tughlaqs) were over, the people of South India mounted a ferocious
counter-attack. Each of the South Indian
chiefs began their battles determined to burn down the Tughlaq Empire. This is
when two heroes appeared on the scene – Harihara and Bukka.
Differing
theories have been proposed regarding the origins of the Vijayanagara Empire.
Many historians propose that Harihara I and Bukka, the founders of the empire, were Kannadigas and commanders in the army of the Hoysala Empire stationed in the Tungabhadra region to ward off Turkish invasions from the Northern
India. Both of them were taken as captives to Delhi in 1327 and were converted there
to Islam. Later on being pleased with their behavior and exceptional ability,
the Sultan Muhammad Bin Tughlaq sent them both, entrusting the task of
suppressing South Indian kings who rose against the Turks. Sultan hoped that
they would be loyal to him just like Malik Kafur was to Alauddin, but both
Harihara and Bukka had other plans.
As per their plan, they met
Shankaracharya Vidyaranyaswami who reconverted these brothers back to Hinduism.
They raised an army with the help of other Indian leaders in the south, and
established an independent sovereign kingdom on the banks of the river
Tungabhadra with Harihara as the first emperor in 1336.
2)
THE GLORIOUS AIM – PROTECTION OF INDIC WAY OF LIFE
Harihara and Bukka along with Swami
Vidayaranya had decided that the aim of founding a strong Indic kingdom was for
the protection of Hindu dharma and way of life in the south. This can be seen
from the fact that they had no qualms in returning to their ancient faith and
establish a kingdom which had the flag of Bhagwa, the symbol of renunciation,
service to mankind and Glory to God.
Unification
of South India under Hindu umbrella
The Vijayanagar Emperors slowly expanded their territory throughout the peninsular region south of Krishna river and formed a strong bulwark against Turkic invaders, both Sultan in Delhi and Bahmani Sultanate in Maharashtra. This can be seen from the
fact that Harihara had earned the title of Purvapaschima
Samudradhishavara ("master of the
eastern and western seas"). Deva Raya II is also noted by famous traveler
Abdul Razzaq as the overlord of kings of Burma and Sri Lanka too.
In fact, The
Vijayanagara Empire created an epoch in South Indian history that transcended
regionalism by promoting Hinduism as a unifying factor. Most of the wars
they fought were against foreign powers like Bahamani kingdom in Maharashtra.
Delivering
the people of deep south from Turkish tyranny
One of the most important
achievements of Vijayanagar Kings was the destruction of Madurai Sultanate in
1371. This Turkish dynasty was infamous for inhuman atrocities on the people
and for religious persecution of Hindus. The Sanskrit poem Madhuravijayam by Princess Gangadevi depicts that the
glorious victory of her husband Kamparaya (the elder son and general of Bukka) over
the cruel Sultans which put a complete end to the dynasty.
“The army
which looked like the grand confluence of seven oceans began its orderly march
with great uproar.” Verse 44, Fourth Canto, Madhuravijayam.
After liberation of Madurai, the
Vijayanagar kings also worked towards restoring a traumatilized society. It
should be noted that Emperor Bukkaraya
was given the title “ Vedamarga Prasthapika” i.e., the re-establisher of
the Vedas for his untiring efforts in healing the scars inflicted on the Indian
society by the frequent Turkish invasions. His patronage revived the old
systems of learning which had fallen into decay in a half century of warfare.
“The rulers of Vijayanagar restored worship in
the temples, repaired old temples and towers, settled disputes amongst the
temple servants and made extensive endowments in the shape of jewels, lands, taxes
and other income.”
-
Tamil country under Vijayanagar (Dr. A. Krishnaswami)
3) ALWAYS ON THE OFFENSIVE
An important
peculiarity of the Vijayanagar kings was that they were always on the
offensive. It is astonishing fact that during invasion of Alauddin on the
south, the Indian kingdoms in peninsular India were caught off guard and was
destroyed completely. But in contrast, the kings of this Empire were able to
hold out not just against Sultans of Delhi, Bahamanis and also Portuguese.
Another
peculiar feature of Vijayanagar military was the concept of total war which
they employed on the enemy population. They aimed at exterminating the enemy,
not just defeating him. This can be amply proved by the conquest of Madurai
where the whole Turkish dynasty was obliterated and not even a trace was left
behind. The ferocity of the Madura war can be easily understood from Maduravijayam.
“The
soldiers of Kamparaya with anger ( caused by the enemies evil deeds) avoiding
the shower of enemy arrows with their shields, moved unobserved and
simultaneously hacked the
bodies of enemy horses along with their riders.” Verse 1,
Ninth Canto, Madhuravijayam.
“The bow
men severed the trunks of enemy elephants with half moon faced arrows.They
(trunks of elephants) fell down into pools of blood like serpents in the
sacrificial fire of King Janmejaya.” Verse 3, Ninth Canto, Madhuravijayam.
This
principle was followed by the later kings like Krishnadevaraya who defeated
five Deccan Sultanates (both of Turkic and indigenous origin) and instilled a
sense of mortal fear in the minds of their enemies. If not for the defeat in
Battle of Talikota in 1565, the Vijayanagar kings might have been able to make
an attempt to liberate the north.
Krishnadevaraya, the greatest king of Vijayanagar Empire (1509-1530)
4) GOOD GOVERNANCE
The rulers of
Vijayanagar Empire maintained a well-functioned administration, modeled after
the methods of ancient dynasties before them. King was ultimate authority,
assisted by a cabinet of ministers (Pradhana) headed by the prime
minister (Mahapradhana). Other important titles recorded were the chief
secretary (Karyakartha or Rayaswami) and the imperial
officers (Adhikari). All high-ranking ministers and officers were
required to have military training.
The Vijayanagar kings,
especially Krishnadevaraya under whom the Empire reached its peak, was very
fond of architecture and sculpture. Numerous forts, temples, monasteries etc
were built during this age. The thousand-pillared mantapas and the raya-gopurams,
which characterize the countryside in South India was built during the reign of
Krishna Deva Raya.
The emperors like
Krishnadevaraya maintained personal contact with the people to understand their
grievances. They also made it a point to construct tanks and canals for
irrigation purposes which led to expansion of agriculture. The capital city of
Vijayanagar had an excellent water-distribution system which ensured water in
these semi-arid regions of South India. Tenant farmers were given ownership of
the land, which can be considered as an attempt to ensure socio-economic
equality.
Invincible Military Strength of Vijayanagar
The Vijayanagar
military was an excellent war machine which was divided into two types: king’s
personal army directly recruited by the empire and the feudal army under each
feudatory. King Krishnadevaraya's personal army consisted of 100,000 infantry,
20,000 cavalrymen and over 900 elephants. This number was only a part of the
army numbering over 1.1 million soldiers, a figure that varied as an army of
two million has also been recorded along with the existence of a navy as
evidenced by the use of the term Navigadaprabhu (commander of the navy).
Another
important which contributed in the astonishing victories of Vijayanagar
military was excellent generalship. Vijayanagar kings especially
Krishnadevaraya, Harihara and Bukka were great generals who knew how to win victories
in most discouraging circumstances. Another major feature was the devotion and
attachment of the soldiers who were willing to go to the jaws of death for the
cause of Indic way of life and protection of Dharma.
Flourishing Trade
Vijayanagar
Empire had a flourishing trade with various countries like China in the East
and Venice in the west, aided by a number of ports like Mangalore, Honavar,
Bhatkal, Calicut, Cochin etc. The security of merchandise was guaranteed and
the Empire was a principal exporter of pepper, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, myrobalan, tamarind timber, anafistula, precious and semi-precious
stones, pearls, musk, ambergris, rhubarb, aloe, cotton cloth and porcelain,
which ensured the cash-in-flow and prosperity.
“The city
is such that eye has not seen nor ear heard of any place resembling it upon the
whole earth. It is so built that it has seven fortified walls, one within the
other.”
-
Abdul Razzaq, Timurid chronicler (1413-1482)
5) ALL AROUND REVIVAL OF INDIC CULTURE AND GOLDEN AGE OF
LITERATURE
The kings of Vijayanagar used titles such as Gobrahamana Pratipalanacharya (literally, "protector of
cows and Brahmins") and Hindurayasuratrana (lit, "upholder of Hindu
faith") that testified to their intention of protection of Hindu dharma.
They made grants to various temples and religious institutions. Bhakti movement
was also active during this time.
Most Sanskrit works were commentaries either on the Vedas or on Ramayana and Mahabharata epics, written by well known figures
such as Sayana and Vidyaranya that extolled the
superiority of the Advaita philosophy over other rival Hindu
philosophies. Other writers were
famous Dvaita saints of the Udupi order such as Jayatirtha (earning the
title Tikacharya for his polemicial writings),
Vyasatirtha who wrote rebuttals to the Advaita philosophy and of the
conclusions of earlier logicians, and Vadirajatirtha and Sripadaraya both of
whom criticised the beliefs of Adi
Sankara. Apart from these saints,
noted Sanskrit scholars adorned the courts of the Vijayanagara kings and their
feudal chiefs. Some members of the royal family were writers of merit and
authored important works such asJambavati Kalyana by King Krishnadevaraya, and Madura
Vijayam by Princess Gangadevi, a daughter-in-law of King Bukka I. Also known as Virakamparaya Charita, the book
dwells on the conquest of the Madurai
Sultanate by the Vijayanagar Empire.
6) RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE
Vijayanagar kings were tolerant of all religions as proved by
the accounts of the foreign visitors. In an age marked by bigotry and
fanaticism, special reference must be made to the policy of tolerance adopted
by Vijayanagar kings. Emperor Bukka had issued an edict which proclaimed all
religions as equal and entitled to the patronage of the State. This policy was
followed by all his successors. This led all religious communities including
Muslims, Chrsitians and Jews look up to the Vijayanagar kings as the guardian
of their right to worship.
7) AN INSPIRATION FOR FUTURE
The glorious
history of Vijayanagar was an inspiration to many freedom fighters and great
rulers as a role model of an Indic kingdom. It can be noted that Shivaji’s
Hindavi Swaraj was inspired a lot by the tale of Vijayanagar Empire and its
uncompromising fight against the foreign invaders. Only difference was that
Vijayanagar saved South India from Muslim invaders while Shivaji and his
Maratha Empire led to the final defeat of the alien Muslim power in Delhi and
the liberation of whole India from foreign rule. It must be also noted that
Shivaji’s administrative model, like Ashta Pradhans bore a lot of similarities
with the Vijayanagar.
But
unfortunately, many seems to have forgotten this glorious epoch. I hope to
rekindle the pride in our countrymen about our past through my humble effort.
Vande Mataram!
REFERENCES
Books:-
1) Six Glorious Epochs of Indian History by Veer Savarkar.
2) Tamil country under Vijayanagar
(Dr. A. Krishnaswami)
3) History and Culture of Indian People, by R.C.
Majumdar, Vols. 6 and 7.
4) A forgotten empire, by Robert Swell.
5) South India and her Muhammadan invaders; S.K.Aiyangar.
6) Social and Political Life in the
Vijayanagara Empire, B.A.Saletore,Vol I & II
Websites:-
