The Grandeur of Vijayanagar in the fifteenth century

It is necessary to move away from historical analysis and gain an understanding of the condition of the metropolis Vijayanagar at that time. As early as 1375, the Sultan Mujahid Shah of Kulbarga heard about the fame of Vijayanagar and wanted to see the beauty of the capital city. The city has grown and the importance and grandeur of it lasted for half a century. According to Niccolo Conte, an Italian who visited Vijayanagar after Devaraya II came to power, Vijayanagar was located close to steep mountain ranges. Ninety thousand warriors were present in the city of Vijayanagar, which was secured by huge walls that stretched for sixty miles to reach the mountains. Within the city of Vijayanagar, there were mountains full of towering cliffs that could form an extraordinary defense. The city boundary stretched for miles through these mountains. The valleys, covered with high cliffs, were inhabited by people. The houses built of stone were inhabited by merchants and the upper classes of society. The canals were irrigated and used for cultivation of food crops including sugarcane, rice and horticulture. Here and there were places of worship and educational institutions that exhibited craftsmanship. Among the residents of Vijayanagar, men were allowed to marry as many women as they wanted and stay with them as wives. But when the husband died, the wives were required to burn in the fire. The Vijayanagar king was the most powerful ruler in India. The king had about twelve thousand wives.

Of these, about 4,000 wives accompanied the king wherever he went. They used to do service in the kitchen also. It was considered a great honor by women to become wives on the condition that they would sacrifice themselves in the fire when the king died. Once a year, they held a ceremony to parade their idol of gods through the city streets. The procession will be held in the presence of a large crowd in the middle of two beautifully decorated chariots with l ladies in beautiful dresses singing hymns to the gods. They also believed that it was by the grace of God that if they died suddenly between the wheels of the chariots in the midst of this chariot journey.Some considered it a devotion to the God they believed in, inflicted wounds on their bodies and hung themselves in chariots.

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Seven Forts of Vijayanagar Empire

Twenty years after the visit of Nicola Conte, let us examine the travel experience of Abdur Razak, a Persian traveler who visited Vijayanagar during the reign of Devaraya II. During his voyage from Kozhikode to Vijayanagar in 1443, Razak was amazed by a small temple made of bronze. There is also a reference to a temple that is notable for its unique architecture. Vijayanagara, which stretches from the Krishna River to Kanyakumari, had a thousand elephants and about 11 lakh troops. The Vijayanagara kings defended the country by building seven strong forts and huge walls to protect the country from being penetrated by the waves of enemy army. The city's surveillance system and intelligence system were considered the best in the world. A traveler coming from the south can see the beginning of the fort that lie between the two hills southwest of the Hospet as the first defensive system. After that entrance you will reach the second stage with farms, houses and...

Unfortunate Marriage of Vijayanagar Princess to Firuz Shah Bahmani

At the beginning of a winter of 1406, the Sultan's army approached Vijayanagar. They attacked the city, looted houses and occupied the streets. Firuz Shah was then forced to give up everything and retreat as the city dwellers chased away the Islamic militants. That victory prompted Devaraya to defend his army within the walls. At the same time, he set out to retaliate against the Sultan's camp. In the rocky area of Vijayanagar, the Islamic militants were unable to use their cavalry properly and lost confidence. At the same time, Firuz Shah's hand was wounded by an arrow. Eventually, the king’s army retreated, kneeling before the might of Ahmed Khan and Khan Khan, and the Sultan withdrew from the city and stayed elsewhere for four months, waiting for the wounds of him and other wounded soldiers to heal. Devaraya, who was defeated in the war, was imprisoned in the capital. At the same time, the corpses of the slain Vijayanagara soldiers were desecrated and mutilat...

The Fall of Bahmani Sultanate

Governor Muhammad Gawan set out from Bidar to attack Vijayanagar with his army. According to the available figures, Vijayanagar had three hundred elephants, one lakh infantry and fifty thousand horses. The Sultan's army consisted of nine hundred thousand infantry and five hundred and seventy - five elephants. The king of Vijayanagar, a large city surrounded by three forts with gorges on one side and valleys on the other, was very powerful. During the month-long war, many people lost their lives without access to food and water. Muhammad, who ascended the throne at Kulberga in 1482 AD at the age of twelve, was only nominal in his reign. As the upper classes turned against Muhammad's rule, the atmosphere became unsustainable. The governor of Goa declared his independence and invaded many places, setting the stage for a civil war. Later, the country itself became fragmented as the higher echelons of the authorities became synonymous with disciplinary violations. Vijay...

Vijayanagar Empire

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