Provincial kingdoms | History(Prelims) by UPSC Toppers PDF Download

Provincial kingdoms

The various provincial kingdoms during the medieval period were:

The Vijaynagar kingdom

• Vijayanagar kingdom and the city were founded by Harihar & Bukka (sons of Sangama) who were feudatories of Kakatiyas and later became minister in the court of Kampili.
• It was a war state with all its resources devoted to the military purpose
• The accounts of various foreign visitors like Ibn Battutah, Nicolo-di-Conti, Abdur Razzak, Nikitin, Vorthema, Barbosa, Domingo Peas and Nuniz inform us about the Vijaynagar Empire
• Vijayanagar kingdom lay in the Deccan, to the south of the Bahmani kingdom.
• Vijayanagar period can be divided into four distinct dynasties viz. Sangama, Saluva, Tuluva  and Aravidu.

The Sangama Dynasty: 1336-1485 AD

• Harihara I and Bukka I (1336-56): They laid the foundation of Vijaya-nagar. Vijayanagar-Bahamani conflict began with the foundation of kingdoms. Clash of interests in three areas was Raichur doab (between Krishna & Tungabhadra), Krishna-Godavari delta and Marathwada.
• Bukka I (1356-79): Bukka I strengthened the city of Vidyanagar and renamed it Vijayanagar. He restored harmony between the warring Vaishnavas and the Jains. The Rais of Malabar, Ceylon and other countries kept ambassadors at his court.
• Harihar II (1379-1404):  Bukka I was succeeded by his son Harihar II. During his reign Goa and Sri Lanka were conquered.
• Deva Raya I (1406-22): He was the son of Harihara II. He was defeated by Bahamani ruler Feroz Shah. He bought the peace by marrying his daughter with Feroz Shah and gave Bankapur as dowary.
• Deva Raya II (1423-46): He was the grandson of Dev Raya I, he began the practice of employing Muslim cavalrymen and archers in the army on large scale (Their induction had began during Deva Raya I). He was called Praudh Deva Raya. In his inscriptions he has the title of Gajabetekara (the elephant hunter).
• He was defeated by Ahmad Shah I of Bahamani kingdom. He had to give huge war indemnity for the defeat.
• Sri Lanka paid a regular tribute to him. He had learning for Vira Shavism, yet he respected other religions. Dindima was the court poet, where as Srinatha was given the title of ‘Kavisarvabhauma’. Abdur Razzak, the envoy of Shah Rukh visited Vijayanagar during his reign.

The Saluva Dynasty (1486-1505)

• Saluva Narsimha (1486-91) founded the Saluva dynasty.
• Tirumal (1491) and Immadi Narasimha (1491-1505): They both were minors during the regency of Narsa Nayanka. Vosco Da Gama landed in Calicut during his reign in 1498.

The Tuluva Dynasty: 1505-70 AD

• VirNarsimha, the son of Narsa Nayaka, became the king after the assassination of Immadi Narsimha, the last Saluva ruler.

Krishna Deva Raya: 1509-29 AD

• Saluva Timma, the chief minister of Vira Narsimha, placed Krishna Deva Raya, the brother of Vira Narsimha, on the throne.
• Krishna Deva Raya maintained friendly relations with Albuquerque, the Portugueese governor, whose ambassador Friar Luis resided in Vijayanagar.
• He won Orissa (Gajapti kingdom) for Vijayanagar and Vijayanagar emerged strongest during his reign.
• He built the Vijaya Mahal (House of Victory), the Hazara Rama temple and the Vithal Swami temple.
• He took the titles of Yavanaraja Sthapnachrya (restorer of the Yavana Kingdom i.e. Bidar kingdom) and Abhinava Bhoja. He is also known as Andhra Bhoj and Andhra Pitamaha.
• He was a gifted scholar in both Telugu and Sanskrit, of which only two works are extant ; the Telugu work on polity ‘Amuktamalyada’ and the Sanskrit drama ‘Jambavati Kalyanam’.
• His court was adorned by the’Ashtadiggajas’ (the eight celebrated poets of Telugu):

1. Peddana (Manucharitam)
2. Timmaya (Parijata Apaharanama)
3. Bhattamurthi
4. Dhurjati
5. Mallan
6. Raju Ramchandra
7. Surona
8. Tenali Ramkrisha (Panduranga Mahamtya)

• Krishna Deva Raya, contemporary of Babur, was the most illustrious ruler of the Deccan.
• Duarte Barbosa & Dominigo Paes, Portuguese travelers, visited Vijayanagar during the time of Krishna Deva Raya.
• Achyuta Deva Raya (1529-42): Krishna Deva Raya nominated his brother Achyuta Deva Raya as the successor. During his reign,Nuniz a Portugese horse trader, visited Vijayanagar.
• Venkata I (1542) and Sadashiva Raya (1543-76): Real power was exercised by Rama Raja/ Raya and his two brothers. The five successor states of the Bahamani Empire were divided through Rama Raja’s diplomacy. The battle of Talikota (also called the Battle of Rakshana-Tangadi) was fought on 23 Jan., 1565. Rama Raja was taken prisoner and executed by Hussain Nizam Shah I. The city of Vijayanagar, which was the pride of medieval world, was mercilessly destroyed. Caesar Frederick, a Portuguese traveler, visited Vajayanagar in 1567-68 during the reign of Sadashiva Raya.

The Aravidu Dynasty: 1570-1650 AD

• Tirumala Raya, the brother of Rama Raja, ruled in the name of Sadasiva Raya. On his failure to repopulate Vijayanagar, he shifted the capital to Penugonda.
• He divided his empire into three practically linguistic sections.
• The empire slowly shrunk and the Aravidu dynasty ended in 1646.

The Bahamani kingdom

• Alauddin Hasan Bahman Shah (1347-58): He was also known as Hasan Gangu. He founded the Bahmani kingdom with its capital at Gulbarga (First capital).
• Firoz Shah (1397-1422): The greatest among them all. He was determined to make Deccan the cultural centre in India. He inducted large number of Hindus in the administration on large scale. He paid much attention to the ports of his kingdom, Chaul and Dabhol which attracted trade ships from Persian Gulf and Red Sea.
• Ahmad Shah Wali (1422-35): Transferred the capital from Gulbarga to Bidar.

The Bahamani kingdom broke up into five smaller kingdoms these smaller kingdoms were later annexed by different powers.