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Summary

Medieval India Class 04

## A BRIEF DISCUSSION ON TRAVELLERS HANDOUT- 1:07 PM

## REGIONAL KINGDOM IN INDIA (10th TO 14th CENTURY)- 1:21 PM

- **Kakatiya kingdom (1123-1323)-**
- They ruled modern-day Andhra Pradesh and Telangana with the capital at Warangal, earlier rulers served as feudatory to **Rashtrakutas and Western Chalukyas.**
- They assumed sovereignty under **Pratap Rudra-I** who made Wrangal his capital.
- Kakatiyas were **Telugu-speaking** people and became great veteran of Telugu literature.
- One of the greatest rulers was **Ganapati Dev (1199-1262 A.D)**, after his death his daughter **Rudrama Devi** is one of few queens in Indian history.
- **Marco Polo** visited the kingdom and praised her administrative skills, and her son Rudra Pratap become the next ruler. However, the kingdom suffered a lot because of the invasion by **Malik Kafoor.**
- **Kakatiya rulers** were great patrons of **Saivism** for example - Ramappa temple which has recently been declared a **UNESCO site** was constructed under the patronage of ruler Rudra Dev and his commander **Rechala Rudra.**
- Kohinoor diamond belongs to **Kakatiya rulers.**
- The kingdom was prosperous both because of agriculture and trade.
- Therie premium poirt was **Motupalli port.**
- **Hoysala of Dwar Samudra-**
- Vinayadita became sovereign rulers by carving out territory in the **Mysore region** in 1006 AD.
- The first distinguished ruler was **Vishnu Vardhan** who shifted his capital to Dwar Samudra present day Halebid.
- The most powerful rulers here are Veer Bhallal-I, Vir Bhallal-II, and Narsimhan.
- During the reign of **Bhallal -III** the kingdom was attacked by Malik Kafur.
- Hoysala paved the way for the rise of Mysore into a big kingdom.
- They were great patrons of literature and architecture.
- They patronage both sanskrit and Kannada literature.
- **Yadavas (Sevuna) of Devagiri-**
- They ruled from **Devagiri.**
- The earliest ruler mentioned is **Dridhprahara** who was a feudatory of **Rashtrakutas.**
- They assumed sovereignty under **Bhallana-V** in the 12th century.
- Other notable rulers are **Jaitrapala, and Singhana,** the last great ruler of the dynasty was Ram Chandra Dev.
- He was defeated by Allaudin Khilji and became a vassal state of the Delhi Sultanate.
- His daughter **Jhatyapali was married to Allaudin Khilji.**
- After the death of **Ramchandra Dev** his son Shankar Dev rebelled against Delhi but was defeated and killed and Devagiri was annexed by Delhi Sultanate.

## EASTERN GANGA DYNASTY (1038-1434)- 1:56 PM

- The rulers of the dynasty ruled the modern-day Indian state of Odisha as well as parts of **Andhra, Chhattisgarh, and Bengal.**
- Their primary capital was Kalinga Nagar and their secondary capital was **Dantapuram.**
- The dynasty is most remembered as builders of world-renowned temples for example- **Anant Varman's (1076-1100 AD)** patronage construction of **Jagannath Puri Temple.**
- **Narsimha Dev -I** patronage the construction of the Konark temple.
- The dynasty declined because of the invasion of Feroz Shah Tughlaq and was replaced by the **Gajpati dynasty (15th to 16th century).**
- The Gajpati dynasty was established by **Kapilendra Dev in 1435 AD**, the capital was Cuttak.
- Some of the notable rulers of the dynasty were Purushattam Dev, Pratap Rudra Dev.

## VIJAY NAGAR EMPIRE - 2:04 PM

- The decline of Kakatiyas, Hoysalas, and Pandyas Two brothers Harihar and Bukka Raya set up a small principality on the banks of **Tunghbhadra River with a capital called Vijaynagar (Modern day Hampi).**
- They were originally feudatories of Kakatiyas rulers but very soon they expanded their territory and the entire south India came under one banner under the Vijaynagar empire.
- It was ruled by four different dynasties for a period of more than 300 years.
- **Sangam Dynasty-**
- **Harihar Raya** became the **first ruler** he adopted Varaha (boar) as his emblem.
- His brother Bukka Raya became the 2nd ruler who further expanded the territory.
- His son Kumar Kampana led an attack on **Madurai Sultanate** and emerged victorious.
- This story is the central plot of the poem **Madhur Vijayam** written by Ganga Devi.
- **Deva Raya-I** is considered one of the great rulers known for his military exploits as well as irrigation work for example - he commission a 24 km irrigation channel from the Tungbhadra River to the capital.
- The greatest ruler of the dynasty was **Deva raya-II (1424-1446)** who is known for his military victory against both Bahannis and Gajapathi.
- He enlisted many Muslim cavalrymen, gave them jagirs, and was inducted into administration.
- Between **1460-65 the Gajapati army attacked Vijaya Nagar** and conducted a series of victorious campaigns.
- This was mainly because of incompetent rulers hence **military commander Saluva Narasimha** rebelled against the last king Praudha Raya of the Sangam dynasty and declared himself to be a ruler.

## SALUVA DYNASTY- 2:52 PM

- The dynasty was founded by **Saluva Narasimha** who was able to recover the coastal regions of Andhra from Gajapati.
- His dynasty only ruled for two decades, Saluva Narasimha's minor sons were killed and were kept under the care of another military commander Narsa Nayaka.
- **Tuluva dynasty (1505-1542/70 AD)-**
- The first ruler of the **Tuluva dynasty was Vir Narasimha Raya** who faced a lot of internal rebellion as well as threats from Bahamanis and Gajapati.
- He was succeeded by his step-brother Shri Krishna Dev Raya who is considered the greatest ruler of the Vijay Nagar empire.
- Shri Krishna Devraya was a great warrior, great statesman, and efficient administrator as well as patron of art and culture.
- By 1523 AD **Shri Krishna Devraya** had captured Warangal and parts of Odisha.
- He was also able to repulse Bahamani and in fact, in the battle of Raichur in 1520 AD, his army entered as far as Gulbarga.
- **Shri Krishna Devraya invested in tanks** and canals for irrigation, oversees trade, he maintained friendly relations with Portuguese and Arab traders.
- He himself was a great scholar for example - he authored Amuktmalyada which discusses the political ideas and politics of the Vijaynagar empire even though the central theme is marriage between **Lord Rangnayaka (Vishnu) and Goda Devi (Andal).**
- His court was adorned with 8 great poets known **as Ashtadiggajja -**
- 1. Allassani Peddana author of mani charitam
- 2. Nandi Thimmana
- 3. Mallana
- 4. Dhurjati
- 5. Pingali surana
- 6. Tenali Ramakrishna
- 7. Ramanuja Bhushan
- 8. Ram Bhadra kavi
- After the death of **Shri Krishna Devraya,** the power went into the hands of Ramaraya who was the son of Shri Krishna Devraya.
- Ramaraya became the defacto ruler, he was able to play Deccan sultans against each other however the **battle of Talikotta in 1565,** a combined army of Deccan sultans defeated the army of Vijay Nagar.
- Ramaraya was killed and the city of Vijay Nagar was thoroughly sacked.
- **Tirumala, brother of Ramaraya** after fleeing from the city declared himself to be the king in 1570 establishing the Aravidu dynasty which became the last dynasty.
- The dynasty ruled till mid 17th century but the glory of the Vijay Nagar empire ended after the battle of Talikotta.

## ADMINISTRATION OF VIJAYNAGAR EMPIRE- 3:23 PM

- The empire was divided into different administrative units **Mandalams, Nadus, Sthala, and Gramas.**
- The governor of Mandalam was called Mandaleshwar who enjoyed a lot of autonomy in administration.
- The important source of revenue for the State was land revenue (1/6th of the produce), customs duties collected at ports, taxes on various professions, and tributes from feudal chiefs.
- Harsh punishments such as mutilation or throwing elephants were followed.
- The top-grade officers of the army were known as Nayak or Polygar, they were granted land in lieu of their services.
- This land was called Amaram land and because of this, the system is called the **Amar Nayak system.**
- Soldiers were paid in cash, kings invested in irrigation, and they were patrons of **Shaivaism and Vaishnavism** but also patronage Jains and Muslims.
- Vijay Nagar rulers contributed to temple architecture with a fusion of both Chalukya and Chola art.
- Early rulers were patrons of Kannada rulers, however, Shri Krishna Devraya was a patron of Telugu literature.
- Sanskrit and Tamil also flourished.

## BAHAMANI KINGDOM- 3:49 PM

- It was founded by **Allauddin Hasan in 1347 AD,** he was an Afghan who was also called Hasan Gangu as he had risen in the service of a **Brahmin Pandit Ganga dhar Shashtri.**
- After becoming king he took the title of **Allauddin Hasan Bahman Shah.**
- Some important rulers are - Mohd. -I and Feroz Shah Bahmani.
- **Feroz Shah Bahmani** inducted Hindus into administration.
- **Mahmud Gawan-**
- He was the **prime minister** who raise in service of Mahmud Shah.
- He called a **Persian chemist** in India to teach the preparation of gun power.
- He controlled the **military power of the governor as well as corruption in the administration,** at this time there was an internal conflict going on in the kingdom among two fractions of nobles Deccanis (local origin) and Afaqis (foreign origin).
- **Mahmud Gawan** himself was an Afaqis and in a conspiracy against him, he was arrested and given capital punishment on charges of espionage.
- After his death many of the nobles deserted the **Bahamani kingdom** which led to the disintegration of the kingdom by 1520 it was divided into  five smaller kingdoms-
- 1. Golconda (Kitub Shahi dynasty)
- 2. Bijapur (Adil Shahi dynasty)
- 3. Ahmednagar (Nizam Shahi dynasty)
- 4. Bidar (Amin Ali shah)
- 5. Berar (Imad Shah)

## The topic for next class- Bahamani Kingdom, Mughals