A Forgotten Empire: Vijayanagar | Page 8

our chronicles,
which was the residence of a family of chiefs owning a small state in
the neighbourhood. They had, in former years, taken advantage of the
lofty hills of granite which cover that tract to construct a strong citadel
having its base on the stream. Fordable at no point within many miles
the river was full of running water at all seasons of the year, and in
flood times formed in its confined bed a turbulent rushing torrent with
dangerous falls in several places. Of the Anegundi chiefs we know little,
but they were probably feudatories of the Hoysala Ballalas. Firishtah
declares that they had existed as a ruling family for seven hundred
years prior to the year 1350 A.D.[7]
The chronicle of Nuniz gives a definite account of how the sovereigns
of Vijayanagar first began to acquire the power which afterwards
became so extensive. This account may or may not be accurate in all
details, but it at least tallies fairly with the epigraphical and other

records of the time. According to him, Muhammad Taghlaq of Delhi,
having reduced Gujarat, marched southwards through the Dakhan
Balaghat, or high lands above the western ghats, and a little previous to
the year 1336[8] seized the town and fortress of Anegundi. Its chief
was slain, with all the members of his family. After a futile attempt to
govern this territory by means of a deputy, Muhammad raised to the
dignity of chief of the state its late minister, a man whom Nuniz calls
"Deorao," for "Deva Raya." or Harihara Deva I. The new chief founded
the city of Vijayanagar on the south bank of the river opposite
Anegundi and made his residence there, with the aid of the great
religious teacher Madhava, wisely holding that to place the river
between him and the ever-marauding Moslems was to establish himself
and his people in a condition of greater security than before. He was
succeeded by "one called Bucarao" (Bukka), who reigned thirty-seven
years, and the next king was the latter's son, "Pureoyre Deo" (Harihara
Deva II.).
We know from other sources that part at least of this story is correct.
Harihara I. and Bukka were the first two kings and were brothers, while
the third king, Harihara II., was certainly the son of Bukka.
The success of the early kings was phenomenal. Ibn Batuta, who was in
India from 1333 to 1342, states that even in his day a Muhammadan
chief on the western coast was subject to Harihara I., whom he calls
"Haraib" or "Harib," from "Hariyappa" another form of the king's name;
while a hundred years later Abdur Razzak, envoy from Persia, tells us
that the king of Vijayanagar was then lord of all Southern India, from
sea to sea and from the Dakhan to Cape Comorin -- "from the frontier
of Serendib (Ceylon) to the extremities of the country of Kalbergah ...
His troops amount in number to eleven lak," I.E. 1,100,000. Even so
early as 1378 A.D., according to Firishtah,[9] the Raya of Vijayanagar
was "in power, wealth, and extent of country" greatly the superior of
the Bahmani king of the Dakhan.
The old southern states appear (we have little history to guide us) to
have in general submitted peaceably to the rule of the new monarchy.
They were perhaps glad to submit if only the dreaded foreigners could

be kept out of the country. And thus by leaps and bounds the petty state
grew to be a kingdom, and the kingdom expanded till it became an
empire. Civil war and rebellion amongst the Muhammadans helped
Harihara and Bukka in their enterprise. Sick of the tyranny and
excesses of Muhammad Taghlaq, the Dakhan revolted in 1347, and the
independent kingdom of the Bahmanis was for a time firmly
established.
The chronicle of Nuniz opens with the following sentence: --
"In the year twelve hundred and thirty these parts of India were ruled
by a greater monarch than had ever reigned. This was the king of
Dili,[10] who by force of arms and soldiers made war on Cambaya for
many years, taking and destroying in that period the land of Guzarate
which belongs to Cambaya,[11] and in the end he became its lord."
After this the king of Delhi advanced against Vijayanagar by way of
the Balaghat.
This date is a century too early, as already pointed out. The sovereign
referred to is stated in the following note (entered by Nuniz at the end
of

Chapter xx
., which closes the historical portion of his narrative) to have been
called "Togao Mamede."
"This king of Delhi they say was a Moor, who was called Togao
Mamede. He is held among the Hindus as a saint. They relate that once
while he was offering prayer to God, there came to him