Medieval Indian History
🔒 Log in to trackVijayanagara & Bahmani Kingdoms
🔒 Log in to trackVijayanagara empire (1336–1646)
| Point | Fact |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1336 by brothers Harihara I and Bukka Raya (Sangama dynasty); capital Hampi on the Tungabhadra |
| Four dynasties | Sangama → Saluva → Tuluva → Aravidu |
| Greatest ruler | Krishnadevaraya (Tuluva, 1509–29) — wrote Telugu poem Amuktamalyada; court of Ashtadiggajas (eight poets) incl. Allasani Peddana and Tenali Ramakrishna |
| Decline | Battle of Talikota (Rakshasi–Tangadi), 1565 — Rama Raya killed by the combined Deccan sultanates |
| Heritage | Group of Monuments at Hampi — UNESCO site (1986); Vitthala temple stone chariot |
Foreign visitors to Vijayanagara
| Visitor | From | Ruler |
|---|---|---|
| Niccolo de Conti | Italy | Deva Raya I |
| Abdur Razzaq | Persia (Timurid envoy) | Deva Raya II |
| Domingo Paes | Portugal | Krishnadevaraya |
| Fernao Nuniz | Portugal | Achyuta Raya |
Bahmani kingdom (1347–1527)
- Founded 1347 by Alauddin Hasan Bahman Shah (Hasan Gangu); capital Gulbarga, later Bidar.
- Minister Mahmud Gawan built a famous madrasa at Bidar.
- Split into five Deccan Sultanates:
| Sultanate | Dynasty | Monument to remember |
|---|---|---|
| Bijapur | Adil Shahi | Gol Gumbaz (Muhammad Adil Shah) — whispering gallery |
| Golconda | Qutb Shahi | Charminar, Hyderabad (1591, Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah) |
| Ahmadnagar | Nizam Shahi | Chand Bibi resisted Akbar |
| Bidar | Barid Shahi | — |
| Berar | Imad Shahi | Did not join the Talikota alliance |
Detailed notes
City of victory on the Tungabhadra
Vijayanagara ('city of victory') was founded in 1336 on the Tungabhadra bank at Hampi by the Sangama brothers Harihara and Bukka, blessed by the guru Vidyaranya. Four dynasties ruled it in turn: Sangama → Saluva → Tuluva → Aravidu. Its economy rested on the fertile Raichur doab (the doab of the Krishna-Tungabhra rivers, long contested with the Bahmanis), diamond and spice trade, and a powerful cavalry fed by Portuguese horse imports.
Krishnadevaraya, the greatest ruler (1509–1529)
Of the Tuluva dynasty, he defeated the Bahmanis and the Odisha (Gajapati) king, and won the Battle of Raichur (1520, with Portuguese muskets). Titles: Andhra Bhoja, 'establisher of Yavana rule' and more. His court had the Ashtadiggajas (eight elephants of learning), the greatest being Allasani Peddana (Manucharitam, honoured as 'Andhra Kavita Pitamaha'); Krishnadevaraya himself wrote the Telugu classic Amuktamalyada. Portuguese visitors Domingo Paes and Duarte Barbosa describe his glittering capital — the Virupaksha and Vittala temples (the famous stone chariot), the Hazara Rama temple, and bazaars of pearls.
The Bahmani kingdom and its five heirs
The Bahmani kingdom was founded in 1347 by Alauddin Hasan Bahman Shah (Hasan Gangu) with its capital at Gulbarga (later Bidar). Its able wazir Mahmud Gawan was executed by court factions (1481) — after which the kingdom split into five sultanates: Bijapur (Adil Shahi), Ahmadnagar (Nizam Shahi), Golconda (Qutb Shahi), Berar (Imad Shahi) and Bidar (Barid Shahi).
Rivalry and the fall
Vijayanagara and the Bahmanis fought almost continuously over the Raichur doab, the Krishna-Godavara delta and horse trade. In 1565, at the Battle of Talikota (Rakshasa-Tangadi), a coalition of the Deccan sultanates crushed Vijayanagara; the de facto ruler Rama Raya (Aravidu) was captured and executed, and Hampi was sacked and abandoned. The dynasty lingered from Penukonda-Chandragiri; Nayak kingdoms took over the south. The ruins are the Hampi UNESCO World Heritage site — 'a city of victory in stone'.
Quick revision
- 1336, Harihara-Bukka (Sangama), guru Vidyaranya; dynasties Sangama-Saluva-Tuluva-Aravidu.
- Krishnadevaraya (Tuluva): Raichur win, Ashtadiggajas, Allasani Peddana, Amuktamalyada, visitor Paes.
- Bahmani: Hasan Gangu, 1347, Gulbarga → Bidar; Mahmud Gawan executed; five sultanates (B-A-G-B-B).
- 1565 Talikota: five sultanates beat Rama Raya; Hampi sacked; today = UNESCO site.
Types of questions asked
Every way this subtopic shows up in exams — how to recognise it, the formula or logic to use, and a solved example.
Type 1: Vijayanagara: founders and the four dynastiesvery common2 practice Q
'Who founded Vijayanagara and when', which dynasty Krishnadevaraya belonged to, guru Vidyaranya, order of dynasties.
- 1336, Hampi on the Tungabhadra; Harihara & Bukka (Sangama brothers), guru Vidyaranya.
- Dynasties in order: Sangama → Saluva → Tuluva → Aravidu.
- Krishnadevaraya = Tuluva; Rama Raya of Talikota = Aravidu.
Example: Vijayanagara was founded on the banks of which river?
The Tungabhadra — at Hampi, by Harihara and Bukka in 1336.
Type 2: Krishnadevaraya: conquests, court and classicsvery common3 practice Q
Ashtadiggajas, Allasani Peddana, Amuktamalyada, Battle of Raichur, Portuguese visitors, titles.
- Court: Ashtadiggajas; chief poet Allasani Peddana (Manucharitam, 'Andhra Kavita Pitamaha').
- His own Telugu work: Amuktamalyada; title Andhra Bhoja.
- Battles and visitors: Raichur 1520 win; Domingo Paes (and Duarte Barbosa) left accounts of Hampi.
Example: Who was the greatest of the Ashtadiggajas at Krishnadevaraya's court?
Allasani Peddana, author of Manucharitam — honoured as 'Andhra Kavita Pitamaha'.
Type 3: Bahmani kingdom: founder, capital, five sultanatescommon2 practice Q
'The Bahmani kingdom was founded by', its capital, Mahmud Gawan, the five successor sultanates and their houses.
- 1347, Alauddin Hasan Bahman Shah (Hasan Gangu); capital Gulbarga, later Bidar.
- Mahmud Gawan — the great wazir, executed in faction politics (1481).
- Five sultanates: Bijapur-Adil Shahi, Ahmadnagar-Nizam Shahi, Golconda-Qutb Shahi, Berar-Imad Shahi, Bidar-Barid Shahi.
Example: The Bahmani kingdom broke up into five sultanates. Which house ruled Golconda?
The Qutb Shahi dynasty (Bijapur = Adil Shahi, Ahmadnagar = Nizam Shahi).
Type 4: Hampi and the decisive battlescommon3 practice Q
Raichur doab rivalry, Talikota 1565 and Rama Raya, Hampi ruins as heritage, stone chariot.
- Long war zone: the Raichur doab (Krishna-Tungabhadra) — Bahmanis vs Vijayanagara.
- Talikota (Rakshasa-Tangadi), 1565: five sultanates defeated Vijayanagara; Rama Raya executed; Hampi sacked.
- Hampi = UNESCO site; landmarks: Vittala temple stone chariot, Virupaksha temple.
Example: Who led Vijayanagara at the Battle of Talikota (1565) and was executed after the defeat?
Rama Raya — the aged Aravidu regent; the empire never recovered.
Shortcut tricks
⚡ Vijayanagara dynasties — "Some Silly Tigers Attack"
Sangama → Saluva → Tuluva → Aravidu. Krishnadevaraya sits in the third (Tuluva — "Top king").
Example: Krishnadevaraya belonged to which dynasty of Vijayanagara?
Top king → Tuluva dynasty.
⚡ Deccan five — "BiG AB B"
Bijapur (Adil), Golconda (Qutb), Ahmadnagar (Nizam), Bidar (Barid), Berar (Imad). The first letters of the dynasty names: A-Q-N-B-I.
Where students lose marks
Hampi is on the Tungabhadra, not the Krishna.
Abdur Razzaq visited Deva Raya II, not Krishnadevaraya.
Gol Gumbaz is in Bijapur; Charminar is in Hyderabad (Golconda kingdom).
Practice sets — 12 questions
Sets of 10, mixed across the question types above. Each answer comes with a step-by-step explanation.
Topic test · 12 questions
Suggested time 5 min · wrong answers go to your mistake notebook automatically.