ON VIJAYANAGAR

( from Glimpses of World History

by

Jawaharlal Nehru)

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Of all the kingdoms of the south that we discussed in our last letter, Vijayanagar

has the longest history. It so happened that many foreign visitors came to it and left

accounts of the Sate and the city. There was an Italian, Nicolo Conti, who came in 1420;and Abdur-Razzaq of Herat, who came from the Court of the Great khan in Central Asia in 1443;and Paes, a Portuguese, who visited the city in 1522;and many others. There is also a history of India, which deals with the South Indian States, and especially Bijapur. This was written in Persian by Ferishta in Akbar’s time, not long after the period we are considering. Contemporary histories are often very partial and exaggerated, but they are of great help. There are hardly any of these known to us for the pre-Muslim periods, with the exception of the Rajatarangini of Kashmir. Ferishta’s history was thus a great innovation. Others followed him.

The descriptions of foreign visitors to Vijayanagar give us a good and impartial picture of the city. They tell us more than the accounts of the wretched wars, which were frequently taking place. I shall therefore tell you something of what these people say.

Vijayanagar was founded about 1338. It was situated in what is known as the Karnataka area of South India. Being a Hindu State, it naturally attracted large number of refugees from the Muslim States in the South. It grew rapidly. Within few years the State dominated the South, and the capital city attracted attention by its wealth and beauty. Vijayanagar became the dominant power in the Dekhan.

Ferishta tells us of its great wealth and describes the capital in 1406, when a Muslim Bahmani king from Gulbarga went there to marry a princess of Vijayanagar. He says that for six miles the road was spread with cloth of gold and velvet and similar rich stuffs. What a terrible scandalous waste of money!

In 1420 came the Italian, Nicolo Conti, and he tells us that the circumference of the city was sixty miles. This area was so vast because there were numerous gardens. Conti was of opinion that the ruler of Vijayanagar, or Raya as he was called, was the most powerful ruler in India at the time.

Then comes Abdur-Razzaq from Central Asia. On his way to Vijayanagar, near Mangalore, he saw a wonderful temple made of pure molten brass. It was 16 feet high, and 30 feet by 30 at its base. Further up, at Belur, he was still more amazed at another temple. Indeed, he does not attempt to describe it, as he fears that if he did so, he would be “ charged with exaggeration”! Then he reached the city of Vijayanagar, and he goes into ecstasies over this. He says: “ the city is such that eye has not seen nor ear heard of any place resembling it upon the whole earth. “ He describes the many bazaars:

At the head of each bazzar there is a lofty arcade and magnificent gallery, but the palace of the king is loftier than all of them…. The bazzars are very long and broad… . Sweet-scented flowers are always procurable fresh in that city and they are considered as even necessary sustenance, seeing that without them they could not exist. The tradesmen of each separate guild or craft have their shops close to one another. The jewellers sell their rubies and pearls and diamonds and emeralds openly in the bazaar.

Abdur-Razzaq goes on to describe that “in this charming area, in which the palace of the king is contained, there are many rivulets and streams flowing through channels of cut stone, polished and even … The country is so well populated that it is impossible in a reasonable space to convey an idea of it.” And so he goes on, this visitor from Central Asia in the middle of the fifteenth century, waxing eloquent over the glories of Vijayanagar.

It may be thought that Abdur-Razzaq was not acquainted with many big cities, and so he was almost overcome when he saw Vijayanagar. Our next visitor, however, was a well-travelled man. He was Paes, the Portuguese, and he came in 1522, just about the time when the Renaissance was influencing Italy and beautiful buildings were rising up in the Italian cities. Paes apparently knew these Italian cities, and his testimony is thus very valuable. The city of Vijayanagar, he says, is as “large as Rome and very beautiful to the sight”. He describes at length the wonders of the city, and the charms of its innumerable lakes and waterways and fruit gardens. It is, he says, “ the best-provided city in the world… for the state of the city is not like that of other cities, which often fail of supplies and provisions, for in this everything abounds”.

One if the rooms he saw in the palace was

All of ivory, as well the chamber as the walls from the top to bottom, and the pillars of the cross-timbers at the top had roses and flowers of lotuses all of ivory, and all well executed, so that there could not be better – it is so rich and beautiful that you would hardly find anywhere another such.

Paes also describes the ruler of Vijayanagar at the time of his visit. He was one of the great rulers of South Indian history, and his reputation as a great warrior, and as one who was chivalrous to his enemies, as a patron of literature, and a popular and generous king, still survives in the south. His name was Krishna Deva Raya. He reigned for twenty years, from 1509 to 1529.. Paes tells of his height and figure and even complexion, which he says was fair. “He is the most feared and perfect king that could possibly be, cheerful of disposition and very merry; he is one that seeks to honour foreigners, and receives them kindly, asking about all their affairs whatever their condition may be. “Giving the king’s many titles, Paes adds:” But it seems that he has in fact nothing compared to what a man like him ought to have, so gallant and perfect is he in all things”

High praise indeed! The Empire of Vijayanagar at this time spread all over the south and east coast. It included Mysore, Travancore and the whole of the present Madras (Chennai) presidency.

One thing else I might mention. Great irrigation works were erected about 1400 AC to bring good water to the city. A whole river was dammed up and a big reservoir was made. From this the water went to the city in an aqueduct, 15 miles in length, often cut out of the solid rock.

Such was Vijayanagar. It was proud of its wealth and beauty and over confident of its strength. No one thought that the end of the city and empire was near. Only forty-three years after the visit of Paes, danger suddenly loomed up. The other States of the Dekhan, jealous of Vijayanagar, formed a league against it and determined to destroy it. Even then Vijayanagar felt foolishly confident. The end came soon, and it was terrible in its completeness.

As I have told you, Vijayanagar was defeated by this league of States in 1565. There was terrible slaughter, and the sack of the great city followed soon after. All the beautiful buildings and temples and palaces were destroyed. The exquisite carvings and sculptures were smashed, and huge bonfires were lit to burn up everything that could be burnt. Destruction went on till only a heap of ruins was left.

“ Never,” says an English historian,” never perhaps in the history of the world has such havoc been wrought, and wrought so suddenly, on so splendid a city; teeming with a wealthy and industrious population in the full plenitude of prosperity one day, and on the next seized, pillaged, and reduced to ruins, amid scenes of savage massacre and horrors beggaring description.”