The History of Vijayanagar Empire The typical version Hampi?s history starts with a popular folklore. Two local chieftains, Hakka & Bukka , reports to their guru an unusual sight they saw during a hunting expedition. A hare chased by their hound suddenly turns courageous and start chasing back the hound. Vidyaranya, the guru, tells them that the place is so special and asks them to establish theirs local capital at this place. The seed of an empire was sown. Over the next 200 plus years (1336 AD 1565 AD) four dynasties ruled Vijayanagar . History of Vijayanagar?s had been a saga of resistance against the northern Sultanates as well as building of its spectacular capital in Hampi. The capital was one major trading center. Anything from horses to gems was traded in Hampi. Art and architecture found its special place in Hampi. The rulers were great patrons of art and religion. Most of the kings associated names of their favorite gods with their names. Some of the kings were renowned for their ambitious projects. King Krishnadeva Raya (1509-1529 AD) of the Tuluva Dynasty stands tall among the rest. During his regime the empire saw its peak. By this time Vijayanagara Empire covered the whole of south India and beyond. The Krishna Temple that you can visit in Hampi was commissioned by him to commemorate the victory over the Gajapathi kings of Utkala (in present day Orissa state). The warring Deccan Sultanates could finally join together to defeat the Vijayanagara army at Talarikota, a place north of Hampi. Vijayanagar army suffered heavy losses. The capital city was plundered, its population massacred. Treasure hunters ransacked its palaces and temples for months. Kings lost, capital fallen, population fled, Hampi turned into a ghost city. For centuries Hampi remained as a neglected place. This erstwhile metropolitan with more than half a million population slowly turned into a jungle where wild animals roamed freely. The area came under many kings from time to time with the flow of history. But it was no more considered strategic and hence neglected. A batch of school students at Virupaksha Temple During the colonial period, Hampi evoked some curiosity among the western archeologists. Robert Sewell?s (1845-1925), seminal work aptly titled as A Forgotten Empire :Vijayanagar was a major attempt to narrate the empire that was. In 1917 A.H. Longhurst?s Hampi Ruins Described and Illustrated became the first travel guide for the visitors to Hampi. UNESCO?s World Heritage Site was conferred to Hampi in 1986. Currently Hampi's monuments hundreds of them are popular among tourists, pilgrims and the area is one of the exotic locations for the Bollywood and local film shootings. Jackie Chan film ?Myth? was shot in the Hampi. The Royal insignia of the Vijayanagara Vijayanagara Empire: Sangama Dynasty: Harihara Raya I 1336-1356 Bukka Raya I 1356-1377 Harihara Raya II 1377-1404 Virupaksha Raya 1404-1405 Bukka Raya II 1405-1406 Deva Raya I 1406-1422 Ramachandra Raya 1422 Vira Vijaya Bukka Raya 1422-1424 Deva Raya II 1424-1446 Mallikarjuna Raya 1446-1465 Virupaksha Raya II 1465-1485 Praudha Raya 1485 Saluva Dynasty: Saluva Narasimha Deva Raya 1485-1491 Thimma Bhupala 1491 Narasimha Raya II 1491-1505 Tuluva Dynasty: Tuluva Narasa Nayaka 1491-1503 Viranarasimha Raya 1503-1509 Krishna Deva Raya 1509-1529 Achyuta Deva Raya 1529-1542 Sadashiva Raya 1542-1570 Aravidu Dynasty: Aliya Rama Raya 1542-1565 Tirumala Deva Raya 1565-1572 Sriranga I 1572-1586 Venkata II 1586-1614 Sriranga II 1614-1617 Ramadeva 1617-1632 Venkata III 1632-1642 Sriranga III 1642-1646 [To know more, visit - http://holydham.com/hampi/]

• published: 08 Dec 2014
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