Defence Architecture in Early North Karnataka c10.s6: The Vijayanagara Rulers: (C.1336-1681 A.D.)
Defence Architecture in Early North Karnataka c10.s6
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The Vijayanagara Rulers: (C.1336-1681 A.D.)
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The Vijayanagara empire founded on the right bank of the river Tungabhadrā, under the holy guidance of Sri Vidyaraṇya, was only the empire in the medieval South India, which rose into mighty power against the Muslim pressure from the North. All the way and all in its life, Hindu in tradition to its core, the empire was the richest and the strongest in South India. Vijayanagara, Ānegundi and Penugoṇda etc., were the strong-holds in absolute Hindu order, overlooking with confidence the attacks of Muslim powers gathered around.
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The cultural contribution in the form of art, dance, music, architecture, literature etc., made by the emperors of Vijayanagara is distinct in the history of India as a whole. Had this empire not come into existence, the whole face of the South India would have been something different. The Vijayanagara rulers comprised of four powerful dynasties in its life:
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1) the Sangama (C. 1336-1465 A.D.)
2) the Sāḷuva (C.1481-1505 A.D.)
3) the Tuḷuva (C. 1505-1570 A.D.) and
4) the Aravīḍu (C. 1570-1681 A.D.). And in the Tuḷuva dynasty Kṛishṇadēvarāya (C.1509-1529 A.D.) a great emperor is far more remembered for his remarkable achievements in art, architecture and literature.
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The war of Taḷikōt (C.1565 A.D.) which was fought between Rāmarāya the ruler of Vijayanagara and the five Deccan Sultans combined together, was so fatal that the great city of Vijayanagara teeming with millions of people and huge riches one day, was completely annihilated the next day bringing it down to the dust. The city including its mansions, Bazars, temples, gate-ways, bastions, gardens was completely smashed. Not a single stone was left untouched by the ruthless hands of the victorious Muslims. The rulers Tirumala and Venkata ran away from the Vijayanagara city to Penugonda (now in Āndhra Pradesh), with huge wealth by leaving the great city, once full of life, to its fate once for all.
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The Ādil Shāhis of Bijāpur:(C.1490-1686 A.D.)
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Among the Deccan Sultānates, the most powerful and rich dynasty was that of the Ādil Shāhs of Bijāpur. The dynasty was founded by Yusuf Ādil Shah in C 1490 A.D. by declaring himself as an independent ruler breaking away the relations with the parental authorities of the Bhamani Sultāns of Gulbarga.
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Yusuf Ādil Shah (1480-1510 A.D.) was responsible to undertake the construction of citadel at Bijāpur. Subsequently, as the time passed by there were very strong and enlightened rulers in the dynasty. Among them were: Ibrahim Ādil-I (1535-1558 A.D.) the first builder of the outer fort wall, Ali Ādil-I (1558-1580 A.D.), Ibrahim Ādil II (1580-1627), who raised the forts of Navaraspur and Shāhapur, the suburban cities to the North-west and West of Bijāpur and also renovated the outer walls of the Bijāpur fort and built an exemplary architectural piece in Indo-Saracenic style i.e. a mausoleum for his wife and himself, now known as the Ibrāhim Rouza. Mohammad Ādil (1627-1656 A.D.), who was responsible in constructing the great tomb with whispering gallery the Gōl-Gumbaz, and finally during the reign of Sikandar Ādil, a boy king, the kingdom was annexed to the Moghul empire by the powerful Aurangzēb, while he invaded Bījāpur around 1680 A.D. Thus, ended the Ādil Shahi dynasty in the last quarter of 17th century.
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Thus, right from the Mauryas to the Ādil Shāhis of Bījāpur, i.e. from the 3rd century B.C. to the 17th century A.D., almost for two thousands years, the North-Karnāṭaka was a powerful political seat, which gave birth to many powerful and enlightened royal dynasties that made the history of Karnāṭaka in perticular and of South India in general, glorious. All the capital forts and the sub-capital forts of these dynasties are virtually located only on the soil of North-Karnāṭaka and the defence architectural study of them, therefore, is really enthralling.
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As suggested by the inscription of Pulakesi I, that speaks of the construction of a strong fort inaccessible, then in Bādāmi, in all the capital cities of these ruling dynasties and of their Mahēmaṇḍalēswaras of later periods, were constructed forts to defend their suzerainty from the attacks of enemies. In the ancient period, it is the conquest of fort walled cities by enemies that decided total success to them and their establishment of power over the kingdom of the defeated. It was therefore absolute necessity to have a very powerful fort round the capitals. We, therefore, even now find the remnants of such forts in the imperial capital cities: Banavāsi, Bādāmi, Maḷkhēd, Kalyāṇa, Hampi, Bijāpur etc., from which the Early and Later Kadambas, the Early Western Chālukyas, the Rāṣṭrakūṭas, the Later Chālukyas, the Vijayanagara Rulers, the Ādil Shāhis respectively ruled. Further, since these forts were to protect the imperial capitals, they must have been constructed with great care and highly advanced devices. They therefore represent supreme phases of defence architecture of the respective periods.