History of the Qaraunah Turks in India c11.9

Language: English

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The Sultanate of Madura was established in 1335 A.D. and Muhammad was prevented by unforeseen circumstances from arresting the progress of this revolutionary movement in the South.² The new sovereign struck coins in his name and began to organise his resources to wage war against the hostile chiefs, who enclosed his dominions on all sides. This was not all. In 1336 A.D. the foundations of the kingdom of Vijayanagar were laid by Vidyāraṇya, and Hari Hara I became the first ruler of the dynasty.³ Tradition says that two brothers Bukkā and Hari Hara, who were employed in the service of the king of Warangal at the time of the destruction of that kingdom by the Muhammadans in 1323 A.D., fled with a small escort and found shelter in the mountainous region of Anāgoṇḍi.⁴ This tradition finds a partial corroboration in Barani who says that ‘one of the relations of Kanyā Nāyak (referring to Hari Hara) whom the Sultan had sent to Kambālā, apostatised from Islam and broke out into rebellion.’⁵ This view is confirmed by Ibn Batūṭah, who in his account of Bahā-al-Din Gashtāsp’s rebellion says, that the captive princes of Anāgoṇḍi embraced Islam, and probably he loosely uses the word princes for all those dignitaries who were captured during the war.⁶ The Portuguese chronicler, Nuniz,⁷ relates the circumstances under which Hari Hara was entrusted with the country round Anāgondi as an imperial vassal by Muhammad Tughluq.

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According to Nuniz, Deo Rao (Hari Hara Deva Raya) was the minister of the ruler of the territories round Nagundy (Anāgondi). About 1334 A.D. Togao Mamede (Muhammad Tughluq) invaded those territories and the Raja was slain in battle. The minister, along with the treasurer and four leading officers, was taken prisoner to Dihli, while the conquered lands were entrusted to an imperial deputy whom Nuniz calls "Enebiquymelly" or "Mileque niby" or "Melinebiquy" (Malik Nāib). Malik Naib failed to manage the country owing to the hostility of the Hindus and the Sultan was obliged to restore the principality to the Hindus. He released the captives and made over the country to them. Accordingly the minister was raised to be king and the treasurer to be minister and after taking from them oaths and pledges of their fealty as vassals, he despatched them to their lands with a strong contingent to defend them, if anyone molested them in the way. Deo Rao was welcomed by the people. They hailed him with delight because they "had felt so deeply their subjection to a lord not of their own faith." They gave feasts in his honour and made obeisance which is due to kings. The imperial deputy, when he became aware of this, yielded the fortress and the kingdom to him and left the country. Deo Rao pacified the people and by his kindness won their esteem. One day, while hunting on the banks of the Tungbhadra, he met a hare which boldly turned towards his dogs and attacked them.

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The Prince was astonished at this miracle, and while returning homewards, he met on the river bank a holy man to whom he related what had happened. The holy man saw the place and advised the king to build a city on the spot where the miracle had happened. This hermit was the celebrated Vidyāraṇya. The city was founded and named after the hermit Vidyānagar. In course of time it came to be called Bisnagā or Vijayanagara. Sewell in his valuable history of the Vijayanagara empire has enumerated seven traditionary accounts of the origin of the empire,⁸ but the most reliable seems to be that which says that it was founded by two brothers, Hari Hara and Bukkā who were employed in the service of Pratap Rudra Deva of Warangal, and who fled from the country when it was overrun by the Muhammadans. They accepted service under the Raja of Anāgondi who employed them in his service, but when that kingdom was overthrown, they were carried off to Dihli as prisoners after the rebellion of Bahā-al-Din.⁹ When the imperial deputy Malik Maqbūl failed to maintain order in the country, they were released and were appointed ruler and minister of Anāgondi and were compelled to acknowledge the suzerainty of the Dihli emperor. Apart from the evidence of Barani that the person whom the Sultan had sent to govern Kambālā and who had embraced Islam was related to Kanyā Nāyak, there is other evidence to show that the two brothers originally belonged to Telingana.

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The foundation of the empire of Vijayanagar was followed by the introduction of the Telugu language and literature in the Kanarese country. The civil and military officers of the new empire were largely men of Telugu origin, who exerted their influence to introduce their own language, habits and customs among the people over whom they ruled. The effects of Telugu colonisation were seen in the adoption by the Tamils of strange festivals and observances and even superstitions, which were the principal features of the civilisation of their conquerors.¹⁰ The evidence of inscriptions leaves no room for doubt that Hari Hara and his brothers were Yadava Kṣatriyas descended from the Lunar race.¹¹ The Bitragunta grant of Saṃgamā II dated Śaka-Saṃvat 1278 (1356 A.D.) makes mention of the five sons of Saṃgamā I and a grandson of his who is named Saṃgamā II who is wrongly identified with the progenitor of the Vijayanagar Princes.¹² Saṃgamā I had five sons, Hari Hara, Bukkā, Kampā, Marappā and Mudappā, who all united to form a new kingdom in the Deccan with the help of the famous sage and scholar Vidyāraṇya, to serve as a bulwark against the Muhammadan aggressions. Mādhava, surnamed Vidyāraṇya, on account of his vast intellectual attainments, was instrumental in founding the empire of Vijayanagar in 1336 A.D.¹³ Firishta's account of the foundation of Vijaya-