Social and Political Life in the Vijayanagara Empire (A.D. 1346 – A.D. 1646) v1.c11.s2.t4.38

v1.c11.s2.t4.38

The new Government, however, unwittingly added to the number of its problems by the murder of the innocent Emperor Sadāśiva Rāya. This political blunder is as difficult to account for as the other grave error they made in transferring the headquarters "from the front line at Vijayanagara to the second at Penukoṇḍa".⁴ We confess that the political reshuffling of the Vijayanagara provinces was a measure which was not entirely without its own advantages. To their exultant enemies it was a sign of the vigour that was still left in the Hindus; to the latter it was another opportunity of consolidating the shorn glories of their Empire. Tirumala's division of the provinces gave up all hopes of the northern districts, which had proved to be the bane of the Hindu rulers, and made it appear as if the ruler had consciously redistributed the areas with an eye towards the linguistic affinities of the people. The Rev. Heras says in this connection: "The division being naturally made according to the three great different races of the Empire, a great administrative success in each part could reasonably be expected; and the Viceroys being of the royal blood, and in this case sons of the Sovereign himself, the fear of rebellion was reduced, since they were bound to be very loyal to the Emperor their father".⁵ But it may be doubted whether it was ever so, since we have no evidence to prove that the Hindus in or about A.D. 1567 were swayed to such an extent by motives of racial fusion in the wake of a political disaster. Tirumala's arrangement was "justified at the time but was pregnant with consequences fatal to the unity of the Empire".¹