Social and Political Life in the Vijayanagara Empire (A.D. 1346 – A.D. 1646) v1.c11.s2.t4.67

v1.c11.s2.t4.67

Closely allied to these methods of combating the fears of civil wars and wars of succession were two other measures directed specially against the dangers of usurpation. These grouped round the important questions of appointing the yuva-rāja. In the Śukranīti we have the following about the crown prince: "The ruler should select as Crown Prince the offspring of the legally married wife who can perform the tasks of the State without idleness. He may select as Crown Prince his uncle younger than himself or younger brother, or son of his elder brother, his own son, or one treated as son, or an adopted child, or daughter's son or sister's son successively according to failure".¹ The importance of the crown prince has been thus summed up by the same authority: "The Crown Prince and the Body of Councillors are the hands of a monarch. They are also known to be his eyes and ears, in each case right and left respectively".²