Social and Political Life in the Vijayanagara Empire (A.D. 1346 – A.D. 1646) v1.c11.s2.t4.92

v1.c11.s2.t4.92

We now turn to the other great problem with which the Vijayanagara monarchs had to deal. This was rebellion. From the examples we have already cited¹ of the stringent measures passed by Rājarāja III, in A.D. 1230, and by an unidentified Jaṭāvarman Sundara Pāṇḍya as regards traitors to the State and Brahman rebels respectively, it is obvious that the State took the counsel and aid of the people, and that it assigned to the village temples fines realized from culprits and from the sale of their property. We cannot determine to what extent the monarchs of Vijayanagara maintained the tradition of the Tamil rulers of assigning to the treasury of local temples money which the State got from offenders. There is nothing strange in Vijayanagara kings ignoring this custom when we remember that their age was practically one of centralization—at least till the days of the great conflict—, and that they themselves, as well as their subordinates, gave munificent grants to the temples which may have made extraneous gifts in the shape of fines from guilty persons unnecessary.