Social and Political Life in the Vijayanagara Empire (A.D. 1346 – A.D. 1646) v1.c15.s1: Section 1. Strength

Social and Political Life in the Vijayanagara Empire (A.D. 1346 – A.D. 1646) v1.c15.s1

Language: English

Section 1. Strength

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THE militant age in which the Vijayanagara monarchs lived necessitated the maintenance of a large and powerful army. An adequate idea of the amount of labour, wealth, and skill which the Hindu rulers expended on the institution of this vital branch of their political organization can be formed only when we have examined the component parts of their army, the department which controlled it, the reforms which were introduced by the kings to make it more efficient, and the manner in which it was summoned at the commencement of a campaign.

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Foreign travellers were struck by the immense army of the Hindu monarchs. The earliest foreign traveller who gives us an account of its strength is Nicolo dei Conti. Till his days we know merely that large bodies of Hindus opposed the Muhammadans.¹ But Nicolo informs us that "in this city there are estimated to be ninety thousand men fit to bear arms".² This was the strength of the Vijayanagara army in about A.D. 1420. We may compare the estimate of Nicolo with that given by Firishtah, who describes the campaign of A.D. 1366-8. During this war Muhammad Shāh Bāhmani defeated the Hindus, whose army was made up of 30,000 horse, 3,000 elephants, 1,000,000 foot.³ Even after suffering terrible reverses at the hands of the Muhammadans, the Hindus could command a force of 5,000,000 infantry and 40,000 cavalry.⁴

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¹ Sewell, *For. Emp.*, 31.

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² Major, *India*, p. 6; Sewell, *ibid.*, p. 82.

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³ Firishtah, Briggs, *The Rise*, II, p. 309.

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⁴ *Ibid.*, p. 314.

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The next foreign traveller who has some details about the Vijayanagara army is 'Abdur Razzāq (A.D. 1442-3). "There are more than 1,000 elephants. . . . The army consists of eleven lacs of men (1,100,000)".⁵ It is not surprising that Dēva Rāya II, who possessed this great army, should have been characterized by him as the most absolute ruler in Hindustan.⁶ Firishah tells us that the Vijayanagara army in A.D. 1443 was composed of 62,000 archers (of whom 2,000 were Muhammadans, and 60,000 Hindus), 80,000 horsemen and 200,000 foot-soldiers.⁷

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⁵ Elliot, *Hist. of India*, IV, p. 105; Sewell, *ibid.*, p. 38.

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⁶ Firishtah, *ibid.*, p. 432.

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The third foreign traveller, who has remarked on the strength of the army, is Varthema. He says: "He (the Vijayanagara king) is a very powerful king, and keeps up constantly 40,000 horsemen. . . . The said king also possesses 400 elephants and some dromedaries, which dromedaries run with great swiftness".¹ This was in the year A.D. 1502.

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¹ Varthema, Jones, p. 126; Temple, p. 51; Sewell, For. Emp., p. 118.

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Duarte Barbosa (A.D. 1514) gives us some interesting facts about the army. He writes thus: "The King of Narsyngua has always more than nine hundred elephants which he purchases for one thousand five hundred and for two thousand cruzados each. . . . He has also upwards of twenty thousand horses, each of which costs him from four to six hundred cruzados. . . . Between both horse and foot the King of Narsyngua has more than a hundred thousand men of war continually in his pay, and five or six thousand women whom also he pays to march in his train . . . "²

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² Barbosa, Dames, I, pp. 209-12; Stanley, pp. 89-90.

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When we reach the times of Kṛṣṇa Dēva Rāya the Great, we find that the Hindu Government maintained the old strength of the army. The one notable event in the reign of that monarch was the military success which he won against the Muhammadans. The battle of Raichur marked an epoch in the annals of the times. According to the Hindu sources, Kṛṣṇa Dēva Rāya put into the field an almost incredible number of forces. From the Rāyavāchakamu we learn that he commanded, while fighting against the combined armies of Bijapur, Golkonda and Bidar, 120 ghaṭṭams of elephants, 60,000 horse and 500,000 foot.³ The Kṛṣṇarāyavijayam says that his army was made up of 600,000 foot, 6,600 horse and 2,000 elephants.⁴

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³ Rāyavāchakamu, The Sources, pp. 113, 120.

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⁴ Kṛṣṇarāyavijayam, ibid., p. 131.

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The foreign witnesses give us more astonishing figures. Paes affirms the following: "Now I desire you to know that this king has continually a million fighting troops, in which are included 35,000 cavalry in armour; all these are in his pay, and he has these troops always together and ready to be despatched to any quarter whenever such may be necessary. I saw, being in this city of Bisnaga, the king despatch a force against a place, one of those which he has by the sea-coast; and he sent fifty captains with 150,000 soldiers, amongst whom were many cavalry. He has many elephants, and when the king wishes to show the strength of his power to any of his adversaries amongst the three kings bordering on his kingdom, they say that he puts into the field two million soldiers; in consequence of which he is the most feared king of any in these parts".¹ According to Nuniz, Kṛṣṇa Dēva Rāya had an army which was made up of 703,000 foot, 32,600 horse, and 551 elephants, besides the camp followers, merchants, etc., and "an infinitude of people" who joined him at a place close to Raichur.² In A.D. 1515 that same monarch is said to have despatched "his general and son-in-law Seeva Ray" with 100,000 foot and 8,000 horse to march against the Muhammadans.³ This force was sent to relieve Koṇḍavīḍu. Firishtah also tells us that in the battle of Raichur the Hindus commanded 50,000 cavalry, besides a vast host of foot.⁴

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¹ Sewell, *For. Emp.* pp. 279-80. For a discussion of the numbers of men see ibid., pp. 147, seq.

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² Ibid. pp. 147, 326-8.

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³ Ibid., p. 134.

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⁴ Ibid., p. 151.

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To these accounts we have to add that of the Portuguese historian Faria y Sousa (A.D. 1521), who wrote thus: "Whilst our Governor was in the Red Sea, Crisnarao, King of Bisnagar, covered the Hills and Plains, and drank up Rivers, with an Army of thirty-five thousand Horse, and seven hundred thirty-three thousand Foot, five hundred eighty-six elephants loaded with Castles, in each of which were four Men, and twelve thousand Water-carriers to supply all parts, that the Men might not disperse to seek it. The Baggage was numberless, and there were above twenty thousand common Women. He led all this power to take the city of Rachol . . . "⁵

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⁵ Faria y Sousa, *Asia Port.*, I, P. III, p. 236; Sewell, ibid., p. 145.

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Rāma Rāja also maintained the great standard of the Hindu army. When 'Alī 'Adil Shāh was confronted with difficulties in A.D. 1558, he despatched "Kishwar Khan and Abao Toorab to Beejanuggur, to solicit aid from Ramraj . . . ", and the latter marched to join him with fifty thousand horse and a great army of foot.⁶

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⁶ Firishtah, Briggs, *The Rise*, III, p. 120; Sewell, ibid., p. 196.

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The strength of the army on the eve of the great battle of Rākshasa-Taṅgaḍi, according to Firishtah, was the following—900,000 infantry, 45,000 cavalry, 2,000 elephants and 15,000 auxiliaries.¹ The anonymous author of the *Bakhair* gives a detailed account of the Hindu forces on the battlefield of Rākshasa-Taṅgaḍi thus:

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¹ Sewell, *For. Emp.*, p. 202. See also p. 203 for the remarks of Sewell on Firishtah's account. Firishtah, however, gives conflicting accounts. In one place he says that Rāma Rāja commanded an army which was composed of 70,000 cavalry, 90,000 infantry, besides archers and artillerymen. Briggs, *The Rise*, III, p. 247. Then again he tells us that the Hindu army consisted of 100,000 horses and 300,000 foot. *Ibid.*, p. 414.

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| I | Horses | 6,548,321 |
| II | Camels | 1,874,429 |
| III | Elephants | 18,768 |
| IV | Artillery : | | |
| | (*a*) Gunpowder casks | ... | 98,776,413 |
| | (*b*) Gunners | ... | 43,876 |
| | (*c*) Great guns | ... | 2,343 |
| | (*d*) Smaller guns | ... | 324 |
| | (*e*) Ramajunga | ... | 762 |
| | (*f*) Hattarnal | ... | 9,876 |
| | (*g*) Sutarnal | ... | 7,654 |
| | (*h*) Herrarachengees | ... | 7,646 |
| | (*i*) Rama Banas | ... | 6,782 |
| | (*j*) Banakaras (Rockets) | ... | 97,645 |
| | (*k*) Jajakees | ... | 987,656 |
| | (*l*) Hunkarguli | ... | 9,876,432 |
| | (*m*) Mahatabbs (or Blue lights) | ... | 98,765,432 |
| | (Different kinds of Fireworks) | | |
| | (*n*) Tara-Mandal | ... | 6,594,321 |
| | (*o*) Bujabra | ... | 76,768 |
| | (*p*) Rana-gaddi (or war chariots) | ... | 4,321 |
| V | Bulls | | 9,876,543,210,000 |
| VI | Foot soldiers : | | |
| | (*a*) Infantry | ... | 1,239,430 |
| | (*b*) Hunara-vanara | ... | 33,460 |
| | (*c*) Siladar | ... | 34,567 |
| | (*d*) Cuttigars | ... | 45,987 |
| | (*e*) Zomoyaldars | ... | 57,965 |
| | (*f*) Drummers and Fifers | ... | 45,678 |

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(g) Ittagars ... 43,620
(h) Puckallies ... 15,940
(i) Addahattaries ... 43,432
(j) Huyelswararu ... 98,964
(k) Rajputs ... 48,976
(l) Sila-topi navaru ... 6,456 (Iron Helmets) (1)
(m) Sena-naikas ... 4,567¹

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¹ Rāma Rāja Charitre.

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In the absence of independent evidence, it is not possible to ascertain either the names of some of the component parts of the infantry and cavalry, or the veracity of the figures given in the Rāma Rāja Charitre. The number of camp followers given in the same account is still more incredible, as will be shown in the section on the Hindu camp. Nevertheless, if the accounts of foreign witnesses can be given any credence; if it is true that as Paes and Castanheda relate, "the king could call upon a million, or even two millions, of men at will";² and, finally, if one realizes the gravity of the situation caused by the confederacy of the Muhammadans not only in the great capital, but also in the whole of the Hindu Empire, one may doubt whether the gallant old Regent was not able to summon an army which was large enough to withstand the united attempts of five powerful Sultans who were determined to subvert the riches, government and Dharma of the Hindu people. The fact that the Hindus were defeated is insufficient to cast doubt on the number of the forces on the eve of the great battle, although we admit that the anonymous author of the Bakhair cannot be relied upon for the accuracy of the numbers he has given.

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² Sewell, For. Emp., pp. 150, 279-80.

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In addition to the regular troops, there were the auxiliary forces of the feudatories and lords. About these Nuniz remarks thus: "The officials of the King who go about the kingdom are these . . . Firstly Saluvanyque, the present minister . . . he is obliged to maintain for the King, viz: thirty thousand foot and three thousand horse and thirty elephants . . . Another captain, Ajaparcatimapa . . . He is obliged to serve with twenty-five thousand foot, fifteen hundred horse and forty elephants . . . Another captain, who is called Gapanayque . . . is obliged to furnish two thousand five hundred horse, and twenty thousand foot, and twenty elephants . . . Another called Lepapayque . . . is oblgied to furnish twelve thousand horse and twenty thousand foot and twenty-eight elephants . . . The treasurer of the jewels, who is called Narvara . . . he spends on twelve thousand foot and six hundred horse and twenty elephants. Another captain called Chinapayque. . .serves with eight hundred horse and ten thousand foot (pracos). Crisnapanayque . . . serves with five hundred horse and seven hundred foot (pracos). Also Bajapanarque. . .he serves with eight hundred horsemen and ten thousand foot and fifteen elephants. . .Mallapanarque . . . is obliged to serve with four hundred horse and six thousand foot. . . . Another captain, called Adapanayque . . . He serves with eight thousand foot and eight hundred horse and thirty elephants. . . Another Bajapanayque . . . he serves with a thousand cavalry and ten thousand foot and fifty elephants. . . In this way the kingdom of Bisnaga is divided between more than two hundred captains who are all heathen . . .”¹

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¹ Sewell, For. Emp., pp. 384-9.

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According to the *History of the Carnataca Governors*, the Vijayanagara king commanded forty thousand cavalry, four thousand elephants and ten thousand camels.² His principal officer Nāgama Nāyaka, according to the same source of information, was in charge of these forces, in addition to which he had a personal contingent of six thousand cavalry and twenty thousand infantry.³ Even after the tremendous shock of A.D. 1565, the Vijayanagara sovereign, according to a Jesuit letter dated A.D. 1583, could assemble on the field a good many elephants, horse and a numerous army.⁴

Cites (1)

Rāyavācakamu — Telugu