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Social and Political Life in the Vijayanagara Empire (A.D. 1346 – A.D. 1646) v1.c15.s2.t1: 1. Infantry

Social and Political Life in the Vijayanagara Empire (A.D. 1346 – A.D. 1646) v1.c15.s2.t1

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1. Infantry

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Recruitment into the army was not restricted to any particular class of the people. The opinion of foreign travellers confirms the information supplied by early inscriptions on this matter. A record dated A.D. 1356 relates that the different contingents which made up the Vijayanagara army were composed of the Turks, Seunas, Telugus, Pāṇḍyas and Hoysalas.⁴ From the very commencement of their political career, the sons of Saṅgama sought the support of all classes for the maintenance of their Empire. And they were able to secure it by throwing open military service to the different sections of people. Barbosa in A.D. 1514 confirms the evidence of the epigraph we have cited, about the cosmopolitan nature of the Hindu forces. He writes thus: "Among these men-at-arms there are many knights, who arrive there from many parts to take service, and these do not cease to live in their creeds".⁵ As already narrated in connection with the Foreign Relations of Vijayanagara, the Hindu monarchs also enlisted Muham-madans in their service. In A.D. 1442 there were two thousand Muhammadan soldiers well skilled in archery in Vijayanagara.¹ Paes, as we shall presently describe, speaks of the Moors in the grand review held at the capital. "Then the Moors—one must not forget them—for they were there also in the review with their shields, javelins and Turkish bows, with many bombs and spears and fire-missiles; and I was much astonished to find amongst them men who knew so well how to work these weapons".² We have already recorded the testimony of Nuniz about the Moors who led the van during the decisive Raichur campaign.³

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⁴ Rice, *My. Ins.*, pp. 2, 5, op. cit.

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⁵ Barbosa, Stanley, p. 91; Dames, I, p. 212.

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¹ Firishtah, Briggs, *The Rise*, II, p. 432; Sewell, *For. Emp.*, p. 72. See supra, p. 410.

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² Sewell, *ibid.*, pp. 277-8.

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³ *Ibid.*, p. 329, op. cit. Rangachari speaks of the Badagas under Vijayanagara. *I.A.*, XLIII., p. 113, n. (49).

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As regards the actual system of recruitment we have unfortunately not many details. In describing the origin of the Zemindari of the Doṭṭiya fort, the local chronicles give the following information: "At the time when the Padsha came against the Rayer (i.e. the king of Vijayanagara) before the capital was taken, the Rayer sent out red garments, with a message that so many as were willing to leave their families should put on those garments and prepare for war. My ancestor Macala nayaker of the Panjai valla tribe, with his people assembled; and after defeating the invaders came to the Rayer's presence".⁴

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⁴ Taylor, *Cat. Rais*, III, p. 356. See also p. 361.

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Barbosa gives more trustworthy details: "And whenever the king's officers take and enrol any man, they strip him and look what marks he has got on his body, and measure what his stature is, and set it all down in writing, and from whence he comes, and the names of his father and mother: and so he remains enrolled with all these particulars in the pay books. And after being enrolled, it is with difficulty that he can again obtain permission to go to his country; and if he flies and is taken, he runs great danger, and is very ill treated."⁵

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⁵ Barbosa, Stanley, pp. 90-1; Dames, I., p. 212.

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The Rāmarājīyamu gives us some particulars about the numbers that make up a unit. Each unit was composed of one elephant, twenty horses, sixty arches, sixty swordmen, and sixty spearmen. It seems that there were 3,500

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Sculptures representing Soldiers marching (Bottom). [Vol. I, p. 423.]

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such units in the Vijayanagara army during the siege of Kandanavōlu (Kurnool).¹

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¹ Rāmarājīyamu, The Sources, p. 102.

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Rice in a short note deals with the weapons used by the Vijayanagara soldiers. Basing his remarks on one or two weapons secured from Pura, Māṇḍya taluka, and on those preserved in the extensive armoury of the royal palace at Mysore, he speaks of certain types of weapons, amongst which a light sword with a fish tail and another like a flexible band that could be worn as a belt, deserve special notice.²

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² E.C. III, Intr. p. 34.

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There are some references to the weapons used by the soldiers under Vijayanagara both in literature and the account of foreign travellers. These may be supplemented by the sculptures as seen on the walls of the capital. Gaṅgādēvī gives us a few names of the weapons carried by the Hindu soldiers. These were the kṛpaṇa, the kārpaṇa, the prāsa, the kuṇṭa and the kōdaṇḍa.³ Gaṅgādēvī confirms the evidence of Barbosa about the cosmopolitan nature of the army of Vijayanagara in the above description.

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³ Gaṅgādēvī, Madhurāvijayam, Canto, IV, v. 10, p. 29.

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Firishtah, while describing the campaign of A.D. 1433, tells us that the soldiers were "armed in the usual manner with pikes and lances".⁴ But the Portuguese travellers have more details to give about the dress and weapons of the Hindu soldiers. Paes writes thus: "Then, turning to the troops on foot, there are so many that they surround all the valleys and hills in a way which nothing in the world can compare. You will see amongst them dresses of such rich cloths that I do not know where they come from, nor could any one tell how many colours they have; shield-men with their shields, with many flowers of gold and silver on them, others with figures of tigers and other great beasts, others all covered with silver leaf-work beautiful wrought, others with painted colours, others black and (so polished that) you can see into them as into a mirror, and their swords so richly ornamented that they could not possibly be more so. Of the archers, I must tell you that they have bows plated with gold and silver, and others have been polished, and their arrows very neat, and so feathered that they could not be better;

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⁴ Firishtah, Briggs, The Rise, II, p. 432.

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daggers at their waist and battle axes, with the shafts and ends of gold and silver; then you see musqueteers with their musquets and blunderbusses and their thick tunics, all in their order, with their (Lioes?) in all their bravery; it was indeed a thing to see".¹ His remarks about the Moors with their shields, javelins and Turkish bows, given above, are to be recounted here. Nuniz also has a few observations to make on the dress and the accoutrement of the soldiers of Vijayanagara. "All were equally well armed, each after his own fashion, the archers and musqueteers with their quilted tunics,² and the shieldmen with their swords and poignards in their girdles; the shields are so large that there is no need for armour to protect the body, which is completely covered . . ."³

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¹ Sewell, For. Emp., p. 277. For Sewell's conjectures, see ibid., pp. 201, n. (2).

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² On the quilted tunics, see Sewell, ibid. pp. 276, n. (2).

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³ Sewell, ibid., pp. 327-8.

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As regards some of the tactics practised by the Hindus, Firishtah has a few remarks to make. While describing an incident in the siege of Baṅkāpur, he says: "The infantry of the Carnatic, who value their lives but little, were quite naked, and had their bodies anointed with oil, to prevent them being easily seized . . ."⁴

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⁴ Firishtah, Briggs, The Rise, III, p. 137.

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The Portuguese writers mention some details about the battle cry of the Hindus: "When the news of this event (i.e., on the defection of Tirumala, as recorded by Caesar Frederick) reached Rāma Rāya's ears, the valiant chief . . was incensed with fury; and in order to encourage his troops he remounted his horse, and shouting several times 'Gorida; Gorida! (Garuda! Garuda!)' with his men charged the allied army".⁵

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⁵ Heras, Aravidu, p. 208.

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This refers we believe, to Gōvinda rather than to Garuḍa, as the Rev. Heras suggests.

Cites (3)