Social and Political Life in the Vijayanagara Empire (A.D. 1346 – A.D. 1646) v1.c7.s3.39

v1.c7.s3.39

Mr. Rice is responsible for saying that the founders were connected with the Kadambas. "The founders of the Vijayanagara empire in 1336 seem to have been connected with the Kadamba family and from that time no trace is met with of the latter".¹ There is an echo of this in the remarks of the Russian traveller, Nikitin: "The Hindoo Sultan Kadam is a very powerful prince".² There is one fact, however, which goes entirely against the Kadamba origin of the founders of Vijayanagara. Mārappa, one of the five brothers, as we have already noted, conquered the Kadamba king who was like Śakra, surrounded with elephants and horses and foot-soldiers, and then established his provincial seat at Chandragupti. If the first family really traced its descent from the Kadambas, there was no need for Mārappa to defeat a Kadamba king.