Social and Political Life in the Vijayanagara Empire (A.D. 1346 – A.D. 1646) v1.c8.s2.1

v1.c8.s2.1

We shall now describe in detail this country and its people in order to appreciate better their achievement when compared with some of the principles of the Hindu writers on polity. To start with, an account of the flora and fauna of the land will be given, since these, especially the latter, have played an important part in the socio-economic and religious as well as political spheres of life.⁶ No one who has carefully examined the neglected sculptured walls of Hampe, notably of the Hazāra Rāma temple, the Achyuta Rāya temple, and the Dasara Dibba, can fail to admire the skill with which the Vijayanagara architects have left behind them a definite evidence of their intimate acquaintance with the animals of the country. It does not appear from the bas-reliefs of Hampe that the people made indiscriminate use of their animals for religious purposes, although it may be said with some measure of truth that the consecration of animals to gods and goddesses as well as the deification of fauna form two important features of the religious system of the Hindus.⁷