Social and Political Life in the Vijayanagara Empire (A.D. 1346 – A.D. 1646) v2.c19.s2.t2.24

v2.c19.s2.t2.24

In other words, when the people were confronted with a danger which threatened to undermine their life,—political and social, religious and economic,—the Brahmans could legally eschew the cause of the scriptures for that of the sword. The Vijayanagara age was precisely such an epoch; and no one recognized the need of entrusting the Brahmans with the responsibilities of a warrior so much as the Emperor Kṛṣṇa Dēva Rāya who, in his *Amuktamālyada*, writes thus: "Because a Brahman would stand to his post even in times of danger and would continue in service though reduced to becoming a subordinate to a Kshatriya or a Śūdra, it is always advisable for a king to make Brahmans as his officers".¹ He further says: "Entrust your fortresses to such Brahmans (Generals) as you are best acquainted with. Do not keep them weak, but give them such strong forces that they can be devoid of fear from their enemies".² Then again: "That king can lay his hand on his breast and sleep peacefully who appoints as masters of his fortresses such Brahmans as are attached to himself, are learned in many sciences and arts, are addicted to *Dharma*, are heroic and have been in his service since before his time, who make arrangements for storing in those fortresses tiger's cheese (?Tel. *Pulijunnu*) and other articles to last for a generation, who gives to the subordinate chiefs (*Sāmanta*) lands and other things without lessening in the slightest degree the arrangement with them, who increases his treasures by multiplying his income and lessening expenditure, and by seeing that the people are without trouble, who keeps watch on the territory of weakened enemies by his spies and capturing them suddenly like the crane which catches fish, who sees that neither he nor his subjects suffer and who gives trouble only to his enemies."³