Social and Political Life in the Vijayanagara Empire (A.D. 1346 – A.D. 1646) v2.c23.s1.35

v2.c23.s1.35

The remarks of foreign travellers on the habitation of the people are more numerous than those given in the inscriptions. We have had an occasion of citing the testimony of ‘Abdur Razzāq who speaks highly of the houses of Bidrūr, which were like palaces.¹ According to Barbosa, "The other houses of the people are thatched, but none the less are very well built and arranged according to occupations, in long streets with many open spaces."² Paes as usual has some interesting observations to make on this subject. While describing the first range of fortifications, he says "... and inside very beautiful rows of buildings made after their manner with flat roofs."³ Then, again, while dealing with Nāgalāpura: "In this city the king made a temple with many images. It is a thing very well made, and it has some wells very well made after their fashion; its houses are not built with stories like ours, but are of only one floor, with flat roofs and towers, different from ours, for theirs go from storey to storey. They have pillars, and are all open, with verandahs inside and out, where they can easily put people if they desire, so that they seem like houses belonging to a king. These palaces have an enclosing wall which surrounds them all, and inside are many rows of houses."⁴ Further, we have the following by the same chronicler: "... and (we) entered some beautiful houses made in the way I have already told you—for their houses are single-storeyed houses with flat roofs on top, although on top there may be other houses; the plan is good, and they are like terraces."⁵ Finally, while describing the population of the capital, he says: "Of the city of Bisnaga they say that there are more than a hundred thousand dwelling-houses in it, all one-storeyed and flat-roofed, to each of which there is a low surrounding wall...."⁶