The Sultanate of Delhi, 711–1526 A.D. c23.s2.t4.2

c23.s2.t4.2

*The Sangama dynasty.* The founders, Harihara and Bukka, belonged to the Sangama dynasty, so-called from their father, Sangama. Harihara I did not assume full imperial title and his brother, Bukka, who followed him, also refrained from doing so. Harihara and his brother brought under their control almost the whole of the territory that had formerly belonged to the Hoysala kingdom. Bukka sent a mission to China in 1374. He died in 1379 and was succeeded by his son, Harihara II. The new ruler assumed the imperial titles of Maharajadhiraj and Raja Parameshwara, etc. He was a great fighter and conqueror and extended his authority over Kanara, Mysore, Trichinopoly, Kanchi and Chingleput regions. During his reign his son, Bukka II, made an attempt to capture by force the Raichur Doab, situated between the Krishna and the Tungabhadra rivers and forming the bone of contention between the Vijayanagar empire and the Bahamani kingdom. He was defeated by Firoz Shah Bahamani. Though a worshipper of Shiva, Harihara II was tolerant towards other religions. He died in 1406 and was succeeded by his son, Deva Raya I. During his reign there were wars with the Bahamani kingdom. He died in 1422. The next king was Vijaya Bukka or Vir Vijaya who reigned for a few months. Then came Deva Raya II who reorganised the administration and placed his army on a sound footing. He appointed an officer to look after the overseas commerce. During his reign Vijayanagar was visited by two foreign travellers, Nicolo Conti, an Italian, and Abdur Razzaq, a Persian, who had left graphic descriptions of the city and the empire. The empire now included the whole of southern India and touched the shores of Ceylon. Deva Raya II died in 1446. His successors were weak. There were rebellions and foreign invasions. The Bahamani Sultan and the ruler of Orissa threatened the eastern provinces. The invaders were, however, successfully repelled by Narasinha, a powerful chieftain of Chandragiri (Chittur district). This chief deposed Virupaksha II, the last ruler of the Sangama dynasty, and seized the throne in about 1486.