Administration and Social Life under Vijayanagar c10.s2.77

c10.s2.77

Duarte Barbosa while describing the Vijayanagar empire says: “All these villages and hamlets are inhabited by Heathen, among whom dwell a few Moors. Many places here belong to the Lords who hold them from the King of Narsyngua, who in his own town keeps his governors and collectors of his rents and duties.” 120 This statement of the traveller shows that there were two types of provinces one of which was held by the ‘lords’ from the king (on the feudal basis) and the other was directly governed by the king through his governors or agents. These two types of provincial officers were the *nāyakas* and governors of our classification.