Administration and Social Life under Vijayanagar c5.15

c5.15

It is generally said that in mediaeval Europe feudalism was a necessity of the times. Similarly the particular form of government that obtained in Vijayanagar was a necessity of the period. The very fact that in the Vijayanagar empire there existed, side by side with one another, various heterogeneous elements, diverse interests and communities, necessitated a monarchical form of government. The king stood out as the symbol of unity in the empire. He was not an absolute or autocratic ruler, for his powers were limited by certain checks and balances of a more or less conventional and customary character. Custom ruled in many cases in the levy of taxes. Different methods were adopted for the collection of the revenues of the government, and in certain cases the taxes were farmed out to bidders. Different methods were adopted for the recruitment to the army, and the king depended largely on feudal levies in times of war. The administration of justice was organised in such a way as to suit the convenience of the people. Disputes were decided in a majority of cases by arbitration, or cases were tried locally by the local people. The provincial administration was organised in a way which satisfied the requirements of the age. In many cases the officers of government were remunerated by assignments of the income due to the government. In the local areas, the old village assemblies actively functioned and did very useful local service. The temple was a centre of cultural and economic activity in the local areas, and the guilds were other local bodies that played a prominent part in the administration. Thus these aspects of the polity and administration of the Vijayanagar empire deserve careful study.