Administration and Social Life under Vijayanagar c7.s3.11

c7.s3.11

In modern times, with the advance made in the monetary systems and the development of banking facilities, the need for hoarding the precious metals, especially the yellow one, is rapidly declining. But in ancient and mediaeval days the monetary systems were still in a rude stage. Hence not only the people in those days, but also the government, hoarded the precious metals. Kṛṣṇadēva Rāya in his Āmuktamālyada divides the king's income into four parts, and says that one part should be used for extensive benefactions and for enjoyment, two parts for the maintenance of a strong army and one part added to the treasury.³⁴² That the Vijayanagar kings hoarded a large quantity of treasure is also testified to by Paes who describes the way in which the kings hoarded wealth. He says: "The previous kings of this place for many years past have held it a custom to maintain a treasury, which treasury, after the death of each, is kept locked and sealed in such a way that it cannot be seen by any one, nor opened, nor do the kings who succeed to the kingdom open them or see what is in them. They are not opened except when the kings have great need, and thus the kingdom has great supplies to meet its needs. This king (Kṛṣṇadēva Rāya) has made his treasury different from those of the previous kings, and he puts in it every year ten million pardaos without taking from them one pardao more than for the expenses of his house. The rest remains for him, over and above these expenses and of the expenses in the houses of his wives, of whom I have already told you that he keeps near him 12,000 women; from this you will be able to judge how great is the richness of this kingdom and how great the treasure that this king has amassed."³⁴³ The hoarding of money was a necessity in those days to meet large unexpected demands when wars broke out. Occasionally measures had to be undertaken to alleviate the sufferings of the people during bad times. Thus this money was spent only on national purposes.