Administration and Social Life under Vijayanagar c7.s3.7

c7.s3.7

The next large item of public expenditure was that on the public endowments and charities. No temple escaped the attention of the kings, and no public institution failed to get their fostering care. Inscriptions are scattered throughout South India which record the benefactions of the Vijayanagar kings. They constructed new temples, renovated a large number of old ones, renewed grants already made, and instituted festivals and worship in temples. Many a time taxes were remitted in favour of temples for their maintenance and repair. According to the accounts of Nuniz, Mallikārjuna granted to the pagodas a fifth part of the revenue of his kingdom.³⁴¹ Though the kings themselves were not always as learned as Kṛṣṇadēva Rāya, they honoured learning and learned men. It was in the royal courts that scholars of different schools of thought met together to discuss their views on abstruse philosophical subjects, and held controversies. The ruling kings took interest in such discussions and honoured the scholars by making them rich presents and granting tax-free villages.