A Forgotten Empire: Vijayanagar a Contribution to the History of India "Chronica Dos Reis De Bisnaga"

by Domingos Paes, Fernão Nunes

Both these papers are in the same handwriting, which fact - since they were written by separate Portuguese merchants or travellers at Vijayanagar in different years, one, I believe, shortly subsequent to 1520 A.D., the latter not later than about 1536 or 1537.

Genres: History

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Chakkaraiappan Ramailingam]

It is used for my daughter's study. so please send

[Bubesh Kumar]

History of this magnificent empire of peninsular India which warded off the Islamic forays into South India, mainly by the Bahmani Sultanate of the Deccan (and the kingdoms that arose after it's disintegration in Golconda, Ahmad nagar and Bijapur) from its founding by Harihara and Bukka in 1336 till the destruction of Vijayanagar in 1565. The empire though survived in a much reduced form till 1646. The books brings to life the many bloody battles fought in the doab lying from Tungabadra and Krishna rivers between the Hindu and Muslim kingdoms (mainly with the Adil Shah and his descendants of Bijapur), the wealth and life style of the rulers, the ruthless palace intrigues, the architecture, culture beliefs etc.

Amazed at the immense size of the armies of the empire. For example in the battle of Raichur in 1520 against Adil Shah, Krishnadeva raya had arraigned a force of 7,0300 foot soldiers, 32600 horses and 551 elephants. Another account puts the number at 11 lac foot soldiers and 1000. That the Indian empires always had huge armies should not be surprising given that even at the time of Alexander the Great (about B.C. 320) the army of Magadha was computed by the Greeks as consisting of 600,000 foot. 30,000 cavalry, and 9000 elephant”.


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