Sangama Dynasty

Ruler

Key Details

Harihara I (1336-1356)

- Also known as ‘Hakka’ or ‘Vira Harihara, ’ he was the eldest son of Bhavana Sangama and belonged to the Kuruba clan.

- Ruled the northern regions of the Hoysala Empire after the death of Hoysala Veera Ballala III in 1343.

- Built a fort at Barkuru on the western coast (Karnataka).

- Established the Nayankara system, where military officers (nayakas) were appointed as local governors responsible for estate management and troop mobilisation.

- Reorganised the administration with his minister Anantarasa Chikka Udaiya, dividing the empire into sthalas, nidus, and simas, with officials assigned for revenue collection and governance.

Bukka Raya I (1356-1377)

- Expanded the empire significantly by conquering the Kingdom of Arcot and the Reddis of Kondavidu in 1360.

- Shifted the capital from Anegondi to Vijayanagara for better defense.

- By 1371, he defeated the Sultanate of Madurai, extending his control to Rameshwaram with military support from his son Kumara Kampana (documented in the Sanskrit text Madura Vijayam).

- Engaged in wars with the Bahmani Sultanate, particularly against Mohammed Shah I and Mujahid Shah Bahmani.

- Patronised Telugu poet Nachana Soma, as well as Vidyaranya and Sayana, under whose influence commentaries on the Vedas were written.

Harihara II (1377-1406)

- Expanded the empire towards the eastern seacoast, defeating the Reddis of Kondavidu and securing territory from Nellore to Kalinga.

- Captured Belgaum and Goa from the Bahmani Sultanate.

- Earned titles such as Vaidikamarga Sthapanacharya and Vedamarga Pravartaka for his contributions to Hindu religious and literary traditions.

- Patronised Kannada poet Madhura, a Jaina scholar.

Deva Raya I (1406-1422)

- Engaged in battles with the Velamas of Telangana, the Bahmani Sultan of Gulbarga, the Reddis of Kondavidu, and the Gajapatis of Kalinga.

- Defeated Firoz Shah Bahmani in 1420, gaining control over the Krishna-Tungabhadra doab.

- A dam was constructed on the Tungabhadra River and another on the Haridra River to improve water supply.

- Modernised the Vijayanagara army by employing Turkic archers, improving the cavalry, and importing Arabian and Persian horses.

- He maintained a secular approach in administration, integrating 10,000 Muslims into his army, becoming the first Vijayanagara king to do so.

- Foreign Accounts: Italian traveler Nicolo Conti (1420) and Russian merchant Nikitin (author of Voyage to India) visited during his reign.

Deva Raya II (1425-1446)

- Regarded as the greatest ruler of the Sangama dynasty and an ambitious warrior.

- Patronised Kannada poets such as Chamarasa and Kumara Vyasa.

- He encouraged Sanskrit and Telugu literary works, with poets like Gunda Dimdima and Kavisarvabhauma Srinatha (author of Haravilasam) at his court.

- Earned the title Gajabetegara (Hunter of Elephants).

- Persian chronicler Abdur Razzak described Vijayanagara as an empire stretching from Ceylon to Gulbarga and Orissa to Malabar.