Vijayanagara Empire

Vijayanagara Empire (1336 - 1646)
Founders : Harihara I and Bukka Raya I of the Sangama dynasty
Capital : Vijayanagar

Languages : Sanskrit, Kannada and Telugu

Religion : Hinduism

The kingdom of Vijayanagar was founded by Harihara and Bukka, two of five brothers (surnamed Sangama) who had served in the administrations of both Kakatiya and Kampili before those kingdoms were conquered by the armies of the Delhi sultanate in the 1320s. When Kampili fell in 1327, the two brothers are believed to have been captured and taken to Delhi, where they converted to Islam. They were returned to the Deccan as governors of Kampili for the sultanate with the hope that they would be able to deal with the many local revolts and invasions by neighbouring Hindu kings. They followed a conciliatory policy toward the landholders of the area, many of whom had not accepted Muslim rule, and began a process of consolidation and expansion. Their first campaign was against the neighbouring Hoysala king, Ballala III of Dorasamudra, but it stagnated; after the brothers reconverted to Hinduism under the influence of the sage Madhavacarya(Vidyaranya) and proclaimed their independence from the Delhi sultanate, however, they were able to defeat Ballala and thereby secure their home base. Harihara I (reigned 1336–56) then established his new capital, Vijayanagar, in an easily defensible position south of the Tungabhadra River.

In 1336 Harihara, with the help of his brothers, held uneasy suzerainty over lands extending from Nellore, on the southeast coast, to Badami, south of Bijapur on the western side of the Deccan. All around him new Hindu kingdoms were rising, the most important of which were the Hoysala kingdom of Ballala and the confederacy, led by Kapaya Nayaka in Telangana.

The Vijayanagara Empire saw the rise and fall of 4 dynasties.

1. Sangama Dynasty
2. Saluva Dynasty
3. Tuluva Dynasty
4. Aravidu Dynasty

Sangama Dynasty

21 June 1377 AD – 1404 AD : Harihara Raya II
1386 AD : This copper plate is dated S. 1308, belonging to Vijayanagara king Harikara in Nagari script and Sanskrit and Kannada languages, records the gift of some vrittis of land to Brahmanas of the Pampakshetra. The king Harihara is praised for his proficiency in the Shastras taught by his Vidyaranya Swami.

28th February 1397 A.D : Kaleshwaram
This inscription is on one pillar of 16-Pillared mandapa of Muktesvara temple from Kaleshwaram, dated Saka 1319, Isvara, 1st day of the year, Wednesday, corresponding to the 28th February 1397 A.D., states in a verse in Sardulavikridita that Devaraya, the son of Harihara, performed the tulapurusha on the occasion of his digvijaya. It was obviously under orders of his father Harihara that Prince Devaraya undertook this campaign of Conquest. The Velugoyivarivamsavali alludes to a number of clashes of the Velamas, who sided with the Bahmani Sultans, with the Vijayanagara kings (Further Sources of Vijayanagara History, Vol. I, pp. 82-83). The Panugallu inscription (cf. op.cit., Vol. II, pp. 38-39), dated 6 months later than this record, refers to the capture of the fort of Panungal by Immadi Bukka, assisted by his son Ananta.

30th December, A.D. 1397 : Pangal, Kollapur, Nagarkurnool District
The record refers to the reign of Harihara II, son of Bukka of the Sangama dynasty of Vijayanagara. The object of the inscription is to record the conquest of Panugallu by the Dviguna-Bukka. The details of the date of the conquest are given as Saka 1319 (expressed by chronogram), Isvara, Pausha (Sahasya), su. 11(Sambhor=dina), Sunday, corresponding to the 30th December 1397 A.D.

1406 AD - 1422 AD : Deva Raya I

1424AD - 1446 AD : Deva Raya II

1424 AD: Pangal - Dated in Saka 1346 during the rule of Devaraya, another epigraph records the construction of the temple of Mukti-Ramesvara by Devanarayana, belonging to a Brahmana family from Kasmira, who was the governor of the fort and who claims to have destroyed the army of Firuz Shah.

Two of Deva Raya's sons, named Mallikarjuna and Virupaksha I, are mentioned in various inscriptions.

1446 AD - 1468 AD : Mallikarjuna Raya 

Mallikarjuna was the son of Deva Raya II by the Queen Ponnala Devi.

The Bahmani Sultanate took over much of the Vijayanagara Empire by 1450 and grew closer to the capital of Vijayanagara. 

Alampur, Jogulamba Gadwal District.
1464 AD : Language : Telugu and Sanskrit
This inscription is dated S. 1386 (9), Sarvajit, Magha, ba. 14, Monday, Sivaratri.Records the gift of the village Sarangapura to the head of the religious establishment ofSarangesvara Matha viz, Peddakuppasakanthadeva by Pedakachappodaya at the command ofthe king. The gift estate was approved by Kadali Bhikshavrtti Ayyangaru, the pontiff of Srisaila throne, by crediting 500 varahas into the treasury of Mallikarjuna.

27th February A.D. 1468 AD : Alampur, Jogulamba Gadwal District.
Language : Sanskrit and Telugu. Script : Telugu.
On the command of Mallikarjuna Raya and with the permission of Kadali biksha vritti lyyengar seated on Srisaila simhasana Peda Kachappodayalu garu, constructed a village called Sarangapura in the fields of Naramarilla and made it over to Kemidevuni veerayya, the Saranga matadhipati for the merit of his guru and parents.

1468 AD - 1485 AD : Virupaksha Raya II lost the Konkan coast (including Goa, Chaul, and Dabul) by 1470 to Prime Minister Mahamud Gawan of Turko-Persian Bahmani Sultanate, who was sent to conquer the area by the Sultan Muhammad Shah III. The Bahmani Sultan would also invade the Doab of Krishna and Tungabhadra, and the Raja Purushottama Gajapati of Odisha invaded Tiruvannamalai. Because of these losses, Virupaksha became increasingly unpopular and ignited many of the empire's provinces to rebel, eventually leading up to Virupaksha's death at the hands of his own son, Praudha Raya in 1485. Praudha Raya himself was not able to salvage the empire but an able general Saluva Narasimha I took control of the empire in 1485 and helped prevent its demise, though this change of power marked the end of the Sangama Dynasty and the beginning of the Saluva Dynasty.

The End of the Sangama Dynasty
Saluva Narasimha was single-handedly holding the great empire together without formally taking over the throne. In the meantime, after the debacle of the attempt to recover Goa on his own, Virupaksha II’s behaviour became even more erratic than before. He ordered random killings of his commanders for trivial charges and started to unleash a reign of terror amongst the nobles. Sick of this behaviour of his father, Virupaksha’s eldest son murdered him. However, he refused to assume the throne since he had committed patricide, a heinous crime according to Hindu scriptures. Therefore, he considered himself ‘unfit’ to be king.

1485 AD - 1486 AD : Praudha Raya
This prince therefore raised his brother, Praudha Deva Raya, to the throne. However, this Deva Raya turned out to be even more wicked and debauched than his father. Very soon after coming to the throne, he became suspicious of his elder brother who had gifted him the throne and personally killed him. It was obvious to all that Sangama power had run its course and that the Sangama scion had lost the moral authority to rule. The time was ripe to supplant this dynasty, whose fundamental roots itself had become rotten to the core.

Saluva Dynasty

1486 AD - 1491 AD : Saluva Narasimha Deva Raya

Saluva Narasimha realised that the time had come to assume the mantle of king. He wrote to all the chiefs, commanders and important nobles and secured their goodwill and then send his trusted general Narasa Nayaka to march on Vijayanagara, the capital. The dates of this take over vary in different accounts, but it can be placed as being within the span of 1486-90. Deva Raya, who had reinstated himself in Vijayanagara fled at the approach of the Saluva army—the Sangamas disappeared from the firmament of Vijayanagara, without even an audible whimper or creating any ripples.

1491 AD : Thimma Bhupala (died 1491 CE)

Elder son and heir-apparent of Saluva Narasimha Deva Raya, the Sovereign of the Vijayanagara Empire. During the reign of his father, he held the office of the Yuvaraja.Prince Thimma succeeded his father in 1491 but was soon assassinated by an army commander loyal to the Sangamas during a period of political unrest in Vijayanagara. He was succeeded by his younger brother Narasimha Raya II.
 

1491 AD - 1505 AD : Narasimha Raya II / Immadi Narasimha
29th February A.D. 1504 : Wanaparthy, Wanaparthy District.
The eldest son of his Saluva Narasimha Deva Raya's prime minister, Narasa Nayaka, had Narasimha Raya II assassinated and ascended to the throne himself in 1505, beginning the Tuluva dynasty, the third dynasty of the Vijayanagara empire.

Tuluva Dynasty

1505 AD - 1509 AD : Tuluva Narasa Nayaka  / Vira Narasimha Raya

1509 AD -1529 AD : Krishna Deva Raya Krishnadevaraya (17 January 1471 - 17 October 1529) was an emperor of the Vijayanagara Empire reigning from 1509 to 1529. He was the third monarch of the Tuluva dynasty, and is considered to be one of the greatest rulers in Indian history.

Krishnadevaraya's rule was characterised by expansion and consolidation. This was the time when the land between the Tungabhadra and Krishna river (the Raichur doab) was acquired (1512), ruler of Odisha were subdued (1514) and severe defeats were inflicted on the Sultan of Bijapur (1520).

4th May, A.D. 1516  : Nelakondapalli, Khammamet, Khammam District.
Language : Telugu.
The following inscription is on three sides of a pillar now planted in the compound of the local library at Nelakondapalli. It is in Telugu prose and records the grant of land to some shrines in Kondapalli, on the orders of Kondamarusayya, who ruled in this region as governor in the reign of Krsna-deva-raya of Vijayanagara.

The inscription is dated in Saka 1438, Dhatr, Jyeṣṭha, suddha, tritiya, Sunday. The date is a sound one and corresponds to Sunday the 4th of May A.D. 1516. The tithi on the previous day (that is, Saturday) was dvitiya, and trtiya did not commence till 98 of that day. The same tithi continued the whole of Sunday and lasted for I ghatika for 30 minutes after sunrise on Monday. The inscription is important as evidence of Krsna-deva-raya's conquest of this region.The Pillar containing this inscription was actually set up by Parvat-ayyamgaru.

1516 AD : Nalagonda (modern Nalgonda),Khammamet and Khandikonda (an Mabbababad taluk of the Warangal district), are referred to among others, important places in the Gajapati kingdom which Krsna-deva-raya captured.

Krishnadevaraya was preparing for an attack on Belgaum, which was in the Adil Shah's possession. Around this time, Krishnadevaraya fell ill and eventually died in 1529, succeeded by his brother, Achyuta Deva Raya.

16th January, A.D. 1521 : Alampur, Jogulamba Gadwall District
Language : Kannada.
This inscription is dated S. 1443, Vrsha, Asadha Su. 12, (A.D. 1521, Jan 16 Sunday). Records the grant of two villages Chennunipadu and Velambodu by Gauradanayankara Basavapayya who was Amara dandanayaka over Alampurusima. He was so appointed by Krishnaraya after his subjugation of Rachuru.

3rd March A.D. 1527. : Alampur, Jogulamba Gadwall District 
Language : Telugu. Script : Telugu.
It is a copper plate at Brahmesvara temple. Registers the gift of a village Chennupalli of Alampura sima, for anga ranga vaibhava of Navabrahmesvara by Chinnapeddinayudu, son of Bhudaram Peddinayudu,. Śrī krishnadevaraya Chinnapeddinayudu a palegar of Alampur sima.

23rd April A.D. 1529. : Chennipadu, Alampur, Jogulamba Gadwall District
Language : Kannada. Script : Telugu.
This inscription is on the slab in the compound of Chennakesava temple. Records thegift of village Pusalapadu also known as Krishnapuram in Alampuri sima, for the Amurutapadi of Chennakesavadeva of Chennipadu on lunar eclipse by Chandrasekharayya son ofAnnaji Ayya, for the merit of his over lord Krishnadevaraya of Vijayanagara and his minister Timmarasayya. The record ends with lengthy imprecatory verses.

1529 AD - 1542 AD : Achuyta Deva Raya
2nd November A.D. 1538  : Kosangi.
Language : Kannada.  Script : Telugu.
This inscription states that while Achyutaraya was ruling his amara nayaka (name lost) Immadi Medi Naraya made a gift of a well and garden to the God Somesvara of Kosagi.

1542 AD  - 1570 AD : Sadasiva Raya

1552 AD - 1554 AD : This is a copper plate with two charters, dated Saka 1474 and 1476, registered grant of villages Jaduvalli and Rellundi respectively to Somanatha Bhatta and Venkatadri by king Sadasiva Raya.

1586 AD -1614 AD : Venkatapati Raya   

Polepally, Jadcherla, Mahbubnagar district.
This inscription is on a pedestal in the Chennakesava Temple. This inscription mentions that a pillar which was broken for a long time was replaced in the temple of Ahobala Narasimhasvami of Polepalli by Mudugallu Nurussa Chintamani.

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Chennur Silk Sarees

Chennur silk sarees shine brightly with their elegance and rich history. Hailing from Chennur, a small village in Nirmal District, Telangana State, India. These sarees are a representation of a beautiful and ancient craft. Let’s explore the story of Chennur silk sarees, their unique features, and why they continue to attract fashion lovers, especially the younger generation.

The Kalamkari Hand Painted Chennur Silk Saree is a masterpiece of Indian textile artistry. Crafted from exquisite Chennur silk, this saree features intricate hand-painted Kalamkari motifs that tell captivating stories of tradition and culture. The vibrant colors and detailed designs make it a visual delight, showcasing the skill of skilled artisans.

Chennur is famous for its silk weaving tradition. This craft has been passed down through generations, with families perfecting the art of making stunning silk sarees. The village is close to Tussar and Mulberry silk fields, which provide the high-quality silk threads used in these sarees. This connection to nature and tradition is a key part of Chennur silk’s story.

The tradition of Chennur silk has roots that go back to the prosperous Golconda Sultanate in Hyderabad during the Middle Ages. The Mughals, who supported this craft, referred to the artisans as "qualamkars," a term that eventually evolved into "kalamkari." This historical connection highlights the rich heritage behind Chennur silk.

These sarees are known for their intricate designs. Skilled weavers use traditional techniques to create beautiful patterns. Both handlooms and modern tools are used to achieve these designs.

Chennur silk sarees are versatile and elegant. They can be worn with elaborate gold designs or kept simple, depending on the occasion. Their graceful drape makes them suitable for weddings, festivals, and other special events.

Recently, younger generations have rediscovered Chennur silk sarees. 

1. Cultural Pride: Young people appreciate the cultural connection that Chennur silk sarees provide. They are more than just fashion; they are a link to heritage and tradition.

2. Sustainable Choice: Chennur silk sarees are made using eco-friendly methods, making them a great option for those interested in sustainable fashion.

3. Unique Style: The exclusive designs and luxurious fabric make Chennur silk sarees stand out from mass-produced clothes. They offer a unique and timeless style.

4. Flexibility: These sarees can be styled in many ways, allowing young people to mix traditional and modern looks for different events.

A basic seed multiplication and training centre belonging to Central Silk Board (CSB), in Chennur stood in the top in the country by registering production of 3.20 lakh tasar silkworm eggs in the last five years, bringing recognition to Telangana.

Tussar silk is one of the most sought-after fibres in the world owing to its rich texture and natural colour, it is also one of the rarest forms of natural fibre.

Cocoons of Tasar, a variety of silk, contain many insects that are processed to produce exquisite silk thread used in manufacturing saris and other clothing. The cocoons are traditionally grown by the tribals by camping in the forests as means of livelihood for many decades. They are cultivated on leaves of Terminalia Arjuna (Tellla Maddi) and Yeru Maddi trees spread in 2,100 hectares in Chennur area of Mancherial and 1,000 hectares of forests in Kumram Bheem Asifabad district.

More than 800 farmers in Vemanpelli, Kotapalli, Kannepalli and Nennal mandals of Mancherial district and Bejjur and Koutala mandals in Kumurambheem Asifabad district are cultivating cocoons in 3,100 hectares of land. Traders from Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Odisha come to buy the cocoons sold in an open auction in Chennur every year.

https://telanganatoday.com/silkworm-egg-production-csbs-bsm-pc-chennur-bags-award

https://thriyasilks.com/blogs/the-saree-journal/discovering-the-charm-of-chennur-silk-sarees

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