Get complete information on the Administration of Vijayanagar

The rulers of the Vijayanagar Empire were able to set up a very efficient system of administration. It is not correct to say that the administration of the Vijayanagar empire “contained no principle of development, represented no ideal of human progress and therefore could not the lasting”. The truth is that the rulers of Vijayanagar continued to organise the administration as demanded by the circumstances.

King:

The king of the Vijayanagar Empire was the fountain-head of all power in the State. He was the supreme authority in civil, military and judicial matters. This does not mean that he was a tyrant or an irresponsible despot. He was required to rule according to Dharma. He was required to keep in view goodwill and welfare of the people. He was required to bring peace and plenty to the kingdom.

The ideal of kingship was given by Krishna Deva Raya in his Amuktamalyada. According to him, a crowned king should always rule with an eye towards Dharma. “A king should rule collecting round his people skilled in statecraft, should investigate the mine yielding precious metals in his kingdom and extract the same, should levy taxes from his people moderately, should counteract the acts of his enemies by crushing them with force, should be friendly, should protect one and all of his subjects, should put an end to the mixing up of the caste among them, should always try to increase the merit of the Brahmans, should strengthen his fortress and lessen the growth of the undesirable things and should be ever mindful of the purification of his cities.”

Ministers:

The Vijayanagar Empire was a vast feudal organisation and the King was at the head of the whole system. He was helped in his work by a council which consisted of ministers, provincial governors, military commanders, men of priestly class and poets.

The members of the council were not elected but were nominated by the King. The ministers were taken not only from the Brahmans but also from the Kshatriyas and Vaishyas. The office of a minister was sometimes hereditary and sometime not. It is not possible to ascertain the exact number of ministers.

The important officers of the state were the Prime Minister, Chief Treasurer, and Custodian of the Jewels and the Prefect of the Police. The Prime Minister advised the king in all important matters. The Perfect was like the Kotwal and his duty was to maintain law and order.

Nuniz tells us that the Perfect of Police was required to give an account of the robberies in the capital and that lessened their number. There was corruption everywhere. No merchant could see the king without offering bribes to many officers. It appears that bribery was not considered to be something wrong.

The Court

The rulers of Vijayanagar maintained a magnificent court and spent a lot of money for that purpose. The court was attended by nobles, learned priests, astrologers and musicians. Festivals were celebrated with great, pomp and show. Nicolo Conti refers to four festivals in particular.

The festival of Mahanavami lasted for nine days. According to Abdur Razzaq, “The king of Vijayanagar directed that the nobles and chiefs should assemble at the royal abode from all the provinces of his country, which extends for the distance of three or four months’ journey.

They brought with them a thousand elephants tumultuous as the sea and thundering as the clouds. Arrayed in amour and adorned with howdahs, on which jugglers and throwers of naphtha were seated; and on the foreheads, trunks and ears of the elephant’s extraordinary forms and picture were traced cinnabar and other pigments.”

Abdur Razzaq refers to the hospitality of the rulers of Vijayanagar towards the Muslim plenipotentiaries in these words: “Once day messengers came from the king to summon me, and towards the evening I went to the Court and presented five beautiful horses and two trays each containing nine pieces of damask and satin.

The king was seated in great state in the forty pillared hall and a great crowd of Brahmans and others stood on the right and left of him. He was clothed in a robe of zaitun satin, and he had round his neck a collar composed of pure pearls of regal excellence, the value of which a jeweller would find it difficult to calculate.

He was of an olive colour, of a spare body and rather tall. He was exceedingly young, for there was only some slight down his cheeks and none upon his chin. His whole appearance was very prepossessing. On being presented to him. I bowed my head.

He received me kindly and seated me near him and taking the august letter of the emperor, made it over (to the interpreters) and said, “My heart is exceedingly glad that the great king has sent an ambassador to me.” As I was in profuse perspiration from the excessive heat and the quantity of clothes which I had on me, the monarch took compassion on me and favoured me with a fan of Khatai which he held in his hand.

They then brought a tray and gave me two packets of betel, a purse containing 500 foams and about 20 miscalls of camphor and, obtaining leave to depart, I returned to my lodging.

The daily provision forwarded to me comprised two sheep, four couple of fowls, five mans of rice, one man of butter, one man of sugar, and two varahas in gold. This occurred everyday. Twice a week I was summoned to the presnece towards the evening when the king asked me several questions respecting the Khakan-i-Said and each time I received a packet of betel, a purse of fanams, and some miskals of camphor.”