The Vijayanagara state possessed an urban quality which was not present in any Indian state of the time. The capital city had within its boundaries markets, palaces, temples, and mosques. After the battle of Talikota in 1565, the city was completely vandalized by the combined army of the Deccan Muslim states.
The social structure of the Vijayanagara empire was composed of the following elements: (a) secular functions of the brahmans; (b) dual division of lower social groups; and (c) territorial segmentation of the society.
The construction of large numbers of temples endowed with devadana villages gave the brahmans as functionaries of such temples the authority to exercise ritual control over all other castes and considerable secular power.
The dual division of lower castes meant Vaishnavas engaged in agriculture and local trade signified the ‘right-hand’ caste, while Shaivas as artisans and extensive trades people represented the ‘left-hand’ caste. Lastly, social groups in the Tamil country were divided on the basis of natural sub-region and occupational patterns associated with them. Consequently, such groups had less interaction with groups at a distance from them, following thereby a kind of territorial segmentation.
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However, temples played an important role in denoting the social space of various groups who worshipped a common deity, an example of which was the common devotion of all the kings of a dynasty to the lineage tutelary. In the same way, ammans or the non-brahman priests of the common tutelary shrines also participated in the management of the great Siva and Vishnu temples presided over by brahmans.
The literary text, Amuktamalyada by Krishnadeva Raya as also the narratives of Nuniz and Paes give an account of the foreign trade carried out during the Vijayanagara rule. Generally Muslims and Arabs controlled such trade importing from abroad, damask, silk, velvet, palm-sugar, gems, etc. The chief items of export were rice, coconut, iron, and sugarcane. Horses were a special item of import to meet the needs of the army.
Arabs and later the Portuguese brought them by sea because the Deccan Muslim states blocked the overland trade routes to North India. As regards internal trade, the foreigners say that both inside and outside the country, there was increased trading activity during the Vijayanagara rule.
Roads and rivers (especially the backwaters on the west coast) were used extensively for the movement of commodities, and facilities to encourage the growth of trade were provided. Villages and towns held frequent trade-fairs to promote business which the local merchants organized, and the concerned merchant was known as pattanaswamy. Inscriptions and literary texts refer to 80 such trade centres in the 15th-16th century, some of which were religious while the others were administrative or commercial towns.
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Separate markets existed for various commodities as also according to the left and right hand caste affiliations. Trade in prasadam for pilgrims and the sale of the right or ritual functions were important aspects of temple-related commerce. The artisans and merchants of Andhra were identified with particular cities. For example, Bezwada was identified as the city of Telugu oil-millers. Cities like these derived their incomes from transit duties and such other taxes.
The empire of Vijayanagara was one of the richest states of the time. The country was self- sufficient in food and industries flourished, such as textiles, mining and metallurgy, and perfumery. Industries and trade were regulated by guilds. The empire possessed numerous ports and had commercial relations with foreign countries. Gold, silver and copper coins were in use.
The practice of sati was largely prevalent. Women were fairly educated and their services were utilised as clerks in the royal household. The Vijayanagara rulers also had women bodyguards and wrestlers.
Punishments for crime were cruel and severe, prostitution was regulated and heavily taxed.