Religion under Vijayanager Rules

Abstract

The rise of the Vijayanagar kingdom in the 14^th century A.D. was inter alia due to the universal desire that fell all over south India among all classes of Hindus to protect their dharma against their enemies. The fragmentary character of Vijayanagar politics could be ameliorated but not overcome, by any administrative structure as long as the lordship itself continued to be segmentary. The Vijayanagar rulers subdued the enemies of Hinduism, the alien rulers. When the second Pandya royal authority was displaced in the the16th century by that of Vijayanagar commanders and other military adventurers from Andhra and by petty Marava chieftains and during the period of disorder and confusion that the southern region continued to be controlled by the Brahmanas and Vellalas. The rulers of Vijayanagar were staunch Hindus and they always encourage the Hindu religion in several ways. Under their rule, both Saivism and Vaishnavism flourished. Vaishnavism was the most popular religious sect of Hindus during the reign of the Vijayanagar rulers. The Vijayanagar rulers, who acted as the custodians of Dharma, not in the pragmatistic but the larger sense of the term lived up to this Hindu ideal. The liberal religious spirit of the Vijayanagar emperors has generally been attributed to the influence of the eminent Advaita philosopher Madvacharya. The ruler of Vijayanagar also gave protection not only to Muslims but also to Christians. The Vijayanagar rulers accorded a warm welcome to the Missionaries. The Vijayanagar rulers proved themselves to be noble example of the spirit of toleration and the policy of equal treatment of all subjects by recruiting Muslims into their army and giving them responsible positions. The Vijayanagar rulers encouraged the construction of dargahs. They endeavored to maintain amicable relations with their Muslim neighbours when Ramaraya last one of his sons, his wife adopted Ali Adil Shah as her son.