India is known for its rich cultures and traditions. There were several powerful empires that existed in the Indian subcontinent from ancient times. Many of us are unaware about these fascinating aspects of Indian history. What we have been taught in school is absolutely nothing when compared to the vastness of our history. Vijayanagara Empire was one of the most powerful kingdoms in south India that was established in 1336 by Harihara I and his brother Bukka Raya I of Sangama Dynasty. The most important aspect of vijayanagara empire history is that it never let Islamic invaders attack south India. Various dynasties of Delhi Sultanate had tried to invade Hindu Kingdoms. They used to attack and loot these rich kingdoms to forcefully impose their religion on people. Vijayanagara kingdom was one of the very few kingdoms that never let this happen. That’s the reason why the influence of Islam was restricted to the northern parts of the subcontinent.
Vijayanagara empire history is known for its amazing architecture and coinage. The kings of this empire worked for the welfare of their people. After a point in time, the vijayanagara kingdom become one of the richest kingdoms of its times. They promoted art and literature to a great extent. The magnificent temples found in the vijayanagara empire have been declared as Heritage sites. If you ever get a chance to visit Hampi, your mind would be absolutely blown away by the beautiful sculptures on them. Krishnadevaraya was the greatest ruler under which the vijayanagara empire flourished leaps and bounds.
I believe that every true Indian should take some effort in understanding vijayanagara empire history. The youth today is greatly influenced by the western culture when there is so much to learn and explore about our own history. Keeping ourselves updated about Indian history is essential for staying rooted to our own cultural heritage!