1565, Vijayanagara Empire When Krishnadevaraya, the great hero of the Vijayanagara empire, appoints his brother as successor to the throne, his son-in-law Ramaraya feels betrayed. Though he nurses a feeling of being let down, he is loyal to the empire. In the dark decades that followed – filled with internal feuds and external invasions – it took Ramaraya’s strong hands to bring back peace and prosperity to the land as the chief minister to the child emperor Sadashiva Raya. Ramaraya fought wars, schemed and negotiated his way to make Vijayanagara the greatest power of the land. Now at the height of his power and influence, Ramaraya learns of a new danger. The Deccan Sultanates, the pack of wolves who had always been snapping at the heels of the mighty empire, have now decided to unite for a single purpose – the destruction of Vijayanagara. The country needed a saviour; it needed him, Ramaraya. For how else could he finally prove to everyone that he was the true successor of Krishnadevaraya? THE FALL OF AN EMPIRE unravels the battle of Talikota, which sealed the fate of both, Ramaraya and the Vijayanagara empire.

The Vijayanagar Empire, which was headquartered in present-day Hampi, Karnataka, is acclaimed in pre-modern history as the most powerful kingdom to arrest the onslaught of Moghul invaders in the South for nearly two centuries. Its rulers were known for their valour in taking on the Sultans from the North. Further, the rulers of Vijayanagara were great patrons of Hindu culture and civilization and were known for their military and administrative acumen. They patronized fine arts, music, dance and temple architecture. Despite their glory, there are conflicting records of the empire’s history, right from the inception of the empire to its collapse. There are some apologists who even contest the fact that Sage Vidyaranya founded the empire to defend Hinduism and its values. Others, foreign tourists who visited the empire, were not wholly appreciative of the rulers and exaggerated their weaknesses if any. Influenced by their religious allegiances, these visitors were often biased and tended to base their narratives on hearsay. Modern historians too have descredited the empire so as to nullify the role of religious bigotry. They came up with theories that do not truly represent the true spirit and culture of this great empire. Which narrative is the most accurate and who has curated the history of the Vijayanagar Empire in the most succinct way? This book only tries to analyse various theories about the Empire and tries to give a perspective on such controversies.

"In the year 1336 AD, two brothers Harihara and Bukka Raya, founded a kingdom on the banks of the Tungabhadra River at a place called Hampi. Over the next 3 centuries, it would grow to become one of the mightiest empires in the world, the Vijayanagara Empire. An empire dazzling in it's achievements, in it's riches, in it's arts. From it's founding, to it's fall after the Battle of Tallikota to the heights it achieved under Sri Krishna Deva Raya, City of Victory aims to recreate the splendor and glory of one of the most magnificent empires ever."--Amazon.

Written About A.D. 1520 To 1522 And A.D. 1535 To 1537 Respectively.

"In 1509 Krishnadevaraya, a prince from humble origins, ascended the throne of Vijayanagara. The empire he inherited was weak from two messy dynastic successions, and ambitious enemy kings loomed large on all sides--a haughty king of Orissa in the east, five upstart Deccan sultans to the north, revolting Tamil rajas in the south and enterprising Portuguese soldiers from the west. But Krishnadevaraya quickly rose to the challenge, and in the course of his remarkable twenty-year reign, he changed history forever. He won every single battle he fought and unified the whole of south India under his banner. Krishnadevaraya is remembered today as one of India’s greatest kings, not only because of his successes on the battlefield or the dazzling splendour of his empire, but because he was India’s first truly global leader. He had to confront very modern problems, such as building international alliances and negotiating overseas trade deals, while grappling with the challenges of globalism and multiculturalism. The Deccan of his time was a cosmopolitan place where Hindus and Muslims, north Indians and south Indians, Persians and Portuguese, all intermingled as they made their lives and fortunes. This cultural dynamism also inspired Krishnadevaraya to look back at India’s past and reflect on her histories and traditions. As a philosopher-king who was also a celebrated poet in his own right, he presided over an Indian renaissance, when ancient texts and traditions were reinvigorated and infused with a fresh and modern vitality. Five hundred years after Krishnadevaraya’s death, he is still remembered and loved as a compassionate and wise king, one who is immortalized in films and folk tales, poems and ballads. This fascinating and riveting book is meticulously researched and beautifully written. Based on Portuguese and Persian chronicles, as well as many overlooked Telugu literary sources, Raya is the definitive biography of one of the world’s greatest leaders"--Front dust jacket flap.

Hampi is one of the most beautiful and evocative of all historical sites in south India. Austere yet grandiose, it was established as the seat of the Vijayanagara empire in the mid-14th century, a time when art and architecture flourished. Contemporary chroniclers from Persia, Italy, Portugal and Russia visited the empire during this period and left glowing accounts of a city that was conquered by Sultanate troops in AD 1565, pillaged for six months, and abandoned. Hampi Vijayanagara examines the temples renowned for their florid ornamentation, intricate carvings, magnificent pavilions, stately pillars and a wealth of iconographic and traditional depictions. The book also includes site plans and three-dimensional reconstructions.

A story about the big, gentle temple elephant, Gajapati Kulapati catching a cold.