Penukonda Fort:History, Art and Culture

Penugonda Fort: A defence (sic) Capital of Vijayanagara Empire, History Art and Culture
R Vasantha
New Delhi: Sharada Publishing House, 2000

Vijayanagara History has emerged as one of the most interesting and intensively researches areas in the history of medieval India. Yet, alarmingly it is still possible  to produce doctoral theses which skirt the intellectual and historiographical issues and reduce the quest for understanding the past to a mere catalogue of inscriptions and in this case of monuments.  It is well known that Penukonda, Chandragiri and Vellore were all associated at different phases of its history with the Vijayanagara Empire. In the book under review one does not get any appreciation of the larger historical context of the Empire and its Architecture. In fact the author has completely ignored the recent works on the art, history and architecture of Vijayanagara. George Michell excellent book on the Architecture of Vijayanagara and its successor states in not even listed in the bibliography. Apart from sloppy research, this lacunae suggest that writing Vijayanagara history has turned into a mere ritual.

The book is divided into four chapters and each of them stands independent of the next making the book appear without any focus or theme.. The author has used the Mackenzie Manuscript as a source but has not said anything about the context in which the documents were collected. There is no discussion about the role of the Nayakas in the revenue system or tax farming system that existed in the dry region of Anantapur. The investment in tank irrigation undertaken by nayakas which was essestial to make this region productive is seen only as traditional charity. The early Company rule associated with Sir Thomas Munro is sketched against the background of the litany of folksy legends that has sprung up in the region. Surprisingly Burton Stein's Thomas Munro: Man and Vision of Empire  is not even mentioned in the discussion on Munro.

The book contains some good photographs and apart from the pictures there is hardly anything reddeming about this mis adventure into Vijayanagara History.