Feudal Elements in Vijayanagara Polity 1336-1565: A Review

 Feudal Elements in Vijayanagara Polity: 1335-1565

Dr H P Keshava Naik

Mysore: Prasaranga, 1996.

The notion of "feudalism" hangs over Vijayanagara Historiography like the infamous kabayi, found in the sculptures around the Throne Platform in Hampi. No one seems to be interested in raising the larger issues that the concept of "feudalism" raises. Ever since R S Sharma unleashed the theory of Indian Feudalism in his 1965 Lectures at Calcutta University, feudalism in one form or other had bedeviled medieval Historiography.

First things first. Feudalism is a concept that hyphenates two very distinct periods of History: the time that elapsed from the fall of Rome /Roman Empire in western Europe to the advent of the absolutist monarchies in the 17th century. During this period, national cultures, languages, political institutions and judicial processes developed that were incompatible with a militarized hierarchical society that feudalism created. Such a historical process did not occur in India and except for the military aspect there is hardly any comparison with feudal Europe. Maurice Dobb following Karl Marx may even argue that feudalism carried within it the seeds of a capitalist economy. And in India we find that eighteenth and nineteenth century were dominated by colonialism and a colonial extractive state. The use of the concept of feudalism is highly  problematic in the Indian context.

Dr Keshava Naik in his book argues that Vijayanagara polity had elements of "feudalism" which he finds in the presence of the amaram tenure holders in Vijayanagara epigraphy. Amaram tenure and amaranayankara are terms found in Vijayanagara inscriptions and there seems to a definite pattern in the distribution of these terms in Vijayanagara inscriptions. The number of inscriptions bearing information about the grant of land to military leaders or nayakas is concentraed in the reign of Krishnadeva Raya (1509-1529) and there are frequent instances in the reign of Sadasiva Raya as well. And most of the inscriptions with nayakas as land holders or donors are concentrated only in the Rayalseema region of Andhra Pradesh and the region around the coast of Konkan. Hence only a region specific study of the corpus of Vijayanagara inscriptions can help us decide the role played by nayakas in the political and econmic life of the period.

This is a small book and perhaps started as a PhD thesis.