SOCIAL LIFE IN VIJAYANAGARA EMPIRE

Reference:  T.V.Mahalingam, Administration and Social Life under Vilavanagar, Part. Il.

1. The People: From the economic point of view the population of the Empire may be broadly divided into two distinct groups, the consumers and the producers. Among the consumers, can be included the king and the court, the nobles and high officers. The learned men, scholars, the ascetics and mendicants and the trading community and the entertainers also belong to this category. The people who constituted the producing classes may be grouped under two broad occupations, agriculture and industries.

A large majority of the population was engaged on land, either cultivating the land or rearing cattle or sheep. Among those who followed an industrial occupation were artisans such as black-smiths, gold-smiths, brass-smiths, carpenters and idol makers, the weavers and oil-pressers. The other important professionals were the potters, toddy drawers and leather workers. Craftsmanship was usually hereditary.

One of the most, respected communities in the Vijayanagar Society was that of the brahmins. They were found in almost every walk of life. A few of them were priests and were attached to temples, Others were owners of land, some were engaged in trade, and many were active administrators and even generals.

Regarding the status of women in the Empire, it would be convenient to study them under two groups, viz. family women and courtesans. Family women seldom took part in social gatherings. Little has been written about them by the foreign travellers, for they were very retiring by nature. The royal harem has attracted the attention of many foreign travellers. The Vijayanagara kings had large harems. But though it was large, only a few in it were the queens. Many served as hand-maidens, women guards, servants etc. The courtesans can be divided into two group one living independently in the capital city and other important centres and taking part in social functions, and the other the dancing girls who were attached to the temples.

The first category played an important role in court rituals such as the Mahanavami. Many of them were enormously wealthy. These women enjoyed special privileges. They were allowed to enter even in the presence of the wives of the king and they even chewed betel with them. They were allowed to chew betel even in the presence of the king. The temple dancers danced and sang before the deities daily at specified times. They were generally remuneratéd from temple funds.

There is evidence to believe that the institution of slavery was prevalent in the Empire.

2. Social institutions: Regarding marriage, although the kings and high dignitaries might were polygamous, the bulk of the Hindu population was generally monogamous. The dowry system was prevalent, but then appears to have been much resentment against it was prevalent, but there appears to have been much resentment against it.

Another important social practice in the Vijayanagar days was sati.  The performance of self-immolation, which has been described in detail by many of the foreign visitors to the Empire, was voluntary, though the practice was wide-spread and popular. The performance of sati was commemorated by the erection of satikals on which are seen the sculptured representations of the women who committed sati.

3. Religion: The Vijayanagara empire was a Hindu empire and religion played an important part in the life of the people and their rulers. Among the religious groups in the Empire the Smartas and the Saivas constituted a large majority. Among the Saivas there were the Kalamukhas, the Virasaivas and the Tamil Salvas. Among the Vaishnava sects, Sri-Vaishnavis gained in popularity, especially in the 16th century. The Vijayanagara rulers of the second, third and fourth dynasty were Vaishnavas, unlike the Sangamas who had been Saivas.

The Madhvas were also widely spread in the Empire. The great Madhva saint Vyasarya was the guru of Krishna-devaraya. From the 16th century onwards the Haridasa sect of Vaishnava poet-saints gained a large following, especially in Karntaka.

Among the non-Hindu religions within the Empire, Jainism was the most important. It received patronage and protection from the Vijayanagara rulers. For instance, when in 1368 there arose a quarrel between the Jains and Sri-Vaishnavas, Bukka I summoned the leaders of the two sects and brought about a reconciliation. However, from the 15th century onwards this religion suffered a decline.

Buddhism had suffered a decline before the foundation of the Empire, but it is possible that there were Some Buddhists still existant. Muslims began to be found in South India during this period. Both within the capital city and elsewhere there is evidence of Muslim presence at least from the early 15th century onwards. The Christians, too, began to make their appearance. But the activities of the Christian missionaries were more prominent during the Aravidu and the Nayaka periods.

The temple was an important socio-religious institution. It. was not merely a place of worship; it filled a large place in the cultural and socio-economic life of the people. For its construction and maintenance offered employment to numerous architects and craftsmen. The making of icons in metal and stone gave scope to the talents of the best sculptors. The daily routine, especially of the larger temples, gave constant employment to numbers of priests, singers, musicians, dancing-girls, florists, cooks, and many other classes of servants. The periodical festivals were occasions marked by fairs and every other form of popular entertainment. The large endowments in land and cash tended to make it landlord and a banker. The practice of decorating images with numerous jewels encouraged the jeweler’s art to a considerable extent.

Another important institution in the Vijayanagara Empire was the matha or monastery. They afforded shelter to resident as well as itinerant monks and played a significant part in the religious life of the times. They also functioned as centres of learning and education. Often they also served as charitable centres. Pilgrimages to holy places within the Empire were popular with both the rulers and the people. The following were the important pilgrimage centers Hampi, Chidambaram, Kanchi, Tirupati, Srirangam, Rameshwaram, etc.

4. Education and Learning: The government without interfering very much with the educational system that prevailed in the country, encouraged education by patronising scholars in different branches of knowledge. Each village of small group of villages had a school with a teacher, who taught the 3 Rs to the children. Eminent pandits and scholars conducted small schools of their om and trained students in the study of the Vedas and allied literature. Apart from such private initiative, public institutions like the matha and the temple devoted themselves to the popularisation of education. The mathas served as educational institutions, while the temples indirectly promoted learning by arranging for the recitation of the Vedas and the prabandhas. The State made endowments for the study of certain subjects by making liberal grants to scholars

5. Festivals: The temples celebrated an elaborate round of rituals and festivals. Besides the festivals in the temples, a number of festivals were celebrated by the people at large. Some of these have been noted in the accounts of the foreign visitors. Nicolo Conti, who visited the Empire in the early 15th century, describes four festivals, which have been identified by Robert Sewell, B. A. Saletore etc. as the New Year, Dipavali, Mahanavami and Holi. Mahanavami was definitely the most popular festival celebrated in the capital and the court. Although primarily a religious festival, the Mahanavani celebration at the court was a grand public ritual that had political as well as socio-economic and military overtones.

6. Amusements: One of the games largely participated in by the people high and low was wrestling. Hunting afforded another pastime for the rulers as well as to the ruled. Horse riding, too, was popular. Apart from these games, the theatre, dance and music provided great entertainment. Dance was greatly encouraged in the Vijayanagara court. Allied to dance was the kolattam or stick play. Music also received great encouragement, both vocal and instrumental.

7. Housing: The nobility of VIjayanagar lived in fully equipped and well provided houses. The middle classes appear to have Iived in smaller houses. But the poorer classes lived in small thatched and straw houses.

8. Food: The food crops grown in the Vijayanagara Empire were paddy, millets, and other grains including wheat, beans and pulses, of different kinds etc. Though meat seems to have been used by some people, it appears, that all did not use It. The brahmins, Jains and Lingayats were vegetarian. The betel leaf, taken along with it was used on all ceremonial functions to visitors.

9. Clothes: The kings and the wealthy men wore silk clothes of fine material. A cap or a turban were also worn. A type of shirt was also common. Wool was very little used. Cotton was used by the common people. Footwear was also used by the upper classes.

The women who belonged to the higher classes in the society wore rich clothes. Costly ornaments were worn by both men and women. Various types of perfumes, were also in use.

10. Painting: Important centers of painting were Hampi, Lepakshi, Anagundi and Kancheepmahth. Religious themes from Ramayana and Mahabharata and Vishnupurana.

11. Secular Buildings: Archaeological remains being fragmentary not much is known about secular buildings of Vijayanagara. Of these King’s Audience Hall seems to have been part of a massive building. It is elevated above other buildings in the citadel. The other important structure is the throne platform. Other structures include elephant stables, lotas mahal and watch towers of Zanana.