•  It was founded by Harihar and Bukka in 1336.
•  They had earlier served under the Kakatiya ruler of Warangal.
•  They got inspiration from the famous sage Vidyaranya.
•  The capital of the kingdom was Hampi (Karnataka).

Note: Krishna Dev Raya was the greatest ruler of Vijayanagar empire.

•  During the reign of Deva Raya I, Italian traveller Nicolo Conti visited Vijayanagar.
•  In 1410, Devaraya I got a barrage constructed across the Tungabhadra.
•  He also encouraged the contruction of a dam on the river Harihara for irrigation purpose.
•  Deva Raya II was called Inmadi Devaraya and also Proudha Devaraya.
•  During his reign, the Persian traveller Abdur Razzaq visited Vijayanagar.
•  The Portuguese traveller Domingo Paes stayed at Vijayanagar during the reign of Krishnadeva Raya.
•  Asta Diggajas adorned the court of Krishnadeva Raya.
•  Krishnadeva Raya’s reign is regarded as the classical phase of Telugu literature and has been, therefore, rightly honoured as Andhra Pitamaha.
•  His political ideas are contained in his Telugu work Amuktamalayad.
•  As a great patron of literature, he is known as Abhinava Bhoja.
•  He founded a new town Nagalapur and built Vithalswami temple and Harara temple at Hampi.
•  After the death of Krishnadeva, his brother Achyuta Raya (1529-42) succeeded him.
•  During Rama Raya’s reign, the Deccan Sultanates of Ahmednagar, Bidar, Bijapur and Golconda who had formed a grand alliance, met the Vijayanagar army at Talikota.
•  They defeated the Vijayanagar forces at Bannihatti near Raksha Tangadi (Talikota) in 1565.
•  After this the Vijaynagar govt was shifted to Penukonda.
•  Ali Adil Shah represented the Deccan Sultanates jointly while Vijayanagar was led by Rama Raya.

Administration

•  People who held land of the king were called Nayakas.
•  An important feature of the village organisation was the ayagar system. In this system every village was a separate unit and its affairs were conducted by a body of 12 functionaries who were collectively known as the Ayagars.
•  The Ayagars were village servants constituting of a group of families, and had a headman, an accountant and a watchman.
•  The religion of most of the kings was Vaishnavism.
•  Slavery also existed in the Vijayanagar period.

•  The Bahmani kingdom was founded in 1347 by Hasan Gangu, who revolted for his independence from the Sultanate.
•  He assumed the title of Alauddin Bahmani (also Bahman Shah). Gulbarga was his capital.
•  He divided his kingdom into four provinces: a) Gulbarga, b) Daulatabad, c) Berar and d) Bidar.
•  He was succeeded by Muhammad Shah I (1358-73).
•  Mahmud Gawan was appointed as prime minister during the reign of Muhammad Shah III (1463-82).
•  The last ruler of the Bahmani dynasty was Kalimullah.

•  Jaunpur came to be known as the Shiraz of the East.
•  Malik Sarwar was the governor of Jaunpur.
•  Hussain Shah was the last ruler of the dynasty.

•  The greatest ruler of this house was Rana Kumbha.
•  Chittor was the capital of Mewar.
•  He built the famous Victory Tower or Vijaya Stambha and Kirti Stambha.
•  During the reign of Sangram Singh (1509-28), the power of Mewar reached its zenith.
•  Mewar recognised Mughal suzerainty in the times of Jahangir in 1615.