Discuss the nature of military system of the Vijaynagar kingdom.
Answers
The Military of Vijayanagara supported the Vijayanagara Empire in particular with regard to the empire's long-lasting rivalry with the Bahmani Sultanate. Besides a large standing army, the Vijayanagara rulers also maintained a powerful navy. This helped make the Viayanagara empire the most centralised polity ever to have emerged in South India. However, a major portion of the imperial income was committed to military purposes, straining the economy.[1]
Numbers
The numerical strength of the Vijayanagara army is disputed. Nikolo Cante reported a figure of 90,000 men during the reign of Krishna Deva Raya but Fernao Nuniz claimed it to be around 100,000, consisting of 70,000 foot soldiers, 32,000 cavalry and 550 war elephants. Rayawacha countered that the force contained 500,000 foot soldiers, 60,000 cavalry and 1,200 war elephants.
Deva Raya II, to counter the superior Bahmani cavalry, is believed to have enrolled 2000 Muslim cavalrymen to teach the art of archery to his Hindu soldiers and officers.[1]
Branches
The Vijayanagara army contained two main branches, being the Kaijeeta Sainya and the Amaranayaka Sainya. Sainya roughly means army.
Kaijeeta Sainya
The Kaijeeta is Vijayanagar claims that it comprised 50,000 men during the reign of Krishna Deva Raya, including 2,000 horsemen who served as palace guards and 2,000 who served as the emperor's personal bodyguards. Razak Rayala says that the army was on salary, being paid every four months rather than by the award of jagirs.
Amaranayaka Sainya
The Amaranayaka Sainya was maintained using the feudal naymankara system of the Kakatiyas. For this purpose, the empire was divided into Amaras (areas of revenue-producing land), that were granted to leaders called Nayakas. In return, these Nayakas supplied soldiers when required. The number supplied depended on the rank of the Nayaka, who himself divided lands among his subordinates. According to Nuniz, the Amaranayaka army strength stood at 600,000 during the rule of Achyuta Deva Raya; Rayawacha itemised the forces supplied as being 200,000 foot soldiers, 24,000 cavalry, 1,200 war elephants.
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