Vijaynagar Empire

The advance of the plundering Muslim rulers in the south was prevented by the rise of the Vijaynagar Empire in the Deccan region of India that included the territory of Pondicherry. The rule of the Vijaynagar Empire lasted in the south for around three centuries. The territory witnessed the growth in the art and culture that flourished under the patronage of the rulers of the Vijaynagar Empire.

The Vijaynagar Empire was founded on the south bank of the River Tungabhadrra. The Hindu empire was founded by the two brothers Harihara and Bukka. The powerful kings of the Vijaynagar Empire conquered most of the regions of South India that included the territories of Mysore, Trichinopally, Kanara, Pondicherry, Chingalpet and Kanchivaram. The rulers were strict worshipers of the Hindu Gods and Goddess but was also tolerant towards the other religions.

The Vijaynagar Empire gained prominence under the rule of the King Krishanadev Raya. The king was an honorable statesman and a fearsome conquerer. It was under his rule that the Muslim influence in the south came to an end with the defeat of Ismial Adil Shah.

The rulers of the Vijaynagar Empire were great patrons of art and culture and the region influenced a development in the streams of music, literature and architecture. There were many temples built in the territories of the south that are representative of style of Vijaynagar Empire. The economy of the region flourished and several coins were introduced during the reign of the rulers of the Vijaynagar Empire. The empire ended in the year 1638 with the rise of the Sultan of Bijapur. The empire is an important part of the medieval history of Pondicherry.