The Vijayanagara Empire was a late medieval Hindu empire that ruled much of southern India. It was established in 1336 by the brothers Harihara I and Bukka Raya I of the Sangama dynasty, belonging to the Yadava clan of Chandravamsa lineage.
The history of southern India covers a span of over four thousand years during which the region saw the rise and fall of a number of dynasties and empires.
Vontimitta or Ekasilanagaram, is a village in Kadapa district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is located in the Vontimitta Mandal of the Kadapa revenue division.
The Saluva dynasty was the second dynasty to rule the Vijayanagara Empire and was created by the Saluvas, who by historical tradition were natives of the Kalyani region of northern Karnataka in modern India. The Gorantla inscription traces their origins to this region from the time of the Western Chalukyas and Kalachuris of Karnataka. The term "Saluva" is known to lexicographers as "hawk" used in hunting. They later spread into the east coast of modern Andhra Pradesh, perhaps by migration or during the Vijayanagara conquests during the 14th century.
Harihara I, also called Hakka and Vira Harihara I, was the founder of the Vijayanagara Empire, in present-day Karnataka, India, which he ruled from 18 April 1336 to 20 November 1355. He and his successors formed the Sangama dynasty, the first of four dynasties to rule the empire. He was the eldest son of Bhavana Sangama.the chieftain of a cowherd pastoralist community, who claimed Yadava descent.
Pemmasani Kamma Nayaks were a ruling clan in the south Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. They came into prominence during Vijayanagara Empire. After the Battle of Talikota in 1565 AD, the collapse of Vijayanagara Empire led to the emergence of Pemmasani Nayakas in the Rayalaseema region. They belonged to the Kamma social group.
Ma'bar Sultanate, also known as the Madurai Sultanate, was a short lived kingdom based in the city of Madurai in Tamil Nadu, India. It was dominated by Hindustani speaking Muslims. The sultanate was proclaimed in 1335 CE in Madurai led by Jalaluddin Ahsan Khan, a native of Kaithal in North India, declared his independence from the Sultanate of Delhi.
The Kampili kingdom was a short-lived Hindu kingdom of the 13th-century in the Deccan region. The kingdom existed near Ballari and Tungabhadra river in northeastern parts of the present-day Karnataka state, India. It ended after a defeat by the armies of Delhi Sultanate, and a jauhar in 1327/28 CE when it faced a certain defeat. The Kampili kingdom in some historical accounts is called the Basnaga kingdom, and as what inspired and ultimately led to the Hindu Vijayanagara Empire.
The Madurai Nayaks were a Telugu dynasty who ruled most of modern-day Tamil Nadu, India, with Madurai as their capital. The Madurai Nayaks had their origins in the Balija warrior clans of present-day Andhra Pradesh. The Nayak reign which lasted for over two centuries from around 1529 to 1736 was noted for its achievements in arts, cultural and administrative reforms, revitalization of temples previously ransacked by the Delhi Sultans, and the inauguration of a unique architectural style.
Madhurā Vijayam, meaning "The Victory of Madurai", is a 14th-century Sanskrit poem written by the poet Gangadevi. It is also named Vira Kamparaya Charitham by the poet. It chronicles the life of Kumara Kampana, a prince of the Vijayanagara Empire and the second son of Bukka Raya I. The poem describes in detail, the invasion and conquest of the Madurai Sultanate by the Vijayanagara Empire.
The Sambuvarayar chieftains once ruled the Tondaimandalam region of South India. Among them was Edirili Chola Sambhuvaraya, a vassal under Rajadhiraja Chola II and Kulotunga Chola III, who ruled the northern part of Tondaimandalam, now comprising the districts of Vellore, Tiruvannamalai, Kancheepuram, Cuddalore, Tiruvallur, Nellore, and Chittoor. Later during the 14th century when the Telugu Cholas, Hoysala and Pandya kingdoms went into decline, the Sambuvarayas ruled their regions independently. Two chiefs of the family namely, Venrumankonda Sambuvaraya and Rajanarayana Sambuvaraya, issued records in their own regnal years.
Kapilendra Deva was the founder of the Suryavamsa Gajapati dynasty that ruled parts of eastern and southern India with the present-day Odisha as the center of the kingdom. He ascended to the throne after staging a military coup against the preceding and the last ruler from the Eastern Ganga dynasty, Bhanudeva IV.
Gopana was an army officer and a Telugu poet who composed Sindhumati Vilasamu, the first Telugu literary work of the Southern school. Gopana was also one of the important generals in the army of the Vijayanagara prince Kumara Kampana II and played a leading role in the conquest of the Madurai Sultanate.
Kumara Kampanna, also known as Kampanna Udaiyar and Veerakamparaya, was an army commander and the prince in the Vijayanagar Empire. He was the son of king Bukka I. Kumara Kampanna led the successful invasion of the Madurai Sultanate. His exploits form the subject of the Sanskrit epic poem Madhura Vijayam written by his wife Gangadevi.
The Vijayanagara military 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 Vijayanagara empire the most centralised polity ever to have emerged in southern India.
The Vaikunta Perumal Temple in Kanchi, a village in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, is dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu. The temple is constructed in the Dravidian style of architecture. Vishnu is worshipped as Vaikunta Perumal and his consort Lakshmi as Anandavalli. The temple was originally built by Pallavan, with later additions from the Chola. The temple is known for the inscriptions indicating the democratic practises of electing representatives for the village bodies during the regime of Parantaka Chola .This Vishnu Temple is mentioned in narsingh Puran.
Toṇḍaimaṇḍalam, also known as Toṇḍai Nāḍu, is a historical region located in the northernmost part of Tamil Nadu and southernmost part of Andhra Pradesh. Toṇḍaimaṇḍalam was divided into 24 kottams — smaller districts by kurumbar king and also build a royal fort(pulhal) .the kottams are subdivided into smaller agricultural districts called nadus, which were groupings of several agricultural villages. At the beginning of the historical period, the kottams were mostly pastoral.later,The region comprises the districts which formed a part of the legendary kingdom of Athondai Chakravarti. The boundaries of Tondaimandalam are ambiguous – between the river basins of Penna River and Ponnaiyar River. During the reign of Rajaraja I, this region was called as Jayankonda Cholamandalam.
Kumara Kampana, son of Bukka I of the Vijayanagara Empire, led a series of campaigns that overthrew Muslim rule in southern India, culminating in the conquest of Madurai around 1370 CE. His victories restored stability, revived religious practices, and extended Vijayanagara's influence to the southern ocean. Kampana's achievements, including the restoration of the Ranganatha temple and the liberation of Ma'bar, are immortalized in the Sanskrit epic Madhura Vijayam by his wife, Ganga Devi.
Saluva Mangu the son of Gunda, was a distinguished general in the Vijayanagara army, serving under the command of Kumara Kampana during the 14th century. He played a pivotal role in the campaigns to conquer Madurai and Tondaimandalam. Mangu's military expertise was instrumental in decisive victories, including the defeat of the Sambuvaraya ruler in Tondaimandalam and the fall of the Madurai Sultanate. Notably, he earned the title "Sambuvarayasthapanacharya" for reinstating the Sambuvaraya as a vassal of Vijayanagara. His contributions extended beyond the battlefield, as he made significant religious endowments, including donations to the temples of Srirangam and Tirupati.
Somappa Dandanayaka was a minister and Mahapradhani under Kumara Kampana of the Vijayanagara Empire. Known for his administrative and diplomatic skills, he played a key role in the restoration and endowment of temples in the Tamil region. Despite his title "Dannayaka," he was primarily a civil officer and not a military commander. Somappa oversaw land grants, tax remissions, and the rehabilitation of temple worship.
General of The Vijayanagara Empire 
Vijayanagara Empire