The New Cambridge History of India, Volume 1, Part 2: Vijayanagara

The Vijayanagara rajas ruled a substantial part of the southern peninsula of India for over three hundred years, beginning in the mid-fourteenth century. During this epoch the region was transformed from its medieval past toward a modern colonial future. Concentrating on the later sixteenth- and seventeenth-century history of Vijayanagara, this book details the pattern of rule established in this important and long-lived Hindu kingdom that was followed by other, often smaller kingdoms of peninsular India until the onset of colonialism. Through an analysis of the politics, society, and economy of Vijayanagara, the author addresses the central question of the extent to which Vijayanagara, as a medieval Hindu kingdom, can be viewed as a prototype of the polities and societies confronted by the British in the late eighteenth century. The book thus presents an understanding and appreciation of one of the great medieval kingdoms of India as well as a more general assessment of the nature of the state, society, and culture on the eve of European colonial rule. The Vijayanagara rajas ruled a substantial part of the southern peninsula of India for over three hundred years, beginning in the mid-fourteenth century, and during this epoch the region was transformed from its medieval past towards a modern colonial future. Concentrating on the later sixteenth- and seventeenth-century history of Vijayanagara, Burton Stein details the pattern of rule established in this important and long-lived Hindu kingdom, which was followed by other, often smaller, kingdoms of peninsular India until the onset of colonialism. Through an analysis of the politics, society and economy, Stein addresses the central question of the extent to which Vijayanagara, as a medieval Hindu kingdom, can be viewed as a prototype of the polities and societies confronted by the British in the late eighteenth century. This work thus presents an understanding of one of the great medieval kingdoms of India, and a more general assessment of the nature of the state, society and culture on the eve of European colonial rule Some vols. paperback editions. Includes bibliographies and indexes. v. 2. Indian states and the transition to colonialism: pt. 1. Indian society and the making of the British Empire / C.A. Bayly -- v. 2. pt. 3. The Sikhs of the Punjab / J.S. Grewel -- v. 3. The Indian empire and the beginnings of modern society: pt. 3. The economy of modern India, 1860-1970 / B.R. Tomlinson -- v. 3. pt. 4. Ideologies of the Raj / Thomas R. Metcalf -- v. 4. The evolution of contemporary India: pt. 1. The politics of India since independence / Paul R. Brass -- v. 4. pt. 3. Caste, society and politics in India from the eighteenth century to the modern age / Susan Bayly Introduction -- The Medieval Past : Continuity And Disjunction -- The City And The Kingdom -- Political Economy And Society : The Sixteenth Century -- Imperial Collapse And Aftermath : 1542-1700 -- Conclusion. Burton Stein. Includes Bibliography And Index. The kingdom or 'empire' of Vijayanagara takes its name, 'City of Victory', from its capital on the Tungabhadra River, near the centre of the sub-continent.