The Vijayanagar Empire & Kuruba (Dhangar) - 002

After studying & analyzing available evidences about Origin of Vijayanagar Empire, Mr. Robert Sewell concluded that chapter with following words in his book 'A Forgotten Empire: Vijayanagar; A Contribution to the History of India'

'Here we have a whole bundle of tales and traditions to account for the origin of the great kingdom, and can take our choice. There are many others also. Perhaps the most reasonable account would be one culled from the general drift of the Hindu legends combined with the certainties of historical fact; and from this point of view we may for the present suppose that two brothers, Hindus of the Kuruba caste, who were men of strong religious feeling, serving in the treasury of the king of Warangal, fled from that place on its sack and destruction in 1323 and took service under the petty Rajah of Anegundi. Both they and their chiefs were filled with horror and disgust at the conduct of the marauding Moslems, and pledged themselves to the cause of their country and their religion. The brothers rose to be minister and treasurer respectively at Anegundi. In 1334 the chief gave shelter to Baha-ud-din, nephew of Muhammad of Delhi, and was attacked by the Sultan. Anegundi fell, as narrated by Batuta, and the Sultan retired, leaving Mallik as his deputy to rule the state. Mallik found the people too strong for him, and eventually the Sultan restored the country to the Hindus, raising to be rajah and minister respectively the two brothers who had formerly been minister and treasurer. These were Harihara I. ("Hukka") and Bukka I.'

Source - 'A Forgotten Empire: Vijayanagar; A Contribution to the History of India' By Robert Sewell (Chapter 02: Origin of the Empire)

The Vijayanagar Empire & Kuruba (Dhangar) - 001

'The Founders of Vijayanagara Empire in southern India were the brothers Harihara I and Bukka Raya I, who were generals of Hindu Kuruba people. The brother forged an empire from their military efforts in fighting attempts to invade southern India by Muslims c.1336. Harihara Raya I built a fort at Barkuru on the west coast and controlled the northern part of the modern state of Karnataka. On the death of Veera Ballala III in 1343, Harihara took over the Hoysala Empire and gradually expanded his territory to the Malbar coast by 1346. On his death in 1356 Harihara was succeeded by his brother Bulla (Bukka) Raya I.'

Source - "Life/Death Rhythms of Ancient Empires - Climatic Cycles Influence Rule of Dynasties" By Will Slatyer (Page No - 316)