The Vijayanagara Empire , [ a ] also known as the Karnata Kingdom , was a late medieval Hindu empire that ruled much of southern India. The empire rose to prominence as a culmination of attempts by the southern powers to ward off Muslim invasions by the end of the 13th century. At its peak in the early 16th century under Krishnadevaraya , it subjugated almost all of Southern India's ruling dynasties and pushed the Deccan sultanates beyond the Tungabhadra - Krishna River doab region, in addition to annexing the Gajapati Empire Odisha up to the Krishna River, becoming one of the most prominent states in India.
The empire lasted until , although its power declined greatly after a major military defeat in the Battle of Talikota in by the combined armies of the Deccan sultanates. These travelogues, contemporary literature and epigraphy in the local languages, and modern archeological excavations at Vijayanagara have provided ample information about the history and power of the empire. The empire's legacy includes monuments spread over Southern India, the best known of which is the group at Hampi.
Different temple building traditions in South and Central India were merged into the Vijayanagara architectural style. This synthesis inspired architectural innovations in the construction of Hindu temples. Efficient administration and vigorous overseas trade brought new technologies to the region such as water management systems for irrigation. The empire's patronage enabled fine arts and literature to reach new heights in Kannada , Telugu , Tamil , and Sanskrit with topics such as astronomy , mathematics , medicine , fiction , musicology , historiography and theater gaining popularity.
The classical music of Southern India, Carnatic music , evolved into its current form. The Vijayanagara Empire created an epoch in the history of Southern India that transcended regionalism by promoting Hinduism as an unifying factor. Karnata Rajya Karnata Kingdom was another name for the Vijayanagara Empire, used in some inscriptions and literary works of the Vijayanagara times including the Sanskrit work Jambavati Kalyanam by Emperor Krishnadevaraya and Telugu work Vasu Charitamu.
Before the early 14th-century rise of the Vijayanagara Empire, the Hindu states of the Deccan — the Yadava Empire of Devagiri, the Kakatiya dynasty of Warangal , and the Pandyan Empire of Madurai — were repeatedly raided and attacked by Muslims from the north. Two theories have been proposed regarding the linguistic origins of the Vijayanagara Empire.
