Harihara II (died 31 August 1404) was an Emperor of the
Vijayanagara Empire
The Vijayanagara Empire, also known as the Karnata Kingdom, was a late medieval Hinduism, 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, belongi ...
from the
Sangama Dynasty
The Sangama dynasty was a Veerashaiva dynasty of the Vijayanagara Empire founded in the 14th century by two brothers: Harihara I (also called ''Vira Harihara'' or ''Hakka Raya'') and Bukka Raya I. They were the sons of Bhavana Sangama. They ...
. He patronised the
Kannada
Kannada () is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly in the state of Karnataka in southwestern India, and spoken by a minority of the population in all neighbouring states. It has 44 million native speakers, and is additionally a ...
poet Madhura, a
Jaina
Jaina can refer to:
* Jain/Jaina, a follower of Jainism, an ancient classical religion of India
** List of Jains, a list of various notable Jains
** Federation of Jain Associations in North America (JAINA)
* Jaina Island, an archaeological site ...
. An important work on the
Vedas
FIle:Atharva-Veda samhita page 471 illustration.png, upright=1.2, The Vedas are ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism. Above: A page from the ''Atharvaveda''.
The Vedas ( or ; ), sometimes collectively called the Veda, are a large body of relig ...
was completed during his time. He earned the titles ''Vaidikamarga Sthapanacharya'' and ''Vedamarga Pravartaka''.
Biography
He ascended the throne after the death of his father
Bukka Raya I
Bukka Raya I (reigned 1356–24 February 1377) was an emperor of the Vijayanagara Empire from the Sangama Dynasty.Phrof A V Narasimha MurthyRare Royal Brothers: Hakka and Bukka He was a son of Bhavana Sangama, claimed by Harihara II to be of ...
in 1377 and reigned till his death in 1404. He was succeeded by his son
Virupaksha Raya
Virupaksha Raya was briefly the emperor of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1404 to 1405.
With the death of Harihara II in 1404, the throne for the Vijayanagara Empire was disputed amongst his sons: Deva Raya I, Bukka Raya II, and Virupaksha Raya ...
.
During his reign, Harihara II continued to extend the empire's territory through fighting against the Reddis of
Kondavidu
Kondaveedu Fort is a historically significant ancient hill fortress located in Kondaveedu, a village in the Chilakaluripet constituency of Palnadu district, Andhra Pradesh, India. The site is located 16 miles west of the city of Guntur. Apart f ...
for control of the
Andhra
Andhra Pradesh (ISO: , , AP) is a state on the east coast of southern India. It is the seventh-largest state and the tenth-most populous in the country. Telugu is the most widely spoken language in the state, as well as its official lang ...
between
Nellore
Nellore, also spelt as Nelluru, is a city located on the banks of Penna River, in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh, India.Kalinga. From the Reddis of Kondavidu, Harihara II conquered the
Addanki
Addanki is a Municipal city in Bapatla district of the Indian State, Andhra Pradesh. Addanki North is the mandal headquarters of Addanki mandal in Addanki revenue division the city is known for its quality bricks and also the city has good conn ...
and
Srisailam
Srisailam is a census town in Nandyal district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is the mandal headquarters of Srisailam mandal in Atmakur revenue division, Nandyal district, Atmakur revenue division. It is located about from the distri ...
areas as well as most of the territory between the peninsula to the south of the river
Krishna
Krishna (; Sanskrit language, Sanskrit: कृष्ण, ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme God (Hinduism), Supreme God in his own right. He is the god of protection, c ...
, which would eventually lead to fights in
Telangana
Telangana is a States and union territories of India, state in India situated in the Southern India, south-central part of the Indian subcontinent on the high Deccan Plateau. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, ele ...
with the Velamas of Rachakonda. Harihara II took advantage of the death of Mujahid Bahmani in 1378 and extended his control into the northwest, controlling such ports as
Goa
Goa (; ; ) is a state on the southwestern coast of India within the Konkan region, geographically separated from the Deccan highlands by the Western Ghats. It is bound by the Indian states of Maharashtra to the north, and Karnataka to the ...
,
Chaul
Chaul is a historic town located in the Raigad district of Maharashtra, India. The Korlai Fort is located nearby.
History
Many foreign writers have mentioned Chaul. Ptolemy in his ''Geography of India'' calls the town Symullla or Timulla. The ...
, and
Dabhol
Dabhol (Marathi pronunciation: Help:IPA/Marathi, ̪aːbʱoɭ, also known as Dabul, is a small seaport town in the Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra in India. It is located on the northern and southern sides of the Vashishti River, Vashishth ...
.
Harihara II reigned from the capital city of
Vijayanagara
Vijayanagara () is a city located in Vijayanagara district of Karnataka state in India.Vijayanagara
whose ruins are now known as
Hampi
Hampi or Hampe (), also referred to as the Group of Monuments at Hampi, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the town of Hampi in Vijayanagara district, east-central Karnataka, India. Hampi predates the Vijayanagara Empire; it is menti ...
. The ruins of Harihara's palace are believed to be located among the Hampi ruins.
His general Iruguppa was a disciple of Simhanandi, a Jain teacher. He built a tank for Gomatteshvara (
Bahubali
Bahubali (, ) was the son of Rishabhanatha (the first ''tirthankara'' of Jainism) and the brother of the ''Chakravarti (Sanskrit term), chakravartin'' Bharata (Jainism), Bharata. He is a revered figure in Jainism. He is said to have meditated ...
) and the stone temple of Kumthu-Jinanatha in
Vijayanagara
Vijayanagara () is a city located in Vijayanagara district of Karnataka state in India.Vijayanagara
.
During his fight against the Reddis of Kondavidu, he delegated the rule of Mysore and the task of fighting the Dalvoys in Mysore to Yaduraya, thereby appointing the first ruler of another mighty future-kingdom.
Notes
References
Sources
*
* Dr. Suryanath U. Kamat, Concise history of Karnataka, MCC, Bangalore, 2001 (Reprinted 2002)