Who were Nayakas and Amara-Nayakas? Describe their role in the administration of Vijayanagara Empire.

I. Meaning of Nayakas : In Vijayanagara Empire among those who exercised power in the empire were military chiefs who usually controlled forts and had armed supporters. These chiefs often moved from one area to another, and in many cases were accompanied by peasants looking for fertile land on which to settle. These chiefs were known as nayakas and they usually spoke Telugu or Kannada. Many nayakas submitted to the authority'of the kings of Vijayanagara but they often rebelled and had to be subdued by military action.

Meaning of Amara : Amara believed to be derived from the Sanskrit word Samara, meaning battle or war. It also resembles the Persian term amir, meaning a high noble.

II. Description of role of Nayakas and Amara-Nayakas in Vijayanagara Empire:

(a) Nayakas were military chiefs usually mentioned law and order in their areas of control. They maintained forests and kept armed supporters. They use to control and expand fertile land and agricultural settlements. They usually submitted to kings (to the authority of Vijayanagara). They were not well disciplined. They generally rebelled whenever they use to find suitable occasion. The king used to take military actions against them to bring again them under their control.

(b) The amara-nayaka system was a major political innovation of the Vijayanagara Empire. It is likely that many features of this system were derived from the Iqta system of the Delhi Sultanate. The amara-nayakas were military commanders who were given territories to govern by the raya. They collected taxes and other dues from peasants, craftspersons and traders in the area. They retained a part of the revenue for personal use and for maintaining a stipulated contingent of horses and elephants. These contingents provided the Vijayanagara kings with an effective fighting force with which they brought the entire southern peninsula under their control. Some of the revenue was also used for the maintenance of temples and irrigation works.    

(c) The amara-nayakas sent tribute to the kings annually and personally appeared in the royal court with gifts to express their loyalty. Kings occasionally asserted their control over them by transferring them from one place to another.