Inscriptions of the Vijayanagara Rulers Vol VI: Sanskrit Inscriptions

About the Book
Inscriptions of the Vijayanagara Rulers, Volume VI: Sanskrit Inscriptions is the concluding volume of the Vijayanagara Inscriptions Project undertaken by the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR). This volume brings together Sanskrit inscriptions of the Vijayanagara Empire, completing a comprehensive multilingual corpus covering Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, and Sanskrit sources.The Vijayanagara Empire, founded in the 14th century, extended across most of South India and functioned as a major political and cultural force for over two centuries. Sanskrit occupied a prominent position within this multilingual framework, often serving as a prestigious literary and administrative language alongside regional vernaculars.This volume compiles inscriptions issued by rulers, chieftains, officials, and social groups, recorded on diverse media such as stone, copper plates, and palm leaves. Many inscriptions are bilingual or multilingual, incorporating Kannada, Telugu, or Tamil alongside Sanskrit. Together, they provide rich insights into political authority, religious patronage, administrative systems, literary culture, and socio-economic life across the empire.By consolidating inscriptions that were previously scattered across journals, reports, and rare publications, this volume makes a substantial contribution to the accessibility of primary historical sources. It is an indispensable reference for scholars of epigraphy, medieval Indian history, Sanskrit studies, and South Indian cultural history.
 
About the Editor
Dr. Shrinivas Ritti (b. 1929)
Dr. Shrinivas Ritti is a distinguished epigraphist and historian, widely recognized for his contributions to Indian epigraphy and historical research. He served as the Convener of the Inscriptions of India Programme under the Indian Council of Historical Research.He began his career at the Government Epigraphist’s Office in Ootacamund (1955–64) and later joined Karnataka University, Dharwad, where he served as Professor and Head of the Department of Ancient Indian History and Epigraphy (1964–89). He has also been a member of the ICHR.Dr. Ritti has edited and published numerous inscriptional volumes and is known for works such as The Seunas (Yadavas of Devagiri) and inscription volumes from Nanded, Solapur, and Kolhapur districts. He also edited A Descriptive Glossary of Administrative Terms in Ancient Karnataka.
For his contributions, he has received several honours, including: Award of Excellence from the Archaeological Survey of India (2011) | Copper Plate Charter from the Epigraphical Society of India | Suvarna Karnataka Rajyotsava Prasasti (2007) | Campbell Memorial Gold Medal from the Asiatic Society of Mumbai (2016).
 
About the Series
This volume marks the culmination of the Vijayanagara Inscriptions Project under the ICHR’s Inscriptions of India Programme, which aims to systematically collect, edit, and publish inscriptions from major dynasties across India.The Vijayanagara series spans multiple volumes across four major languages of South India:Kannada (Volumes I–III)Telugu (Volume IV)Tamil (Volume V, in two parts)Sanskrit (Volume VI)Together, these volumes consolidate thousands of inscriptions that were previously dispersed across rare publications, journals, and archival records. The project provides scholars with a unified and critically edited corpus, enabling more comprehensive and comparative studies of the Vijayanagara Empire.
 
Book Specifications
Title: Inscriptions of the Vijayanagara Rulers
Volume: VI
Subtitle: Sanskrit Inscriptions
Editor: Dr. Shrinivas Ritti
Publisher: Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR), Southern Regional Centre, Bengaluru
Year of Publication: 2017
Pages: lvi + 874 + 26 plates
ISBN: 978-81-906585-7-7
Number of Copies Printed: 500
Format: Hardcover scholarly volume
Price (Original): ₹1500
Content Type: Sanskrit inscriptions