15th-Century Vijayanagara Inscription Discovered: Unveiling Sangama Dynasty’s Economic Patronage

A significant archaeological discovery has been made in Maruturu village, Andhra Pradesh, where a Telugu inscription dating back to 1453 AD was unearthed. The inscription belongs to the reign of Mallikarjuna Devaraya, a ruler of the Sangama dynasty of the Vijayanagara Empire. This epigraphic record provides a window into the complex socio-economic fabric of 15th-century South India. The inscription primarily documents a financial grant made by the Emperor to a local Shiva temple. In the medieval Indian context, such grants were not merely acts of religious piety but were central to the state's economic and administrative strategy. Temples functioned as institutional landlords, banks, and employers, facilitating the circulation of capital and the maintenance of local infrastructure. The discovery of this specific grant by Mallikarjuna Devaraya is particularly noteworthy as his reign (1446–1465 AD) is often characterized by political challenges from the Gajapatis of Odisha and the Bahmani Sultanate. This record suggests that despite external pressures, the central authority continued to exercise its role as a patron of local religious and social institutions to maintain political legitimacy.