We often hear about cities in Europe with a lot of history. You’ll find old libraries, universities, buildings etc.
Since India is also quite ancient, why aren’t there any ancient Indian cities? Sure, there are old buildings but most of them are singular places like forts or temples, rather than entire cities. The buildings and houses of a 500 year old city look similar to those of a small town whose first brick house was built in the 60s. Cities hundreds of kilometres away will look the same. Indian cities don’t employ any “Indian” architecture, compared to Paris or Vienna where even residential buildings have a distinctive style. You can see it while comparing older parts of Mumbai to older parts of other cities; older parts of Mumbai feel British with their buildings and city layout whereas older parts of Delhi or Hyderabad just look chaotic. There’s nothing there apart from monuments which will showcase the history of those places. You definitely won’t find any old libraries or universities that are still functioning in India.
So, why is that? Why didn’t medieval Indians create proper cities with proper architecture? Were most houses in medieval India made of mud rather than bricks? Indians could create massive forts and temples, so why not massive, planned cities?
The 800 years preceding British rule were tumultuous for India. India’s cities didn’t fare well. There are however ruins that were cities. One such city was one of the great cities of the last 1000 years.
In 1336 a kingdom was created in southwestern India. It’s capital, Vijayanagar grew into giant city. The city lies on the Tungabhadra River. India doesn’t have a native tradition of history prior to the British. The writings of European travelers provide excellent accounts of the city.
One such traveler was Domingo Paes who visited the city in the 1520’s. He says that, “the people in this city are countless in number, so much so that I do not wish to write down for fear it should be thought fabulous.” “It is the best provided city in the world.” He describes a bustling city with plenty of jewels, trade and various native styled structures.
The Vijayanagar Empire grew to encompass a large area and the city thrived. However after its defeat at the Battle of Talikot in 1565 the city met its end. The army was defeated by the combined forces of four Sultanates. The great city was then plundered for months and many people were massacred. The ruined city was forgotten until the 19th century when the British discovered it. It has taken abuse because it was poorly protected by the government. Now it is a UNESCO World Landmark and lies near modern Hampi. The ruins are plentiful and speak of a magnificent city.