DIMENSIONS OF IMPERIAL CONTROL - THE VIJAYANAGARA CAPITAL

The city of Vijayanagara was the capital of a vast south Indian empire from the 14th through 16th century A.D. The authors use historic, epi graphic, and archaeological evidence to examine Vijayanagara control a t the imperial capital. They argue that imperial control should best b e viewed as multidimensional and variable in emphases and success over time and space. They focus on three dimensions of Vijayanagara contro l: ideology, militarism, and the production and distribution of agricu ltural and nonagricultural resources. While the first two do yield evi dence for imperial intervention and concern, there is little evidence for direct control of production or distribution of either staple or w ealth goods.