Hampi’s Islamic heritage: An overlooked chapter in Vijayanagara history

Mihrab inside Ahmed Khan Mosque.

Amid the magnificent ruins of palaces, bazaars and temples at Hampi stand several Islamic monuments, scattered across what was once the imperial capital of the Vijayanagara Empire. Even in their ruined state, the mosques, Sufi dargahs and dilapidated Muslim settlements bear testimony to a significant chapter in the empire’s history — one that challenges the simplistic Hindu-Muslim binary through which the history of the Vijayanagara empire has often been interpreted.

The presence of Muslims in Hampi is also reflected in numerous bas-relief sculptures, particularly those depicting horses and the men accompanying them as traders, handlers or riders. Such representations appear on the walls of Hampi’s temples and even on the imposing Mahanavami Dibba, the ceremonial platform in the Royal Enclosure.