wild rocky country lying about forty miles north-west of Bellary, and
north of the railway line which runs from that place to Dharwar. At
this point, on the north bank of the river, there existed about the
year 1330 a fortified town called Anegundi, the "Nagundym" of our
chronicles, which was the residence of a family of chiefs owning a
small state in the neighbourhood. They had, in former years, taken
advantage of the lofty hills of granite which cover that tract to
construct a strong citadel having its base on the stream. Fordable at
no point within many miles the river was full of running water at all
seasons of the year, and in flood times formed in its confined bed a
turbulent rushing torrent with dangerous falls in several places. Of
the Anegundi chiefs we know little, but they were probably feudatories
of the Hoysala Ballalas. Firishtah declares that they had existed as
a ruling family for seven hundred years prior to the year 1350 A.D.[7]

The chronicle of Nuniz gives a definite account of how the sovereigns
of Vijayanagar first began to acquire the power which afterwards became
so extensive. This account may or may not be accurate in all details,
but it at least tallies fairly with the epigraphical and other records
of the time. According to him, Muhammad Taghlaq of Delhi, having
reduced Gujarat, marched southwards through the Dakhan Balaghat, or
high lands above the western ghats, and a little previous to the year
1336[8] seized the town and fortress of Anegundi. Its chief was slain,
with all the members of his family. After a futile attempt to govern
this territory by means of a deputy, Muhammad raised to the dignity of
chief of the state its late minister, a man whom Nuniz calls "Deorao,"
for "Deva Raya." or Harihara Deva I. The new chief founded the city
of Vijayanagar on the south bank of the river opposite Anegundi and
made his residence there, with the aid of the great religious teacher
Madhava, wisely holding that to place the river between him and the