The kingdom was divided into different administrative units during the rule of the Vijayanagar empire in southern India which ruled from 1336 CE to 1672 CE. These administrative units were called Mandalams, Nadus, Sthalas, and Gramas.
Barani was a contemporary of Muhammad bin Tughlaq and Firuz Shah Tughlaq both. He wrote a number of renowned texts, such as the Fatwa-i-Jahandari, which elaborates on the principles to be followed by Muslim rulers to attain merit.