Under the rule of the Vijayanagar empire, irrigation became prominent. The development of irrigation took place mainly during the rule of Deva Raya I. New tanks were built and dams were constructed across the river Tungabhadra.
The important characteristics of the Vijayanagar administration was the Amara-Nayaka system. The top-grade officers of the army were known as Nayaks or Palaiyagars or Poligars. These officers were granted land in lieu of their services.