During the rule of Akbar, the Mughal Empire was divided into 12 subas or provinces. These were Allahabad, Agra, Awadh, Ajmer, Ahmedabad, Bihar, Bengal, Delhi, Kabul, Lahore, Malwa, and Multan. Later on Ahmednagar, Berar, and Khandesh were added.
Andal or Godadevi is the only female among 12 Alvar saints. She was active in 8th century and is credited for great Tamil works Thiruppavai and Nachiar Tirumozhi. A women’s group of South India called Goda Mandali is inspired from Andal. Andal herself is known as a beloved of lord Vishnu.
Many foreign travelers who visited the Indian subcontinent gave valuable accounts on the socio-economic conditions of the Vijayanagar kingdom. This includes the Moroccan Ibn Batuta, Venetian Nicolo de Conti, Persian Abdur Razzak, and the Portuguese Domingo Paes.
EXAMIANS