Introduction

With Vijayanagara we are seeking to present a detailed look at an epic period of medieval history, and in a region and time which has seen scant attention in the historical gaming community, or in entertainment media, or even in educational domains. We have yet to meet a single person not of Indian descent who has heard of any of the important figures of this era, or even the names of the once-great kingdoms and dynasties that appeared in the time covered by this game. And yet centuries later a nation of over 1.3 billion people has emerged from this turbulent past, with modern perspectives still influenced by an ancient history.

Vijayanagara depicts the sweeping regional power dynamics across the Indian subcontinent throughout the 14th century. The playable factions are the Delhi Sultanate, the Bahmani Kingdom, and the Vijayanagara Empire. In this article we will discuss some of the main modeling choices made in the design and begin to see how they are implemented mechanically in the game.

While we were drawn to the sweeping stories spanning the entire 14th century in the Indian subcontinent, a major design goal was to keep the game short and with a low rules overhead, relatively speaking, so that trips back to the rulebook would be few and far between. We have worked hard to create an environment that could provide a texture-rich narrative experience, provide an intellectually stimulating simulation of the dynamics between the major actors of the time, and yet be fun and playable, perhaps even allowing for multiple games to be played in a single session.

Unlike in the COIN system from which the game draws influence, the factions do not interact via an additional support/opposition axis, units are not ‘hidden’, and there are therefore no ‘sweep’ actions to uncover them. Instead, the game is built upon the core concept of Tributary and Independent spaces, and certain units are distinguished by their relationship with the Sultan in Delhi (as either obedient or rebelling), which we describe later in the article.

But first, let’s wind the clock back 700 years.

Historical Overview

At the start of the game (1290 CE), the Delhi Sultanate is faced with a tremendous challenge: to maintain the economic capability to defend themselves (and thus all of India) from the invading Mongol hordes, while also placating their vassals and tributaries. Maintaining an army is not free, and the riches of the southern Deccan Plateau appear as appetizing, much-needed resources to the hungry Sultanate. Regional rulers, seeking to claim the area’s resources for their own, are always eager to take advantage of Delhi’s absence and to declare independence. The Delhi Sultanate is spread very thin, needing to maintain its forces both in the northwest border regions to face the Mongols, and among the southern tributaries to sustain its economy – any imbalance may lead to disaster. Clever negotiation may be needed to prevail. It is not easy to be the Sultan.

Meanwhile, down in the Deccan Plateau some of Delhi’s Governors are exploiting their autonomy and distance from the capital. Once the steady Khalji dynasty gives way to the more fragile Tuqhlaq dynasty these local rulers will become increasingly restive. Many will go on to rebel – now in the role of Amirs (‘commanders’), ruling small kingdoms with their own armies, they will eventually form or join the Bahmani Kingdom. Leaning on a network of other elite nobles and governors, they will conspire together and simultaneously declare an entire Province to be an independent state, cutting off the flow of resources to Delhi.

With the Delhi Sultanate receding from the southernmost reaches of the Indian subcontinent, local Rajas see their own opportunity to form independent kingdoms and cast off their tributary relationship to Delhi. Like the Amirs to their north, the Rajas rule over small kingdoms and maintain their own armies, identifying one after another with the Vijayanagara Empire. And like the Amirs, the oppression of Delhi motivates the formation of political alliances and well-timed rebellions.

The interactions between the Vijayanagara Empire and the Bahmani Kingdom are not one-dimensional. In some decades they will find themselves in prosperous trade and a careful peace; in other decades the shared allure of the fertile Raichur Doab will prove to be too strong, and tremendous battles will ensue.

The Model

Tributary Provinces, Independent Provinces, and Control

In Vijayanagara, the contested resources throughout the Indian subcontinent are represented in the game as Provinces with an economic Value of either 1 or 2, and each Province in the game can be in one of two states, either Tributary or Independent. A Tributary Province is one in which the general mass of minor rulers in that region continues to send annual tributary payments back to Delhi (even if a few noble houses or small kingdoms are acting in defiance). An Independent Province is one in which all houses and kingdoms in that region have united to cease these annual payments to the Delhi Sultanate.

The game begins with all Provinces in their Tributary state. The Sultanate player would do well to keep these Tributary Provinces in line, as they are critical for collecting resources. If the Sultanate needs to send an army to remind rulers to continue their payments, it will distract from their fight against the encroaching Mongol hordes.

The rebel Factions, Bahmani and Vijayanagara, begin with no Independent Provinces, and so long as the Sultanate maintains its presence they will have no choice but to continue sending tribute to Delhi. Of course, the Sultanate may eventually need to attend to the Mongols invading from the northwest, drawing their forces elsewhere…

Certain actions and Events in the game may remove a Tributary marker (thereby setting the Province to Independent), or replace one to set the Province back to Tributary status. These particular actions (so-called Commands and Decrees, to be described in a future article) are possible only when the acting Faction’s forces outnumber all other forces in a Province. Furthermore, once a Tributary marker is removed, the Bahmani or Vijayanagara Factions may also Control a Province in the same way, contributing to their respective victory point total.

Obedient vs. Rebelling

A crucial modeling choice in the game monitors the relationship between the rulers of the Bahmani and Vijayanagara kingdoms and the Sultan in Delhi. Are those Amirs and Rajas continuing to send Tribute to Delhi obediently, while subtly undermining the authority of the Sultan and quietly working towards claiming independence for their regions? Or are they a clear and immediate rebelling threat to the Sultanate’s treasury, having either attacked the Sultanate’s forces or organized an open rebellion to declare a Province independent?

The Amirs of the Bahmani Kingdom and the Rajas of the Vijayanagara Empire can be in one of two possible states in reference to the Delhi Sultanate, either Obedient or Rebelling. Obedient pieces are safe from Delhi’s Troops but vulnerable to the political machinations of the Sultanate’s Governors. Rebelling pieces, in open revolt against the Sultanate, are immune to the political activity of the Sultan’s Governors, but are not remotely safe from its Troops.

While the Obedient/Rebelling mechanic is specific to the Amirs and Rajas relationships with the Sultanate alone, the rebel factions are also engaged in a different contest with each other, seeking to propagate their respective Foundational Myths throughout the region. From the ashes of the powerful kingdoms of the Hoysalas, Yadavas, and Kakatiyas arise powerful minor houses and warrior kings like the Musunuri Nayakas. The Bahmani and Vijayanagara efforts to win the loyalty of these minor powers is a century-long process of story-telling, aided by victory in battle, or even in defeat by an epic defense which grows into legend. The spread of these Foundational Myths will be the topic of a future article.

We hope you have enjoyed this introduction to the historical model presented by Vijayanagara. In the next article we will continue exploring the model in Vijayanagara by describing the unique goals of each faction, and the asymmetric tools they have available to help them achieve these goals.

For an introduction to the new Irregular Conflicts Series, of which Vijayanagara will be the first entry, see Jason Carr’s article, http://www.insidegmt.com/2021/03/what-is-the-irregular-conflicts-series/.

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