The central administration of the Vijayanagara empire was called Nayankara system and the local administration was called the Ayyagar system. The features of both these systems are discussed below.
(i) The Navankara system: The king was the head of the central administration of the Vijayanagara Empire. There were ministers and royal officers to assist the king in administration. There was only a small army under the direct control of the king. The provincial governors maintained fixed number of soldiers of their own. They provided the service of the army to the king whenever necessary. As they were also military heads, the king awarded them with the title of ‘Nayak’ along with a specific area of land. This system that prevailed at the center was known as the Nayankara system.
(ii) The Avvaaar System: For the convenience of administration, the empire was divided into provinces, nadus, and villages. Village was the basic unit. The village assemblies functioned in the same way as it did during the period of the Cholas. The day-to-day administration of the village was done by the officers known as ‘Ayyagars’ who inherited the post. This administrative system was known as Ayyangar System. The position of Ayyagars in the village administration was equal to that of the Nayaks in the central administration.
