Harihara I
Harihara I (also known as Hakka) was the co-founder of the Vijayanagara Empire in 1336, establishing alongside his brother Bukka the last great Hindu empire of South India. A former military commander under the Hoysala and later the Delhi Sultanate, he broke away to create an independent kingdom at the confluence of the Tungabhadra river. The Vijayanagara Empire became a major cultural, political, and military power that resisted Muslim sultanate expansion into South India for over two centuries, preserving and patronising Hindu art, architecture, and literature.
- Lived: 1300 CE – 1356 CE
- Nationality: indian
- Roles: ruler, founder
