106 SOCIAL SCIENTIST identification, especially that of spiritual leaders and philosophers like Vidyaranya and Madhvacharya. The author follows the pioneering studies on Vijayanagara history (now described as conventional historiography) in assuming that Vajayanagara represents the 'bulwark* of Hinduism against the 'menace* of Muslim onslaughts and hence marks a glorious revival of Hinduism in south India. The author's lack of familiarity with the recent debate on this characterisation of Vijayanagara and the ideological implications of such a claim are obvious. The Hindu character of Vijayanagara being her major premise, Sarojini Devi sets forth in the introduction the background to her narrative by tracing the series of events leading to the foundation of Vijayanagara, i.e. the Muslim invasions under the Khaljis and Tughlaqs against the 'independent* Hindu kingdoms of the Deccan and Tamil region, some of which held 'the flag of Hindu independence', like Kampili, to which the Sangama brothers and later founders of Vijayanagara belonged. While emphasising the role of the Sangama brothers as the 'architects of the Hindu revival* it is claimed that their protection of the varna (caste) was aimed maintaining *the pristine purity* of the Hindu religion (dharma) from the influence of Islam. The author's perceptions are similarly biased by the traditional view, while asserting that the Vijayanagara rulers were tolerant towards all religions (including Islam and Christianity), which they patronised in equal measure, notwithstanding their personal predelictions in favouring Vaisnavism and Saivism. Such a limited perspective can hardly help to explain the complexity of the religious systems and the social base of religious organisation, of which the Vijayanagara. ruling families were themselves a part, and the political culture created and promoted by Vijayanagara. Royal patronage to both Saivism and Vaisnavism and a large following among different sections of the people point to the dominance of these two religions. However, the degree of their relative influence cannot be assessed without a correct understanding of the pre-Vijayanagara situation. Hence, the author's observation that Tamil Nadu was a stronghold of Vaisnavism before the rise of Vijayanagara is incorrect and based on a lack of familiarity with the religious crisis of the twelfth century A.D., and its consequences. In spite of the reformist zeal of Ramanuja, Vaisnavism was relatively less popular and its social base in Tamil Nadu was weaker in comparison with that of Saivism. The coming of Vijayanagara marked a significant change in the fortunes of Vaisnavism. The question really is whether the religious organisation of the Vijayanagara period (or of any period for that matter) can be discussed in isolation from or without adequate knowledge of the developments in the earlier periods. The case of the bhakti movement brings out this point sharply, for Vijayanagara patronage of the bhakti cult and the apotheosis of all the Vaisnava