1/2 Pagoda - Krishnadeva Raya

Krishnadeva Raya is widely regarded as the most capable ruler the Vijayanagara Empire produced, and his reign coincided with its greatest territorial and commercial reach. Portuguese traders operating out of Goa maintained active contact with his court, and it is partly through their accounts — particularly Domingos Paes, who visited around 1520 — that we have detailed descriptions of Vijayanagara's market economy and the coin types circulating within it. The pagoda series formed the backbone of high-value transactions in the Deccan gold trade throughout this period.