Why were agricultural tracts incorporated within the fortified area of the Vijayanagara Empire? Give reasons.

Abdur Razzaq, a Persian ambassador, noted that “between the first, second and the third walls there are cultivated fields, gardens, and houses”. The rulers of Vijayanagara Empire adopted an expansive and expensive strategy of protecting the agricultural belt.

Whenever any siege took place, the objective was to starve the defenders into submission. The seiges generally took several months. Thus, the rulers of Vijayanagara empire adopted an elaborate strategy of agricultural protection and prepared themselves for such situations by building large granaries within fortified areas. This enabled the continuity of life and livelihood. That is why the rulers incorporated the agricultural tracts within the fortified area.