Who among the following laid the foundation of the Vijayanagara Empire?

The Vijayanagara Empire was founded in 1336 by two brothers, Harihara and Bukka [1][3]. According to historical tradition and epigraphic evidence, they were the sons of Bhavana Sangama and established the Sangama dynasty, the first of four dynasties to rule the empire [1]. Initially serving as governors or soldiers under the Delhi Sultanate's Muhammad bin Tughlaq, they eventually rejected Delhi's authority to establish an independent kingdom on the south bank of the Tungabhadra River [3]. While Krishnadeva Raya is celebrated as the empire's greatest ruler who brought it to its zenith, he belonged to the later Tuluva dynasty and was not a founder [2]. Rama Raya was a prominent figure during the Aravidu period and the Battle of Talikota, while Virupaksha Raya was a later ruler of the Sangama dynasty [1][3].

Sources

1. [1] THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART II, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 7: An Imperial Capital: Vijayanagara > 2. Rayas, Nayakas and Sultans > p. 171
2. [3] THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART II, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 7: An Imperial Capital: Vijayanagara > 2.2 The apogee and decline of the empire > p. 173
3. [2] Exploring Society:India and Beyond ,Social Science, Class VIII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 2: Reshaping India’s Political Map > The Vijayanagara Empire > p. 31