The establishment and expansion of the empire led to a revitalization of the economy, india, and its coincidence in time with the arrival of the first explorers Europe meant an explosion of activity commercial scale through a centralized and regulated economic system, and relationships solid business with Portugal and China . Harihara I ordered the establishment of mints in the major cities of the kingdom in order to end the shortage of foreign currency and, if necessary, the government gave permission to some noblemen to emit currency on behalf of the king . The currency 's official rule, made of gold , was the official name of varaha , and was divided into fractions by weight. In addition, for small-scale trade were circulated silver and copper as the tare , the kani or jital . The varaha also popularly known as the pon, hon or gadyana. The English called it (and still do) pagoda. Typically, the obverse coins had the image of a deity and back uncut, or with the Emperor's name in Kannada or Sanskrit.
The empire's economy depended heavily on agriculture. Was planted grain (jowar), cotton and vegetables in the driest regions, while in wetter areas are cultivated sugar cane , rice and wheat . Betel leaves (also called betel ) chewing, and coconut made up the bulk of export crops, and production of cotton on a large scale was used to supply the country's booming textile industry. Some spices like pepper , the cardamom , the turmeric and ginger , originating in the mountainous region Malenadu in Karnataka, were transported to the cities in sufficient quantities to trade. The capital was a thriving business center with a growing market for gold and precious stones . The prolific temple building stability and occupation gave architects , sculptors , craftsmen and workers alike.
The land was important. Most farmers cultivated the land in the service of a noble and in some cases gave them rights over them. Taxes are calculated according to the development of a product and its impact on other sectors. For example, manufacturers of perfumes need certain amounts of rose petals for a profitable product, so the cultivation of roses were imposed lower rates. With the production of salt is still a similar system. The sale of ghee (butter), either for human consumption or for lamps, was profitable. were enhanced trade with China, which included cotton , spices, jewelry, gemstones, ivory , rhino horn , ebony , amber and scented products such as perfumes. Large Chinese vessels approached, including some controlled by the famous admiral Zheng He , and docked at any of more than 300 ports that the empire had from Arabian Sea to the Bay of Bengal , highlighting those of Mangalore , Honavar , Bhatkal , Barkur , Cochin , Cannanore , Machilipatnam and Dharmadam .
Once a merchant ship docked in port, the goods were guarded by the authorities, and all products sold were charged fees . Merchants from around the world ( Arabs , Persians , Gujarat , Khwarizmi people ) settled in Calicut , seeking to take advantage of opportunities offered by this market. the marine industry also prospered, they built ships capable of holding several tons by the technique sewing with string, instead of setting the table at a time with nails. Sometimes the boats were heading to ports as far as Aden and Jeddah , with access to Mecca , for imperial goods to countries as far away as Venice . The item most in demand abroad was pepper, but also exported in large quantities ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, cherries, tamarind wood, purging cassia , precious and semiprecious stones, pearls , musk , ambergris , plants and seeds of rhubarb , aloe , cotton clothes and linens and china. In Burma is exporting cotton fiber and Persia indigo , for the manufacture of dye purple . Since Palestine was imported copper , mercury , vermilion , coral , saffron, velvet , rose water , knives, camel leather garments, gold and silver. In Persia they bought horses. Chinese silk was brought, and Bengal, sugar. The main trading partner for all imports from the West, however, was Portugal , which from its base in Goa traded with Vijayanagara, supporting them financially in the event of war against the Muslim sultanates
Trade on the east coast reached heights never before seen in the region, trade with Golconda, where rice, millet, pulses and snuff were produced on a large scale. The dye plant crops were large enough to supply the entire domestic industry. Machilipatnam , a region rich in minerals, was the source of iron and steel of the highest quality and of greater interest to foreign traders. The diamond mining industry was established in the region of Kollam . The cotton refining industry giving rise to two types of fabric: calico and muslin . Java and the Far East were the target of clothing made of patterns color devised by local weavers and tailors. Golconda specialized in virgin cotton Bandana colored cotton. Foreign products more commonly received the East Coast were non-ferrous metals , camphor and luxury goods such as porcelain and silk.