Krishnadevaraya (reigned 1509–1529 CE) presided over the Vijayanagara Empire at its height, a period marked by remarkable urbanization and economic development in South India. His reign combined political stability, military prowess, and visionary administration to create one of the most prosperous pre-modern Indian states. Urban centers under Krishnadevaraya, particularly the capital at Vijayanagara, grew into complex cities with organized marketplaces, fortified enclosures, sophisticated water management systems, and thriving artisan quarters. The expansion of trade networks, both domestic and international, stimulated commerce, connecting inland agricultural regions with coastal ports and fostering exchanges with merchants from Persia, Arabia, and Southeast Asia. Agriculture formed the backbone of the empire, supported by extensive irrigation projects, improved land revenue systems, and crop diversification. Rural production sustained urban growth and trade, while surplus resources were mobilized for public works, temple construction, and cultural patronage. Temples and cultural institutions played dual roles as spiritual centers and economic hubs, managing land, craft workshops, and grain storage. Krishnadevaraya’s patronage of art, literature, and architecture not only reinforced the legitimacy of his rule but also stimulated employment and industrial production across the empire. The integration of administration, agriculture, trade, and culture created a self-reinforcing system of prosperity, making Vijayanagara a model of sustainable urban and economic development in the early sixteenth century. His reign exemplifies the ways in which political authority, infrastructural innovation, and cultural patronage can drive economic growth, urban expansion, and social cohesion.