Explain the administrative system followed by the Vijayanagar rulers.

The king was the supreme authority in the Vijayanagar Empire and was considered equal to God. For effective administration, Vijayanagar kingdom was divided into rajyas or mandalam (provinces) which were further subdivided into nadus (districts), sthala (sub-districts) and grama (villages).
The king was assisted by an Imperial Council and a Council of Ministers. The Imperial Council comprised nayakas (military chiefs) from the provinces, feudal vassals, scholars, poets, merchants and even ambassadors from foreign kingdoms. The council of ministers is presumed to be consisted of eight ministers which were called dandanayakas i.e. the lord of administration.
Each province had a governor who held their own courts, appointed their officers, maintained their armies and issued their own coins. Each governor paid a fixed contribution in men and money to the Central government.
There was a amara-nayaka system in which the King granted a territory called amaram, with a fixed revenue to military commanders. These military chiefs or nayaks had to maintain a fixed number of foot soldiers, elephants and horses for the service of the state. They had to send tribute to the king annually and personally appear in the royal court with gifts to express their loyalty. Kings occasionally asserted their control over them by transferring them from one place to another.