In the early 14th century, the Vijayanagara Empire with its capital at Hosapattana (later to be called Vijayanagara) rose to successfully challenge the Muslim invasions into the South.
Though this temple's significance has diminished due to the hugely popular neighboring Temples in Tirumala and Tiruchanoor, it received very good patronage from the Kings of Vijayanagara in the 13th thru 16th centuries, especially Saluva Narasimha Deva Raya, and the eternally famous Sri Krishna Deva Raya, and some of the later rulers like Venkatapathi Raya, and Aliya Ramaraya, sri Krishna Deva Raya's Son-in-law.
His reign was marked by a series of wars between his kingdom and two neighboring kingdoms, the Vijayanagara and the Warangal under Kapaya Nayaka.
In around 1500 Vijaynagar had 500,000 inhabitants, probably making it the second largest city in the world after Peking-Beijing and twice the size of Paris back then.
Chingleput was formerly a capital of the kings of Vijayanagara, after their defeat by the Deccan sultanates at Battle of Talikota in 1565.
In the 15th century, a number of wars were fought between the Deccan sultanates and Vijayanagara for control of the Goa region, as a result of which Govapuri came under the control of the Adilshahs of Bijapur.
The Veerashaiva writer Chamarasa (author of Prabhulingalile, 1425) and his Vaishnava competitor Kumaravyasa (Karnata Bharata Kathamanjari, 1450) popularised the shatpadi metric tradition initiated by Hoysala poet Raghavanka, in the court of Vijayanagara King Deva Raya II.
Under Vijayanagara Rayas, Rayara Hubli grew as a commercial centre, famous for trade in cotton, saltpetre and iron.
During the Vijayanagara period, they expanded their kingdom to cover Sringeri, Koppa, Balehonnur, and Mudigere in Chikamagalur and most of the Karkala taluk.
Scholars such as Rothermund, B.L Rice, P.B. Desai, Saletore, Henry Heras, Suryanatha Kamath, Karmakar and S.K. Aiyangar claim that the founders of the Vijayanagara Empire were Kannadigas and related to the Hoysala dynasty.