Step 1: Split into administration and water systems as two themes: Address the two parts of the question separately: first governance structure, then water infrastructure.
Step 2: Administration: At the top, the king ruled with ministerial support; below him, nayakas governed provinces, collecting revenue and providing military service — a system granting significant local power in exchange for loyalty and troops.
Step 3: Water wealth: Given the semi-arid Deccan location, water security was a state priority: large tanks (like the Kamalapuram tank) stored monsoon runoff, while canals (like the Hiriya canal) channeled Tungabhadra river water directly to farmland and the city.
Final Answer: A nayaka-based provincial administration under central kingship, paired with an engineered water system of tanks and canals (Kamalapuram tank, Hiriya canal) that made the dry Vijayanagara region agriculturally productive.