First published in 1900, ‘A Forgotten Empire: Vijayanagar’ is unbiased research and work on the Vijayanagar empire by Robert Sewell, a collector, and magistrate in Madras Presidency in colonial India.

Sewell did a thorough job on the history of the Vijayanagara Empire, especially the fall of Hampi, the empire's capital. He translated ‘The Vijayanagar Empire’ as Seen by Domingo Paes and Fernao Nuniz—described as an eyewitness account of Portuguese travelers to India in the 16th century and a report on the Vijayanagar Empire.

His other works include: Analytical History of India (1870), Eclipses of the Moon in India (1878), Antiquarian Remains in Presidency of Madras (1882), A Sketch of the Dynasties of S. India (1883), South Indian Chronological Tables (1889) and The Indian Calendar (with S. B. Dikshit) (1896).