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Achyutappa | |
---|---|
2nd Nayaka of Tanjore | |
In office 1580–1614 | |
Preceded by | Sevappa Nayak |
Succeeded by | Raghunatha Nayak |
Yuvaraja of Tanjore | |
In office 1560–1580 | |
Personal details | |
Died | Thanjavur,Nayakdom of Tanjore,Vijayanagara Empire. (present-day Thanjavur,Tamil Nadu,India) |
Children | Raghunatha Nayak |
Parents |
|
Military service | |
Allegiance | Vijayanagara Empire |
Battles/wars | Battle of Vallamprakara |
Achuthappa Nayak was the Nayaka of Thanjavur under the Vijayanagara Empire from 1560 to 1614. From 1560 to 1580, he was co-Nayaka along with his father and from 1580 to 1614, he ruled on his own. His reign was eventful and its later years were marked by conflict.
Achyutappa Nayaka was the eldest son of Sevappa Nayak, the Vijayanagar feudatory of Arcot who was appointed the first Nayaka of Tanjore. His principal queen was Murtimamba.
Achyutappa Nayak was named by Sevappa Nayak in the honour of Vijayanagara Emperor Achyuta Deva Raya. During his lifetime, Achyutappa Nayaka was also known as Chinna Seva Achyutha and Sevappa Achyutha.
Achyutappa ruled for a total of 54 years during which Thanjavur experienced architectural and cultural development. While the earlier part of his reign was peaceful, there was warfare with Turko-Persian Muslim and Portuguese-Christian invaders towards the end. He maintained peaceful relations with the Vijayanagara Emperors and assisted them in their campaigns. Achyutappa was assisted by his minister, the legendary Govinda Dikshitar.
In 1579, the Madurai Nayak Virappa Nayak rebelled against the Vijayanagara Emperor. Achyutappa fought Virappa along with Venkata II at Vallamprakara (the present-day Vallam near Thanjavur) and defeated him. This battle is not mentioned in any of Achyutappa's own inscriptions and the only references to this war are found in the Pudukkottai plates of Adivirarama Srivallabha and Varathungarama, both dated 1583. The validity of these plates have since been questioned by some as Venkatapati did not ascend the imperial throne until 1586. However, Venkatapati was already the Viceroy of the South, governing from Chandragiri and the Pudukkottai plates themselves reference this fact when they refer to the great Rama Raya of Talikota fame as "Emperor" and give no royal title to Venkatapati, only using his simple name. This ordinary reference to Venkatapati shows that at the time of Vallam battle he was not the emperor but only a viceroy.
The Sahityaratnakara describe Achyutappa's victory over Parasikas at Nagapattinam. Ramabadramba too refers to the campaign but names Achyutappa's enemies as "Parangi", the Tamil word used for colonial Eurochristians. During the early 17th century, the Portuguese were waging a concentrated campaign to conquer Jaffna and Achyutappa's attack on Nagapattinam might have been launched to assist the king of Jaffna. To supplant the Portuguese, Achyutappa also maintained friendly relations with the Dutch towards the end of his reign.
On the whole, however, the kingdom progressed during Achuthappa's reign. Achuthappa built the Thiraikattuvar Mandapam in the Vilanagar temple in 1608 and made generous land grants to the Margasahayeshwara Temple at Muvalur near Mayiladuthurai, Thirumulasthana Temple at Chidambaram and Panaipakkam Temple. The Sangitha Sudha says that Achuthappa Nayak was an ardent devotee of the Hindu god Ranganatha right from his boyhood. Achuthappa constructed the golden vimana and gopuras around the Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam and constructed the flight of steps leading to the Cauvery. He constructed Pushyamantapas to feed poor Brahmins in the towns of Mayiladuthurai, Thiruvidaimarudur, Kumbakonam and Tiruvadi. He also constructed a dam across the Cauvery near the town of Tiruvadi in order to facilitate irrigation and endowed agraharas all over the kingdom.
Literature flourished during his reign. The works Sahityaratnakara and Raghunathabyudayam give a detailed picture of life in the Thanjavur Nayak kingdom. They describe the whole kingdom as a "paddy forest" (Salivanam).
According to sources, Achuthappa abdicated following the death of the Vijayanagar Emperor Venkatapathi in 1614 and anointed his son Raghunatha Nayak as the next ruler. According to the Sahityaratnakara, Achuthappa retired to Srirangam upon abdication spending the rest of his life discoursing with Hindu scholars. The Raghunathabyudayam says that Raghunatha Nayak approached Achuthappa to seek his blessings after the Battle of Toppur in 1617. It is assumed that Achuthappa must have died after that date.
Thanjavur, also known as Thanjai, previously known as Tanjore, is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the 11th biggest city in Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur is an important center of southern Indian religion, art, and architecture. Most of the Great Living Chola Temples, which are UNESCO World Heritage Monuments, are located in and around Thanjavur. The foremost among these, the Brihadeeswara Temple, built by the Chola emperor Rajaraja I, is located in the centre of the city. This temple has one of the largest bull statues in India carved out of a single granite rock. Thanjavur is also home to Tanjore painting, a painting style unique to the region. Thanjavur is the headquarters of the Thanjavur District. The city is an important agricultural centre located in the Kaveri Delta and is known as the Rice bowl of Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur is administered by a municipal corporation covering an area of 36.31 km2 (14.02 sq mi) and had a population of 222,943. Roadways are the major means of transportation, while the city also has rail connectivity. The nearest airport is Tiruchirapalli International Airport, located 59.6 km (37.0 mi) away from the city. The nearest seaport is Karaikal, which is 94 km (58 mi) away from Thanjavur. The city first rose to prominence during the reign of the Cholas when it served as the capital of the empire. After the fall of the Cholas, the city was ruled by various dynasties such as the Mutharaiyar dynasty, the Pandyas, the Vijayanagar Empire, the Madurai Nayaks, the Thanjavur Nayaks, the Thanjavur Marathas and the British Empire. It has been a part of independent India since 1947.
Mayiladuthurai is a Special grade Municipality and district headquarter of Mayiladuthurai district in Tamil Nadu, India. The town is located at a distance of 256 km (159 mi) from the state capital, Chennai.
Thanjavur painting is a classical South Indian painting style, originating in the town of Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu. The art form draws its immediate resources and inspiration from way back about 1600 AD, a period when the Nayakas of Thanjavur under the suzerainty of the Vijayanagara Rayas encouraged art—chiefly, classical dance and music—as well as literature, both in Telugu and Tamil and painting of chiefly Hindu religious subjects in temples. However, it can safely be surmised that Thanjavur painting, as we know it now, originated in the Maratha court of Thanjavur (1676–1855). It has been recognized as a Geographical indication by the Government of India in 2007–08.
Chola Nadu is a cultural region of the Tamil Nadu state in southern India. It encompasses the lower reaches of the Kaveri River and its delta, and formed the cultural homeland and political base of the Chola Dynasty which ruled large parts of South India and parts of Sri Lanka between the 9th and 13th centuries CE. Uraiyur served as the early Chola capital, then medieval Cholas shifted to Thanjavur and later cholas king Rajendra Chola I moved the capital to Gangaikonda Cholapuram in Ariyalur in the 11th century CE.
The Thanjavur Nayakdynasty were the rulers of Thanjavur in the 15th and 17th centuries. The Nayaks, who belonged to the Telugu-speaking Balija social group were originally appointed as provincial governors by the Vijayanagara Emperor in the 15th century, who divided the territory into Nayak kingdoms which were Madurai, Tanjore, Gingee and Kalahasthi. In the mid-15th century they became an independent kingdom, although they continued their alliance with the Vijayanagara Empire. The Thanjavur Nayaks were notable for their patronage of literature and the arts.
Nayaka dynasties emerged during the Kakatiya dynasty and the Vijayanagara Empire period. The Nayakas were originally military governors under the Vijayanagara Empire. After the battle of Talikota, several of them declared themselves independent.
Rama Deva Raya ascended the throne after a gruesome war in 1617 as the Emperor of Vijaynagara. In 1614 his father, Sriranga II the preceding emperor and his family were murdered by rival factions headed by Jagga Raya, who was one of their kins. Rama Deva himself was smuggled out of the prison by Yachama Naidu, a faithful commander and the viceroy of earlier emperor Venkata II.
Venkatapati Raya was the third Emperor of Vijayanagara from the Aravidu Dynasty. He succeeded his older brother, the Emperor Sriranga Deva Raya as the ruler of Vijayanagara Empire with bases in Penukonda, Chandragiri and Vellore. His reign of nearly three decades saw a revival in the strength and prosperity of the empire. He successfully dealt with the Turko-Persian Deccan sultans of Bijapur and Golkonda, the internal disorders, promoting economic revival in the realm. He subdued the rebelling Nayakas of Tamil Nadu and parts of present-day Andhra Pradesh.
Venkata III was the grandson of Aliya Rama Raya. Venkata III belonged to a Telugu family. and became the King of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1632 to 1642. His son-in-law Pedda Koneti Nayak was ruler of Penukonda. His brothers-in-law were Damarla Venkatappa Nayaka and Damarla Ayyappa Nayaka, both sons of Damarla Chennapa Nayakadu.
The Madurai Nayaks were a Telugu dynasty who ruled most of modern-day Tamil Nadu, India, with Madurai as their capital. The Madurai Nayaks had their origins in the Balija warrior clans of present-day Andhra Pradesh. The Nayak reign which lasted for over two centuries from around 1529 to 1736 was noted for its achievements in arts, cultural and administrative reforms, revitalization of temples previously ransacked by the Delhi Sultans, and the inauguration of a unique architectural style.
The Thanjavur Maratha kingdom ruled by the Bhonsle dynasty was a principality of Tamil Nadu between the 17th and 19th centuries. Their native language was Thanjavur Marathi. Vyankoji Bhosale was the founder of the dynasty.
Govinda Dikshita (Dikshitar) was the minister of three successive Nayaks of Thanjavur, who ruled the region of Thanjavur in South India between the 16th and 17th centuries CE.
The Nayaks of Gingee (Senji) were Telugu rulers of the Gingee principality of Tamil Nadu between 16th to 18th century CE. The Gingee Nayaks had their origins in the Balija warrior clans of present-day Andhra Pradesh. They were subordinates of the imperial Vijayanagara emperors, and were appointed as provincial governors by the Vijayanagar Emperor who divided the Tamil country into three Nayakships viz., Madurai, Tanjore and Gingee. Later, after the fall of the Vijayanagara's Tuluva dynasty, the Gingee rulers declared independence. While they ruled independently, they were sometimes at war with the Tanjore neighbors and the Vijayanagara overlords later based in Vellore and Chandragiri. Gingee ruler Surappa nayaka had a brother called Era Krishnappa Nayak whose son established himself in Karnataka and his family came to be known afterwards as the Belur Nayakas.
Thanjavur District was one of the districts in the erstwhile Madras Presidency of British India. It covered the area of the present-day districts of Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai and Aranthangi taluk, Karambakkudi taluk of Pudukkottai District in Tamil Nadu. Apart from being a bedrock of Hindu orthodoxy, Tanjore was a centre of Chola cultural heritage and one of the richest and most prosperous districts in Madras Presidency.
Tiruchirappalli is believed to be of great antiquity and has been ruled by the Early Cholas, Mutharaiyars Early Pandyas, Pallavas, Medieval Cholas, Later Cholas, Later Pandyas, Delhi Sultanate, Ma'bar Sultanate, Vijayanagar Empire, Nayak Dynasty, the Carnatic state and the British at different times. The archaeologically important town of Uraiyur which served as the capital of the Early Cholas is a Neighborhood of Tiruchirapalli.
Sevappa Nayak was a Nayaka (governor) of Thanjavur under the Vijayanagara Empire from 1532 to 1560.
Raghunatha Nayak was the most powerful king of the Thanjavur Nayak Dynasty. He was the third ruler of Thanjavur, southern India, from the Nayak dynasty. He belongs to Balija caste. He ruled from 1600 to 1634 and is noted for the attainments of Thanjavur in literature, art, and Carnatic music.
Vijaya Raghava Nayak was the fourth and last king of Sevappa Nayak's line. He ruled from 1634 to 1673. In 1673, Vijaya Raghava Nayak was defeated in battle by the Madurai Nayak king Chokkanatha Nayak who captured and beheaded him.
This battle caused complete destruction of the already declining Vijayanagara Empire. It was a civil war fought by the claimants for the throne of the Vijayanagara Empire. Jagga Raya challenged the Sriranga Authority on behalf of his nephew.