Related Research Articles
Krishnadevaraya was an emperor of the Vijayanagara Empire reigning from 1509 to 1529. He was the third monarch of the Tuluva dynasty, and is considered to be one of the greatest rulers in Indian history. He ruled the largest empire in India after the fall of the Islamic Delhi Sultanate. Presiding over the empire at its zenith, he is regarded as an icon by many Indians. Krishnadevaraya earned the titles Andhra Bhoja, Karnatakaratna Simhasanadeeshwara, Yavana Rajya Pratistapanacharya, Kannada Rajya Rama Ramana, Gaubrahmana Pratipalaka and Mooru Rayara Ganda. He became the dominant ruler of the peninsula by defeating the sultans of Bijapur, Golconda, the Bahmani Sultanate and the Gajapatis of Odisha, and was one of the most powerful Hindu rulers in India.
Achyuta Deva Raya was an Emperor of Vijayanagara who succeeded his older brother, the Emperor Krishna Deva Raya after the latter's death in 1529 CE.
Rama Raya was a statesman of the Vijayanagara Empire, the son-in-law of Emperor Krishna Deva Raya and the progenitor of the Aravidu dynasty of Vijayanagara Empire, the fourth and last dynasty of the empire. As a regent, he was the de facto ruler of the empire from 1542 to 1565, although legally the emperor during this period was Sadasiva Raya, who was merely a puppet ruler. Rama Raya was killed at the Battle of Talikota, after which the Vijayanagara Empire got fragmented into several semi-independent principalities paying only nominal allegiance to the empire.
The Battle of Talikota, also known as that of Rakkasagi–Tangadagi, was a watershed battle fought between the Vijayanagara Empire and an alliance of the Deccan sultanates. Despite the Vijayanagara army being larger, they were comprehensively defeated. The battle resulted in the defeat and death of Rama Raya, the de facto ruler of the Vijayanagara Empire, which led to the immediate collapse of the Vijayanagara polity and reconfigured South Indian and Deccan politics.
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.
Tuluva Narasa Nayaka was an Indian general and later an Imperial Regent who founded the Tuluva dynasty of the Vijayanagara Empire. He was the father of the Emperors Viranarasimha Raya, Krishnadevaraya and Achyuta Deva Raya.
Vira Narasimha Raya became the Emperor of Vijayanagara after the death of his predecessor Narasimha Raya II. He was the older half-brother of Krishnadevaraya.
The Aravidu Dynasty was the fourth and last Hindu dynasty of Vijayanagara Empire in South India. Its founder was Tirumala Deva Raya, whose brother Rama Raya had been the masterful regent of the last ruler of the previous dynasty. Rama Raya's death at the Battle of Talikota in 1565 led to the subsequent destruction of Vijayanagar by the combined forces of the Muslim states of the Deccan. The Aravidu family claimed to be Kshatriyas and were based in Andhra region. They claimed to belong to the Atreya gotra and traced their lineage to the Eastern Chalukya king Rajaraja Narendra.
Sadasiva Raya was an Emperor of Vijayanagara who reigned from 1542 to 1570 CE. When the Vijayanagara Emperor Achyuta Raya died in 1542 CE, his son, Venkata I, succeeded him. However, Venkata I was assassinated six months later. Sadasiva Raya, who was the nephew of Achyuta Raya, became the new Emperor in accordance with the Aliya succession laws which was prevalent among the Tuluvas. Sadasiva Raya, along with his Prime Minister Rama Raya, restored the Vijayanagara empire's power, which had diminished after the reign of Krishna Deva Raya. The strategy was to play the Turko-Persian Sultanates in the Deccan against each other by first allying with one and then another.
Tirumala Deva Raya was the first crowned Emperor of Vijayanagara from the Aravidu Dynasty. He was the younger brother of Rama Raya and the husband of princess Vengalamba, making him the son-in-law of Emperor Krishna Deva Raya. Following the Battle of Talikota, he rescued the last Tuluva Emperor, Sadasiva Raya, and relocated the imperial capital to Penukonda. After Sadasiva's death in 1570 CE, he ascended as the Emperor of Vijayanagara. He was succeeded by his son, Sriranga I in 1572.
Rama Deva Raya ascended the throne after a gruesome war in 1617 as the King of Vijayanagara Empire. In 1614 his father, Sriranga II the preceding King and his family were gruesomely 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 king Venkata II.
Sriranga III was the last ruler of the Vijayanagara Empire, who came to power in 1642 following the death of his uncle Venkata III. He was also a great grandson of Aliya Rama Raya.
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.
Mahamantri Timmarusu is a 1962 Indian Telugu-language historical drama film directed by Kamalakara Kameswara Rao. It stars N. T. Rama Rao, Devika, Gummadi with music composed by Pendyala Nageswara Rao. The film was produced by N. Ramabrahmam, A. Pundarikakshayya under the Gowtami Productions banner. The film won the President's silver medal for Best Feature Film in Telugu at the 10th National Film Awards.
Sevappa Nayak was a Nayaka (governer) of Thanjavur under the Vijayanagara Empire from 1532 to 1560.
Events in India from the year 1542.
Chamaraja Wodeyar III was fifth raja of the Kingdom of Mysore and the last one to rule as feudal king under the Vijayanagara Empire. He reigned after his father's demise in 1513 until his death in 1553.
Tirumala Devi was the senior wife and chief queen of Emperor Krishnadevaraya, who is considered to be the greatest ruler of the Vijayanagara Empire. She was also the most honoured wife of Krishnadevaraya, and the mother of his heir-apparent, Prince Tirumala, who died in his childhood.
Anegundi Raj is one of the most important estate in the then Bellary district, British Raj, present in the Gangavathi taluk, Koppal district in the Indian state of Karnataka. After the downfall of the glorious Vijayanagara Empire at Chandragiri, the last emperor Sri Ranga III named Rama Raya recovered some part of his ancestral dominion and retained Anegundi, part of Chitaldurgam and part of Harpanahalli as a jagir from the Mohammedan government.
References
- Prof K.A. Nilakanta Sastry, History of South India, From Prehistoric times to fall of Vijayanagar, 1955, OUP, New Delhi (Reprinted 2002)