Achyuta Deva Raya

From Justapedia, unleashing the power of collective wisdom
(Redirected from Achyuta Raya)
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Achyuta Deva Raya
Achyuta Deva Raya and his Queen.jpg
Idols depicting Achyuta Deva Raya (left) and his queen
Reign1529–1542
IssueVenkata I
FatherTuluva Narasa Nayaka
MotherObamamba[1]
The Shiva temple at Timmalapura was constructed in 1539 A.D. during the reign of Achyuta Raya
Kannada inscription of King Achyuta Raya dated 1539 A.D. in the Shiva temple in Timmalapura
Vijayanagara Empire
Ruling dynasties
Sangama dynasty
Harihara I1336–1356
Bukka Raya I1356–1377
Harihara Raya II1377–1404
Virupaksha Raya1404–1405
Bukka Raya II1405–1406
Deva Raya I1406–1422
Ramachandra Raya1422
Vira Vijaya Bukka Raya1422–1424
Deva Raya II1424–1446
Mallikarjuna Raya1446–1465
Virupaksha Raya II1465–1485
Praudha Raya1485
Saluva dynasty
Saluva Narasimha Deva Raya1485–1491
Thimma Bhupala1491
Narasimha Raya II1491–1505
Tuluva dynasty
Tuluva Narasa Nayaka1491–1503
Vira Narasimha Raya1503–1509
Krishna Deva Raya1509–1529
Achyuta Deva Raya1529–1542
Venkata I1542
Sadasiva Raya1542–1570
Aravidu dynasty
Aliya Rama Raya1542–1565
Tirumala Deva Raya1565–1572
Sriranga I1572–1586
Venkata II1586–1614
Sriranga II1614
Rama Deva Raya1617–1632
Venkata III1632–1642
Sriranga III1642–1646

Achyuta Deva Raya (died 1542 CE) was a ruler of a Vijayanagara Empire of South India. He was the younger brother of Krishna Deva Raya, whom he succeeded in 1529.

During his reign, Fernao Nuniz a Portuguese traveller, chronicler and horse trader visited India and spent three years in Vijayanagara.

Achyutaraya patronised Kannada poet Chatu Vittalanatha, the great composer and singer Purandaradasa (The Fathers of Carnatic music), and the Sanskrit scholar Rajanatha Dindima II. Upon his death, the succession was disputed. His son Venkata I succeeded him but ruled for a very short period and was killed in a chaotic succession dispute in which many claimants to the throne were killed. The dispute ended when his nephew, (younger brother's son) Sadasiva Raya, finally became king while yet a child, under the regency of Aliya Rama Raya, a son-in-law of Krishnadevaraya. His wife's name was probably Vasudha Devi. Sadasiva Raya was probably son of Vasudha Devi's sister Hemavati and her husband Ranga Raya.

Achyutadevaraya and his consort Varadarajamma

Reign

Kannada inscription (1536 A.D.) of King Achyuta Deva Raya on molding of Vittala temple in Hampi
Kannada inscription (1536 A.D.) of King Achyuta Deva Raya at the Vittala temple in Hampi
Shiva temple built by King Achyuta Deva Raya at Timmalapura near Hampi

The time when Achyuta Deva Raya became the king was by no means a favorable one. The peace and prosperity of the halcyon days under Krishnadevaraya were coming to an end. Feudatories and enemies were waiting for an opportunity to bring down the empire. In addition, Achyuta Deva Raya had to contend with the powerful Aliya Rama Raya, who was competing for the throne.

While the works of Nuniz speak very lowly of Achyuta Deva Raya as being a king given to vices and cruelty, there is enough evidence to prove that the king was indeed noteworthy in his own right and fought hard to keep the prosperity of the kingdom alive. He had been handpicked by Krishna Deva Raya himself as an able successor.

Ismail Adil Shah of Bijapur invaded and captured the Raichur doab. However the Gajapati's of Orissa and Quli Qutub Shah of Golconda were defeated and pushed back. Now Achyuta Deva Raya along with his general Salakaraju Tirumala went on a southern campaign to bring the chiefs of Travancore and Ummatur under control. This they did successfully. Then they invaded the doab north of Tungabhadra and recaptured the forts of Raichur and Mudgal.

The two Sanskrit works Achyutabhyudayam and Varadambikaparinayam describe the king's life and rule in detail.

Throughout his rule, Achyuta Deva Raya had to contend with the manipulations of Rama Raya who in his powerful capacity had replaced many of the faithful servants of the Kingdom in high ranking positions with men of his own favour. On more than one occasion the Bahamani Sultans were brought in to play the role of mediator between the king and Ailya Rama Raya in the game of power sharing. This would further weaken the kingdom. Around 1540 Aliya Rama Raya imprisoned Achyuta Deva Raya in a coup.

In 1542 Achyuta Deva Raya died, and was succeeded by his young son of Venkata I (Venkata Raya or Venkatadri Raya). But he was soon killed, and Sadasiva Raya became the new king. Aliya Rama Raya became the regent and let very little governance in the hands of Sadasiva Raya.

The Tiruvengalanatha temple was built at Vijayanagara during his reign. It has become popularly known by his name as Achyutaraya temple, rather than by the name of the deity Lord Venkateshwara to whom the temple was dedicated.

References

  1. ^ Ayyangar, Krishnaswamy (1919). Sources of Vijayanagar History. Chennai: University of Madras. p. 16. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  • Prof K.A. Nilakanta Sastri, History of South India, From Prehistoric times to fall of Vijayanagar, 1955, OUP, New Delhi (Reprinted 2002)

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Achyuta Deva Raya.
Preceded by Vijayanagar empire
1529–1542 		Succeeded by
Retrieved from "https://justapedia.org/index.php?title=Achyuta_Deva_Raya&oldid=1108760282"