Achyuta Deva Raya

                                                        Achyuta Raya Temple in Hampi / Image credit

Achyuta Raya was a Vijayanagar ruler who succeeded to the throne in 1529 following the death of his half-brother Krishna Deva Raya, the greatest Vijayanagar emperor. If Portuguese chronicler Fernao Nuniz, who spent three years in Vijayanagar empire during the reign of Achyuta Deva Raya from 1535 to 1537, is to be believed, the Vijayanagar ruler was given to cruelty and tyranny. However, Achyuta Raya was not such a dishonest and weak ruler as maligned by Nuniz. 

Achyuta Deva Raya ruled for 13 years and internal revolts ruled the roost during the period. However, he managed to keep the vast Vijayanagar dominions intact.

Achyuta Raya is more known for his work in the field of culture and religion. In 1534 he built the Tiruvengalanatha shrine in Hampi, more popularly known as Achyuta Raya Temple, named after him. The presiding deity of the temple is Lord Tiruvengalanatha, a form of Vishnu.  

Purandaradasa, known as Father of Carnatic music or Karnataka Sangeetha Pitamaha. was patronized by Achyuta Deva Raya in whose court also flourished Sanskrit scholar Rajanatha Dindima and Kannada poet Chatu Vittalanatha. Rajanatha Dindima had written a Sanskrit poem named Achyutaraydbhyudaya dealing with the life of Achyuta Deva Raya. 

 

Krishnadeva Raya, the Greatest Vijayanagar king

One of the greatest kings of India, Krishnadeva Raya raised the Hindu power of Vijayanagar to the zenith of its prosperity and glory. He belonged to the Taluva dynasty, one of the four main dynasties, combination of which is known as the Vijayanagar empire. A valiant and active warrior, he successfully fought all the wars he waged throughout his reign. It is said that had he lived longer, he might have driven the Muslims from the Deccan altogether. 

Krishnadeva Raya ruled from 1509 to 29. 

Of him, the Portuguese traveller Domingo Paes, who visited the Vijayanagar kingdom, writes in terms rarely used by a European traveller of an oriental king,: "He is the most learned and perfect king that could possibly be, cheerful of disposition and very merry; he is one that seeks to honour foreigners and receives them kindly; asking all about their affairs whatever their condition may be. He is a great ruler and a man of much justice, but subject to certain fits of rage . . . he is by rank a greater lord than any, by reason of what he possesses in armies and territories, but it seems that he has in fact nothing compared to what a man like him ought to have, so gallant and perfect is he in all things."

Military conquests of Krishnadeva Raya

Krishnadeva Raya at first made an onslaught on the feudatories in the central portion of his empire. He reduced the rebellious chief of Ummattur in Southern Mysore to obedience and captured the fortress of Sivasundram in 1511. In the following year he seized the Raichur doab. He chastised the Gajapati king Prataparudra of Orissa in 1513 and captured the fortresses of Udayagiri, Kondavidu and kondapilli.  He inflicted a crushing defeat on Isma'il 'Adil Shah of Bijapur on the 19th March, 1520. The Muslim sultanates of Gulbarga and Bidar were also defeated and the puppet Bahmani Sultan was restored to the throne. To commemorate the event, he assumed the title of 'Yavanarajya Sthapanacharya' or restorer of the Yavana kingdom.

Thus by his indomitable military prowess, Krishnadeva Raya extended the limits of the Vijayanagar empire to the greatest ever.

As a patron of art and architecture

Apart from the military laurels, Krishnadeva Raya’s personal accomplishments were no less remarkable. Himself a scholar, a musician and poet, he patronized poets, philosophers, and religious teachers and is known as Abhinava Bhoja. He wrote his magnum opus, Amuktamalyada, in Telugu. It is a work on polity. He is credited to have written five Sanskrit works. His court was adorned by the 'Ashtadiggajas', 'the eight elephants' (famous poets), whose contribution the world of Telugu literature is immense. His poet laureate, Peddana, was proficient in Sanskrit and Telugu and was honoured with numerous gifts. Krishnadeva Raya is called as the Andhra Pitamaha for his contribution to the Telugu literature. His reign is considered as the golden period of Telugu literature.

Krishnadeva Raya was also a great builder. The famous Hazara temple, dedicated to Lord Rama, was built during his reign. The temple is, according to Longhurst, "one of the most perfect specimens of Hindu temple architecture in existence".  He founded a new town Nagalapur which was razed to the ground after his death by Ibrahim Adil Shah as a retaliation for the treatment of Bijapur by the Vijayanagar monarch which has been mentioned earlier.

Krishnadevaraya was a great builder. He founded a town called Nagalapur named after his mother Nagalamba. He built several temples there.

As an Administrator

Krishnadeva Raya ranks very high as an administrator who introduced a number of innovations in the administration. "A crowned King," writes Krishnadeva Raya in his Amuktamalyada, "should always rule with an eye towards Dharma." He further says that "a King should rule collecting round him people skilled in statecraft, should investigate the mines yielding precious metals in his kingdom and extract the same, should levy taxes from his people moderately, should counteract the acts of his enemies by crushing them with force, should be friendly, should protect one and all of his subjects, should put an end to the mixing up of the castes among them, should always try to increase the merit of the Brahmanas, should strengthen his fortress and lessen the growth of the undesirable things and should be ever mindful of the purification of his cities..."

A detailed land survey and assessment was conducted during his reign. Krishnadeva Raya knew how to secure the goodwill of the people. He remitted a marriage tax because it was not popular.

Some facts about Krishnadeva Raya

• Vyasaraja was the rajguru or royal teacher of Krishnadeva Raya.
• Krishnadeva Raya was the first Vijayanagar ruler who concluded treaties with the Portuguese.
• The foreign travellers who visited Vijayanagar during Krishnadeva Raya’s reign were Domingo Paes and Duarte Barbosa.

Vijayanagar Empire

Though the origin of the Vijayanagar Empire is in the realm of debate, it can be said with certainty that its foundation in 1336 was a culmination of the political and cultural movement against the Muslim ideas and forces of Delhi Sultanate in the south India. This powerful kingdom continued to unfurl the banner of Hinduism for almost three centuries. The nucleus of the kingdom was the city of Vijayanagar, identified with present day Hampi (located on the banks of the Tungabhadra River) in Karnataka. 

Sangama Dynasty

There is unanimity among the historians that the kingdom was founded by Harihara and Bukka, sons of Sangama. The first dynasty which lasted from 1336 to 1485 was named after Sangama, father of the duo. After Harihara, Bukka ruled from 1356 to 1377. In 1374 he sent an embassy to China. He was succeeded in 1377 by his son Harihara II who ruled till 1404. During his rule of 27 years he strengthened the power of the Vijayanagar empire and was responsible for its supremacy over the whole of southern India.

Another important ruler of the Sangama dynasty was Deva Raya I who became its ruler in 1406 and ruled till 1422. Deva Raya II who ruled from 1424 to 1446 was the greatest ruler of the Sangama dynasty. He is known for his title Gajabetegara (a hunter of elephant). 

Saluva dynasty

The second dynasty, known as Saluva dynasty, was founded by Narasimha Saluva in 1485. The Saluva dynasty ruled till 1505. 

Taluva dynasty

Taluva was the third dynasty which ruled till 1570. This dynasty produced the greatest king of Vijayanagar empire, Krishnadeva Raya (ruled 1509-29). 

It was during the reign of the Taluva king Sadashiva Raya (1543- 69) that famous battle of Rakshasa Tangadi or Talikota in 1565 was fought in which Vijayanagar army was defeated by the combined forces of the five Muslim Sultanates of Deccan. This gave body blow to the empire. After this battle the kingdom lost its grandeur and glory. 

Aravidu dynasty

Though the rulers of the fourth dynasty, known as Aravidu dynasty, continue to rule till the middle of the seventeenth century, they were not able to retrieve the lost glory of the kingdom.

Position of Women in Vijayanagar Empire

Women occupied a very honourable position in the Viajayanagr society. Some of them were very learned and were eminent litterateurs. Monogamy was the general practice, but kings and nobility followed polygamous practices. Early marriages were common among the Brahmins. The plight of the widows was pitiable, but they could remarry. 

The state encouraged widow remarriage by not levying any marriage tax on their marriage. Women of the nobility and higher castes were carefully educated. Music and dancing formed an important part of their curriculum. Women were also wrestlers, astrologers, accountants, writers, musicians and even went to the battlefield. 

Another group of women were the courtesans who played a very important role in society. They were two classes: (a) those who were attached to the temples, and (b) those who lived independently. Their case was not homogeneous and it was open to women of any community to join their sisterhood. Courtesans were highly educated and cultured and no social stigma was attached to them. Most courtesans were very rich and enjoyed certain privileges.

During the Vijayanagar period, the Sati or Sahagaman was performed only by royal women.