Achyuta Deva Raya

Emperor of Vijayanagara from 1529 to 1542

Achyuta Deva Raya
Rajadhiraja
Statues depicting Achyuta Deva Raya (left) and his queen (right)
Emperor of Vijayanagara
Reign	1529 – 1542 CE
Coronation	30 November 1529 Vijayanagara, Vijayanagara Empire
Predecessor	Krishnadevaraya
Successor	Venkata I

Consorts	Varadambika Tirumalamba
Issue	Venkata I
Dynasty	Tuluva
Father	Tuluva Narasa Nayaka
Mother	Obamamba^[1]
Religion	Hinduism

Achyuta Deva Raya (r. 1529 - 1542 CE) was an emperor of Vijayanagara who succeeded his older brother, Krishnadevaraya, after the latter's death in 1529 CE.^[2]

During his reign, Fernao Nuniz, a Portuguese-Jewish traveller, chronicler and horse trader visited India and spent three years in Vijayanagara.^[3]

Achyutaraya patronised the Kannada poet Chatu Vittalanatha, the great composer and singer Purandaradasa, one of the major proponents 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 the emperor while yet a child, under the regency of Rama Raya, a son-in-law of Krishnadevaraya. His wife's name was probably Vasudha Devi. Sadasiva Raya was probably the son of Vasudha Devi's sister Hemavati and her husband Ranga Raya.

Reign

Vijayanagara Empire

Ruling dynasties

Sangama dynasty

Harihara I	1336–1356
Bukka Raya I	1356–1377
Harihara Raya II	1377–1404
Virupaksha Raya	1404–1405
Bukka Raya II	1405–1406
Deva Raya I	1406–1422
Ramachandra Raya	1422
Vira Vijaya Bukka Raya	1422–1424
Deva Raya II	1424–1446
Mallikarjuna Raya	1446–1465
Virupaksha Raya II	1465–1485
Praudha Raya	1485

Saluva dynasty

Saluva Narasimha Deva Raya	1485–1491
Thimma Bhupala	1491
Narasimha Raya II	1491–1505

Tuluva dynasty

Tuluva Narasa Nayaka	1491–1503
Vira Narasimha Raya	1503–1509
Krishna Deva Raya	1509–1529
Achyuta Deva Raya	1529–1542
Venkata I	1542
Sadasiva Raya	1542–1570

Aravidu dynasty

Rama Raya	1542–1565
Tirumala Deva Raya	1565–1572
Sriranga I	1572–1586
Venkata II	1586–1614
Sriranga II	1614
Rama Deva Raya	1617–1632
Venkata III	1632–1642
Sriranga III	1642–1646

The time when Achyuta Deva Raya became the emperor 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 Rama Raya, who was competing for the throne.

While the works of Nuniz speak very lowly of Achyuta Deva Raya as being a monarch given to vices and cruelty, there is enough evidence to prove that the emperor was indeed noteworthy in his own right and fought hard to keep the prosperity of the empire alive. He had been personally chosen by Krishnadevaraya himself as a capable successor, handpicked to assume the imperial throne.^[4]

The Turko-Persian Sultan Ismail Adil Shah of Bijapur invaded and captured the Raichur doab.^[5] The Gajapatis of Orissa and Quli Qutub Shah of Golconda Sultanate were defeated and pushed back. Achyuta Deva Raya along with his general Salakaraju Tirumala went on a southern campaign to bring the governors of Travancore and Ummathur under control. They were successful. Then they attacked the doab north of the Tungabhadra and recaptured the forts of Raichur and Mudgal successfully.^[6]

The two Sanskrit works Achyutarayabhyudaya (lit. 'Exaltation of Achyutaraya') and Varadambikaparinaya (lit. 'Wedding of Varadambika') describe the emperor's life and reign in detail.^[7]

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 Empire in high ranking positions with men of his own favour. On more than one occasion the Bahmani Sultans were brought in to play the role of mediator between the emperor and Aliya Rama Raya in the game of power sharing. This would further weaken the Empire. Around 1540 CE, Rama Raya imprisoned Achyuta Deva Raya in a coup.

In 1542 CE, 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 emperor. Rama Raya became the imperial 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 Venkateswara to whom the temple was dedicated.

The Shiva temple at Timmalapura was constructed in 1539 CE during the reign of Achyuta Deva Raya
Kannada inscription of emperor Achyuta Deva Raya dated 1539 CE in the Shiva temple in Timmalapura
Kannada inscription (1536 CE) of emperor Achyuta Deva Raya on molding of Vittala temple in Hampi
Kannada inscription (1536 CE) of emperor Achyuta Deva Raya at the Vittala temple in Hampi
Shiva temple built by emperor Achyuta Deva Raya at Timmalapura near Hampi

References

^ Ayyangar, Krishnaswamy (1919). Sources of Vijayanagar History. Chennai: University of Madras. p. 16.
^ Pletcher, Kenneth (15 August 2010). The History of India. The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc. p. 155. ISBN 978-1-61530-122-5.
^ Datta, Nonica (2003). Indian History: Ancient and medieval. Encyclopaedia Britannica (India) and Popular Prakashan, Mumbai. p. 292. ISBN 978-81-7991-067-2.
^ Stein, Burton (1990). The New Cambridge History of India: Vijayanagara. Cambridge University Press. p. 67. ISBN 978-0-521-26693-2.
^ Khan, Iqtidar Alam (25 April 2008). Historical Dictionary of Medieval India. Scarecrow Press. p. 13. ISBN 978-0-8108-6401-6.
^ Indian History. Allied Publishers. 1988. p. 152. ISBN 978-81-8424-568-4.
^ Mukherjee, Sujit (1998). A Dictionary of Indian Literature: Beginnings-1850. Orient Blackswan. p. 410. ISBN 978-81-250-1453-9.