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| Achyuta Deva Raya | |
|---|---|
| Rajadhiraja | |
 Achyutadevaraya (left) and his consort Varadambika (right) | |
| Emperor of Vijayanagara | |
| Reign | 30 November 1529 –c. 1542 CE |
| Coronation | 30 November 1529 Vijayanagara, Vijayanagara Empire |
| Predecessor | Krishnadevaraya |
| Successor | Venkata I |
| Born | Unknown Vijayanagara,Vijayanagara Empire (modern dayHampi,Karnataka,India) |
| Died | c. 1542 Vijayanagara,Vijayanagara Empire (modern dayHampi,Karnataka,India) |
| Consorts | Tirumalamba Varadambika |
| Issue | Venkata I |
| Dynasty | Tuluva |
| Father | Tuluva Narasa Nayaka |
| Mother | Obamamba[1] |
| Religion | Hinduism |
Achyuta Deva Raya (r. 1529 - 1542 CE) was aemperor 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 theKannada poet Chatu Vittalanatha, the great composer and singerPurandaradasa, one of the major proponents ofCarnatic music, and theSanskrit scholar Rajanatha Dindima II. Upon his death, the succession was disputed. His sonVenkata 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 ofRama Raya, a son-in-law of Krishnadevaraya. His wife's name was probably Varadambika. Sadasiva Raya was probably the son of Varadambika's sister Hemavati and her husband Ranga Raya.
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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 powerfulRama Raya, who was competing for the throne.
While the works ofNuniz 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]
TheTurko-Persian SultanIsmail Adil Shah ofBijapur invaded and captured the Raichur doab.[5] TheGajapatis of Orissa andQuli Qutub Shah ofGolconda Sultanate were defeated and pushed back. Achyuta Deva Raya along with his general Salakaraju Tirumala went on a southern campaign to bring the governors ofTravancore andUmmathur under control. They were successful. Then they attacked the doab north of theTungabhadra and recaptured the forts ofRaichur andMudgal successfully.[6]
The two Sanskrit worksAchyutarayabhyudaya (lit. 'Exaltation of Achyutaraya') andVaradambikaparinaya (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 ofRama 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 theBahmani Sultans were brought in to play the role of mediator between the emperor andAliya 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, andSadasiva Raya became the new emperor. Rama Raya became theimperial 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 asAchyutaraya temple, rather than by the name of the deityVenkateswara to whom the temple was dedicated.
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Media related toAchyuta Deva Raya at Wikimedia Commons
| Preceded by | Vijayanagar empire 1529–1542 | Succeeded by |