Who was Achyuta Deva Raya?
Achyuta Deva Raya was the younger brother of the King Krishna Deva Raya, ruler of Vijayanagara empire, often associated with one of the cleverest persons on earth, Tenali Rama.
What happened to Vijayanagara empire after Krishna Deva Raya according to Fernoa Nunez:
Acyuta Raya brought with it the beginning of the end of the Vijayanagara Empire. Despite the problems brewing on the borders of this vast South Indian kingdom, Nunez, one of the known traders in the kingdom, makes a spectacular image of the main palace of Achyuta Deva Raya. The Achyuta Deva Raya regime has witnessed political unrest and power struggles.
Kingdom’s decline during rein of Achyuta Deva Raya
During his reign, Acyuta Deva Raya was forced to fight the manipulations of Rama Raya, who in his powerful abilities replaced many of the Kingdom’s faithful servants in high positions with people in his favor. The sultans of Bahamani were repeatedly called upon to play the role of an intermediary between the king and Aliya Rama Raya in the game of power sharing. Sultan Bahmani had to be summoned often enough to settle disputes between Achyuta Deva Raya and Aliya Rama Raya.
It is believed that Krishna Deva Raya himself chose Achyuta Deva Raya as his successor as he showed signs of a capable king. The area around Raichur Doab was captured by Isamail Adil Shah from Bijapur. Taking advantage of the victory, Rai reunited Bidar, Gulbarga and Bijapur in Vijayanagar and received the title of “founder of the kingdom of Yavan” when he freed Sultan Mahmud and made him the de facto ruler.
He defeated many local rulers such as Dharanikota Kammas who were the feudal rulers of the Gajapati, and the leaders of the Ummatura rebels. Paradise subdued the local rulers, Reddis from Kondaveedu and Velamas from Bhuvanagiri, and conquered lands as far as the Krishna River. After the fall of the Delhi Sultanate, he held the largest kingdom in India.
After the death of Achyuta Deva Raya his son Venkata I succeeded to the throne, but he did not rule for long, was killed in a chaotic succession dispute, and many heirs to the throne were killed.
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The 1518 Treaty
In 1518, a treaty was signed, according to which the territories of the kingdom of Odisha north of the Krishna River were returned to the ruler of Gajapati, while maintaining complete peace between the two empires. By invading and conquering various territories of the Bahmani kingdom, he managed to expand his empire in the south of India. Krishnadevaraya ruled his empire according to his Amuktamayyada manuscript.
The Battle of Raichur was a battle between the Vijayanagar Empire and the Bijapur Sultanate in 1520 AD. in the city of Raichur, India. The annual raid of the Deccan sultans and the sacking of the cities and villages of Vijayanagara ended during the reign of Rayas. The Vijayanagar army supported the Vijayanagar Empire, in particular due to the empire’s long-standing rivalry with the Bahmani Sultanate.
Other facts about Vijayanagara kingdom
People believe that the tomb is in a mantapa built in the middle of the Tunga-bhadra river in Anegundi, where there is a fort with many doors, a Durga temple and tombs at the entrance to the fort. There are no clear inscriptions on the tombs of the emperor and his prime minister Timmaras, only local beliefs. However, it is still unclear whether the protocol was drawn up by the king himself.
While Nuniz’s writings very modestly speak of Achyuta Deva Paradise as a king devoted to vices and cruelty, there is enough evidence to prove that the king was indeed remarkable and fought hard to keep the kingdom prosperous. Krishna Deva Raya was succeeded in 1529 by his younger brother Achyuta Deva Raya, whose death in 1542 passed to his nephew Sadashiva Raya, then a minor. But the cunning Timmarusu obtained information about Prataparudra’s plan by bribing a Telugu defector who had previously been in the service of Prataparudra.
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Other Facts about Achyuta Deva Raya
- Krishnadeva Raya appointed his brother Achyuta Deva Raya (1529-1542 AD) as his successor.
- Archival and literary evidence suggests Achuta Dev Raya was not exactly the person Nunij describes him.
- Achyutadeva punished the Rajapratinidhi of Madura and subdued the Raja of Tiruvankur (who had given refuge to the Rajapratinidhi of Madura).
- During his reign, he seized the forts of Raichur and Mudgal from Ismail Adil Khan, the ruler of Bijapur.
- Achyutadeva Raya defeated the attack of the ruler Gajapati and also defeated the Sultan of Golconda in 1530 AD.
- A new officer named Mahamandaleshwar was appointed during the time of Achyutadeva Raya.
After his death in 1542 AD. C., Achyuta’s brother-in-law, ‘Salakaraj Tirumal’, placed Achyuta’s short-lived son, ‘Venkata I’, on the throne. - His reign lasted only 6 months.
- After that, the power of the Vijayanagara Empire fell into the hands of Achyuta’s nephew, Sadashiv Raya.
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