Krishnadevaraya

Who was Krishnadevaraya?

Śrī Kṛṣṇa Deva Rāya and also known as Krishna Deva Raya was an Emperor of the Vijayanagara Empire who reigned from 1509–1529 CE. He is the third ruler of the Tuluva Dynasty. Presiding over the empire at its zenith, he is regarded as an icon by many Indians. Emperor Krishna Deva Raya earned the titles Andhra Bhoja, Mooru Rayara Ganda and Kannada Rajya Rama Ramana. He became the dominant ruler of the peninsula of India by defeating the Sultans of Bijapur, Golconda and the Raja of Odisha. Indeed, when the Mughal Babur was taking stock of the potentates of India, KDR was rated the most powerful and had the most extensive empire in the subcontinent.

Portuguese travellers Domingo Paes and Fernao Nuniz also visited the Vijayanagara Empire during his reign. Krishna Deva Raya benefited from the able prime minister Timmarusu, who was regarded by the emperor as a father figure and was responsible for his coronation. Krishna Deva Raya was the son of Tuluva Narasa Nayaka, an army commander under Saluva Narasimha Deva Raya, who later took control of the empire to prevent its disintegration and became the founder of the Tuluva Dynasty, the third Hindu Dynasty to rule Vijayanagara. The emperor's coronation took place on the birthday of Hindu God Krishna. He built a beautiful suburb near Vijayanagara called Nagalapura.The king was of medium height, had a cheerful disposition, and was reputed to be respectful to foreign visitors, ruthless in maintaining the law, and prone to fits of anger. He maintained himself to a high level of physical fitness through daily exercises. Travelogues indicate that the king was not only an able administrator, but also an excellent general, leading from the front in battle and even attending to the wounded. The south Indian poet Muku Timmana praised him as the destroyer of the Turks.