Vira Narasimha Raya (or Vira Narasimha Vira Narasimha III) (reigned 1505–1509) became the king of
Vijayanagar empire
The Vijayanagara Empire, also called the Karnata Kingdom, was a Hinduism, Hindu empire based in the region of South India, which consisted the modern states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Goa and some parts of Telangana an ...
after the death of
Tuluva Narasa Nayaka
Tuluva Narasa Nayaka was the founder of the Tuluva dynsaty of the Vijayanagara Empire. He was the father of Emperor Krishnadevaraya.
Biography
Tuluva Narasa Nayaka, like his father Tuluva Ishvara Nayaka, was a commander in the Vijayanagara Empi ...
.
Krishna Deva Raya
Krishnadevaraya (17 January 1471 – 17 October 1529) was an emperor of the Vijayanagara Empire, also known as the Karnata Empire, reigning from 1509 to 1529. He was the third monarch of the Tuluva dynasty, and is considered to be one of the g ...
was his younger half-brother.
The death of their capable father Tuluva Narasa Nayaka resulted in feudatories rising in rebellion everywhere. In his writings,
Fernão Nunes
Fernão Nunes, also known as ''Fernao Nuniz'', was a Portuguese-Jewish traveler, chronicler and horse trader who spent three years in Vijayanagara, capital of the Vijayanagara Empire in the time period 1535-1537. His writings have brought to light ...
noted that the whole world had risen in rebellion. At first, Immadi Narasa Nayaka, the eldest son of saluva Narasa Nayaka became king and lasted at the throne for two years before being assassinated. Vira Narasimha Raya was next crowned in 1505 and spent all his years fighting rebel warlords.
Yusuf Adil Khan of Bijapur tried to extend his domains south of the Tungabhadra. The Vijayanagar regent was supported by
Aliya Rama Raya
Rama Raya (died 23 January 1565 CE), known as "Aliya" (son-in-law in Kannada) was a statesman of the Vijayanagara Empire, the son-in-law of Emperor Krishna Deva Raya and the progenitor of the Aravidu dynasty of Vijayanagar Empire, the fourth and ...
of the Aravidu family and his son Thimma. With their help, Adil Khan was defeated and pushed back. Adoni and Kurnool area became a part of Vijayanagar Empire. During this time, the chief of
Ummathur was again in revolt and Vira Narasimha Raya set out south to quell the rebellion, having placed Krishna Deva Raya as the ruler in absence.
Portuguese Empire
The Portuguese Empire ( pt, Império Português), also known as the Portuguese Overseas (''Ultramar Português'') or the Portuguese Colonial Empire (''Império Colonial Português''), was composed of the overseas colonies, factories, and the l ...
assisted king Raya's forces in this conflict, providing horses and artillery, in exchange seeking control of the port of
Bhatkal
Bhatkal, is a coastal town in the Uttara Kannada District of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bhatkal lies on National Highway 66 (India), National Highway 66, which runs between Mumbai and Kanyakumari, and has Bhatkal railway station which is ...
. Concerted efforts by Vira Narasimha Raya to quell the rebellion in Ummatur had mixed results.
In 1509 when on his death bed, legend has it that Vira Narasimha Raya requested his minister Saluva Timma (Timmarasa) to blind his younger brother Krishna Deva Raya so that his own eight-year-old son could become king of Vijayanagar. Timmarasa however brought a pair of she-goat eyes to the king and informed him that he had Krishna Deva Raya killed. However, there is no record to prove anything but a friendly relationship between the two half brothers and that the coronation of Krishna Deva Raya was a smooth one.
Notes
References
* Prof K.A. Nilakanta Sastry, ''History of South India, From Prehistoric times to fall of Vijayanagar'', 1955, OUP, New Delhi (Reprinted 2002)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Raya, Viranarasimha
1509 deaths
16th-century Indian monarchs
Tulu people
People of the Vijayanagara Empire
Indian Hindus
Hindu monarchs
1509 in India
1505 in India