Viswanatha Nayak was the

Vijayanagara Vijayanagara () was the capital city of the historic Vijayanagara Empire. Located on the banks of the Tungabhadra River, it spread over a large area and included the modern era Group of Monuments at Hampi site in Vijayanagara district, Bellary ...

viceroy to

Madurai Madurai ( , also , ) is a major city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the cultural capital of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Madurai District. As of the 2011 census, it was the third largest Urban agglomeration in ...

in south

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

during the 16th century. He later became the ruler of Madurai after the fall of the

empire. He is the founder of the Nayak dynasty of Madurai.Saints, Goddesses and Kings By

Susan Bayly Susan Bayly is a Professor Emerita of Historical Anthropology in the Cambridge University Division of Social Anthropology and a Life Fellow of Christ's College, Cambridge. She is a former editor of the ''Journal of the Royal Anthropological Insti ...

He was supported by his general

Ariyanatha Mudaliar Ariyanatha Mudaliar was the ''Delavoy'' (''General'') and the Chief Minister of the greatest of the Nayaka domains established by the Vijayanagar ''viceroy'' and later ruler of Madurai, Viswanatha Nayak (1529–64). He assisted in running a quas ...

who led Viswantha Nayak's army became second in command and took power along with the latter in

Tirunelveli Tirunelveli (, ta, திருநெல்வேலி, translit=Tirunelveli) also known as Nellai ( ta, நெல்லை, translit=Nellai) and historically (during British rule) as Tinnevelly, is a major city in the Indian state of Tami ...

in southern India. Viswantha Nayak was then succeeded by his son Krishnappa Nayak who along with his father's able minister Ariyanatha expanded the

Kingdom under the Nayaks and brought most of the ancient Pandyan territory under its rule.

History

He was the son of Nagama Nayaka, the successful general of

Krishnadevaraya 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 ...

in the

empire. In the early 16th century, the

Chola The Chola dynasty was a Tamils, Tamil thalassocratic Tamil Dynasties, empire of southern India and one of the longest-ruling dynasties in the history of the world. The earliest datable references to the Chola are from inscriptions dated ...

ruler Veerasekara Chola invaded the

country and deposed the Pandya king Chandrasekara Pandyan. The Pandya king was under the protection of the

empireThe New Cambridge History of India By Gordon Johnson,

Christopher Alan Bayly Sir Christopher Alan Bayly, FBA, FRSL (18 May 1945 – 18 April 2015) was a British historian specialising in British Imperial, Indian and global history. From 1992 to 2013, he was Vere Harmsworth Professor of Imperial and Naval History at t ...

, J. F. Richards and he appealed to the court of

, and an expedition under Kotikam Nagama Nayaka was sent to his aid. Nagama suppressed the Chola ruler and took Madurai, but then suddenly he threw off his allegiance and declining to help the Pandya king, usurped the throne. The Vijayanagara emperor demanded that someone cure the defection: Nagama’s own son, Viswanatha, volunteered, and the king sent him with a large force against the rebel. He overthrew his father and handed him over to the emperor and as a reward for his loyalty the king appointed Viswanatha Nayaka as the governor of

and other provinces in the Tamil country thus leading to formation of the Nayak Kingdom of Madurai in 1529. The Nayaks protected the southern districts from invasion of Mysore and Deccan sultans.

Telugu film

This historical event was made as Telugu film in 1987 entitled ''

Viswanatha Nayakudu ''Viswanatha Nayakudu'' is a 1987 Telugu historical film directed by Dasari Narayana Rao. The film won four Nandi Awards. Plot The story is based on an Indian historical event during the 16th century. It narrates the victory of Viswanatha Naya ...

'' under the direction of

Dasari Narayana Rao Dasari Narayana Rao (4 May 1947 – 30 May 2017) was an Indian film director, producer, screenwriter, actor, lyricist, and politician known for his works predominantly in Telugu cinema, in addition to Hindi cinema. He has directed more than 150 ...

.Viswanatha Nayakudu film at IMDb.
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Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nayaka, Viswanatha Telugu people Hindu monarchs Telugu monarchs Viswanatha 16th-century monarchs in Asia