Question

“Krishnadeva Raya’s rule was characterised by expansion and consolidation.” Substantiate the statement with suitable examples.

Answer 1

The first dynasty, known as the Sangama dynasty, exercised control till 1485. They were supplanted by the Saluvas, military commanders, who remained in power till 1503 when they were replaced by the Tuluvas.

1. Krishnadeva Raya belonged to the Tuluva dynasty. He ruled from 1509 till 1529 C.E. Following were his main achievements:
2. The land between the Tungabhadra and Krishna rivers (the Raichur doab) was acquired in 1512.
3. The rulers of Orissa were subdued in 1514, and severe defeats were inflicted on the Sultan of Bijapur in 1520.
4. Although the kingdom remained in a constant state of military preparedness, it flourished under conditions of unparalleled peace and prosperity.
5. Krishnadeva Raya is credited with building some fine temples and adding impressive gopurams to many important South Indian temples. He also founded a suburban township near Vijayanagara called Nagalapuram after his mother.
6. Krishnadeva Raya, the most famous ruler of Vijayanagara, composed a work on statecraft in Telugu known as the Amuktamalyada. It was written in the Telugu language.
7. Although the armies of the Sultans were responsible for the destruction of the city of Vijayanagara, relations between the Sultans and the rayas were not always or inevitably hostile, in spite of religious differences. Krishnadeva Raya, for example, supported some claimants to power in the Sultanates.
8. Many foreign travellers like Barbosa, Paes, and Fernao Nuniz wrote about the good administration and prosperity of the Vijayanagar kingdom.
9. In the end, it is clear that Krishna Deva Raya was the greatest of all the rulers of the Vijayanagara Kingdom.