Krishnadevaraya

 

Krishnadeva Raya was a prominent ruler of the Vijayanagar Empire of South India. He was a brave general and skilled warrior, under his reign Vijaynagar emerged as the strongest empire.

 

The Vijayanagara Empire was based in the Deccan Plateau region in South India. The empire rose to prominence as a culmination of attempts by the southern powers to ward off Islamic invasions by the end of the 13th century.

 

The Vijaynagar empire: Introduction

 

The Vijaynagar empire was established by two brothers Harihara I and Bukka Raya I in 1336, the empire stretched from the river Krishna in the north to the extreme south of the peninsula.

 

Also, they made Hastinavati, or modern Hampi as their capital. Do you know that this kingdom flourished for more than two centuries?

 

This kingdom reigned from 1336 to 1565; it was ruled by four dynasties named the Sangama, Salwa, Tuluva, and Aravidu. The most famous rulers of this empire were Devaraya I, Devaraya II, and Krishnadevaraya. Now let us understand, what provided the information about the Vijaynagar empire?

 

The information about the Vijaynagar empire is provided by the writings of foreign travelers like Nuniz, a Portuguese writer, and Nicolo Conti, an Italian traveller.

Krishnadevaraya is considered as one of the greatest rulers of the Vijaynagar empire, he was born in 1471 at Hampi, Karnataka, to Tuluva Narasa Nayaka and Nagala Devi. Do you know who established the Tuluva dynasty?

 

Tuluva Narasa Nayaka, father of Krishnadevaraya established the Tuluva dynasty after the death of Suluva Narasimha to prevent it from splitting up.

Now, let us understand more about Krishnadeva Raya, Krishnadevaraya ascended the throne in 1509 and developed a strong relationship with the empire�s Prime Minister.

 

He was the third ruler of the Tuluva dynasty, a brave general and skilled warrior, under his reign Vijaynagar emerged as the strongest empire. When Krishnadeva Raya was crowned emperor, the Vijayanagar Empire was not the dominant force in the region; he fought many battles and made Vijaynagar the strongest empire.

 

Conquests and administration of Krishnadevaraya

 

Krishnadeva Raya is considered to be the greatest of all because his rule brought unprecedented success to the Vijayanagar armies � with the forces inflicting heavy defeats on the five Deccan sultanates.

 

Krishnadeva Raya the third ruler of the Tuluva dynasty of the Vijaynagar empire extended his empire to most of South India. Which present-day states were included in his empire?

 

The present-day Karnataka, northern Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh were included in the Vijaynagar empire under Krishnadeva Raya.

 

The most interesting part is that Krishnadeva Raya ascended the throne during the most critical stage of the empire and went on to consolidate it as a flourishing empire. He defeated the five Deccan sultanates, the Reddys of Kondavidu, the Velamas of Bhuvanagiri, and the Gajapati Dynasty of Kalinga (modern Odisha).

 

He also played an important role in defeating the Bahmani Sultans. On defeating the Bahmani Sultans he captured their fortresses of Bidar, Gulbarga, Raichur, and Bijapur.

 

He led a major military campaign against the Gajapatis of Odisha and captured the fortresses of Udayagiri, Kondavalli, and Kondavidu. Do you know why is he often compared with the greatest emperors of Asia and Europe?

 

He is considered to be the greatest of all because of his brilliant achievements and ability to maintain political stability in the Deccan. He was also an able administrator as he toured the remote corners of his empire and heard the grievances of his people.

 

His empire was divided into Mandalas, Nadus, Sthalas, and Gramas. Land revenue was fixed based on the yield normally 1/3rd of the produce. He also established friendly relationships with the Portuguese and encouraged overseas trade.

 

How did Krishnadevaraya acquire Arabian horses?

 

It was through the Portuguese merchants that Krishnadeva Raya acquired firearms and Arabian horses, which further increased the empire�s military might.

 

Moreover, the emperor was also able to utilize the engineering expertise of the Portuguese to improve the water supply system by building reservoirs and channels across the kingdom.

 

Krishnadevaraya - MCQs

 

MCQ 1. Who was the third ruler of the Tuluva dynasty?
a. Tuluva Narasa Nayaka
b. Devaraya I
c. Devaraya II
d. Krishnadeva Raya

 

MCQ 2. Which of the following was the capital of the Vijaynagar empire?
a. Bidar
b. Bijapur
c. Kondvidu
d. Hampi

 

MCQ 3. Who was a Portuguese writer amongst the following?
a. Nicolo Conti
b. Abdurr Razzak
c. Ibn Batuta
d. Nuniz

 

MCQ 4. Which of the following is the correct timeline of the Vijayanagar empire?
a. 1330-1550
b. 1450-1650
c. 1351-1569
d. 1336 � 1565

 

MCQ 5. Who established the Tuluva dynasty?
a. Suluva Narasimha
b. Krishnadeva Raya
c. Devaraya II
d. Tuluva Narasa Nayaka

 

MCQs - Part 2

 

MCQ 1. Which of the present-day states was not included in the Vijaynagar kingdom?
a. Karnataka
b. Tamil Nadu
c. Andhra Pradesh
d. Maharashtra

 

MCQ 2. The empire was divided into how many provinces?
a. Three
b. Six
c. Four
d. Five

 

MCQ 3. Krishnadeva Raya established friendly relations with the ________.
a. French
b. British
c. Dutch
d. Portuguese

 

MCQ 4. Which of the following was not captured by Krishnadeva Raya?
a. Bidar
b. Gulbarga
c. Raichur
d. Mehrangarh

 

MCQ 5. Krishnadeva Raya acquired _______ from the Portuguese.
a. Asiatic Elephants
b. African Elephants
c. Arabian Camels
d. Arabian Horses

 

Read More:
Krishna Dev Rai: A Brave Warrior and Scholar - Case Study