“A perfect king...a great ruler and a man of much justice,” recorded Domingos Paes, a Portuguese traveller of the 16th century. The king was Krishnadeva Raya, who ascended the Vijayanagara throne in 1509 and died, of unknown natural causes, in his forties. But it is for very good reason that these encomiums were showered on him, and his coronation is being celebrated half a millennium after the event. He was a great warrior but also an able administrator, a tolerant statesman, and a learned patron of the arts. In a relatively short reign of 20 years, Krishnadeva Raya expanded the Vijayanagara kingdom into a vast empire. Aggressive military campaigns might have enabled this, but it was his administrative acuity and farsightedness that checked the authority of territorial chiefs and strengthened the core of the empire. His ambitious expansion plans often brought him into conflict with the Deccan sultans. He fought them bitterly, but neither he nor the other Vijayanagara kings were anti-Islamic, as they are made out to be by the communally minded. Duarte Barbosa, another Portuguese traveller visiting Krishnadeva Raya’s court, confirms this by recording that every one was permitted to “live according to his own creed.” Muslim soldiers were acknowledged for their superior archery and cavalry skills and were an integral part of the army.
Hampi, the capital of this empire and now a world heritage site, owes much of its magnificence to Krishnadeva Raya. The vastness, wealth, “infinite trade,” and sophistication of life within this 30 sq km metropolis never failed to impress a visitor. Hampi, in fact, was frequently compared to Rome. It was significantly expanded, with six of its 12 sectors built during his reign. The art and architecture of South India reached its apogee. Tall gopurams, pillared halls, and sculptural columns are some of the architectural contributions of the Vijayanagara Empire. In fact, the hybrid architecture combining Hindu and Islamic elements, seen in the Lotus Mahal at Hampi, served as a prototype for what came to be known as Indo-Saracenic architecture. Krishnadeva Raya’s reign has also been described as a “glorious epoch of literature” and inscriptions attest to his support to poets, particularly Allasani Peddana. Legends, with a wide popular appeal in South India, recall the king’s literary prowess, the eight great intellectuals of his court, and the wit of Tenali Ramakrishna. The State of Karnataka may have taken the lead in celebrating the 500th year of Krishnadeva Raya’s coronation but his enduring legacy can be found in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu as well.
Keywords: ruler, king, Vijayanagaram, history, Tenali Ramakrishna, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka
Krishna Dev Rai was a great son of India in entire medieval period we have only example who could save the Hindu way of life against foreign invasion on the time of anarchy, he gave the Efficient administration to his subject &could able to counter his enemy well many navigator came to India his time dominoes pyos was one of them who had narrated the vastness of the empire in which he said that no administration in the world can be as good as Krishna Dev Rai he is best ideal for coming generation
Hardly there was an emperor in India who matched the multifaceted personality of Emperor Krishna Raya - matchless brave warrior who led his armies in person, first class administrator who had assembled very wise team of ministers, compassionate to the fallen, solicitious of his subjects' welfare, supporter and patron of literature and fine arts, himself a poet of considerable merit who could pen excellent epic poems , builder of townships and majestic edifices all over the empire, truly secular, a man who was always committed to his given word to a fault and with all this a very witty & cheerful romantic as well. Alas this monarch's reign had to be so short- Imagine how much more the empire might have prospered had he lived for another tenty years. The Divine did not make the last years of this great king happy. He lost his only son of just six years whom he had already started training in the state craft to follow him.
A glorious twenty years in the history of South India indeed.
The 500th anniversary of Krishnadeva Raya's coronation should be celebrated at the national level, not just in the South. Too many of the current generation are under the impression that in the middle ages (1300 to 1700) India was weak and that it was dominated by foreign invasions. Here was a son of the soil who was a great king who ruled peacefully over a quarter of the country and fought against foreigners. His legacy is the preservation of traditional Indian culture in the South and the emergence of the knowledge-driven increasingly-confident India today.
The endowment schemes that Krishna Devaraya undertook were unprecedented in the history of this region. He generously donated vast lands and gold to the temples all the way up to simhachalam temple in Visakhapatnam. His philanthropic activities supported a spectrum poets and scholars under one umbrella, and certainly it was regarded as the golden era of Telugu poetry.
Krishnadeva Raya's reign was an epoch of golden era in Indian medieval habitats. The Hampi was built so exquisitely with proper town planning that accounted for every walks of life of its citizens. Our aboriginal civilizations well flourished when whole Europe was grappling with dark age. We should be proud of our glorious past and should keep on commemorating their benignity for future generations. And let world look at our past and recognize us.
One other very important aspect of Krishnadev Ray's reign was his support for philosophical and Spiritual debates and discussions. The famous debate about defining the qualities of the Ultimate Brahm took place over 22 days, at the end of which he crowned a young brilliant Brahmin named Vallabh as the Acharya (the Professor). Vallabhacharya then contributed significantly to the Indian Vedic system through further research in Shuddhadwait Brahmvaad and Pushtimarg. It is said that the king also became his disciple and offered lot of wealth, but the Acharya accepted only 7 gold-coins.
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