The Vijayanagara empire was considered the golden period during whose rule?

Narasimha

• The earliest known Saluva from inscriptional evidence in the Vijayanagara era was Mangaldeva, the great grandfather of Saluva Narasimha Deva Raya.
• Narsimha ruled the Vijayanagara Empire from 1486 to 1492. As king, Saluva Narashima tried to expand the empire, though he continually faced difficulties caused from rebelling chieftains.
• Saluva Narasimha restored internal law and order in the empire. The contention of the Muhammadan historians is that Narasa Nayaka murdered the two sons of his master Narasimha Saluva and annexes the throne for himself.
• However, the inscriptions tell us that Narasa Nayaka placed on the throne Immadi Narasimha, the son of Narasimha Saluva and kept all power in his own hands. His son deposed the last Saluva ruler and seated himself on the throne.
• This is known as the second Usurption which ended the rule of the Saluva dynasty and brought in the Taluva dynasty.

Krishna Deva Raya

• Krishna Deva Raya was the greatest ruler of Vijaynagar and one of the most famous kings in the history of India.
• He ruled from 1509 to 1530. The king was of medium height, had a cheerful disposition, and was reputed to be respectful to foreign visitors, ruthless in maintaining the law, and prone to fits of anger.
• He maintained himself to a high level of physical fitness through daily exercises.
• Krishna deva was also a great patron of art and literature and was known as ‘Andhra Bhoja’. Eight eminent luminaries in literature known as ashtadiggajas were at his court.
• The reign of Krishnadevaraya was also remarkable for the encouragement and development of arts and letters. He constructed the famous Vittalaswami and Hazara Ramaswamy temples.
• A gopuram was added to the Virupaksha temple on the occasion of his coronation. He restored many shrines throughout South India.
• He also buit a new city, called Nagalapura, in memory of his mother, Nagamba. Besides, he built a large number of raya gopurams and other structures of lesser significance.
• Krishnadevaraya provided irrigation facilities by building reservoirs and channels across the kingdom. He helped the Portuguese to conquer Goa from the Bijapur rulers in 1510 maintained friendly relations with them.
• It is said that Krishnadevaraya in his own lifetime had made his six year old son prince Tirumalaraya as the king and himself took up the post of minister.
• But Tirumalaraya fell ill and died possibly poisoned by the son of Saluva Thimma (chief minister). When Krishnadevaraya came to know of it, he sent for the chief minister, accused him in open court and cast him and his whole family into prison. Meanwhile Krishnadevaraya was preparing for an attack on Belgaum, then in the Adil Shah’s possession when he took seriously ill and died soon after in 1529.
• Before his death, he nominated his brother, Achyutaraya to be his successor. The rule of Krishnadevaraya was a glorious chapter in the history of Vijayanagara Empire. It was considered the golden period.

Achyuta Raya

• Krishna Deva Raya was succeeded by Achyuta Raya who ruled from 1530 to 1542. It appears that he was not altogether the craven that he is represented by Nuniz to have been.
• He took to task the rebellious viceroy of Madura. A similar action was taken against the Raja of Travancore for his having given shelter to the viceroy of Madura.
• However, he made a mistake in leaving things into the hands of two brothers-inlaw known as Tirmala.
• The result was that was a lot of trouble in the Vijayanagara Empire.
• Achyuta Raya was succeeded by his son Venkatadri or Venkata I. However, he ruled only for about 6 months. He was succeeded by Sadasiva Raya, a nephew of Achyuta.

Sadasiva Raya

• Sadasiva Raya ruled from 1542 to 1570. He was merely a puppet in the hands of his Raya and his two brothers Tirumala and Venkatadri.
• He owed to them his life and crown. He had neither the training nor the actual experience to assume the leadership. The three brothers-The Triumvirate-had acquired a long experience of administration and were also highly connected. They traced their descent to the great Aravidu warrior.