# Achyuta Deva Raya

Achyuta Deva Raya (r. 1529 - 1542 CE) was a emperor of Vijayanagara who succeeded his older brother, Krishnadevaraya, after the latter's death in 1529 CE.
During his reign, Fernao Nuniz, a Portuguese-Jewish traveller, chronicler and horse trader visited India and spent three years in Vijayanagara.
Achyutaraya patronised the Kannada poet Chatu Vittalanatha, the great composer and singer Purandaradasa, one of the major proponents of Carnatic music, and the Sanskrit scholar Rajanatha Dindima II. Upon his death, the succession was disputed. His son Venkata I succeeded him but ruled for a very short period and was killed in a chaotic succession dispute in which many claimants to the throne were killed. The dispute ended when his nephew, (younger brother's son) Sadasiva Raya, finally became the emperor while yet a child, under the regency of Rama Raya, a son-in-law of Krishnadevaraya. His wife's name was probably Varadambika. Sadasiva Raya was probably the son of Varadambika's sister Hemavati and her husband Ranga Raya.

## Reign

Vijayanagara Empire :
Ruling dynasties :
Sangama dynastyHarihara I1336–1356Bukka Raya I1356–1377Harihara Raya II1377–1404Virupaksha Raya1404–1405Bukka Raya II1405–1406Deva Raya I1406–1422Ramachandra Raya1422Vira Vijaya Bukka Raya1422–1424Deva Raya II1424–1446Mallikarjuna Raya1446–1465Virupaksha Raya II1465–1485Praudha Raya1485 :
Saluva dynastySaluva Narasimha Deva Raya1485–1491Thimma Bhupala1491Narasimha Raya II1491–1505 :
Tuluva dynastyTuluva Narasa Nayaka1491–1503Vira Narasimha Raya1503–1509Krishna Deva Raya1509–1529Achyuta Deva Raya1529–1542Venkata I1542Sadasiva Raya1542–1570 :
Aravidu dynastyRama Raya1542–1565Tirumala Deva Raya1565–1572Sriranga I1572–1586Venkata II1586–1614Sriranga II1614Rama Deva Raya1617–1632Venkata III1632–1642Sriranga III1642–1646 :
vte :
The time when Achyuta Deva Raya became the emperor was by no means a favorable one. The peace and prosperity of the halcyon days under Krishnadevaraya were coming to an end. Feudatories and enemies were waiting for an opportunity to bring down the empire. In addition, Achyuta Deva Raya had to contend with the powerful Rama Raya, who was competing for the throne.
While the works of Nuniz speak very lowly of Achyuta Deva Raya as being a monarch given to vices and cruelty, there is enough evidence to prove that the emperor was indeed noteworthy in his own right and fought hard to keep the prosperity of the empire alive. He had been personally chosen by Krishnadevaraya himself as a capable successor, handpicked to assume the imperial throne.
The Turko-Persian Sultan Ismail Adil Shah of Bijapur invaded and captured the Raichur doab. The Gajapatis of Orissa and Quli Qutub Shah of Golconda Sultanate were defeated and pushed back. Achyuta Deva Raya along with his general Salakaraju Tirumala went on a southern campaign to bring the governors of Travancore and Ummathur under control. They were successful. Then they attacked the doab north of the Tungabhadra and recaptured the forts of Raichur and Mudgal successfully.
The two Sanskrit works Achyutarayabhyudaya (lit. 'Exaltation of Achyutaraya') and Varadambikaparinaya (lit. 'Wedding of Varadambika') describe the emperor's life and reign in detail.
Throughout his rule, Achyuta Deva Raya had to contend with the manipulations of Rama Raya who in his powerful capacity had replaced many of the faithful servants of the Empire in high ranking positions with men of his own favour. On more than one occasion the Bahmani Sultans were brought in to play the role of mediator between the emperor and Aliya Rama Raya in the game of power sharing. This would further weaken the Empire. Around 1540 CE, Rama Raya imprisoned Achyuta Deva Raya in a coup.
In 1542 CE, Achyuta Deva Raya died, and was succeeded by his young son of Venkata I (Venkata Raya or Venkatadri Raya). But he was soon killed, and Sadasiva Raya became the new emperor. Rama Raya became the imperial regent and let very little governance in the hands of Sadasiva Raya.
The Tiruvengalanatha temple was built at Vijayanagara during his reign. It has become popularly known by his name as Achyutaraya temple, rather than by the name of the deity Venkateswara to whom the temple was dedicated.
* The Shiva temple at Timmalapura was constructed in 1539 CE during the reign of Achyuta Deva Raya
* Kannada inscription of emperor Achyuta Deva Raya dated 1539 CE in the Shiva temple in Timmalapura
* Kannada inscription (1536 CE) of emperor Achyuta Deva Raya on molding of Vittala temple in Hampi
* Kannada inscription (1536 CE) of emperor Achyuta Deva Raya at the Vittala temple in Hampi
* Shiva temple built by emperor Achyuta Deva Raya at Timmalapura near Hampi