# Narasimha Raya II

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 :
Narasimha Raya II (r. 1491-1505) (born = 1468)( Narasimha II, Immadi Narasimha Raya or Dhamma Thimma Raya) was the third and last emperor from the Saluva dynasty, the second of the four dynasties to rule the Vijayanagara Empire.

## Background

Narasimha's father, also named Narasimha, had begun life as an army general serving the Sangama dynasty, which was the dynasty that had founded the Empire in the 13th century. The Sangama dynasty had been gradually weakening over time for a variety of reasons, and in 1485, the senior Narasimha had usurped the throne after capturing the capital and driving out his former overlord, Sangama Praudha Raya. The actual military campaign for this purpose had been carried out by his loyal subordinate, Tuluva Narasa Nayaka.
The senior Narasimha was crowned Emperor and became known as Saluva Narasimha Deva Raya. He died in 1491, only six years after usurping the throne, and left behind two young sons as his heirs. On his deathbed, he entrusted the young boys to the care of his trusted subordinate, Tuluva Narasa Nayaka. The elder son, Thimma Bhupala, was assassinated within a few weeks after his father's death by an army commander loyal to the old Sangama dynasty. This brought the second son, Narasimha, to the throne.

## Reign

Thus, Narasimha II came to the throne following the assassination of his elder brother. He was only a teenager when he was crowned the Emperor of the Vijayanagara, and real power lay in the hands of his guardian, the imperial regent Tuluva Narasa Nayaka. This situation continued for twelve years until Tuluva Narasa Nayaka died in 1503. By this time, Narasimha II was an adult and there was no justification for the appointment of a regent. Nevertheless, the late regent's eldest son, Tuluva Vira Narasimha Raya, remained the power behind the throne due to his control of the army. He compelled Narasimha II to name him the Dalavayi (commander-in-chief of the army) and also the Sarvadhikari ("Administrator General", effectively Regent).
There developed an atmosphere of great tension between the two Narasimhas (Emperor Saluva Narasimha II and his Prime Minister Tuluva Vira Narasimha). Both of them considered that they had a greater right to rule the empire. After all, Narasimha II had become Emperor only because his father had usurped the throne, and that also very recently. That usurpation had in fact been made possible by the efforts and resourcefulness of his trusted general, Tuluva Narasa Nayaka, who had captured the imperial capital in the name of the usurper. Not only that, but Tuluva Narasa Nayaka had also later pacified the country, suppressed the supporters of the old Sangama dynasty, and maintained order during the minority of the usurper's two sons. With all this background, Tuluva Vira Narasimha felt that he had a greater right to rule than the Emperor Narasimha II. Why should he, his sons and grandsons be no more than courtiers serving the upstart dynasty which had been established mainly by the efforts of his own father? The situation was fraught with tension and many resentments.

## Death

Finally, in 1505, only two years after the death of the old imperial regent Tuluva Narasa Nayaka, Emperor Narasimha Raya II was assassinated at the fortress of Penukonda, probably by henchmen of Vira Narasimha Raya. With his death ended the reign of the Saluva dynasty, whose three emperors (father and two sons) had reigned for a total of only twenty years.
Upon Emperor Narasimha II's death, his Dalavayi Tuluva Vira Narasimha Raya was proclaimed the Emperor of Vijayanagara and the Tuluva dynasty rose to power.