Tuluva Narasa Nayaka
Tuluva Narasa Nayaka was an Indian general and later an Imperial Regent who founded the Tuluva dynasty of the Vijayanagara Empire. He was the father of the Emperors Viranarasimha Raya, Krishnadevaraya and Achyuta Deva Raya.
Tuluva Narasa Nayaka | |
|---|---|
| Mahapradhana Rashtrakarta Senadhipati Swami Karyakarta | |
| Regent of the Vijayanagara Empire | |
| In office 1491 CE – 1503 CE | |
| Monarch | Narasimha Raya II |
| Succeeded by | Viranarasimha Raya |
| Personal details | |
| Died | 1503 CE |
| Spouse(s) | Unknown first wife Nagala Devi |
| Children | Viranarasimha Raya (from first wife) Krishnadevaraya (from Nagala Devi) Achyuta Deva Raya (from Nagala Devi) |
| Parent |
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| Profession | Imperial Regent, Prime Minister, Commander-in-chief, Protector of the Realm to Narasimha Raya II |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Vijayanagara Empire |
| Vijayanagara Empire |
|---|
| Ruling dynasties |
Biography
Tuluva Narasa Nayaka, like his father Tuluva Isvara Nayaka, was a General of the Vijayanagara Empire. After the death of the Emperor Saluva Narasimha I in 1491 CE, the crown prince Thimma Bhupala was assasinated by an army commander. The faithful Narasa Nayaka then crowned the other prince, Narasimha Raya II but retained all administrative powers in order to bring stability to the Empire. He was called the Rakshakarta (lit. 'Protector of the realm') and Svami (lit. 'Lord'). He held the offices of the Senadhipati (lit. 'Commander-in-chief'), the Mahapradhana (lit. 'Prime Minister') and the Karyakarta (lit. 'Agent of the Emperor').[1] He successfully kept the Turko-Persian Bahamani Sultanate and the Gajapatis away from the Empire and quelled many rebellions by unfaithful chieftains, trying to exert their independence.
Capturing Narasimha Raya II in fortress of Penukonda
After the death of Emperor Saluva Narasimha Deva Raya in 1491, crown prince Thimma Bhupala was murdered by an army commander. The faithful Narasa Nayaka then crowned the other prince, Narasimha Raya II but retained all administrative powers in order to bring stability to the empire. Narasimha Raya II was a teenager when he became Emperor of the Vijayanagara Empire, and real power lay in the hands of his guardian, Tuluva Narasa Nayaka. In 1494, Narsa Captured Narasimha II in Fortress of Penukonda.Narsa ruled Vijayanagar in disguise of Narasimha raya II.
Hoysala campaign
During August 1463, when Vijayanagara Empire was ruled by Saluva Narasimha Deva Raya, the region south of the Kaveri river had slipped out of Vijayanagar Empire control when the Emperor was busy protecting interests closer to the capital. In 1496 CE, General Narasa Nayaka marched south and brought under control rebellious chiefs like the governor of Trichi named Salas Rai and Tanjore named Vikram Shah. The whole area south of Kaveri to Cape Comorin was brought under control. The chiefs of Chola, Chera, Madurai area, Heuna or Hoysala chief of Srirangapatna and Gokarna on the west coast were brought under Vijayanagara empire control in one long successful campaign which ended in May 1497.
Resistance to Gajapati Prataparudra Deva
In 27 November 1496, the Gajapati Monarch Prataparudra Deva attacked the Vijayanagara Empire and advanced up to Pennar but Narasa Nayaka held out and succeeded in a stalemate.
Victory over the Bahmani Sultanate
Imperial Regent Narasa Nayaka wasted little time in stabilizing the Empire. The Bahmani Sultanate by now was breaking up into smaller independent chiefdoms. Qasim Barid I, the Bahmani Prime Minister offered Narasa Nayaka the forts of Raichur and Mudgal in return for help in defeating fellow Turko-Persian Yusuf Adil Shah of the Bijapur Sultanate. According to writings by Ferishta, Narasa Nayaka sent an army to the Raichur doab area and conquered it. Yusuf Adil Shah lost this part of the doab and repeated attempts to recover it failed. Having failed to defeat him in battle, Yusuf Adil Shah invited Narasa Nayaka to Bijapur claiming a peace offering and had Narasa Nayaka and seventy high-ranking Imperial officers murdered. However, it was only in 1502 CE that the deceitful Sultan of Bijapur could retake the doab region from the Vijayanagara Empire.[2]
Towards the end of his regency, Tuluva Narasa Nayaka had effectively carried on the dream of his Emperor, Saluva Narasimha Deva Raya in protecting imperial interests. He built a robust administration and an effective army. He had regained control over large domains in Southern India and kept the Bahmani Sultans and the Gajapatis at bay and brought the rebellious chiefs under control, making way for the golden era of Vijayanagara under his talented and able son, Emperor Krishna Devaraya.
He was succeeded by his eldest son Viranarasimha Raya in 1503 CE.
Notes
- Majumdar, R.C. (2006). The Delhi Sultanate, Mumbai: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, p.306
- "Tuluva Narasa Nayaka | Facebook".
References
- Dr. Suryanath U. Kamat, Concise History of Karnataka, 2001, MCC, Bangalore (Reprinted 2002)
- Prof K.A. Nilakanta Sastry, History of South India, From Prehistoric times to fall of Vijayanagar, 1955, OUP, New Delhi (Reprinted 2002)