Why in the news
An expert ASI team has added to South India’s inscription record by finding three rare stone writings in a little-explored sacred spot inside a reserve forest.
Key facts
| Point | Detail |
|---|
| Finder | Archaeological Survey of India expert team |
| Number and age | Three inscriptions, 16th century CE |
| Languages | Telugu, Tamil and Kannada (trilingual) |
| Site | Sadasivakona, Seshachalam reserve forest, Tirupati district, Andhra Pradesh |
| Method | Estampages (paper impressions) for preservation and language study |
| Earlier work | Same team surveyed the nearby Nallamala Hills |
What the inscriptions say
- Main record: King Sadasiva Raya came in person to bathe at the holy spot, made a royal donation, and had a Shiva temple and a monastery (mutt) built at Papavinasa.
- Reports also mention land grants for daily rituals and offerings at the Parashurameswara temple, Gudimallam (Yerpedu mandal), home of the Gudimallam Lingam, called the oldest known Shiva lingam in India.
- Value: insights into Vijayanagara temple administration, royal support to Shaivism, land grants and the Seshachalam pilgrimage circuit in the decade before the Battle of Talikota (1565).
Vijayanagara Empire
- Hindu empire of 1336-1646 CE, founded by Harihara I and Bukka Raya I of the Sangama dynasty with saint Vidyaranya’s support; capital Vijayanagara (Hampi) on the Tungabhadra, Karnataka.
- Peak under Krishna Deva Raya (1509-1529); lost political dominance after Talikota; Hampi became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986.
- Territory spanned Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and parts of Maharashtra, Goa, Odisha and northern Sri Lanka.
Four dynasties
| Dynasty | Period (CE) | Notable rulers |
|---|
| Sangama | 1336-1485 | Harihara I, Bukka Raya I, Deva Raya II |
| Saluva | 1485-1505 | Saluva Narasimha |
| Tuluva | 1505-1565/70 | Vira Narasimha, Krishna Deva Raya, Achyuta Raya, Sadasiva Raya (last) |
| Aravidu | 1542-1646 | Tirumala, Sri Ranga, Venkata II |
Tuluva rulers
| Ruler | Reign | Note |
|---|
| Vira Narasimha | 1505-1509 | Tuluva founder |
| Krishna Deva Raya | 1509-1529 | Greatest ruler; wrote Amuktamalyada; Telugu golden age (Ashtadiggajas) |
| Achyuta Raya | 1529-1542 | Struggled with powerful nobles |
| Venkata I | 1542 | Killed in court intrigue |
| Sadasiva Raya | 1542-1570 | Last Tuluva ruler; nominal king |
Sadasiva Raya and Rama Raya
- Sadasiva Raya was Achyuta Raya’s nephew; real power lay with regent Aliya Rama Raya (Krishna Deva Raya’s son-in-law), who ruled effectively from 1543 to 1565 and kept the king under guard.
- Rama Raya was captured and beheaded by Hussain Nizam Shah at Talikota.
Battle of Talikota
- Fought 23 January 1565 near the Krishna river; also called Rakshasi-Tangadi or Bannihatti.
- Vijayanagara faced a confederation of Bijapur, Ahmadnagar, Golconda and Bidar (Berar did not join); the result was a catastrophic defeat.
Deccan Sultanates
| Sultanate | Dynasty | Founder |
|---|
| Bijapur | Adil Shahi | Yusuf Adil Shah |
| Ahmadnagar | Nizam Shahi | Malik Ahmad |
| Golconda | Qutb Shahi | Quli Qutb Mulk |
| Bidar | Barid Shahi | Qasim Barid |
| Berar | Imad Shahi | Fathullah Imad-ul-Mulk |
Exam angle
- Site: Sadasivakona, Seshachalam, Tirupati; languages: Telugu, Tamil, Kannada.
- Last Tuluva king: Sadasiva Raya (1542-1570).
- Talikota: 1565; estampage means paper impression of an inscription.