Mallikarjuna Raya

Mallikarjuna Raya (reigned May 1446 – 14 July 1465), also known as Deva Raya III, was an

Emperor of Vijayanagara The Vijayanagara Empire (1336–1646) was the most prominent medieval India, medieval List of Hindu empires and dynasties, Hindu empire of southern India. It was established on the banks of Tungabhadra River in present-day Karnataka and consist ...

from the

Sangama Dynasty The Sangama dynasty was a Veerashaiva dynasty of the Vijayanagara Empire founded in the 14th century by two brothers: Harihara I (also called ''Vira Harihara'' or ''Hakka Raya'') and Bukka Raya I. They were the sons of Bhavana Sangama. They ...

. Mallikarjuna Raya succeeded his father Emperor Deva Raya II, who had brought prosperity throughout the

Vijayanagara empire The Vijayanagara Empire, also known as the Karnata Kingdom, was a late medieval Hinduism, Hindu empire that ruled much of southern India. It was established in 1336 by the brothers Harihara I and Bukka Raya I of the Sangama dynasty, belongi ...

as well as a golden age for the

. However, unlike his father, Mallikarjuna was a weak and corrupt ruler. At the beginning of his reign, he successfully defended the empire against invasions by the Turko-Persian

Bahmani Sultanate The Bahmani Kingdom or the Bahmani Sultanate was a late medieval Persianate kingdom that ruled the Deccan plateau in India. The first independent Muslim sultanate of the Deccan, the Bahmani Kingdom came to power in 1347 during the rebellio ...

and the

Gajapati Empire The Gajapati Empire was a Medieval India, medieval Hindu monarchy in the Indian subcontinent, Indian subcontinent, originally from the region of Odisha that reigned from c.1434 to 1541. It succeeded the Eastern Ganga dynasty, Eastern Gangas as ...

, which then stretched from the

Ganges The Ganges ( ; in India: Ganga, ; in Bangladesh: Padma, ). "The Ganges Basin, known in India as the Ganga and in Bangladesh as the Padma, is an international which goes through India, Bangladesh, Nepal and China." is a trans-boundary rive ...

to the

Kaveri The Kaveri (also known as Cauvery) is a Rivers of India, major river flowing across Southern India. It is the third largest river in the region after Godavari River, Godavari and Krishna River, Krishna. The catchment area of the Kaveri basin i ...

, but thereafter his reign was marked by a string of defeats. The

Gajapatis The Gajapati dynasty refers to the ruling dynasty from the region of modern Odisha in the Indian subcontinent, whose monarch carries the regnal title of Gajapati. The institution of Gajapati dynasty or lordship was founded by the monarchs of t ...

conquered Rajamahendri in 1454 and Udayagiri and

Chandragiri Chandragiri is a suburb and outgrowth of Tirupati and located in Tirupati district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is a part of Tirupati urban agglomeration and a major growing residential area in Tirupati It is the mandal headquarter ...

in 1463. The

took over much of the

Vijayanagara Empire The Vijayanagara Empire, also known as the Karnata Kingdom, was a late medieval Hinduism, Hindu empire that ruled much of southern India. It was established in 1336 by the brothers Harihara I and Bukka Raya I of the Sangama dynasty, belongi ...

by 1450 and grew closer to the capital of

Vijayanagara Vijayanagara () is a city located in Vijayanagara district of Karnataka state in India.Vijayanagara

. These events eventually led to the decline of the
Sangama Dynasty The Sangama dynasty was a Veerashaiva dynasty of the Vijayanagara Empire founded in the 14th century by two brothers: Harihara I (also called ''Vira Harihara'' or ''Hakka Raya'') and Bukka Raya I. They were the sons of Bhavana Sangama. They ...
; Mallikarjuna Raya's nephew Virupaksha Raya II took the opportunity to seize the throne, though he failed to prove a better ruler. It is unknown what happened to Mallikarjuna after that.

References
* Dr. Suryanath U. Kamat, Concise history of Karnataka, MCC, Bangalore, 2001 (Reprinted 2002)

External links

AP Online
Year of birth unknown 15th-century Indian monarchs 1465 deaths Vijayanagara emperors Indian Hindus Hindu monarchs Sangama dynasty {{India-royal-stub