Rama Raya

Aliya Rama Raya (1484 – 23 January 1565) was a statesman of the Vijayanagara Empire, the son-in-law (Aliya in Kannada) of Emperor Krishna Deva Raya and the progenitor of the Aravidu dynasty of Vijayanagara Empire, the fourth and last dynasty of the empire. As a regent, he was the ''de facto'' ruler of the empire from 1542 to 1565, although legally the emperor during this period was Sadasiva Raya, who was merely a puppet ruler. Rama Raya was killed at the Battle of Talikota, after which the Vijayanagara Empire fragmented into several semi-independent principalities paying only nominal allegiance to the empire.

Early life and career

Rama Raya was born into a Telugu family. His mother, Abbaladevi, was the daughter of a chieftain in Nandyala. The Aravidu family, to which Rama Raya belonged, was native to South Andhra. Rama Raya and his younger brother, Tirumala Deva Raya, were sons-in-law of the Vijayanagara emperor Krishna Deva Raya. He is referred to as Aliya Rama Raya ("Aliya" means "son-in-law" in Kannada).

Along with another brother, Venkatadri, the Aravidu brothers rose to prominence during Krishna Deva Raya's rule. Rama Raya distinguished himself as a successful army general, an able administrator, and a tactful diplomat, conducting many victorious campaigns under the emperor's leadership.

After Krishna Deva Raya's demise in 1529, his younger brother, Achyuta Deva Raya, ascended the throne. Rama Raya's influence grew significantly during this period, aided by his alliance with Pemmasani Erra Timmanayudu of the Pemmasani Nayaks. Following Achyuta Deva Raya's death in 1542, the throne passed to his nephew, Sadasiva Raya, who was then a minor. Rama Raya became the regent and effectively controlled the administration.

Although Sadasiva Raya eventually came of age, Rama Raya retained power by keeping him a virtual prisoner. During this time, Rama Raya became the de facto ruler of the Vijayanagara Empire. To consolidate his authority, he replaced many of the kingdom's loyal servants with officers loyal to him.

To strengthen the military, he appointed two Muslim commanders, Noor Khan Gilani and Bijli Khan Gilani, also known as the 'Gilani Brothers', who had previously served Sultan Adil Shah. However, this decision proved to be a grave error, as their betrayal contributed to the empire's defeat in the decisive Battle of Talikota.

Rama Raya lacked royal lineage, and to legitimize his rule, he claimed a vicarious connection with two powerful medieval Indian empires—the Western Chalukya Empire and the Chola empire. Despite his achievements, his tenure as regent left a mixed legacy for the Vijayanagara Empire.

Sultanate affairs

During his rule, the Deccan Sultanates were constantly involved in internal fights and requested Rama Raya on more than one occasion to act as a mediator, enabling Rama Raya to push north of the Krishna river and expand his domains utilizing the disunity of the Deccan Sultans. Rama Raya had a lot of money at his disposal, which he generously spent, and often sought strategic alliances with the Deccan sultans, who he had intentionally kept divided. He also suppressed revolts of the chieftains of Travancore and Chandragiri. Some scholars have criticised Rama Raya for interfering in the affairs of the Sultans too much, but scholars like Dr. P. B. Desai have defended his political affairs, saying that Rama Raya did whatever he could to increase the prestige and importance of the Vijayanagara empire, ensuring no single Sultanate would rise above the others in power, hence preventing a difficult situation for Vijayanagara. Rama Raya interfered in many Sultanate affairs upon the insistence of one Sultan or the other, just the way the Sultans had acted as parleys between Rama Raya and Achyuta Raya in earlier years. When the Nizam of Ahmednagar and Qutbshah of Golconda sought Rama Raya's help against Bijapur, Rama Raya secured the Raichur doab for his benefactors. Later in 1549 when the Adilshah of Bijapur and Baridshah of Bidar declared war on Nizamshah of Ahmednagar, Ramaraya fought on behalf of the Ahmednagar ruler and secured the fort of Kalyana. In 1557 Ramaraya allied himself with Ali Adilshah of Bijapur and Baridshah of Bidar when the Sultan of Bijapur invaded Ahmednagar. The combined armies of the three kingdoms defeated the partnership between Nizamshah of Ahmednagar and the Qutbshah of Golconda.

The Vijayanagar ruler's constantly changing sides to improve his own position eventually prompted the Sultanates to form an alliance. Intermarriage among Sultanate families helped resolve internal differences of the Muslim rulers. The Battle of Talikota resulted from this consolidation of Muslim power in the northern Deccan, who had felt insulted by Ramaraya and formed a 'general league of the faithful.'

Battle of Talikota

Rama Raya remained loyal to the legitimate dynasty until it was finally extinguished by war, with the notable exception of imprisoning the appointed ruler Sadasiva Raya and ruling in his stead. In 1565, it was Rama Raya, as the pre-eminent general of the Vijayanagar army, who led the defense against the invading army of Deccan Sultans (i.e. Husain Nizam Shah, Ali Adil Shah and Ibrahim Qutb Shah) in the battle of Talikota.

This battle, which had seemed an easy victory for the large Vijayanagar army, instead became a disaster as the two Muslim commanders, Noor Khan Gilani and Bijli Khan Gilani, together known as the 'Gilani Brothers' of the Vijayanagara army betrayed and switched sides and turned their loyalty to the united Sultanates during critical point of battle. It led to the surprise capture and death by beheading of Rama Raya who led the army, a blow from which it never recovered.

The city of Vijayanagara was thoroughly sacked by the invaders and the inhabitants were massacred. The imperial family was largely exterminated. Vijayanagara, once a city of fabled splendour, the seat of a vast empire, became a desolate ruin, now known by the name of a sacred inner suburb within it, Hampi.

Beheading

Rama Raya was beheaded by Sultan Hussain Nizam Shah of Ahmadnagar Sultanate, the Muslim of Deccani origin. His severed head was on display at Ahmednagar at the anniversary of the battle of Talikota and was covered in oil and red pigment by a descendant of Nizam Shah. Only in the 1750s, when the Marathas captured Ahmednagar, was the head taken to Benaras for cremation.

References

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* Dr. Suryanath U. Kamat, Concise History of Karnataka, 2001, MCC, Bangalore (Reprinted 2002)
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Raya, Aliya Rama
1565 deaths
16th-century Indian monarchs
16th-century regents
Vijayanagara emperors
Aravidu dynasty
Indian Hindus
Year of birth uncertain
Executed monarchs