Krishnadevaraya Ascends the Throne

 Krishnadevaraya Ascends the Throne

The day of 26th July is the most important day in the History of India. On 26th July 1509, Kirshnadevaraya the most valiant king of the Empire ascended the throne marking the marking the beginning of the regeneration of the Vijayanagara Empire.

He was born in 1471 at Hampi, Karnataka to Narasa Nayaka – the army commander of the Saluva Dynasty and the founder of the Tuluva Dynasty. The period he was born into was the gloomiest period in the history of Vijayanagara. When he came to power Vijayanagar was merely a kingdom with small boundaries and many internal issues as well as external threats.

As soon as he came to power, the first thing Krishnadevaraya did was to launch an extensive military campaigns against troubling neighbours. He first silenced the Muslim rulers of the Deccan inflicting a crushing defeat on the combined Muslim army. With this victory Vijayanagara territory extended up to the fertile Doab region of Krishna-Tungabhadra Rivers.

Next he turned his attention to Orissa and launched five campaigns against the Oriya rulers which turned out to be the most successful campaign of Krishnadevaraya. The impregnable fort of Udayagiri fell in the hands Krishnadevaraya. By the end of the fifth campaign whole of Orissa became the part of Vijayanagara Empire. The last important campaign of Sri Krishnadevaraya was against Ismail Adil Shah of Bijapur in which the Bijapur army was completely routed.

The historical accounts of both Indian as well as foreign travelers mention the extensive boom of Vijayanagara Empire during the rule of Krishnadevaraya. He became the dominant ruler of the peninsula of India by defeating the Sultans of Bijapur, Golconda, the Bahmani Sultanate and the Raja of Odisha. Not only he dominated the political scenario, his reign is marked with development of Architecture and other cultural domains.

One of the most important evidence of the prosperity of his period was his coins. Issued in Gold, silver and copper denominations, his coins exhibit an excellent artisan ship which speaks for the economic boom of the time. One of his Gold coins depicts an Image of Venkateshwara standing under an arch. The coin exhibit extremely well workmanship as every detail of coin is wee-readable.

This valiant ruler of India is lauded by India Post with a stamp issued on his name. This Rs. 5.00 stamp shows a bronze statue of Krishnadevara with the background of a famous historical site of the period