Question

Who gave grants at Srirangam and Siva Temple at Rameswaram?
A) Vijayaragava Nayak
B) Sevappa Nayak
C) Achutappa Nayak
D) Ragunatha Nayak

Answer 1

Hint: He was a ruler of the Thanjavur Kingdom and he ruled from 1560 to 1614 in Tamil Nadu. He ruled with his father in a co-monarch system from 1560 to 1580 and ruled on his own from 1580 onwards. His reign is remembered for being peaceful and stable.

Complete answer:
The given options are names of kings from the Thanjavur Dynasty. It was founded by Sevappa Nayak who was a very religious ruler, just like his son Achutappa Nayak. The following rulers i.e. son of Achutappa Nayak, Ragunatha Nayak was more inclined towards music and art just like his son Vijayaragava.

Let us analyze the given options:
Option A) Vijayaragava Nayak – He was the fourth and the last ruler of King Sevappa’s line. His rule spanned from 1634 to 1673, when he was defeated by Chokkanatha Nayak, who captured and beheaded him. He was a patron of art and music and was not very religious. Hence, this option is incorrect.
Option B) Sevappa Nayak – He is known to have granted seven veils of land to the Samusarupalli mosque near Nanjikottai in 1550 and a village to the Madhva saint Vijayendra Tirtha in 1579. In the same year, he also granted vast lands to the Buddhist temple at Thiruvilundurai. Thus, it is the incorrect option.
Option C) Achutappa Nayak – He was the eldest son of Sevappa Nayak and is known to have given grants at the Srirangam temple and the Siva temple at Rameswaram. He was also a devotee of the Hindu god Ranganatha since childhood. He constructed golden vimana and gopuras around the Srirangam temple and also constructed a flight of stairs at the temple that led to the River Kaveri. Thus, this is the correct option.
Option D) Ragunatha Nayak – He was the father of Vijayaragava Nayak and was the third ruler of the Thanjavur Nayak Dynasty. He ruled from 1600 to 1634 and is regarded as the most powerful ruler of the Thanjavur Dynasty. Just like his son, he too was inclined towards music and poetry. He is not known to have given grants to temples. Thus, this option is also wrong.

Thus, the correct answer is Option (C) i.e, Achutappa Nayak

Note: Achutappa Nayak ruled for 54 years and during this time Thanjavur experienced a lot of architectural and cultural development. Most parts of Achutappa’s rule was very peaceful. He also had friendly relations with the Vijayanagar Empire and they assisted each other in their campaigns. During the end of his rule, there was some warfare between him and the Muslim rulers and some Portuguese invaders.