Question

Who gave the diamond throne to Lord Ranganatha?
A) Sevappa Nayak
B) Rangunatha Nayak
C) Achutappa Nayak
D) Vijayragava Nayak

Answer 1

Hint: The Nayaks emerged as an independent ruler after the downfall of the Vijayanagar Empire. They ruled from Madurai, Tanjore and Senji. The Nayak of Tanjore gave diamond throne to Lord Ranganatha and also helped the King of Vijayanagar in the Talikota Battle

Complete answer:
The expansion of Vijayanagar Empire finally brought the rule of Nayaks in Tamil Nadu. The word Nayak means Leader, Chief or General. They were the agents of the rulers of Vijayanagar Empire, who ruled over the territories given to them. They regarded themselves as the imperial successors. They ruled from Madurai, Tanjore and Senji.

Let us analyze the given options:
Option A) Sevappa Nayak: He founded the independent Nayak Kingdom at Tanjore. He succeeded Thimmappa Nayak, who was in charge of Tanjore. He paid attention to the maintenance of Hindu Temples and was the one who gave permission to the Portugese to settle at Nagapattinam. He also gave grants to Tiruvannamalai and Virudhachalam Temples. This option is incorrect because he did not give any diamond throne to Lord Ranganatha.
Option B) Rangunatha Nayak: He was the younger son of Achutappa Nayak and succeeded the throne after his demise. He was the most famous among the Nayaks of Tanjore. He defeated the Nayaks of Senji and Madurai and also the Portugese of the Jaffna Kingdom. He was a great patron of art and was also a great poet. This option is also why we do not have any evidence about him giving the diamond throne to Lord Ranganatha.
Option C) Achutappa Nayak: He succeeded to the throne after the death of Sevappa Nayak. He maintained cordial relations with Vijayanagar Empire and helped the King of Vijayanagar in the Talikota Battle. He gave a diamond throne to Lord Ranganatha and made fundings to the Rameswaram Temple. Thus, it is the correct option.
Option D) Vijayragava Nayak: He was the last Nayak ruler of Tanjore and was the son of Ragunatha Nayak. He was a weak and incompetent ruler. He was killed by the Chokkanatha Nayak of Madurai, who later captured Tanjore. Eventually in 1673 A.D the Nayak rule of Tanjore came to an end. Thus, it is the incorrect option as he did not give any diamond throne to Lord Ranganatha.

Thus, the correct answer is Option ‘C’ i.e, Achutappa Nayak gave the diamond throne to Lord Ranganatha.

Note: The Nayaks established an efficient administration. The king was the head of the state and was assisted by a Council of Ministers. The empire was further divided into provinces, mandalams, simai or makana and villages. The main source of income for them was the ‘Land Tax’.