Question

Who was the successor of Sri Krishna Devaraya?
A. Tirumala Raya
B. Virupaksha II
C. Achyuta Deva Raya
D. Deva Raya I

Answer 1

Hint: Krishnadevaraya was an emperor who reigned from 1509-1529 in the Vijayanagara Empire. He was the Tuluva Dynasty's third emperor and is considered to be its greatest ruler. After the fall of the Delhi Sultanate, he owned the largest kingdom in India. After his death, his brother succeeded him on the throne.

Complete answer:
Achyuta Deva Raya (1529–1542 CE) was the founder of South India's Vijayanagara Empire. He was Krishna Deva Raya's younger brother and succeeded him in 1529. The time when Achyuta Deva Raya became the king was by no means a favorable one. The peace and prosperity of the golden days under Krishnadevaraya were coming to an end. Feudatories and rivals were waiting to tear down the monarchy for a chance. Moreover, the dominant Aliya Rama Raya, who was vying for the throne, had to compete with Achyuta Deva Raya. Although Nuniz's works speak rather humbly of Achyuta Deva Raya as a king given to vices and cruelty, there is ample evidence to show that the king was also exceptional in his own right and struggled hard to keep the kingdom's wealth alive. Krishna Deva Raya himself had handpicked him as an able successor. Achyutabhyudayam and Varadambikaparinayam depict in detail the king's life and rule in the two Sanskrit books. Achyuta Deva Raya had to deal with the manipulations of Rama Raya under his reign, who in his dominant capacity, had replaced many of the Kingdom's faithful servants in high-ranking roles with men in his own favor. The Bahamani Sultans were brought in on more than one occasion to play the role of mediator between the king and Aliya Rama Raya in the game of power-sharing. This will undermine the empire further. About 1540, Aliya Rama Raya had Achyuta Deva Raya arrested in a coup. Achyuta Deva Raya died in 1542 and was succeeded by Venkata I, his young son. But he was soon assassinated. Sadasiva Raya became the new king. Aliya Rama Raya became the regent and left very little governance in the hands of Sadasiva Raya.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option C.

Note: In Vijayanagara, during his rule, the Tiruvengalanatha temple was installed. Instead of the name of the god Lord Venkateshwara to whom the temple was devoted, it is popularly known by its name as Achyutaraya temple.