Deva Raya II ruled the Vijayanagara Empire from 1425 to 1446 CE. He was the most powerful ruler of the Sangama dynasty, and he was a skilled administrator, warrior, and scholar. He wrote well-known Kannada works (Sobagina Sone and Amaruka) as well as Sanskrit works (Mahanataka Sudhanidhi). He encouraged secular literature development, and the noted South Indian mathematician Parameshvara of the Kerala school of astronomy and mathematics lived in his empire. He is also known as Prouda Devaraya. In this article, we will discuss Deva Raya II (1425-1446 CE) of Sangama Dynasty which will be helpful for UPSC exam preparation.

Deva Raya II - Background

• Deva Raya II, also known as Proudha Deva Raya. From 1422 to 1446, he ruled the Vijayanagara Empire.
• According to historian Sastri, Deva Raya II was known as Gajabetegara, which literally means "Hunter of Elephants," an honorific that explained his addiction to hunting elephants or a metaphor referring to his victories over enemies "as strong as elephants."
• He defeated Kalinga's army. He annexed Knodavidu and extended his authority up to Rajahmundry.
• The war with the Bahmani kingdom raged on, and Ahmad Shah slaughtered the women and children of Vijayanagara mercilessly. When the number of Hindus killed reached 20,000, he held a three-day carnival.
• Deva Raya was so impressed with the Muslim Cavalry's efficiency that he decided to recruit Muslim horsemen for his own army. While doing so, he was unconcerned about his own religious prejudices.
• In 1443, a new war with the Bahmani Kingdom began, and the Muslims inflicted heavy losses on him. He was eventually been forced to pay tribute to the Bahmani rulers.

Wars with Gajapati Empire

• The reign of Deva Raya II was a golden age in the history of South India, particularly Karnataka. He succeeded his father Veera Vijaya Bukka Raya, who had a brief two-year reign.
• Even as a crown prince in 1423, he had tasted victory against the Bahamani Sultanate, forcing them to relocate their capital to Bidar in 1426.
• Deva Raya II fought three major battles against the Gajapati of Odisha: the battle of Kondavidu in 1427 against King Bhanudeva IV, the battle of Rajamahendri in 1436 against King Kapilendra when the latter attempted to conquer Rajamahendri, and again in 1441.
• An invasion by the Reddis of Kondavidu was also repulsed, and by 1432, all of the region's petty chiefs were brought under Vijayanagara control.

Sultanate Affairs

• Vijayanagara was drawn into war with their traditional foes, the Bahamani Sultanate, after a brief period of peace.
• However, the outcomes of these wars were mixed. Ala-ud-din II ascended the Bahamani throne in 1436 and immediately dispatched his brother Muhammad to collect tribute.
• According to the Sastri, Deva Raya II was forced to pay a large tribute in order to achieve peace.
• During this period, the Vijayanagara armies were routinely defeated by the Bahamani armies, and Deva Raya II struggled to find a solution, which eventually led to the inclusion of many skilled Muslim soldiers in the Vijayanagara army.
• Some accounts claim Deva Raya II lost the fort at Mudgal in a military clash in 1436, but a 1436 inscription at Mudgal shows the fort remained under Vijayanagara control, according to historian Kamath.
• Some regions in the Tungabhadra-Krishna river doab were lost to the Bahamani Sultanate during an uncertain period that followed in 1443, when the king appears to have been the victim of an attempted assassination.

Success in the South

• Deva Raya II's empire included Kerala, where he defeated the ruler of Quilon as well as other chieftains in the region.
• His capable commander, Lakkanna, invaded Ceylon and collected large tributes there.
• The Zamorin of Calicut, as well as the kings of Burma ruling at Pegu and Tanasserim, paid tribute. This information was gleaned from Nuniz's writings.
• Though the Zamorin maintained his independence, according to Razzak, he feared and respected Deva Raya II.

Culture and Arts

• Deva Raya II's reign was a watershed moment in Kannada literature, with fierce competition between Vaishnava and Veerashaiva writers and frequent literary clashes between the two sects.
• Chamarasa and Kumara Vyasa, two of the most famous Kannada writers of the 15th century.
• Chandrashekara (Chrakavi), who wrote on secular subjects; and the king's zealous Veerashaiva ministers and writers.
• Lakkana Dandesa and Jakkanarya (who himself patronised the Kannada poets Kumarabankanatha and Mahalingadeva) were all in his court.

Conclusion

The downfall of the Sangama Dynasty started after Devaraya II. After Devaraya II, Mallikarjuna, Virupaksha ascended the throne. But they were weak and inefficient. Hence, Bahamani Sultanate and Gajapatis attacked the kingdom. At this situation the governor of Chandragiri Saluva Narasimha defeated Virupaksha, the last ruler of Sangama dynasty and ascended the throne and saved the kingdom.