Aravidu dynasty

Indian dynasty

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Article History

Aravidu dynasty, fourth and last dynasty of the Hindu empire of Vijayanagar in southern India. Its founder was Tirumala, whose brother Rama Raya had been the masterful regent of the Sadasiva Raya of the Tuluva dynasty. Rama Raya’s death at the Battle of Rakasa-Tangadi (also known as Talikota) in 1565 and the subsequent destruction of Vijayanagar by the combined forces of the Muslim states of Bijapur, Ahmadnagar, and Golconda was a deadly blow to the empire.

Tirumala, who became emperor in 1570, fixed his capital at Penugonda. But, beset by the Muslim powers, family disputes, and revolts of Hindu chiefs in the south, the Vijayanagar empire gradually dissolved by the first half of the 17th century. The authority of the kings was also diluted by the British East India Company. The last king of the dynasty, Sriranga III, was confined to the tiny principality of Vellore, which was also lost to the armies of Bijapur and Golconda in 1664. This brought an end to the Aravidu dynasty.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Maren Goldberg.