Dear Vijay! the post has gone to our Sundar Krishnan's but the subject is KDR, is it not?. So, I reverted to KDR again.
It is right to assume that KDR did not have any son. So it has to gone to Atchutha Rayan, his brother (younger) in 1529. Then his Alludu Ramaraju came to power in 1542, then the destruction starts for Vijayanagara. 1565, everything gone, and Ramaraju was killed at the war at the age of around 80.
But if studying deeply about the Vijayanagara empire, you can understand that no single race has ruled the kingdom continuously from the starting period of 1350 or so. KDR was named as 'Tuluva race' and he puts his 'initial' or family name as Tuluva Krishna Dheva Raya, and the he was the first king for this race. before him the brahmin Chellappah Saluva Nayaga or Narsinga or Narasimhanof Chandragiri fort was ruling from the both Hampi and Chandragiri (near Tirupati - if you come from Bangalore to Tirupati, you can still see this fort), and Bukka (1344)who started this empire with the help of Saint Vidhyadhara, belongs to Salukya or related race. St. Vidhyadhara' story itself very interesting and the 'Vassthu sasthra' plays a very big game in establishing vijayanagara empire.
Important fact that Narasimha/Chellappa or Saluva Chellappa Nayagargroomed KDR since childhood, according to Sewell, who was the ICS English Officer under whom our great historical scholars like Krishnaswamy Iyengar worked in Madras University. Sewell publications which was released in 1900, found that the Srivilli Aandal Temple was constructed during Chellappa Nayaga's period (1490 to 1509). Burton Stein the living legend of Cambridge University, quotes this incident in his book'Vijayanagara' that when Chellapa went to deep south near Villiputhur, thde temple was so old in depleted condition, and a small and beutiful girl called him and took him inside to the temple and vanished. Then Chellappa realised and ordered to reconstruct the temple to today's pride outlook.
KDR must have known the details of Andaal and Periazhwar in the childhood stage itself. Otherwise how he could write such a beautiful Kavya?
I remember little only aboutRA. K. Ra's Novel (but read)which was serialised in Kumudham and I think he introduce a doctor of Portugese native and KDR's gangar's war.
You may be right. But when KDR dies, he has no son and utilising opportunity his brother-in-law- cum-Maappillai, tried to take over the crown, with the help of Saluva Thimmarasu, but Atchutha raya thwarted that attempt and took over the realm.
Mr. TM Sundar asked why telugu (and not even Kannada)wasextensively used when he was a Tulu by birth? Even today, Tulu is not having proper lipi.(When I went to Mangalore, the Udupi University Professor whose name i will give in my next post, has shown the script of Tulu, but yet to be popularised). But the fact is, KDR was surrounded by Telugu Kings of Velema and Reddys, who were all once enemies too, Telugu Brahmin Scholars-cum-'warriors' and his AshtathiggajangaL are mostly Telugus.
Bahmini sultans and Gajapathi's are staunch enemies of KDR. . He had to take sides with powerful friends for defeating them. Velema Kings from immediate Rayalaseema area, which is adjacent to Vijayanagara and Reddys of still northern (north of Tungabhadra) and their splinter groups, got plum posts with KDR. Already the Vijayanagara Kings during 1370's helped Tamils by removing Muslim kingdom at Madurai and established their overlordships with three parts, Madurai Nayaga, Tanjai Nayaga and Senji Nayaga, all are telugu's.
And naturally Telugu got the official language status in Tamilnadu for more than 200 years till the arrival of Marathas at Tanjore and Muslims in the northern and western Tamilnadu.
One more additional information. Rayalaseema farming community are great technecians in bringing out deep ground water. For tank irrigation and watering the cotton in the plains of Madurai east and Southern parts, large sections of telugu's were sent to this part and they have settled there permanently. Like wise the telugu brahmins were sent to Tanjai and Maudrai to assist the Kings in administrative matters and revenue collections from the villages. Even now we can see lot of Telugu speaking Brahmins in Tanjai and Madurai districts. The great Thiagayya was a telugu brahmin settled at Tiruvaiyaru.
D
The telugu population slowly moved from the dry part of rayala