The Aravidu Dynasty of Vijayanagara, Vol. I v1.c15.163

v1.c15.163

What was the fate of Venkatadri, the youngest brother of the deceased Raya? Frederick says that both Venkatadri and his brother died 3, and Couto 4 and Anquetil du Perron 5 agree with the Italian traveller. But Ferishta definitely asserts that Venkatadri “escaped from the battle to a distant fortress”⁶. The Ramarajiyamu seems to confirm this, while stating that “ the combined armies of Nizam (Nizam Shah), Yedulakhana (Adil Shah) and Kutupusahu (Qutb Shah) altogether gave up the hope of capturing him ” 7. Finally, the Krishnapuram plates of Sadasiva, dated at least two years after the Raksas-Tagdi disaster, speak of Venkatadri as still alive; they say that he shone on earth as a hero and a conqueror 8. Probably the fact that he retired to that distant fortress was the cause of the belief that he was dead. Which fortress this was, it is difficult to say: Chandragiri, near Tirupati, would have offered him a safe refuge; it is distant, indeed, from the Mussalman realms, and considered as one of the strongholds of the Empire; Krishna Deva Raya had imprisoned there his three brothers and his nephew, as soon as he was enthroned, according to Nuniz 9.