The Aravidu Dynasty of Vijayanagara, Vol. I v1.c16.22

v1.c16.22

3. Five sons were born to Rama Raya by his four wives ¹; but none of them was destined to succeed his father in the difficult task of ruling over the Empire. Tirumala, Rama Raya's brother, who had been his prime minister during the last stage of the latter's life, was naturally the one man able to take over that responsibility, and he actually did so. Whether he was appointed by the King, or whether it was the result of circumstances and more in the nature of a self-nomination, we do not know; but from the Krishnapuram plates of Sadasiva ² and from the two Tirumala's grants of Holalkere, mentioned in the preceding chapter, we know that Tirumala succeeded his brother in the regency of the Empire ³. Moreover, in another inscription of Sadasiva, Gutti Tirumalayyadeva Maharaja, of the Aravidu family, is stated to have been the prime minister of the King ⁴. The Chikkadevaraya Vamsavali records, too, that after the death of Rama Raya "his younger brother, Yera Timma Raja, then made himself ruler" ⁵. If we are to believe this statement, Tirumala appointed himself the Regent of the Empire.