A Forgotten Empire (Vijayanagar): A Contribution to the History of India c20.42

c20.42

King Venkata I. (1586–1614) had a sister who was married to a chief whom Barradas calls “Obo” (perhaps Obala) Râya. So far as we know, his only nephews were Tirumala II. and Ranga III., sons of his brother, Râma III. Since Tirumala II. appears to have had no sons, and Ranga III. had a son, Râma IV., who is asserted in the inscriptions to have been “one of several brothers,” it is natural to suppose that the nephew mentioned by Barradas, who was raised to be king on the death of the old King Venkata I. in 1614, and who had three sons, was Ranga III., called “Chikka Râya” or “Crown-prince” in the text. He, then, succeeded in 1614, but was afterwards deposed, imprisoned, and compelled to take his own life. His eldest son at the same time followed his example, and his youngest son was slain by his father. The “middle son” escaped, and was raised to the throne by a friendly chief named Echama Naik. This second son was probably Ranga IV. Two of King Venkata’s wives were Bayamâ, daughter of Jaga Râya, and a lady unnamed, sister of Narpa Râya. A niece of Venkata I. had been given in marriage to a Brahman boy, who had been surreptitiously introduced into the palace by Bayamâ and educated in the pretence that he was son of King Venkata. The plot to raise him to the throne was temporarily successful, and Ranga III. and all the royal family were killed, saving only Ranga IV., who afterwards came to the throne.