Recently unearthed in Honnenahalli, located in Tumakuru district, Karnataka, is the first-ever epigraphical evidence that provides the recorded date of death of Vijayanagar king Krishnadevaraya. The existence of such inscriptions is rare as royal deaths were seldom documented. This finding offers significant insights into the life and reign of one of the greatest emperors India has ever seen.
Discoveries from the Inscription
The inscription reveals that King Krishnadevaraya passed away on the 17th of October, 1529, a Sunday. Interestingly, this date coincided with a lunar eclipse. The inscription has been engraved on a slab placed on the north side of the Gopalakrishna temple at Honnenahalli in the Tumakuru district. According to the content of the inscription, the village of Honnenahalli in Tumakuru was donated with the aim to facilitate worship dedicated to the deity Veeraprasanna Hanumantha of Tumakuru. These records are written in Kannada, a South Indian language.
Insights into Krishnadevaraya’s Reign
Krishnadevaraya ruled over the Tuluva dynasty of the Vijayanagar Empire from 1509 to 1529 AD. His reign was marked by significant territorial expansion and consolidation. He is acknowledged for constructing magnificent temples and adding grand gopurams (towering gateways) to several major South Indian temples. His contributions also include the establishment of a suburban township near Vijayanagar, known as Nagalapuram, named after his mother. Among his literary works, a notable contribution is ‘Amuktamalyada’, a composition on statecraft written in Telugu.
The Vijayanagara Empire
The Vijayanagara Empire, along with the city of the same name, was characterized by victory. Founded in 1336 AD by Harihara and Bukka of the Sangama dynasty, the empire chose Hampi as its capital city. In recognition of its historic and cultural significance, Hampi was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1986. The empire spanned from the Krishna River in the north to the extreme southern part of the peninsula. It witnessed the rule of four major dynasties: Sangama, Saluva, Tuluva, and Aravidu.
Unveiling the mysteries of history, this recent discovery has illuminated a crucial aspect of the Vijayanagara empire and one of its most remarkable rulers, Krishnadevaraya, thereby enriching the understanding of our ancestral heritage.