Timmarusu

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Saluva Timmarusu or simply Timmarasa was Prime minister of Krishna Deva Raya. He had also served as prime minister under Viranarasimha Raya (The word Arasu or "Arasa" is a Kannada word used as a title by royalty, chieftains, feudal Barons and even kings")[1][2][3]. Modern day English equivalent word for "Arasu" is "Urs".

Timmarasa was responsible for the coronation of Krishnadevaraya. Records of Portuguese traveller Nuniz suggest that Vira Narasimha, while on his death bed ordered Timmarasa to blind his half brother Krishnadevaraya to ensure that his own minor son of eight years would become king of the empire. Timmarasa instead presented the king with a pair of she-goat eyes in order to satisfy the wish of the dying king. This way Timmarasa ensured that Krishnadevaraya became the successor. However records don't confirm this information in any way and according to Prof. K.A.N Sastri, there is nothing to suggest anything but a friendly relationship between the two half brothers.

In 1524, Krishnadevaraya crowned his minor son Yuvaraja. A few months later the prince took ill and died of poisoning. Accusing Timmarasa for this crime, Krishnadevaraya had the entire family of the minister blinded.

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Prof. N.L. Rao has pointed out from inscriptions that princess and kings of the Badami Chalukya dynasty also had names like Kattiyarasa (Kirtivarman I), Bittarasa (Kubja Vishnuvardhana) and Mangalarasa and that the word arasa is a pure Kannada term. Concise History of Karnataka, pp 57 and pp 60, Dr. S.U. Kamath
  2. ^ The Kannada word arasa is equivalent to the Sanskrit word Raja, Journal of Indian History by University of Allahabad, Department of Modern Indian History, Editors: 1921-1923, Shafaat Ahmad Khan; 1924- S. Krishnasvami Aiyangar, pp102
  3. ^ A Descriptive Grammar of Pampa Bhārata By B. Ramachandra Rao, pp 20

[edit] References

  • Prof K.A. Nilakanta Sastry, History of South India, From Prehistoric times to fall of Vijayanagar, 1955, OUP, New Delhi (Reprinted 2002)
  • Dr. Suryanath U. Kamat, Concise history of Karnataka, 2001, MCC, Bangalore (Reprinted 2002)