FALL OF SALUVA TIMMARUSU ( Appaji)..DESTINY CAUGHT
WITH HIM FINALLY
Dr K Prabhakar Rao
In the royal court Krishna raya sat on a throne made of gold
While the prisoner in fetters was led into the hall
Aged Appaji is now in chains fallen from the grace
Yet he stood with raised head and tall
Appaji guided history to greatest heights
But sadly stand as a victim of destiny and mischief
The hall was full with people who came to see
Whether the king would punish his age old chief
Soon an official read the charge of murder
That the king’s son was put to death by poison
Appaji was charged with murder by royal court
And was sure to be put to death for the act of treason
Appaji was calm and cool as the charge was read
While the king asked why he had to do the crime?
“I rated you as my respected father all these years
While you killed my son before he reached hi prime”
Raya thus thundered from the royal throne
While the court remained stunned in silence
“I am not guilty” Appaji pleaded to the king
“I raised prince with my hands as a flower emanating fragrance,
Oh king, this is the work of traitors in this land
Who like to drive a wedge between you and me
Do not fall to the plans of these cruel traitors
And have faith in me as earlier used to be”
Rayas senses were already clouded with passion
Who was in grip of rage , passion and revenge
“Hasn’t your brother run away from prison in far?
It is time dead seek justice and my son is to be avenged”
Rayas temper knew no bounds at this instant
The devil has already taken over him and reason
He thundered Appajis eyes be blinded or the crime
While his service saved him from the acts of treason
The king walked off from the court in disgust
While Appaji was led to dark prison halls
The same night his eyes were put off
While red hot spikes were thrust into his eye balls
The light in his eyes faded into wild
Fortune of empire was to soon fade
Calamity to empire was soon to engulf in few years
The great empire was soon to fall that Appaji made
Appaji was confined in a cell in Penukonda
Where he spent his life in anguish and shame
Soon he gave up his life unable to bear the sorrow
While Raya realized his folly and the baseless blame
The guilt soon ate up Raya over time
He fell sick and cried in guilt invain
He was unfair to his mentor in the evening of his life
The unjust punishment gave him greatest pain
In agony the king gave up his life soon
His last days were full of anguish and pain
Appaji who fooled king Tuluva Narsimha with goats eyes
Also had to pay with his eye as truth is simple and pain
Although Appaji tried to save Krishna Raya from death
He cheated the king on death bed and saved kingdom
Destiny soon caught Appaji in his last days
And finally destiny had last laugh while he lost the stardom
NOTE
Saluva Timmarusu was the architect of Vijaynagar empire during the reign of Sri Krishna Deva Raya who was the greatest emperor of the empire. He was fondly called as Appaji by Raya. Appaji enabled him to occupy the throne after the death of his step brother king Tuluva Narsimha Raya . The ailing king wanted to get Krishnadeva Raya blinded to enable his young son to succeed. His Prime minister Timmarusu who much preferred able Krishna Raya as the next ruler fooled the king by showing a pair of goats eyes and the satisfied king peacefully died. Krishna Deva Raya became the next emperor and rose to be a greatest monarch. Appaji guided the empire to reach greatest fame. Sadly in the last years of Rayas reign, young son of Raya was poisoned by some traitors( Hand of Bahmanis suspected) and Appaji and his brother were suspected for the foul play and they were arrested and imprisoned. Appajis brother escaped from the prison. The king lost all his balance of mind and reason and at his orders eyes of Appaji were put off. However Krishna Raya soon realized that Appaji was innocent and in great anguish and pain fell sick and soon passed away.Achyuta Ray his step brother became the next king . Soon the empre got into problems due to severe in fighting over succession. Rama Raya who was the son in law of Krishna Raya became adefacto king and guided the destiny of empire for next 20 years. His constant meddling in the affairs of Bahmani during the sultan and the politics of the times resulted in the devastating battle of Tallikota in 1565 and Hindu army received the greatest defeat at the hands of combined Muslim armies of Sultans in Deccan. The kingdom although survived for another 8o years, it never regained original glory. In 1645 the empire disintegrated due to treachery of vassals during the reign of Sriranga III.. Timmarusu was very efficient with great political prowess, fore thought and vision. He kept Bahmani sultans at bay and Ray became victorious in all his campaigns. He deserved greatest honors while in the evening of his life he met sad fate. Krishna Deva Ray although was of great caliber and benevolent suffered from the lacuna of fits of rage on occasions as recorded by contemporary historians
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9 comments:
As usual a great post by Dr. Prabhakar Rao bringing out the poignancy of that moment in history.
Some pointers noted below are worthy of notice in regard to this event.
1. It is not absolutely certain that this event actually happened as there appears to be no other contemporaneous historical/epigraphical evidence corroborating the misfortune that befell on the great minister Appaji.
It is hard to imagine that this sad end to Saluva Timma would have been left out in epigraphical records or other writings of the time.
2. It is also reported that after Appaji's misfortune his descendants continued to make endowments for the merit of the great emperor which would be surprising if the Raya had lowered the beam on Timma and his kinsmen.
On the other hand if the incident really happened a few pointers exist as to how this sad end to Timma might have come to pass.
1. The Raya apparently grieved hard on the sudden and untimely demise of his darling son.
2. The Raya being a keen student of past history must have been well aware that after his demise his son could not expect support with any certainty from the ambitious sub-ordinates/kinsmen if the prince were to assume power before he fully attained an appropriate age and capability to handle an adverse situation. Therefore the great Raya even abdicated the throne in favour of his young son of six years, assumed the role of the Prime minister and began to train him in the art of government. Thus the Raya's cherished dream of producing an able successor in his own life time was rudely shattered with the death of the prince either due to palace conspiracy or a fatal infection he might have suffered.
There was no dearth of people who would have a motive to deprive the prince being groomed by the Raya for the throne. It could have been Appaji's brother or son who were not sure of their primary positions of inflence and power after the Raya or no less a person than Aliya Rama Raya the son-in-law of the great emperor. Later events have proved to us that Rama Raya, though a capable man had insatiable lust for power and a penchant for intrigue- all attested by the troubles he caused to Achyuta Raya who was chosen by the great emperor to succeed him and his usurpation of power from Achyuta's successor Sadasiva Raya by keeping the latter in confinement. It might very well be that he and his brothers could have poisoned the mind of the grieving emperor to make sure that the sagacious minister Saluva Timma would no longer be around to influence the succession process after Krishna Raya.
Further we know from the eye witness account of the Poruguese Domingo Paes that the emperor Krishna Raya,though flawless in other respects was given to 'sudden' fits of rage. This trait of the emperor might have induced him in the moment of his grief induced weakness to lose his balance. believe the intriguers (who ever that might have been) and hold Saluva Timma, Timma's brother and son responsible for the purported crime.
It is to be also noted that the great Raya did not order blinding of Timma, his brother and his son until after the son escaped from prison to wage war on the emperor.
It is also known that the wise Appaji was not around when the succession to the great emperor took place after his death. It was other ministers such as Saluva Narasimha aka Sellappa who ensured the enthronement of Krishna Raya's half brother and chosen successor Achyuta Raya.
Krishnasamy Narayanan
In penukonda fort there is a structure being maintained by the govt and is known as Appajis jail or Timmarusu jail. How the name has come and sustained unless he was put in prison.As stated there is no Proof in terms of a epigraph, book etc. Moreresearch hasto be surelydoneon this topic. Rama Raya was no doubt a manipulator and had lust for power. He created many problems after Krishna devarays death. He became a defacto ruler ofthe empire. He also ensured elimination of Sadasiva raya the emperor.Hisway of handling with Deccani sultans also resulted in Tallikota battle in which hedied and Vijayanagae citywasdvastated for ten long months.However his dynasty ruled the empire till all was over in 1645.Rama rays hand in the killing of krishna devarayas son can not be ruledout but can notbeconfirmed.
Excellent Observations ...would like to add few more.Appaji was Not in favor of Raya appointing his son as the Ruler as its considered bad omen ( Medieval beliefs...History of Rayas appointment was itself filled with this type) Appaji Son's were responsible and As Timmarasu was a Brahmin...he was not put to Death..but only blinded...many are unaware that he was pardoned aftera year or so.... He Refused all Charity from Raya And left immediately to Tirupathi and spent his last days Begging......do see my work..Hampi A-Z a 2700 photos of Complete Research work on Hampi in FB...Dr Zeb
Pratapa rudra Gajapathi the King of Orissa was defeated by krishna deva raya and the orisaa king came to terms by offering his daughter Anna Purna devi in marraige to Raya. Anna purna devi is believed to be known as Tukka devi. Rayas son who was put on the throne at young age was the son of chief queen Tirumala devi. Gajapathi of Orissa was very unhappy with his defeat at hands of Raya and he would have been the happiest man to bring misfortune to Raya. Hand of Gajapathi in poisoning of Rayas son tirumala raya through agents can not be ruled out. However the murderers could not be pinpointed.
Sir what are the books you studied to know about detailed history of Krishnadeva Raya?
There are records available that Saluva Timmarasu lived his last days in Tirupati, possible in penury. While its possible that one of the conspirators pinned the blame on the minister, there are some facts which suggest that he was indeed imprisoned at the fag end of his career and that his son had rebelled against the crown.
Completely wrong info..
Because there were Inscriptions that states tallapaka tirumalacharya gaining laddu prasadam benefits from timmarusu on one condition that Saint will never leave tirumala in his life and this was done in 1534 exactly five years latter that srikrishna Raya passed away
FYI
Emani Siva nagi reddy garu wrote an article Aldo in local daily called andhra jyothi u can check i will share the article details along with writer phone number also
FYI...
During the last days of rayalu ..his son is with him only
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