1. Who of the following rulers of medieval India gave permission to the Portuguese to build a fort at Bhatkal?

(a) Krishnadevaraya

(b) Narasimha Saluva

(c) Muhammad Shah III

(d) Yusuf Adil Shah

Answer: (a) Krishnadevaraya

Krishnadevaraya
  • Krishnadevaraya was emperor of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1509 to 1529.
  • He was the third monarch of the Tuluva dynasty, and is considered to be one of the greatest rulers in Indian history.
  • He gave permission to the Portuguese to erect a fort at Bhatkal.
  • Krishnadevaraya earned the titles Andhra Bhoja (lit. “Bhoja of Andhra”), Karnatakaratna Simhasanadeeshwara (lit. “Lord of the Jewelled Throne of Karnataka”), Yavana Rajya Pratistapanacharya (lit. “Establishment of the King to Bahmani Throne”), Kannada Rajya Rama Ramana (lit. “Lord of the Kannada Empire), Gaubrahmana Pratipalaka (lit. “Protector of Brahmins and Cows”) and Mooru Rayara Ganda (lit. “Lord of Three Kings”).
  • He became the dominant ruler of the peninsula by defeating the sultans of Bijapur, Golconda, the Bahmani Sultanate and the Gajapatis of Odisha, and was one of the most powerful Hindu rulers in India.
  • The Portuguese travellers Domingo Paes and Duarte Barbosa visited the Vijayanagara Empire during his reign, and their travelogues indicate that the king was not only an able administrator but also an excellent general, leading from the front in battle and even attending to the wounded.
  • On many occasions, the king changed battle plans abruptly, turning a losing battle into victory.
  • The poet Mukku Timmanna praised him as the ‘Destroyer of the Turks’.
  • Krishnadevaraya benefited from the counsel of his prime minister Timmarusu, whom he regarded as the father figure responsible for his coronation.
  • Krishnadevaraya was also advised by the witty Tenali Ramakrishna, who was employed in his court.
  • His main enemies were the Bahmani Sultanate, the Deccan Sultanates, the Gajapatis of Odisha, who had been involved in constant conflict since the rule of Saluva Narasimha Deva Raya, and Portugal, a rising maritime power which controlled much of the sea trade.
Narasimha Saluva
  • Saluva Narasimha Deva Raya (also known as Saluva Narasimha or Immadi Narasimha), was the founder of the Saluva dynasty in the Vijayanagara Empire. 
    • The Saluva dynasty was ruled by three kings from 1485 to 1505.
      • Saluva Narasimha(1486–1491) was the first king of the Saluva dynasty.
      • Ruled by Narasimha’s eldest son, Thimma Bhupala in 1491.
      • Thimma Bhupala was murdered by an army commander and one of Narasa’s enemies in 1492.
      • Ruled by Narasimha’s youngest son, Narasimha Raya II from 1491 to 1505.
      • Tuluva Dynasty claimed the throne after the end of the Saluva dynasty.
  • In 1452, he was conferred the title Maha Mandaleshwara of Chandragiri during the reign of emperor Mallikarjuna Raya. His father Saluva Gunda was the governor of Chandragiri.
  • He ruled from 1486 to 1491 CE. He overthrew the last Sangama king and established the Saluva dynasty.
  • The majority of Saluva Narasimha Deva Raya’s reign was devoted to moderately successful campaigns to subdue his vassals around the realm and fruitless attempts to halt the Suryavamsa monarch of Orissa’s expansion.
  • In order to restart the horse trade, which had been taken over by Bahman, Narasimha also established additional ports on the west coast.
  • He was a patron of the Madhwa saint Sripadaraya and the Kannada poet Kavi Linga.
Muhammad Shah III
  • Muhammad Shah III Lashkari or Shamsuddin Muhammad Shah III was the sultan of the Bahmani Sultanate from 1463 to 1482.
  • During his reign, he successfully invaded Orissa and made their Gajapati Purushottam Deva to surrender.
  • He also made his brother Hamvira Deva surrender by besieging Kondavidu fort.
  • Mahmud Gawan (1463-1482):
    • Mahmud Gawan was the Prime Minister of Muhammad Shah III, who was crowned Sultan at the age of 9. Hence, the entire burden of the administration fell on his Prime Minister.
    • Gawan was an Iranian trader who rose to the service of the Bahmani Sultan and was given the title of Malik-ul-Tujjar. He dominated the affairs of the Bahmani Kingdom for almost twenty years.
    • He extended the Bahmani Kingdom by annexing territories in the east and defeating the ruler of Orissa.
    • He also invaded Vijayanagara territories up to Kanchi and also captured territories of Dabhol and Goa.
    • The control over Goa and Dabhol helped further expand the overseas trade with Iran and Iraq.
    • In an attempt to settle the northern frontier of the Bahmani Kingdom, Mahmud Gawan fought Mahmud Khalji of Malwa over Berar in a series of battles.
    • Gawan prevailed over him due to active help from the Gujarat kingdom.
Yusuf Adil Shah
  • Yusuf Adil Shah was the founder of the Adil Shahi dynasty and the first Sultan of Bijapur.
  • He established the independent Bijapur Sultanate in 1490, after serving as a Governor under the Bahmani Sultanate.
  • The Adil Shahis often clashed with the Vijayanagara Empire, including a key victory at the Battle of Talikota in 1565.
    • The Adil Shahi dynasty was eventually overthrown by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in 1686, who captured Bijapur.