| Viswanatha Nayaka | |
|---|---|
| First King of Madurai Nayak Kingdom | |
King Viswanatha Nayak, Founder of Madurai Nayak Dynasty
| |
| Reign | 1529–1564 CE |
| Successor | Kumara Krishnappa Nayaka |
| Died | Madurai, present dayTamil Nadu, India |
| House | Madurai Nayaks |
| Father | Nagama Nayaka |
Viswanatha Nayak was the Vijayanagara viceroy to Madurai in south India during the 16th century. He later became the ruler of Madurai after the fall of the Vijayanagara empire. He is the founder of the Nayak dynasty of Madurai.[1] He hailed from the Garikepati family of Balija caste.[2]
He was supported by his general Ariyanatha Mudaliar who led Viswantha Nayak's army became second in command and took power along with the latter in Tirunelveli in southern India.[1] Viswantha Nayak was then succeeded by his son Krishnappa Nayak who along with his father's able minister Ariyanatha expanded the Madurai Kingdom under the Nayaks and brought most of the ancient Pandyan territory under its rule.[3]
He was the son of Nagama Nayaka, the successful general of Krishnadevaraya in the Vijayanagara empire. In the early 16th century, the Chola ruler Veerasekara Chola invaded the Madurai country and deposed the Pandya king Chandrasekara Pandyan. The Pandya king was under the protection of the Vijayanagara empire[3] and he appealed to the court of Vijayanagara, and an expedition under Kotikam Nagama Nayaka was sent to his aid.[citation needed] Nagama suppressed the Chola ruler and took Madurai, but then suddenly he threw off his allegiance and declining to help the Pandya king, usurped the throne. The Vijayanagara emperor demanded that someone cure the defection: Nagama's own son, Viswanatha, volunteered, and the king sent him with a large force against the rebel. He overthrew his father and handed him over to the emperor and as a reward for his loyalty the king appointed Viswanatha Nayaka as the governor of Madurai and other provinces in the Tamil country thus leading to formation of the Nayak Kingdom of Madurai in 1529.[3]
The Nayaks protected the southern districts from invasion of Mysore and Deccan sultans.[4]
This historical event was made as Telugu film in 1987 entitled Viswanatha Nayakudu under the direction of Dasari Narayana Rao.[5]
No.2607 KOTIKAMVARI KAIFIYATU - A Kaifiyat relating to Garikipati Viswanathanayaka of Balijakula who was given Pandya kingdom by Atchutadevaraya.
Moreover, Acyutadeva Maharaya formally crowned Viswanatha Nayadu of the Garikepati family of the Balija caste as the king of Pandya country yielding a revenue of 2 and 1/2 crores of varahas; and he presented him the golden idols of Durga, Laksmi and Lakshmi-Narayana and sent him with ministers, councillors and troops to the south. Visvanatha Nayudu reached the city of Madhura, from which he began to govern the country entrusted to his care. - taken from the Kaifiyat of Karnata-Kotikam Kings, LR8, pp.319-22
The dynasty's first ruler was Vishvanatha Nayaka, son of the imperial courtier and military officer Nagama Nayaka. He belonged to one of the Balija castes, which originated in the Telugu region and whose members undertook both military and mercantile activities. Vishvanatha was possibly installed at Madurai around 1530 and reigned until c. 1563
According to the Kaifiyat of the Karnata Kotikam Kings, "Acyutadeva Maharaya formally crowned Visvanatha Nayadu of the Garikepati family of the Balija caste as the King of Pandya country yielding a revenue of 2 and 1/2 crores of varahas; and he presented him with golden idols of Durga, Lakshmi and Lakshminarayana and sent him with ministers, councillors and troops to the South."
