The
Saluva dynasty was created by the Saluvas, who by historical tradition were
natives of the Kalyani region of northern Karnataka in modern India. The
Gorantla inscription traces their origins to this region from the time of the
Western Chalukyas and Kalachuris of Karnataka. The term "Saluva" is
known to lexicographers as "hawk" used in hunting. They later spread
into the east coast of modern Andhra Pradesh, perhaps by migration or during
the Vijayanagara conquests during the 14th century.
Genealogy or the Family chart of the Saluva Dynasty
The
earliest known Saluva from inscriptional evidence in the Vijayanagara era was
Mangaldeva, the great grandfather of Saluva Narasimha Deva Raya. Mangaldeva
played an important role in the victories of King Bukka Raya I against the
Sultanate of Madurai. His descendents founded the Saluva Dynasty and were one
of the ruling lines of the Vijayanagara Empire of Southern India.
Three
kings ruled from 1485 to 1505 after which the Tuluva Dynasty claimed the
throne. They ruled almost the entire South India with Vijaynagara as their
capital.
Saluva
Narasimha was the first king of the dynasty ruling from 1486–1491.[2] Narasimha
spent his reign in relatively successful campaigns to reduce his vassals
throughout the kingdom to submission and in unsuccessful attempts to stop the
encroachment of the king of Orissa. Narasimha also opened new ports on the west
coast so that he could revive the horse trade, which had fallen into Bahmanī
hands.
At his
death in 1491, following the siege of Udayagiri and his own imprisonment there
by Orissa, Narasimha left his kingdom in the hands of his chief minister,
Narasa Nayaka. The King did not think his sons were ready to take charge of the
throne so he gave that power to his most trusted general and minister Narasa.
The minister in effect ruled Vijayanagar from 1490 until his own death in 1503.
Narasimha's eldest son, Thimma Bhupa, was murdered by an army commander and one
of Narasa's enemies in 1492 so Narasimha's youngest son, Narasimha Raya II,
ascended his brother to the throne as king. He was enthroned as Immadi
Narasimha. Although he was named king, the authentic control came from Narasa’s
eldest son and successor, best known as Vira Narasimha. He ordered the murder
of Immadi Narasimha in 1505. He then ascended the throne and inaugurated the
Tuluva dynasty, the third dynasty of Vijayanagar and reigned from 1503-1509
