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Vijayanagara succession
After Deva Raya II died in 1446, the Vijayanagara Empire fell into a succession struggle owing to the lack of strict primogeniture;…
Timeline
- 1446Vijayanagara · KarnatakaAfter Deva Raya II died, with his eldest son already killed in war, the empire lacked a clear heir. The Sangama Dynasty had never observed strict primogeniture, so princes and close relatives immediately began competing, with court factions and local commanders drawn into the power struggle.
- 1446–1447Vijayanagara · KarnatakaAccording to some inscriptions and texts, Deva Raya II's brother Vijaya II (Deva Raya III) may have succeeded briefly, only to die or be deposed soon after. A succession struggle broke out between his son Virupaksha II and Deva Raya II's son Mallikarjuna Raya, and court records for this period are confused.
- 1447Vijayanagara · KarnatakaMallikarjuna Raya (also called Ramachandra in inscriptions) ultimately defeated or replaced Virupaksha II and formally took the throne around 1447. His reign lasted until about 1465, but he could not maintain the territory and military prestige of Deva Raya II's era, and the empire began losing coastal and Deccan frontier lands.
Sources
- Vijayanagara Empire: The fall of the Sangamas — History Under Your Feet (2014) https://historyunderyourfeet.wordpress.com/2014/08/13/vijayanagara-empire-the-fall-of-the-sangamas/
- Indian History Part 73: The Sangama Dynasty Section VI — Sanu Kainikara (2019) https://sanukay.wordpress.com/2019/06/23/indian-history-part-73-the-sangama-dynasty-section-vi-a-whimpering-end/