PULIKESHI II

Ereya, who assumed the name Pulikeshi on his coronation, was born to the Chalukya king Kirtivarman I. Ereya ascended the Chalukya throne as Pulikeshi II and assumed the title Chalukya Parameshwara. pulikeshi built many a temples such as badami, Papanatha, durga and ladhkhan. Pulikeshi had to face several obstacles soon after his coronation. The civil war had given fresh hope to feudatories and adventurers; some of them were emboldened to throw off their allegiance to the Chalukyas. The Aihole inscription of 634 found in an Aihole Jainlaya says, "the whole world was enveloped in the darkness that was enemies". Xuanzang was a Chinese traveler who visited India in the 7th century. Xuanzang praised the Chalukya king Pulakesi II as a "man of farsighted resource and astuteness who extends kindness to all". His subjects obey him with perfect submission.The people of the Chalukya kingdom left a strong impression on him. He stated: The people preferred death to disloyalty. "They were tall and sturdy in stature and proud and carefree by nature, grateful for kindness and revengeful for injustice." If they or their family were insulted they would call for a duel." Xuanzang vividly described the Chalukya army of Pulakesi II, which had hundreds of well-trained and armed warriors as well as numerous elephants which were given alcohol before letting loose on the battlefield. Although Pulakesi II was a Hindu ruler Xuanzang mentioned that there were one hundred Buddhist monasteries in his kingdom.

KRISHNADEVARAYA

Krishna Deva Raya was an Emperor of the Vijayanagara Empire who reigned from 15091529 CE. He is the third ruler of the Tuluva Dynasty. Presiding over the empire at its zenith, he is regarded as an icon by many Indians. Emperor Krishna Deva Raya earned the titles Andhra Bhoja, Mooru Rayara Ganda (lit, "King of three Kings") andKannada Rajya Rama Ramana (lit, "Lord of the Kannada empire"). He became the dominant ruler of the peninsula of India by defeating the Sultans of Bijapur, Golconda and the Raja of Odisha. The great south Indian mathematician Nilakantha Somayaji also lived in the Empire of Krishnadevaraya. Indeed, when the Mughal Babur was taking stock of the potentates of India, KDR was rated the most powerful and had the most extensive empire in the subcontinent. Portuguese travellers Domingo Paes and Fernao Nuniz also visited the Vijayanagara Empire during his reign. Krishna Deva Raya benefited from the able Prime Minister Timmarusu, who was regarded by the emperor as a father figure and was responsible for his coronation. Paes summarises the king's attitude to matters of law and order by the sentence, "The king maintains the law by killing." Offences against property (designed to maintain stability) and for murder ranged from cutting of a foot and hand for theft and beheading for murder (except for those occurring as a result of duel). Paes could not estimate the size of Vijaynagar as his view was obscured by the hills but estimated the city to be at least as large as Rome. Furthermore, he considered Vijaynagar to be "the best provided city in the world" with a population of not less than a half a million. The empire was divided into a number of provinces often under members of the royal family and into further subdivisions. The administrative languages of the Empire were Kannada and Teluguthe latter was also the Court language. Telugu was a popular literary medium, reaching its peak under the patronage of Krishnadevaraya. The Portuguese Chronicler Domingo Paes praises Krishna Deva Raya as, the most feared and perfect King a great ruler and a man of much justice. Though a follower of Vaishnavism he showed respect to all sects, and petty religious prejudices never influenced him, either in granting gifts or in his choice of companions and officers. According to Barbosa, The King allows such freedom that every man may come and go, live according to his own creed, without suffering any annoyance.