Renaissance · South Asia · Politics

1509

Krishnadevaraya Crowned at Vijayanagara

1509

A general of common birth named Krishnadevaraya ascended the throne of the vast Hindu kingdom of Vijayanagara in southern India. Scholar, poet, and warrior, he would repel the Deccan sultans, rebuild temple complexes, and preside over a court remembered for its elephants, ambassadors, and Telugu verse. His reign is remembered as a golden age of Telugu literature, and Hampi may have been the second-largest city in the world.