THE WHEEL OF KARMA – A TALE OF TWO TIMMARASAS OF VIJAYANAGARA EMPIRE
WHEEL OF KARMA – FIRST ROTATION
In c. 1490, Saluva Narasimha-I, founder of Saluva dynasty of Vijayanagara died after a short stint as emperor from c.1485-90.
Though he was an usurper of the throne from the previous dynasty (the Sangamas), he was respected by most of the nobles and officers of the empire. His commitment to the people and his untiring efforts to save the empire from enemies earned him the accolades from all quarters.
Saluva Narasimha-I had his own team of trusted people among whom Tuluva Isvara Nayaka and his son Narasa Nayaka were the prominent ones. This father-son duo were fierce warriors and able administrators as well. While Isvara Nayaka acted as the commander-in-chief for Narasimha-I when the latter was a vassal of Sangamas, Narasa Nayaka rose to the position of Imperial Regent & Protector of Narasimha-I’s sons.
After Narasimha-I’s death, his elder son was made as the emperor and Narasa Nayaka was his Protector. But Narasa, owing to his power and position in the royal court, had many internal enemies. And Timmarasa (not to be confused with Saluva Timmarasa, the PM for Krishnaraya) was one of them.
Timmarasa hatched a conspiracy to implicate Narasa Nayaka in such a crime that attracts capital punishment. So, he got the young emperor murdered. He started an orchestrated propaganda against Narasa that he was the killer of the emperor. The propaganda also said that Narasa was trying to usurp the throne for himself.
Narasa Nayaka met the challenge by rising the second son of Narasimha-I called Immadi Narasimha or Narasimha-II as the emperor. He thought that his act would prove his innocence and thwart the rumours. But the propaganda organised by the killer Timmarasa had its effect and caused the split in the nobles and officers. Even the new emperor who was a boy in his preteens seemed to be believing it!
Immadi Narasimha’s strange behaviour of favouring the killer of his brother caused much inconvenience to Narasa Nayaka. He tried to reason with the boy king but failed to impress him much.
Narasa felt that his continued presence in the capital city Hampi could endanger him physically. So, he retired to Penugonda fort on the pretext of ‘hunting-in-the-jungles.’ But the actual aim of his ‘hunting’ was not the wildlife but something else.
After reaching Penugonda, he discreetly summoned his loyalists and held a counsel. After much deliberation he resolved to rise the banner of rebellion not against the emperor but against the perpetrator Timmarasa.
By using his experience and influence, Narasa Nayaka raised a huge army without giving any scope for the royal spies to know about his motives. He moved towards Hampi and laid siege to the capital.
Immadi Narasimha, the boy king, started trembling on hearing the news of Narasa Nayaka knocking on his doors not as a friend but as a formidable foe. He immediately began the peace negotiations. Narasa Nayaka sued him for peace on one condition i.e. the execution of killer Timmarasa.
Immadi Narasimha agreed to the condition and got the Timmarasa, the actual killer of his brother, executed forthwith.
Thus Narasa Nayaka, who was wrongly implicated in the murder of the emperor, cleared his name from the crime. He continued to the Protector of Immadi Narasimha till his death in c.1503 and never gave a scope for anyone to doubt his loyalty to the emperor.
****
WHEEL OF KARMA – SECOND ROTATION
In c. 1526, Emperor Krishnaraya, the illustrious son of Narasa Nayaka, performed the Yuvaraja Pattabhisheka of his only son Tirumalaraya and named him as heir apparent.
But the happiness of the Raya evaporated quite soon as within six months of the coronation, the prince got murdered by unknown traitors.
As part of a larger palace intrigue, someone filled the ears of the Raya that his prime minister Saluva Timmarasa’s son Timma Dandanayaka (aka Junior Timmarasa) was the actual culprit who poisoned the prince. The rumour also said that the traitor junior Timma was enabled by his father Sr. Timmarasa and uncle Saluva Govindaraja.
Raya got enraged by this treachery of his prime minister and ordered for the arrest of all the three accused. They were promptly captured by the royal guards and were put in jail. They languished in the jail for almost three years. Jr. Timma, owing to his martial prowess, broke the jail and fled to Kondavidu.
There he was received by his cousin Nadendla Gopa, an erudite scholar and fierce warrior who happens to be the nephew-cum-son in law of Sr. Timmarasa. These two were joined by another cousin Nadendla Appa who was also serving as a governor under Krishnaraya. Together, they have set up the standard of rebellion and rose against might Krishnaraya.
Their sole aim was to clear the names of Sr. Timmarasa and Govindaraja from the crime that they have not committed. With this in mind, they marched towards the emperor.
Raya was completely enraged by hearing about this rebellion. He was under duress of losing his only son and failing health that further aggravated the chances of reconciliation.
The imperial army sent by Raya was thoroughly defeated and routed by the combined forces of Timma, Gopa & Appa.
Incensed by this defeat, Krishnaraya summoned his seasoned minister-cum-general Rayasam Ayyapparasa, who fought many-a-battle with Raya to quell the rebellion.
In a pitched battle, Ayyapparasa was successful enough to destroy the rebellious army. He captured Jr. Timma, Gopa and Appa as prisoners of war. But he carried Jr. Timma alone to the capital and presented before the Raya.
Krishnaraya without any further thought ordered for the imprisonment of both senior and junior Timmarasas. He further ordered to pluck their eyes as a punishment of treason.
Thus the Timmarasas were blinded and thrown in the prison where the junior Timma died while the senior languished for some more time along with his brother Saluva Govindaraja.
****
WHEEL OF KARMA – TWISTS, TURNS & REVERSALS
Now, take a look at the irony of these two historical events!
In the first event, it was Narasa Nayaka the father of Krishnaraya who was wrongly implicated in the murder of the emperor by a traitor called Timmarasa.
In the second event, two Timmarasas (father and son) who got implicated in the murder of the Yuvaraja by unknown conspirators.
In the first event, Narasa Nayaka took military action against the emperor to prove his innocence and clear his name from the crime.
In the second event, the accused to the similar step of raising a rebellion to release the accused i.e. Sr. Timmarasa and his brother Govindaraja.
But the fate has it that the former won his battle and the latter have fallen both in the battle and in the aftermath.
It is hard to predict the movement of the wheel of Karma! Isn’t it?
