Q. With reference to Achyuta Deva Raya (c. 1529–1542 CE), the successor to Krishna Deva Raya, consider the following statements:
1.He successfully secured the throne by defeating a strong challenge from his prime minister, Saluva Narasimha Raya, who sought to install a puppet ruler.
2.The Portuguese traveller Fernao Nuniz was present at his coronation and described the city’s prosperity and the practice of temple dancing.
3.He codified the land revenue system, reducing the tax burden on the common peasantry by abolishing several Peshkash (tribute) payments.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: A
Notes:
Explanation:
- Statement 1: Correct. Achyuta Deva Raya’s succession was contested by the powerful prime minister Saluva Narasimha Raya (not to be confused with the dynasty founder), who was defeated and subsequently imprisoned.
- Statement 2: Incorrect. Fernao Nuniz was indeed a contemporary Portuguese chronicler, but he recorded the history and administration of the kingdom under Achyuta Deva Raya, however, the traveller Domingo Paes recorded the coronation of his predecessor, Krishna Deva Raya. Nuniz’s account is a secondary source focusing on the empire’s history and the condition of the kingdom.
- Statement 3: Incorrect. While Achyuta Deva Raya was concerned with administration, the major land revenue reforms and codification were chiefly the work of his predecessor, Krishna Deva Raya. His reign was marked by struggles against the Bahamani successors and internal dissent, which limited major fiscal reform.
