View source for Timmarusu

{{Short description|Vijayanagaran prime minister and military commander}}
{{For|the 1962 Indian film|Mahamantri Timmarusu (film)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=November 2018}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| office              = [[Prime Minister]] of [[Vijayanagara Empire]]
| title               = "Mahamantri Timmarasa"
| name                = Saluva Timmarasa
| native_name         = 
| image               = 
| caption             = 
| birth_date          = {{Birth date text|31 December 1461}}
| birth_place         = [[Machilipatnam]], [[Vijayanagara Empire]]
| death_date          = {{Death-date and age|1534|31 December 1461}}
| death_place         = [[Penukonda]], Vijayanagara Empire
| father              = 
| mother              = 
| spouse              = 
| children            = <!-- the number of children (e.g., 3); only list names of independently notable or particularly relevant children. -->
| battles             = [[Krishnadevaraya's Bahmani expedition]]<br>[[Vijayangara–Gajapati War]]
}}
{{Vijayanagara empire}}
'''Saluva Timmarusu''' <ref>{{Cite book |last=Babu |first=Dr M. Bosu |url=https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/MATERIAL_BACKGROUND_TO_THE_VIJAYANAGARA/5zeBDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Saluva+Timmarusu&pg=PA293&printsec=frontcover |title=MATERIAL BACKGROUND TO THE VIJAYANAGARA EMPIRE (A Study with Special reference To Southern Ā ndhradē śa From A.D. 1300 To 1500): History Book |date=2018-11-26 |publisher=KY Publications |isbn=978-93-87769-42-7 |pages=293 |language=en}}</ref>(also known as '''Saluva Nayaka''' or '''Timmarasu'''; 31 December 1461 – 1534) was the prime minister (mahapradhana) and military commander of [[Krishnadevaraya]]. He is also known as "Appaji".<ref>{{Cite book |last=Satyanarayana |first=Kambhampati |url=https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/A_Study_of_the_History_and_Culture_of_th/zb21AAAAIAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=timmarusu+appaji&dq=timmarusu+appaji&printsec=frontcover |title=A Study of the History and Culture of the Andhras |date=1983 |publisher=People's Publishing House |pages=226 |language=en}}</ref> He had also served as the prime minister under [[Viranarasimha Raya]] and [[Tuluva Narasa Nayaka]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Chatterjee |first=Amitava |url=https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/History_UGC_NET_SET_JRF_Paper_II_and_III/d5KKBAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=timmarusu+prime+minister+under+Viranarasimha+Raya+and+Tuluva+Narasa+Nayaka&pg=SA2-PA39&printsec=frontcover |title=History: UGC-NET/SET/JRF (Paper II and III), 1/e |date=2014 |publisher=Pearson India |isbn=978-93-325-3704-0 |pages=2.39 |language=en}}</ref>

== Name ==
Inscriptions mention him as Saluva Timma, Timma Rajah, Timayya and Timmarasa.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.107395/page/n118/mode/1up?q=timmarasa |title=South Indian Inscriptions (texts) Vol.9 Pt.2 |quote=Rayasada Kondamarasayya, son of Mantri Timmarasa and grandson of Sripatyacharya, of Bharadvaja-gōtra, Asvalayna-sutra and Rik-säkhä, made some gift for the service of the goddess Chaudēśvari in Chōlasamudra in order that the king may be blessed with children. Kondamarasayya is stated to have been an expert in reading various scripts. His grandfather is described as a very learned man and observer of the four religious orders, Brahmacharya, Grihastha, Vanaprastha and Yati, as the ornament of the Udayagiri-Kannadiga-kula and as the chief of Podatūru in the Dravida-desa}}</ref> Portuguese traveller [[Domingo Paes]] calls Timmarasa as "Temersea" who was Saluva Timma, Krishna Deva’s minister. The termination -rsea probably represents Arasa, the [[Kannada]] form for Rajah. Temersea = Timmarasa = Timma Rajah.<ref name=":1">{{cite book |last1=Sewell |first1=Robert |url=https://archive.org/details/forgotten_empire_vijayanagar_-_robert_sewell/page/n310/mode/1up?view=theater&q=timma |title=Forgotten Empire Vijayanagar |pages=250, 309, 314 |quote=The greatest favourite is an old man called Temersea, This was the great Saluva Timma, Krishna Deva’s minister. The termination -rsea probably represents Arasa, the Kanarese form for Rajah. Temersea = Timmarasa = Timma Rajah.}}.</ref>

==Early life==
[[Burton Stein]] in ''The New Cambridge History of India'' states Timmarusu as belonging to a [[Telugu language|Telugu]]-speaking [[Niyogi Brahmin]] family.<ref>{{cite book |author=Burton Stein |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OpxeaYQbGDMC&pg=PA49 |title=The New Cambridge History of India: Vijayanagara |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=1989 |page=49 |quote=Saluva Nayaka was one whom historians identify as Saluva Timmarasu, a Telugu (Niyogi) Brahman}}</ref> Another source mentions him as belonging to [[Kannada people|Kannada]]-speaking family.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.107395/page/n118/mode/1up?q=timmarasa |title=South Indian Inscriptions (texts) Vol.9 Pt.2 |quote=Rayasada Kondamarasayya, son of Mantri Timmarasa and grandson of Sripatyacharya, of Bharadvaja-gōtra, Asvalayna-sutra and Rik-säkhä, made some gift for the service of the goddess Chaudēśvari in Chōlasamudra in order that the king may be blessed with children. Kondamarasayya is stated to have been an expert in reading various scripts. His grandfather is described as a very learned man and observer of the four religious orders, Brahmacharya, Grihastha, Vanaprastha and Yati, as the ornament of the Udayagiri-Kannadiga-kula and as the chief of Podatūru in the Dravida-desa}}</ref> He was born on 31 December 1461 in [[Machilipatnam]].

== Early career ==
Timmarusu was responsible for the coronation of Krishnadevaraya. Records of Portuguese traveller [[Fernao Nuniz]] suggest that Vira Narasimha, while on his death bed, ordered Timmarasu to blind his half brother Krishnadevaraya to ensure that his own minor son of eight years would become king of the empire. Timmarasu instead presented the king with a pair of she-goat eyes in order to satisfy the wish of the dying king.<ref name=":0" /> This way Timmarasu ensured that Krishnadevaraya became the successor. However, [[K. A. Nilakanta Sastri|K. A. N. Sastri]] believes that there is nothing to suggest anything but a friendly relationship between the two half-brothers. Timmarasu had very close relations with [[Tenali Ramakrishna]] and was a supporter of him.

==Military career==
===Campaign against Gajapatis===
{{Main|Vijayangara–Gajapati War}}
Saluva Timmarasu captured the forts of Addanki, Vinukonda, Bellamkonda, Nagarjunakonda, Tangeda and Ketavaram on his way to Kondavidu for Krishnadevaraya.<ref>Andhra Pradesh District Gazetteers: Guntur</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Murthy |first=N. S. Ramachandra |url=https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Forts_of_%C4%80ndhra_Pradesh/BYDfAAAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=Timmarasu+captured+the+forts+of+Addanki&dq=Timmarasu+captured+the+forts+of+Addanki&printsec=frontcover |title=Forts of Āndhra Pradesh: From the Earliest Times Upto 16th C. A.D. |date=1996 |publisher=Bharatiya Kala Prakashan |isbn=978-81-86050-03-3 |pages=31 |language=en}}</ref>

===Battle of Raichur===
{{Main|Battle of Raichur}}
When Krishnadevaraya engaged in his campaign against Orissa, Ismail Adil Khan, sultan of Bijapur captured Raichur. Krishnadevaraya led the expedition against him with a huge army, where Saluva Timmarasu assisted him as deputy commander-in-chief in this campaign . The Muslim camp was sacked and a large booty fell into the hands of Krishnadevaraya. Raichur was recaptured.<ref>|Book Tile=History of South India: Medieval period,|Book Title= History of India</ref>

===War With Golkonda===
Saluva Timmarasu appointed as the Governor of Kondavidu by Krishnadevaraya, Qutb Shahi forces enter the region but Timmarasu took the command of the army and defeated Quli Qutb, captured Madar-ul-Mulk, the commander of the Qutb Shahi army with many of his officers and sent them all as prisoners to Vijayanagara. Saluva also made necessary arrangements to deal with future threats.<ref>|Book Title=Krishnadeva Raya: The Great Poet-emperor of Vijayanagara |2nd Book Title=The History and Culture of the Indian People - Volume 6.</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Sewell |first=Robert |url=https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/A_Forgotten_Empire/TDOZ6A4HRz0C?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Krishnadevaraya+engaged+in+his+campaign+against+Orissa,+Ismail+Adil+Khan,+sultan+of+Bijapur+captured+Raichur.+Krishnadevaraya+led+the+expedition+against+him+with+a+huge+army,+where+Saluva+Timmarasu+assisted+him+as+deputy+commander-in-chief+in+this+campaign+.+The+Muslim+camp+was+sacked+and+a+large+booty+fell+into+the+hands+of+Krishnadevaraya.+Raichur+was+recaptured&printsec=frontcover |title=A Forgotten Empire: (Vijayanagar) a Contribution to the History of India |date=1900 |publisher=S. Sonnenschein & Company, Limited |isbn=978-0-7165-2137-2 |pages=345 |language=en}}</ref>

==Later years==
In 1524, Krishnadevaraya crowned his minor son ''Yuvaraja''. A few months later the prince took ill and died of poisoning. Accusing Timmarasu for this crime, Krishnadevaraya had minister and his son prisoned and blinded.<ref name=":1" /> It is said the king later released Timmarasu, unknowing that the conspiracy to kill his own son was hatched by Gajapatis of Odisha.

The Gajapatis did not want their princess Jaganmohini to wed Krishnadevaraya, as they believed he was not pure. The Gajapatis belonged to [[Suryavansha]] (Solar dynasty) clan of Odisha. But had to agree to this marriage, owing to Krishnadevaraya's victory over Gajapatis. Krishanadevaraya's parents, Narasa Nayaka a chieftain from Dakshina Kannada and Nagaladevi a chieftain's daughter from Andhra, were not from the royal family of Vijayanagara ([[Sangama dynasty]]).<ref>{{Cite book |last=Dole |first=Manoj |url=https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Great_Kings_in_The_World/l1ukEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=jaganmohini+to+wed+Krishnadevaraya&pg=PA106&printsec=frontcover |title=Great Kings in The World |publisher=Manoj Dole |pages=106 |language=en}}</ref>

The king deplored and repented with Timmarasu, later on. On being released, Timmarasu spent the rest of his life in [[Tirumala Venkateswara Temple|Tirupati]]. He refused to take any support from his former king. He died in poverty. His Samadhi is in [[Penukonda]] in [[Anantapur district]] of Andhra Pradesh.

==Legacy==

* [[Mahamantri Timmarusu (film)|''Mahamantri Timmarusu'']] is a 1962 Telugu-language historical drama directed by [[Kamalakara Kameswara Rao]]. [[Gummadi (actor)|Gummadi]] played the key role of Prime Minister Timmarusu. The film won a silver medal at the [[National Film Awards]] in 1962.
* In 1970 [[B. R. Panthulu]] directed and produced the Kannada film [[Sri Krishnadevaraya (film)|''Sri Krishnadevaraya'']]. Panthulu also enacted the role of Timmarusu and won the 1969-70 [[Karnataka State Film Award for Best Actor]].
* He was portrayed by [[Aanjjan Srivastav]] in [[Doordarshan]] TV series [[Bharat Ek Khoj]].
* He was portrayed by Jiten Mukhi in first season of [[Tenali Rama (TV series)|Tenali Rama]]. In the second season, [[Amit Pachori]] got the role of Timmarusu.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
* K. A. Nilakanta Sastry, ''History of South India, From Prehistoric times to fall of Vijayanagar'', 1955, New Delhi: Oxford U.P. (Reprinted 2002)
* Dr. Suryanath U. Kamat, ''Concise history of Karnataka'', 2001, Bangalore: MCC (Reprinted 2002)

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Karnataka politicians]]
[[Category:People from the Vijayanagara Empire]]
[[Category:16th-century Indian politicians]]
[[Category:People from Machilipatnam]]
[[Category:1461 births]]
[[Category:1534 deaths]]