Timmarusu

Saluva Timmarusu (also known as Saluva Nayaka or Timmarasu) was the prime minister (mahapradhana) and military commander of Krishnadevaraya. He is also known as "Appaji". He had also served as the prime minister under Viranarasimha Raya and Tuluva Narasa Nayaka.

Name
Inscriptions mention him as Saluva Timma, Timma Rajah, Timayya and Timmarasa. 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.

Early life
Burton Stein in The New Cambridge History of India states Timmarusu as belonging to a Telugu-speaking Niyogi Brahmin family. Another source mentions him as belonging to Kannada-speaking family. He was born on 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. This way Timmarasu ensured that Krishnadevaraya became the successor. However, 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.

Campaign against Gajapatis
Saluva Timmarasu captured the forts of Addanki, Vinukonda, Bellamkonda, Nagarjunakonda, Tangeda and Ketavaram on his way to Kondavidu for Krishnadevaraya.

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.

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.

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. It is said the king later released Timmarasu, on knowing that the conspiracy to kill his own son was hatched by Gajapatis of Odisha.

The Gajapatis did not want their princess Jaganmohini to wed Krishadevaraya, 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).

The king deplored and repented with Timmarasu, later on. On being released, Timmarasu spent the rest of his life in 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 is a 1962 Telugu-language historical drama directed by Kamalakara Kameswara Rao. 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. 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.