Timmarusu

Saluva Timmarusu or Saluva Nayaka or simply Timmarasu was the Prime Minister of Krishna Deva Raya. He had also served as Prime Minister under Viranarasimha Raya and Tuluva Narasa Nayaka. He belonged to a Telugu Niyogi Brahmin family.[1] Timmarasa was responsible for the coronation of Krishnadevaraya. Records of Portuguese traveller Fernao Nuniz suggest that Vira Narasimha, while on his death bed, ordered Timmarasa to blind his half brother Krishnadevaraya to ensure that his own minor son of eight years would become king of the empire. Timmarasa instead presented the king with a pair of she-goat eyes in order to satisfy the wish of the dying king. This way Timmarasa 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.

In 1524, Krishnadevaraya crowned his minor son Yuvaraja. A few months later the prince took ill and died of poisoning. Accusing Timmarusu for this crime, Krishnadevaraya had the entire family of the ministers blinded. It is said the King later released Timmarusu, on knowing that the conspiracy to kill his own son was hatched by Gajapathis of Orissa. The Gajapathis did not want their princess Jaganmohini to wed Krishadevaraya, as they believed he was not pure. The Gajapathis belonged to Suryavansha (Solar Dynasty) clan of Orissa. But had to agree to this marriage, owing to Krishnadevaraya's victory over Gajapathis. 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 Timmarusu, later on. On being released, Timmarusu spent the rest of his life in Tirupati. He refused to take any support from his former King. He died a death in poverty. His Samadhi is in Penukonda, Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh.