View source for Aravidu Thimma

{{lead rewrite|date=December 2025|reason=Its confusing and lacks context. }}
{{Short description|Military officer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Use Indian English|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific_prefix = 
| name             = Aravidu Thimma
| office1          = Military General
| term_start1      = 1505
| term_end1        = 
| monarch1         = [[Viranarasimha Raya]]
| death_place      = 
| father           = [[Aravidu Rama Raja I]]
| allegiance       = [[Vijayanagara Empire]]
| battles          = {{tree list}}
* [[Yusuf Adil Shah's Invasion of Vijayanagara (1505)]]
** [[Yusuf Adil Shah's Invasion of Vijayanagara (1505)#Invasion|Battle of Kandanavolu]]
** [[Yusuf Adil Shah's Invasion of Vijayanagara (1505)#Invasion|Battle of Adavani]]

{{tree list/end}}
}}

'''Aravidu Thimma''', a prominent member of the Aravidu family, was the son of [[Aravidu Rama Raja I]] and Lakkamba. He was a military general and defended the [[Vijayanagara Empire]] against Yusuf Adil Shah’s invasion. After his victories against [[Yusuf Adil Shah]] he captured Kasappa Udaiya, the governor of [[Adoni]] and presented him before [[Viranarasimha Raya]] who honored Timma with the Gandapendera anklet for his valor. He was also known for his patronage of literature and religious contributions. His eldest son, Tirumala constructed mantapas, choultries, and temple structures at [[Ahobilam]].<ref name="aps"/><ref name="bps"/><ref name="cps"/><ref name="dps"/>

==Family==
[[Aravidu Rama Raja I]] had a son named Timma from his wife, Lakkamba. Timma married Gopama Devi and had several sons, including Tirumala, Vitthala, Chinna Timma, and Papa Timma. He also had another wife, Tirumala Devi, who gave birth to his sons Konappa and Sri Rangaraja.<ref name="aps">{{Cite book |last=Krishnaswami Aiyangar |first=Sakkottai |url=https://archive.org/details/sourcesofvijayan00krisrich/page/204/mode/1up?view=theater |title=Sources of Vijayanagar history |date=1919 |pages=204–205|publisher=[Madras] : The University of Madras |others=University of California Libraries}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=A. Krishna Swami |url=https://archive.org/details/tva-bok-0027340-tva-bok-0027340-the-tamil-country-under-vijayanagar/page/220/mode/1up?view=theater |title=TVA BOK 0027340 TVA BOK 0027340 The Tamil Country Under Vijayanagar |date=2025-01-12|page=221}}</ref>

==Military career==
{{Main|Yusuf Adil Shah's Invasion of Vijayanagara (1505)}}
[[Viranarasimha Raya]] ruled Vijayanagara for five years, facing internal turmoil. His rise to the throne met strong resistance from powerful nobles,{{who|date=December 2025}} leading to widespread revolts.{{when|date=December 2025}} Despite this, he successfully suppressed most [[rebellions]] and asserted his authority. While records do not provide a full list of his defeated foes, inscriptions and contemporary [[Telugu literature]] mention some of his key adversaries.<ref name="bps">{{Cite book |last=Munshi |first=K. M. |url=https://archive.org/details/dli.ernet.106322/page/307/mode/1up |title=History and Culture Of The Indian People Vol.6 Delhi Sultanate |date=1960|pages=307–308 |publisher=Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan}}</ref><ref name="cps">{{Cite book |last=Rajagopal |first=M. V. Ed |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.460339/page/n68/mode/1up?view=theater |title=Andhra Pradesh District Gazetteers Kurnool |date=1974|page=47}}</ref><ref name="dps">{{Cite book |last=K.A.Nilakanta Sastry |url=https://archive.org/details/FurtherSourcesOfVijayanagaraHistory/page/n95/mode/1up?view=theater |title=Further Sources Of Vijayanagara History |date=1946 |pages=83–84|language=English}}</ref><ref name="eps">{{Cite book |last=Bh. Sivasankaranarayana |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.135802/page/n81/mode/1up?view=theater |title=Andhra Pradesh District Gazetteers |date=1970|pages=62–63}}</ref><ref name="fps">{{Cite book |last=K. A. Nilakanta Sastri |url=https://archive.org/details/K.A.NilakantaSastriBooks/K.%20A.%20Nilakanta%20Sastri/A-History-of-South-India/page/n277/mode/1up?view=theater |title=K. A. Nilakanta Sastri Books |date=1935|page=266}}</ref><ref name="mps">{{Cite book |last=Sri Lakshmi Katragadda |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.220599/page/n24/mode/1up?view=theater |title=Women In Vijayanagara |date=1996|page=16}}</ref>

Kacha or Kasappa Udaiya, the chief of Adavani (Adoni), controlled a vast region stretching from Adavani on the Tungabhadra to [[Penugonda]] in the [[Anantapur district]]. Though not a major threat alone, his alliance with Yusuf Adil Shah and possible support from the rebellious Polygars of [[Ummattur]] made him a dangerous enemy. Since his treacherous attack on [[Tuluva Narasa Nayaka]] in 1490, Yusuf Adil Khan had sought control over the Krishna-Tungabhadra doab. Encouraged by him, Bahmani king [[Mahmood Shah Bahmani II]] persuaded his nobles to wage a religious war against [[Vijayanagara]]. In 1502, during the final year of [[Tuluva Narasa Nayaka]]’s regency, the first jihad, known as the Compact of [[Bidar]] took place. Facing minimal resistance, Mahmud Shah successfully captured the doab, including the key fortresses of [[Raichur]] and [[Mudgal]] and granted the conquered lands to Yusuf Adil Khan.<ref name="bps"/><ref name="cps"/><ref name="dps"/><ref name="eps"/><ref name="fps"/><ref name="aps"/>

[[Yusuf Adil Khan]]’s conquest of the Krishna-Tungabhadra doab fueled his ambitions for further expansion, especially as [[Vijayanagara]] faced internal strife following [[Viranarasimha Raya]]’s usurpation. Seeing an opportunity, he allied with Kasappa Udaiya, the governor of [[Adoni]] and led an invasion into [[Vijayanagara]] territory, laying siege to the vital fort of Kandanavolu (Kurnool). His strategy appeared to involve capturing Kandanavolu, linking up with Kasappa Udaiya at Adavani, and advancing along the [[Tungabhadra]] valley toward Vijayanagara. However, his plans were disrupted when [[Viranarasimha Raya]] sent the Aravidu chief, [[Aravidu Rama Raja I]] and his son Timma to confront him. In a battle, they inflicted a defeat on [[Yusuf Adil Khan]] forcing him into a hasty retreat toward Adoni. As he attempted to regroup, the [[Vijayanagara]] forces defeated him again near [[Adoni]] routing his army and expelling him from their territory. Capitalizing on their victory, [[Aravidu Rama Raja I]] and Timma pursued the offensive, besieging and capturing the Adoni fort.<ref name="bps"/><ref name="cps"/><ref name="dps"/><ref name="eps"/><ref name="aps"/><ref name="mps"/>

After Thimma’s victories against [[Yusuf Adil Shah]] he captured the governor of [[Adoni]] Kasappa Udaiya, and brought him as a prisoner before [[Viranarasimha Raya]]. Pleased with Thimma’s success and loyalty, [[Viranarasimha Raya]] honored him by presenting him with the prestigious Gandapendera anklet, a symbol of valor and distinction in recognition of his service to the empire.<ref name="bps"/>

==Cultural activities==
The Telugu poem narrating the story of the Bhagavata was composed by Donuru Konerunatha Kavi and dedicated to his patron, Chinna Timma Raja of the [[Aravidu Dynasty|Aravidu family]]. Among Timma’s sons, the eldest, Tirumala, was known for his devotion and contributions to religious and public works. He built mantapas, choultries, and a garden, while also organizing various forms of worship for Lord Narasimha at Garudadri ([[Ahobilam]]). Additionally, he oversaw the construction of the large tank at the temple of Bhargava Narasimha in [[Ahobilam]].<ref name="aps"/>
==See also==
* [[Aravidu Rama Raja I]]
* [[Rama Raya]]
* [[Vijayanagara Empire]]
* [[Viranarasimha Raya]]

== References ==
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{{reflist}}

[[Category:Vijayanagara generals]]
[[Category:Indian warriors]]
[[Category:Indian military personnel]]
[[Category:Aravidu dynasty]]
[[Category:Year of death missing]]