The Aravidu Dynasty was the fourth and last Hindu dynasty of Vijayanagara Empire in South India.^[1] Its founder was Tirumala Deva Raya, whose brother Rama Raya had been the masterful regent of the last ruler of the previous dynasty. Rama Raya's death at the Battle of Talikota in 1565 led to the subsequent destruction of Vijayanagar by the combined forces of the Muslim states of the Deccan. The Aravidu family claimed to be Kshatriyas and were based in Andhra region.^[2] They claimed to belong to the Atreya gotra and traced their lineage to the Eastern Chalukya king Rajaraja Narendra.^[3]

The Aravidu dynasty, after the fall of the Vijayanagar Empire in the 17th century, continued their rule by establishing themselves as the Rajas of Anegundi. These descendants of the Aravidu dynasty, despite not holding active political power, are often revered and respected due to their historical lineage and association with the Vijayanagar Empire.[1]

List of rulers

The main rulers of the Aravidu dynasty were:

• Rama Raya (1542–1565 CE), first ruler
• Tirumala Deva Raya (1565–1572 CE)
• Sriranga Deva Raya (Sriranga I) (1572–1586 CE)
• Venkatapati Deva Raya (Venkata II) (1586–1614 CE)
• Sriranga II (1614–1617 CE)
• Rama Deva Raya (1617–1632 CE)
• Peda Venkata Raya (Venkata III) (1632–1642 CE)
• Sriranga III (1642–1652 CE), last ruler of dynasty and empire