![]() In 1567 he encountered another attack by the Bijapur Sultan, this time the Sultan was defeated but also losing some territories. Tirumala Deva Raya later tactfully approved the new status of Southern Nayaks, who still paid some tributes and held him as their emperor.Tanjore and Mysore rulers still paid the annual tributes while Madurai and Gingee rulers grudgingly followed. Tirumala Deva Raya also retained most of the Vijaynagar territories and assumed the Title "Reviver of the Decadent Karnataka Empire". In 1570 he split the Viceroyalty among his three sons, and nominated Srinranga I in Penukonda in charge of Telugu country,Rama (father of Sriranga II) in Sritrangapatna in charge of the Kannada country and Venkatapathi (Venkata II) in Chandragiri in charge of Tamil country. Penukonda was the Capital of the empire. The King retired in 1572 after feeling too old to rule and retired to a religious life of living till 1578. |