Tenali Ramakrishna
Also called: Tenali Rama · Topic: Vijayanagara and the Deccan · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
Tenali Ramakrishna was a Telugu poet. Tradition places him at the court of Krishnadeva Raya (r. 1509–29). He is counted among the Ashtadiggajas, the "eight elephants", meaning the eight great poets of that court. His case shows how much Krishnadeva Raya supported Telugu writing.
Example
Tenali Ramakrishna wrote the Telugu poem Panduranga Mahatmyamu. Today he is best known as "Tenali Rama", the clever and funny hero of many folk tales told across India.
Don't confuse with
- Krishnadeva Raya as author: the king wrote his own Telugu work, the Amuktamalyada. It is about the poet-saint Andal and has a section on how to rule, called Rajaniti. Tenali Ramakrishna did not write it.
Related concepts
- Sangama dynasty
- Deva Raya II
- Saluva dynasty
- Tuluva dynasty
- Krishnadeva Raya
- Battle of Raichur
- Ashtadiggajas
- Allasani Peddana
- Raya
- Rama Raya