Krishnadeva Raya: A King for All Seasons by Dr. Srinivas Reddy on Feb 5, 2022 @ 5:30 PM

He was a statesman, a warrior, a poet, a musician, and a philosopher. He was Kannada Rajya Rama Ramana ("Lord of the Kannada empire"), Andhra Bhoja ("King Bhoja of Andhra"), and Mooru Rayara Ganda ("King of Three Kings"). As the Vijayanagara king from 1509 to 1529, Krishnadeva Raya not only consolidated and expanded his empire, he also presided over a period when the arts and literature flourished. Indeed, his glorious reign at a critical moment in world history warrants Krishnadevaraya's moniker as India's first global leader. In his talk, “Krishnadeva Raya: A King for all Seasons”, Dr. Srinivas Reddy will touch upon various aspects of the life and times of the great king, emphasizing his embodiment of the ideal of a kavi-raja: a poet-king, or enlightened monarch. Drawing on Portuguese sources as well as the king's own mahakavyam Amuktamalyada, Dr. Reddy will also contextualize Krishnadevaraya's remarkable life within a global context. About the Speaker: Dr. Srinivas Reddy is a scholar, translator, and musician. He studied classical South Asian languages and literatures at UC Berkeley and currently teaches at Brown University and IIT Gandhinagar. Dr. Reddy is also a concert sitarist and spends his time performing, teaching, and conducting research around the world. His latest book is Raya: Krishnadevaraya of Vijayanagara (2020). www.srinivasreddy.org