Trankebar - Raghunatha Nayak

The greatest of the Nayak rulers was, undoubtedly, Raghunatha, son of Achuta, who was crowned in the year 1600.A.D. Raghunatha Nayak also encouraged trade and permitted a Danish settlement, which came up in 1620 at Danesborg at Tarangambadi, to be fortified in 1622. This inspired the English to seek trade with Thanjavur, which was to lead to far-reaching repercussions.

The literary traditions established by Sevappa, under the tutelage of Govinda Dikshita, came to fruition under the rule of Raghunatha. A gifted scholar in both Sanskrit and Telugu, and a talented musician, Raghunatha was, his court was therefore distinguished for its scholars and the pandita parishads, or assemblies of scholars. The Telugu and Sanskrit literatures received a great fillip. But, more important, the foundations of what was to become the culture of our times were laid during the reign of Raghunatha Nayak. In other words, Telugu culture was imported and adapted to Tamil traditions.

Thus Yakshagana gave birth to a dance drama, the Bhagavata Mela, the Tholu Bommulu (puppetry) to the Tholu Bommalatam and even the marionette tradition or Bommalatam is believed to have Telugu origins, as the name suggests.

The scholars at Raghunatha's court were prolific writers and their manuscripts were collected and preserved, to become a part of the later Sarasvati Mahal Library. On Raghunatha's death in 1645 A.D., Vijayaraghava ascended the throne.

The Nayak had left a rich legacy in Thanjavur, as they did elsewhere in Tamilnadu. Although they were Telugu speaking neighbours, they patronised literature, religion and the arts particularly Sanskrit and Telugu literature. Govinda Diksihta, minister of Achyutappa and Raghunatha Nayak, was a great scholar and a friend of the famous Appayya Dikshita; Govinda Dikshita's son Yajnanarayana describes Raghunatha's rule in his Sahitya Ratnakara; Raghunatha Nayak was a scholar of Sanskrit and Telugu literature, a musician who authored several books. Maduravani and Ramabhadramba were two famous poetesses in his court, while Sudhindra and Raghavendra were two famous Madhva gurus patronised by him.

It was during Raghunatha's reign that a palace library was started, a Sarasvati Bhandar, which was to be developed and enriched later by Rajah Serfoji II into the presently reputed Sarasvati Mahal Library.