Rani Chennabhairadevi
| Chennabhairadevi | |
|---|---|
| |
Bronze statue of Chennabhairadevi | |
| Born | 15 C. Bhatkal |
| Died | Early 16th century Keladi |
| Known for |
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| Family | Saluva dynasty |
Rani Chennabhairadevi, (also called Raina-Da-Pimenta lit. 'The Queen of Pepper' by the Portuguese), was a 16th-century Vijayanagara Empire Jain queen of Nagire province. She was officially known as Mahamandaleshwari Rani Chennabhairadevi. She is regarded as being the longest ruling queen in Indian history, from 1552 to 1606, a period of 54 years. She is also known for her wars against the Portuguese in 1559 and 1570, which she won and helped start commercial relationships with the Portuguese.
She earned the title "The Queen of Pepper" from the Portuguese ("Rainha de Pimenta" in Portuguese), as she exported a great amount of pepper and other spices to European and Arab regions through the ports of Bhatkal and Honnavar.