He was the king of the Vijayanagara Empire who reigned in the 16th century over most of South India. He built large tanks and canals for irrigation. He maintained friendly relations with the Portuguese governor, Albuquerque.
Portuguese traveler Domingo Paes and Barbosa visited his court.
Eight eminent luminaries in literature known as Ashtadiggajas were at his court.
He was a Sri Vaishnava, a follower of the Tamil saint Ramanuja.
He was commonly known as abhinava-bhoja, ―a New Bhoja,‖ sakala-kala-bhoja, ―Bhoja in all arts,‖ and Andhra Bhoja.
He wrote Amuktamalyada, which tells the story of the Tamil poet-saint Andal. He wrote Amuktamalyada in Telugu. The famous Allasani Peddana, the author of Manucharitram, also known as Andhra Kavitapitamaha was part of eight poets in the court of King Krishnadevaraya
Recently, the first-ever epigraphical reference to the date of death of Vijayanagara king Krishnadevaraya has been discovered at Honnenahalli in the Tumakuru district.
The inscription is engraved on a slab kept on the north side of the Gopalakrishna temple.
The inscription is written in Kannada and also registers the gift of village Honnenahalli in Tumakuru for conducting worship to the god Veeraprasanna Hanumantha of Tumakuru.
He assumed the title of ‘Yavanarajyasthapanacharya’ (Establisher of the Yavanaor Muslim kingdom).
In 1523 he captured Orissa and Warangal.