Consider the following statements: 1. Narasimha Saluva ended the Sangama dynasty and seized the throne for himself and started the Saluva dynasty. 2. Vira Narasimha deposed the last Saluva ruler and seized the throne for himself. 3. Vira Narasimha was succeeded by his younger brother, Krishnadeva Raya. 4. Krishnadeva Raya was succeeded by his half-brother, Achyuta Raya. Which of the statements given above are correct?

The correct answer is Option 4 (1, 2, 3, and 4) because all four statements accurately describe the chronological transitions of power in the Vijayanagara Empire.

• Statement 1: In 1485, Narasimha Saluva, the governor of Chandragiri, led the "First Usurpation" by deposing the weak Sangama ruler Virupaksha Raya II, marks the beginning of the Saluva dynasty.
• Statement 2: Vira Narasimha (son of Tuluva Narasa Nayaka) initiated the "Second Usurpation" in 1505 by deposing the last Saluva ruler, Immadi Narasimha, establishing the Tuluva dynasty.
• Statement 3: After Vira Narasimha's death in 1509, he was succeeded by his younger brother, the illustrious Krishnadeva Raya.
• Statement 4: Krishnadeva Raya nominated his half-brother, Achyuta Raya, as his successor, who ascended the throne in 1529.

Since all statements precisely follow the historical succession from the Sangama to the Tuluva dynasties, Option 4 is the only correct choice.