a forgotten empire-vijayanagar-第1节

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A　Forgotten　Empire：　Vijayanagar；　A　Contribution　to　the　History　of　India

by　Robert　Sewell






Preface

The　two　Portuguese　chronicles；　a　translation　of　which　into　English　is　now　for　the　first　time　offered　to　the　public；　are　contained　in　a　vellum…bound　folio　volume　in　the　Bibliotheque　Nationale　in　Paris；　amongst　the　manuscripts　of　which　institution　it　bears　the　designation　〃PORT。　NO。　65。〃　The　volume　in　question　consists　of　copies　of　four　original　documents；　the　first　two；　written　by　Fernao　Nuniz　and　Domingo　Paes；　being　those　translated　below；　the　last　two　（at　the　end　of　the　MS。）　letters　written　from　China　about　the　year　1520　A。D。　These　will　probably　be　published　in　translation　by　Mr。　Donald　Ferguson　in　the　pages　of　the　INDIAN　ANTIQUARY。

The　first　pair　of　original　papers　was　sent　with　a　covering　letter　by　some　one　at　Goa　to　some　one　in　Europe。　The　names　are　not　given；　but　there　is　every　reason　for　believing　that　the　recipient　was　the　historian　Barros　in　Lisbon。

Both　these　papers　are　in　the　same　handwriting；　which　fact　　since　they　were　written　by　separate　Portuguese　merchants　or　travellers　at　Vijayanagar　in　different　years；　one；　I　believe；　shortly　subsequent　to　1520　A。D。；　the　latter　not　later　than　about　1536　or　1537　　conclusively　proves　them　to　be　copies　of　the　originals；　and　not　the　originals　themselves。＇2＇　I　have　inserted　a　facsimile　of　two　pages　of　the　text；　so　that　no　doubt　may　remain　on　this　point。　The　first　portion　consists　of　the　conclusion　of　the　text　of　Fernao　Nuniz；　the　second　of　the　covering　letter　written　by　the　person　who　sent　the　originals　to　Europe；　the　third　of　the　beginning　of　the　text　of　Domingo　Paes。

Paes　being　the　earlier　in　date　（about　1520）　I　have　given　his　account　of　personal　experiences　first；　and　afterwards　the　historical　summary　composed　by　Nuniz　about　the　year　1536　or　1537。

I　have　stated　that　the　person　to　whom　the　documents　were　sent　from　Goa　was　probably　the　celebrated　historian　Barros。　He　is　alluded　to　in　the　covering　letter　in　the　words：　〃It　seemed　necessary　to　do　what　your　Honour　desired　of　me；〃　〃I　send　both　the　summaries　。。。　because　your　Honour　can　gather　what　is　useful　to　you　from　both；〃　and　at　the　end　of　the　long　note　on　〃Togao　Mamede；〃　king　of　Delhi；　quoted　in　my　introduction；　〃I　kiss　your　Honour's　hand。〃

Since　the　first　DECADA　of　Barros　was　published　in　1552；＇3＇　this　argument　is　not　unreasonable；　while　a　comparison　between　the　accounts　given　by　Nuniz　and　Barros　of　the　siege　and　battle　of　Raichur　sufficiently　proves　that　one　was　taken　from　the　other。　But　we　have　fortunately　more　direct　evidence；　for　the　discovery　of　which　we　have　to　thank　Mr。　Ferguson。　I　have　mentioned　above　that　at　the　end　of　the　MS。　volume　are　copies　of　two　letters　concerning　China。　These　were　written　subsequent　to　the　year　1520　by　Vasco　Calvo　and　Christovao　Vieyra。　Mr。　Ferguson　has　pointed　out　to　me　that；　in　the　third　DECADA　（liv。　IV；　caps。　4；　5）；　after　quoting　some　passages　almost　verbatim　from　this　chronicle　of　Nuniz　regarding　Vijayanagar；　Barros　writes：　〃According　to　two　letters　which　our　people　had　two　or　three　years　afterwards　from　these　two　men；　Vasco　Calvo；　brother　of　Diogo　Calvo；　and　Christovao　Vieyra；　who　were　prisoners　in　Canton；　etc。。。。〃　He　also　mentions　these　letters　in　two　subsequent　passages；　and　quotes　from　them。　This　renders　it　certain　that　Barros　saw　those　letters；　and　since　they　are　copied　into　the　same　volume　which　contains　the　chronicles　of　Nuniz　and　Paes；　we　may　be　sure　that　Barros　had　the　whole　before　him。　It　is　of　little　importance　to　settle　the　question　whether　the　chronicles　of　Nuniz　and　Paes　were　sent　direct　to　Barros　　whether；　that　is；　Barros　himself　is　the　addressee　of　the　covering　letter　　or　to　some　other　official　（the　〃our　people〃　of　the　passage　from　Barros　last　quoted）；　but　that　Barros　saw　them　seems　certain；　and　it　is　therefore　most　probable　that　the　Paris　MS。　was　a　volume　of　copies　prepared　for　him　from　the　originals。

*　*　*

These　documents　possess　peculiar　and　unique　value；　that　of　Paes　because　it　gives　us　a　vivid　and　graphic　account　of　his　personal　experiences　at　the　great　Hindu　capital　at　the　period　of　its　highest　grandeur　and　magnificence　　〃things　which　I　saw　and　came　to　know〃　he　tells　us　　and　that　of　Nuniz　because　it　contains　the　traditional　history　of　the　country　gathered　first…hand　on　the　spot；　and　a　narrative　of　local　and　current　events　of　the　highest　importance；　known　to　him　either　because　he　himself　was　present　or　because　he　received　the　information　from　those　who　were　so。　The　summaries　of　the　well…known　historians　already　alluded　to；　though　founded；　as　I　believe；　partly　on　these　very　chronicles；　have　taken　all　the　life　out　of　them　by　eliminating　the　personal　factor；　the　presence　of　which　in　the　originals　gives　them　their　greatest　charm。　Senhor　Lopes；　who　has　published　these　documents　in　the　original　Portuguese　in　a　recent　work；＇4＇　writes　in　his　introduction：　〃Nothing　that　we　know　of　in　any　language　can　compare　with　them；　whether　for　their　historical　importance　or　for　the　description　given　of　the　country；　and　especially　of　the　capital；　its　products；　customs；　and　the　like。　The　Italian　travellers　who　visited　and　wrote　about　this　country　　Nicolo　di　Conti；　Varthema；　and　Federici　　are　much　less　minute　in　the　matter　of　the　geography　and　customs　of　the　land；　and　not　one　of　them　has　left　us　a　chronicle。〃　They　are　indeed　invaluable；　and　throw　an　extraordinary　light　on　the　condition　of　Vijayanagar　as　well　as　on　several　doubtful　points　of　history。

Thus；　for　instance；　we　have　in　Nuniz　for　the　first　time　a　definite　account　of　the　events　that　led　to　the　fall　of　the　First　Dynasty　and　the　establishment　of　the　second　by　the　usurpation　of　Narasimha。　Previous　to　the　publication　of　these　chronicles　by　Senhor　Lopes　we　had　nothing　to　guide　us　in　this　matter；　save　a　few　vague　and　unsatisfactory　lines　in　the　chronicle　of　the　historian　Firishtah。＇5＇　Now　all　is　made　clear；　and　though　as　yet　the　truth　cannot　be　definitely　determined；　at　least　we　have　an　explicit　and　exceedingly　interesting　story。　Paes　too；　as　well　as　Nuniz；　conclusively　proves　to　us　that　Krishna　Deva　Raya　was　really　the　greatest　of　all　the　kings　of　Vijayanagar；　and　not　the　mere　puppet　that　Firishtah　appears　to　consider　him　（Firishtah　does　not　mention　him　by　name）；　for　Paes　saw　him　on　several　occasions　and　speaks　of　him　in　warm　and　glowing　terms；　while　Nuniz；　whose　narrative　was　evidently　firsthand；　never　so　much　as　hints　that　his　armies　were　led　to　victory　by　any　other　general　but　the　king　himself。　Nuniz　also　gives　us　a　graphic　description　from　personal　knowledge　of　the　character　of　Krishna's　degenerate　successor　Achyuta；　whose　feebleness；　selfishness；　cowardice；　and　cruelty　paved　the　way　for　the　final　destruction　of　the　great　empire。

By　the　side　of　these　two　chronicles　the　writings　of　the　great　European　historians　seem　cold　and　lifeless。

*　*　*

I　have　mentioned　the　publication　of　Senhor　Lopes。　It　is　to　that　distinguished　Arabic　scholar　that　we　owe　the　knowledge　of　the　existence　of　these　precious　documents。　He　it　was　who　brought　them　to　light　in　the　first　instance；　and　to　him　personally　I　owe　the　fact　of　my　being　able　to　translate　and　publish　them。　His　introduction　to　the　DOS　REIS　DE　BISNAGA　is　full　of　valuable　matter。　India　owes　him　a　debt　of　gratitude　for　his　services；　and　for　myself　I　desire　to　record　here　my　sincere　thanks　for　the　disinterested　and　generous　help　he　has　so　constantly　accorded　to　me　during　the　last　two　years。

My　thanks　are　also　due　to　Mr。　Donald　Ferguson　for　his　careful　revision　of　the　whole　of　my　translations。

I　desire　further　to　express　my　appreciation　of　a　particular　kindness　done　to　me　by　Colonel　R。　C。　Temple；　C。I。E。；　and　lastly　to　acknowledge　gratefully　the　liberality　of　H。E。　the　Governor　of　Madras　and　the　Members　of　his　Council；　who　by　subsidising　this　work　have　rendered　its　publication　possible。

I　trust　that　my　remarks　regarding　the　causes　of　the　downfall　of　Portuguese　trade　in　the　sixteenth　century　will　not　be　misunderstood。　It　is　not　in　any　spirit　of　criticism　or　comparison　that　I　have　written　those　passages。　History；　however；　is　history；　and　it　is　a　fact　that　while　the　main　cause　of　the　small　success　which　attended　the　efforts　of　the　Portuguese　to　establish　a　great　and　lasting　commerce　with　India　was　no　doubt　the　loss　of　trade　after　the　destruction　of　Vijayanagar；　there　must　be　added　to　this　by　the　impartial　recorder　the　dislike　of　the　inhabitants　to　the　violence　and　despotism　of　the　Viceroys　and　to　the　uncompromising　intolerance　of　the　Jesuit　Fathers；　as　well　as　the　horror　engendered　in　their　minds　by　the　severities　of　the　terrible　Inquisition　at　Goa。

*　*　*

A　word　as　to　my　spelling　of　names。　I　have　adopted　a　medium　course　in　many　cases　between　the　crudities　of　former　generations　and　the　scientific　requirements　of　the　age　in　which　we　live；　the　result　of　which　will　probably　be　my　condemnation　by　both　parties。　But　to　the　highly　educated　I　would　point　out　that　this　work　is　intended　for　general　reading；　and　that　I　have　therefore　thought　it　best　to　avoid　the　use　of　a　special　font　of　type　containing　the　proper　diacritical　points；　while　to　the　rest　I　venture　to　present　the　plea　that　the　time　has　passed　when　Vijayanagar　needs　to　be　spelt　〃Beejanuggur；〃　or　Kondavidu　〃Co