a forgotten empire-vijayanagar-第11节

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The　date　of　the　last　inscription　of　Harihara　II。　as　yet　brought　to　light　is；　as　before　stated；　October　15；　A。D。　1399。　There　are　two　inscriptions　extant　of　Bukka　II。；　his　eldest　son；　both　dated　in　A。D。　1406；＇83＇　and　several　of　the　latter's　successor；　the　younger　brother　of　Bukka　II。；　whose　name　was　Devaraya　I。；　and　whose　reign　lasted　till　at　least　A。D。　1412。

It　will　be　remembered　that　the　first　king　of　Vijayanagar；　Harihara　I。；　was　an　old　man　（Nuniz　says　〃very　old〃）；　and　reigned　seven　years。　His　successor；　Bukka；　his　brother；　reigned　thirty…seven　years　according　to　Nuniz；　and　perhaps；　therefore；　it　would　be　best　not　to　assume　too　great　an　age　for　Harihara　I。　However　this　may　be；　it　would　appear　that　when　the　peaceful　monarch　Harihara　II。；　son　of　Bukka　I。；　came　to　the　throne；　his　father　must　have　died　at　a　very　advanced　age；　and　he　himself　must　have　been　by　no　means　young。　He　reigned　at　least　twenty　years；　as　before　stated；　and　we　are　therefore　justified　in　assuming　that　at　the　close　of　his　reign　（in　A。D。　1399）　he　was　quite　an　old　man。　With　this　in　our　minds；　let　us　turn　to　Firishtah's　narrative　of　the　reign　of　Firuz　Shah　Bahmani；　beginning　with　his　accession　in　November　A。D。　1397。

He　tells　us　that　in　the　Hijra　year　801　（13th　September　1398　to　3rd　September　1399）；　month　not　given　

〃Dewal　Roy　of　Beejanuggur；　with　thirty　thousand　horse　and　a　vast　army　of　foot；　invaded　the　royal　territories　between　the　rivers；　with　a　design　to　reduce　the　forts　of　Mudkul　and　Roijore〃　（Raichur）。

And　in　a　later　passage　we　are　told　that　the　campaign　was　at　an　end　a　few　months　before　the　end　of　Hijra　801；　I。E。　a　few　months　before　the　end　of　August　A。D。　1399。　The　first　movement　of　the　Hindu　army　must　therefore　have　taken　place　at　the　beginning　of　the　cold　season　of　A。D。　1398；　probably　not　earlier　than　December　in　that　year；　when　the　great　cotton　plains　across　which　the　troops　had　to　march　were　passable。　It　can　hardly　be　supposed　that　King　Harihara　II。；　then　quite　old　and　always　a　lover　of　peace；　would　without　motive　have　waged　this　sudden　war　and　himself　led　his　armies　into　the　field；　and　it　seems　more　likely　that　the　invasion　was　a　bold　dash　made　by　his　son　with　the　king's　permission。　The　Muhammadan　historians　admit　an　unbroken　peace　of　twenty　years　previous　to　this　date。

It　seems；　therefore；　that　the　chronicles　of　Nuniz；　the　writings　of　Firishtah；　and　the　extant　inscriptions　all　agree　together；　and　that　we　must　place　the　death　of　Harihara　II。　at　the　close　of　the　year　A。D。　1399。　Little　more　can　be　said　about　the　events　of　his　reign。

The　new　king；　his　eldest　son；　Bukka　II。；　must　have　been　a　man　of　middle　age；　as　he　had　a　son　old　enough　to　take　the　field　with　him　before　he　himself　came　to　the　throne。

〃This　king　（'Pureoyre'）；〃　says　Nuniz；　〃had　a　son；　who　by　his　death　inherited　the　kingdom；　who　was　called　Ajarao；　and　he　reigned　forty…three　years；　in　which　time　he　was　always　at　war　with　the　Moors。〃

I　can　give　no　explanation　as　to　why　Nuniz　calls　the　successor　of　Harihara　II　〃Ajarao；〃　nor　as　to　his　estimate　of　forty…three　years　for　his　reign。　The　names　and　lengths　of　reigns　given　to　〃Ajarao's〃　successors　by　our　chronicler　prove　that　by　〃Ajarao〃　he　means　two　kings；　Bukka　II。　and　his　successor；　Deva　Raya　I。；　and　the　period　covered　by　their　combined　reigns　was　only　fourteen　years；　not　forty…three。

Nuniz　states　that　the　successor　of　Harihara　II。　greatly　improved　the　city　of　Vijayanagar；　raising　fresh　walls　and　towers；　increasing　its　extent；　and　building　further　lines　of　fortification。　But　his　great　work　was　the　construction　of　a　huge　dam　in　the　Tungabhadra　river；　and　the　formation　of　an　aqueduct　fifteen　miles　long　from　the　river　into　the　city。　If　this　be　the　same　channel　that　to　the　present　day　supplies　the　fields　which　occupy　so　much　of　the　site　of　the　old　city；　it　is　a　most　extraordinary　work。　For　several　miles　this　channel　is　cut　out　of　the　solid　rock　at　the　base　of　the　hills；　and　is　one　of　the　most　remarkable　irrigation　works　to　be　seen　in　India。　No　details　are　given　of　the　wars　he　engaged　in；　except　that；　besides　his　campaigns　against　the　Moors；　he　took　〃Goa；　Chaul；　and　Dabull；〃　and　reduced　the　Choromandel　side　of　the　peninsula　to　loyalty　and　obedience　to　his　rule。

We　learn　a　great　deal　more　about　the　doings　of　Bukka　II。　and　Deva　Raya　I。　from　Firishtah　than　from　Nuniz；　and　I　make　no　apology　for　quoting　copiously　from　the　former　author；　whose　writings　throw　much　light　on　the　period。

Bukka's　first　war　began　with　the　invasion　already　alluded　to。　It　took　place　during　his　father　Harihara's　reign；　apparently　about　the　month　of　December　A。D。　1398　（rather　later　than　earlier）。　The　wide　cotton　plains　of　that　tract　are　only　passable　during　prolonged　dry　weather；　and　the　prince　would　certainly　not　have　risked　an　advance　while　there　was　any　likelihood　of　rain　falling。　Bukka's　son　accompanied　his　father；　and　the　objective　was　the　country　of　the　Doab；　and　particularly　the　fortresses　of　Mudkal　and　Raichur；　then　in　the　hands　of　the　Bahmani　Sultan。　Sultan　Firuz　moved　to　meet　him；　slaughtering　on　the　way　a　Hindu　chief　or　zamindar　and　seven　or　eight　thousand　of　his　followers；　〃who　had　always　been　very　troublesome　and　refractory。〃　The　Raya　had　advanced　to　the　northern　frontier　of　the　debatable　land　and　was　encamped　on　the　river　Krishna；　then　in　full　flood；　having　large　bodies　of　troops　posted　to　oppose　the　passage　of　the　Muhammadans。

〃Sultan　Feroze　Shaw；＇84＇　on　his　arrival　near　the　river；　held　a　council　of　war　with　his　chief　officers；　but　received　no　advice　that　to　him　appeared　satisfactory。

〃While　the　sultan　was　debating　in　his　own　mind　how　to　act；　Cauzi　Serauje；　seeing　his　concern；　offered；　if　the　sultan　would　permit　him；　to　cross　the　river　with　a　few　of　his　friends；　whom　he　would　select　for　that　purpose；　to　assassinate　Dewal　Roy　or　his　son；　as　he　found　most　convenient。。。。

〃The　sultan　approving　the　measure；　some　hundreds　of　hurdles　covered　with　leather＇85＇　were　prepared　expeditiously　for　the　troops　to　cross。　Cauzi　Serauje；　with　seven　of　his　friends　disguised　as　holy　mendicants；　proceeded　to　the　roy's　camp；　and　repaired　to　the　quarter　where　the　dancing…girls　resided。＇86＇　Here　the　cauzi　pretended　to　be　enraptured　with　a　courtesan；　and　was　guilty　of　a　thousand　extravagances　to　support　his　character。　In　the　evening　the　girl；　having　adorned　herself　in　her　richest　ornaments；　prepared　to　go　out；　on　which　the　cauzi；　like　a　jealous　and　distracted　lover；　falling　at　her　feet；　entreated　her　to　stay；　or　let　him　attend　her；　and　not　rend　his　heart　by　her　absence。　The　woman　upon　this　informed　him　that　she　was　ordered　to　attend　an　entertainment　by　the　roy's　son；　and　durst　not　disobey；　nor　could　she　take　him　with　her；　as　only　musicians　and　dancers　would　be　admitted。　The　cauzi　upon　this　replied　that　he　played　on　the　same　instrument　as　herself；　and　had；　besides；　some　curious　accomplishments　that　would　highly　please　the　roy's　son。　The　dancing…girl；　thinking　him　in　jest；　out　of　contempt　gave　him　her　mundal；＇87＇　and　desired　him　to　play；　which　he　did　in　so　masterly　a　manner　that　she　was　delighted；　saying　that　his　company　would　give　her　superiority　over　her　fellows　and　do　her　honour　with　the　roy's　son。　Accordingly　he　with　his　companions　attended　the　girl　to　the　tents　of　the　young　roy。

〃As　is　the　custom　of　Dekkan；　many　sets　of　loolies＇88＇　and　dancing…girls　were　ordered　to　perform　at　the　same　time；　and　having　finished　their　parts；　the　roy's　son　called　for　the　players　and　mummers。　The　dancing…girl　now　obtained　leave　for　the　cauzi　and　one　of　his　companions　to　show　their　feats。　Having　assumed　the　dress　of　women；　they　entered　ogling　and　smiling；　and　so　well　imitated　the　mummers　in　playing　on　the　mundal；　dancing；　and　mimicry；　that　the　roy's　son　was　charmed　with　their　performances。　At　length　they　each　drew　a　dagger；　and；　like　the　dancers　of　Dekkan；　continued　to　flourish　them　for　some　time；　making　a　thousand　antic　postures　in　advancing；　retreating；　and　turning　round。　At　last；　suddenly　rushing　upon　the　roy's　son；　they　plunged　both　the　daggers　into　his　breast；　afterwards　attacking　his　companions。　Their　remaining　friends；　who　were　watching　without　the　tent；　on　hearing　an　alarm；　ripped　up　the　curtain；　and　entered　to　assist　them。　Many　of　the　company；　being　much　intoxicated；　were　easily　put　to　death。　The　cauzi　with　his　friends　extinguished　all　the　lights；　and；　making　their　escape　through　the　rent；　mingled　with　the　crowd。　The　outcry　soon　became　general　round　the　tents。　Great　confusion　ensued；　and　various　reports　and　alarms　took　place。　Some　said　that　the　sultan　had　crossed　the　river　and　surprised　the　camp；　others　that　one　of　his　chiefs；　with　twelve　thousand　men；　had　cut　off　both　the　roy　and　his　son。　The　night　was　uncommonly　dark；　and　the　camp　extended　near　ten　miles；　so　that　circumstances　were　variously　reported；　and　the　different　chiefs；　ignorant　of　the　real　cause　of　the　alarm；　contended　themselves　with　waiting　in　their　several　quarters；　under　arms。　About　four　thousand　of　the　sultan's　troops；　in　this　interim；　crossed　the　river　in　boats　and　rafts　which　had　been　prepared　for　the　purpose。　The　enemy's　foot；　stationed　to　oppose　the　passage；　terrified　by　the　alarm　in　camp　and　the　approach　of　the　sultan's　forces；　fled　in　confusion　without　waiting　to　be　attacked。　Before　the　morning　Feroze　S