a forgotten empire-vijayanagar-第26节

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　name　of　this　man　as　Nadendla　Gopamantri；　and　calls　him　a　nephew　of　Timma。　Kondavid　seems　to　have　been　under　the　kings　of　Orissa　since　A。D。　1454；　its　capture　by　Krishna　Deva　took　place　in　1515。＇206＇　To　confirm　our　chronicler's　account　of　the　king's　northward　journey；　I　find　that　there　is　at　the　town　of　Meduru；　twenty…two　miles　south…east　of　Bezvada　on　the　Krishna；　an　inscription　which　states　that　in　1516　a　battle　took　place　there　between　Krishna　Deva　and　some　enemy　whose　name　is　obliterated；　in　which　the　former　was　victorious。

The　king；　advanced　to　Kondapalle；　took　the　place　after　a　three　months'　siege；　and　captured　therein　a　wife　and　son　of　the　king　of　Orissa。　The　unhappy　fate　of　the　latter　is　told　in　the　chronicle。　Thence　he　marched　to　Rajahmundry　and　halted　six　months。　Peace　was　made　shortly　after；　and　Krishna　Deva　married　a　daughter　of　the　Orissan　king。＇207＇　After　this　marriage　King　Krishna　made　an　expedition　against　a　place　in　the　east　which　Nuniz　calls　〃Catuir；〃　on　the　Coromandel　side；　and　took　it。　I　have　been　unable　to　locate　this　place。

By　these　conquests　the　whole　of　his　eastern　dominions　were　brought　into　entire　subjection　to　the　sovereign。

Nuniz　writes　as　though　the　attack　on　Raichur　immediately　followed　the　campaign　against　Udayagiri；　Kondavid；　and　〃Catuir；〃　but；　according　to　the　evidence　afforded　by　inscriptions；　these　expeditions　were　at　an　end　in　1515；　and　the　battle　of　Raichur　did　not　take　place　for　at　least　five　years　later。

A　long　account　of　wars　in　the　south…eastern　Dakhan　country　between　Sultan　Quli　Qutb　Shah　of　Golkonda　and　his　neighbours；　both　Mussulman　and　Hindu；　is　given　in　the　third　volume　of　Colonel　Briggs'　〃Firishtah；〃＇208＇　translated　from　a　Muhammadan　historian　　not　Firishtah　himself；　and　as　this　certainly　covers　the　period　of　at　least　a　portion　of　Krishna　Deva's　reign；　it　is　well　to　give　a　summary　of　it。　I　cannot；　however；　as　yet　determine　the　exact　dates　referred　to；　and　the　story　differs　from　that　acquired　from　Hindu　and　Portuguese　accounts；　the　dates　of　which　are　confirmed　by　epigraphical　records。

Sultan　Quli　proclaimed　himself　an　independent　sovereign　in　1512。　The　historian　referred　to　states　that　shortly　after　this　Quli　attacked　and　took　Razukonda　and　Devarakonda；　fortresses　respectively　south…east　and　south…south…east　of　Hyderabad　in　Telingana。　After　the　second　of　these　places　had　fallen　Krishna　Raya　of　Vijayanagar　marched　against　the　Sultan　with　an　immense　army　and　invaded　his　dominions。　This　must；　I　think；　refer　to　about　the　year　1513。　The　Hindu　army　encamped　at　Pangul；　in　the　angle　of　the　Krishna　river　almost　due　east　of　Raichur；　and　here　a　battle　took　place　in　which　the　Qutb　Shah　was　victorious　The　place　was　then　besieged；　it　capitulated；　and　the　Muhammadans　proceeded　to　Ghanpura；　twenty　miles　to　the　north。　This　fort　was　captured　after　heavy　loss；　and　the　Sultan　led　his　army　to　Kovilkonda；　twenty　miles　to　the　north…west；　on　the　borders　of　the　country　of　Bidar；　the　territory　of　Ala…ud…din　Imad　Shah。　This　place　also　fell。

A　war　with　the　Imad　Shah　followed；　in　which　Sultan　Quli　was　again　victorious。　Shortly　afterwards　there　were　disturbances　on　the　east　of　the　Golkonda　territories。　Sitapati；　Rajah　of　Kambampeta；　on　the　Muniyer　river；　who　possessed　extensive　territories　　including　Warangal　and　Bellamkonda；　a　fortress　south　of　the　Krishna　　rose　against　the　Muhammadans；　and　the　Sultan　marched　against　Bellamkonda；　which；　after　a　long　siege；　he　captured。　Sitapati　then　fought　a　pitched　battle；　was　defeated；　and　fled；　Quli　returning　to　Golkonda。　The　Rajah　then　stirred　up　a　number　of　neighbouring　chiefs　and　assembled　large　forces　at　Kambampeta。　Hearing　of　this；　the　Golkonda　forces　marched　to　attack　them；　and　met　with　complete　success；　Sitapati　flying　to　the　protection　of　〃Ramchunder　Dew；　the　son　of　Gujputty；　who　held　his　court　at　Condapilly；〃　and　was　king　of　Orissa。　The　Sultan　advanced　and　attacked　Kambampeta；　where；　after　his　capture　of　the　place；　he　slew　every　man；　woman；　and　child　in　the　city；　seizing　the　females　of　Sitapati's　household　for　his　own　seraglio。　Meanwhile　an　immense　Hindu　host　from　all　the　countries　about；　under　command　of　the　king　of　Orissa；　prepared　to　do　battle　for　their　country；　and　a　decisive　action　took　place　near　the　river　at　Palinchinur；　in　which　the　Hindus　were　completely　defeated。　Quli　then　seized　Kondapalle；　Ellore；　and　Rajahmundry；　and　a　treaty　was　made　between　him　and　Orissa　fixing　the　Godavari　river　as　the　eastern　boundary　of　Golkonda。　By　this　the　Sultan　added　the　districts　of　Ellore　and　Bezvada　to　his　own　dominions。

Krishna　Raya　then　advanced　to　the　rescue　and　the　Sultan　marched　to　Kondavid。　He　invested　the　place；　but　was　forced　to　retreat　owing　to　attacks　made　on　him　from　Bellamkonda　and　Vinukonda；　the　first　of　which　fortresses　he　succeeded　in　reducing　after　heavy　loss。　After　this　he　retired　towards　Kondapalle。　Krishna　Raya　now　arrived　and　attacked　the　Muhammadan　garrison　in　Bellamkonda；　upon　which　the　Sultan　counter…marched；　and　suddenly　appeared　in　rear　of　the　Hindu　army。　In　the　battle　which　ensued　he　was　victorious　and　the　siege　was　raised；　after　which　he　returned　to　Kondavid　and　took　it。　On　learning　of　the　fall　of　Kondavid；　Krishna　Raya　detached　〃his　general　and　son…in…law　Seeva　Ray〃＇209＇　with　100；000　foot　and　8000　horse　to　march　against　the　Muhammadans。　The　Sultan　retreated　and　encamped　on　the　banks　of　the　Krishna；　leaving　Kondavid　to　the　Hindus。＇210＇　After　settling　the　place　the　Vijayanagar　forces　proceeded　in　pursuit　of　the　Sultan；　were　attacked　by　him；　defeated；　and　retired　to　Kondavid；　which　was　a　second　time　invested　by　the　army　of　Golkonda。　The　Hindus　then　submitted　and　agreed　to　become　tributary。

On　his　return　towards　his　capital　the　Sultan　learned　that　Ismail　Adil　Shah　of　Bijapur　was　besieging　Kovilkonda；　〃at　the　instance　of　the　Raja　of　Beejanuggur。〃＇211＇　He　marched　against　him；　and　a　series　of　actions　ensued；　the　campaign　lasting　eleven　months；　at　the　end　of　which　Ismail　died　of　a　fever；　and　was　succeeded　by　his　son　Malu。　In　one　of　the　fights　Sultan　Quli　was　wounded　severely　by　a　sabre　in　the　face；　and　disfigured　for　life。＇212＇

I　have　given　the　whole　of　this　story　in　this　place　because　it　runs　as　a　consecutive　series　of　events　in　the　original　Muhammadan　account。　But　it　really　covers　a　period　of　at　least　twenty…one　years；　for　the　narrative　begins　shortly　after　the　beginning　of　Quli's　reign　（1512）；　and　ends　with　Ismail's　death　（1534）。　We　are　left；　therefore；　entirely　in　the　dark　as　to　the　exact　years　referred　to。　But　there　are　some　points　of　agreement　between　our　authorities。　It　is　certain　that　Krishna　Deva　took　Kondavid　in　A。D。　1515；　and　fought　battles　in　the　neighbourhood　in　the　following　year；　and　though　Nuniz　asserts　that　he　took　Kondavid　from　the　king　of　Orissa；　he　also　alludes　to　the　presence　of　armed　bodies　of　Muhammadans　in　that　tract　opposed　to　the　Hindus。

With　these　remarks　we　return　to　Vijayanagar　history。

From　1516　to　1520　we　have　no　records　from　Hindu　sources　to　guide　us　as　to　events　at　the　capital。

The　Portuguese　traded　on　the　coast；　and　there　were　some　fights　with　the　neighbouring　Hindu　chiefs；　but　they　seem　to　have　affected　the　capital　but　little；　the　foreigners　were　generally　on　friendly　terms　with　the　suzerain　at　Vijayanagar；　and　so　far　as　he　was　concerned　were　welcome　to　consolidate　their　commerce；　since　he　benefited　largely　by　the　import　of　horses　and　other　requisites。　The　rest　of　his　dominions　were　tranquil　and　the　inhabitants　obedient　to　his　rule。

The　whole　country　was　divided　out　　so　Nuniz　tells　us；　and　his　account　is　confirmed　by　other　evidence　　into　governorships。　Each　chief　was　allowed　entire　independence　in　the　territory　allotted　to　him　so　long　as　he　maintained　the　quota　of　horse；　foot；　and　elephants；　the　maintenance　of　which　was　the　price　of　his　possession；　in　perfect　readiness　for　immediate　action；　and　paid　his　annual　tribute　to　the　sovereign。　Failing　these　he　was　liable　to　instant　ejection；　as　the　king　was　lord　of　all　and　the　nobles　held　only　by　his　goodwill。

But　during　this　period　of　peace　the　king　made　extensive　preparations　for　a　grand　attack　on　the　territory　between　the　rivers；　the　ever…debatable　land　which　for　nearly　two　centuries　had　been　the　subject　of　dispute　between　his　predecessors　and　their　northern　neighbours。　His　objective　was　the　city　of　Raichur；　then　under　the　Muhammadans；＇213＇　and　when　all　was　ready　he　marched　to　the　attack　with　an　immense　force。

This　event　requires　a　chapter　to　itself。



CHAPTER　11

The　Siege　and　Battle　of　Raichur；　and　Close　of　Krishna's　Reign　（A。D。　1520　to　1530）

The　date　of　the　siege　　Evidence　of　Castanheda；　Correa；　Barros；　Faria　y　Souza；　Osorio；　Lafitau；　Firishtah　　Ruy　de　Mello　and　the　mainlands　of　Goa　　Immense　numbers　engaged　　Firishtah's　story　of　the　fight　　Portuguese　present　　Christovao　de　Figueiredo　　Political　effects　of　the　Hindu　victory；　and　the　events　that　followed　it　　The　mainlands　of　Goa。

I　shall　ask　my　readers　to　turn　for　an　account　of　the　great　battle　and　siege　of　Raichur　to　the　narrative　of　Nuniz；＇214＇　whose　description　is　so　full　and　so　vivid　that　it　may　well　be　allowed　to　stand　by　itself。　It　is　only　necessary　for　me　to　add　a　few　notes。

The　following　is　a　short　summary　of　the　story：　

Krishna　Deva　Raya；　having　determine　to　attac