a forgotten empire-vijayanagar-第3节

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The　check　was　caused　by　a　combination　of　small　Hindu　states　　two　of　them　already　defeated；　Warangal　and　Dvarasamudra　　defeated；　and　therefore　in　all　probability　not　over…confident；　the　third；　the　tiny　principality　of　Anegundi。　The　solid　wall　consisted　of　Anegundi　grown　into　the　great　empire　of　the　Vijayanagar。　To　the　kings　of　this　house　all　the　nations　of　the　south　submitted。

If　a　straight　line　be　drawn　on　the　map　of　India　from　Bombay　to　Madras；　about　half…way　across　will　be　found　the　River　Tungabhadra；　which；　itself　a　combination　of　two　streams　running　northwards　from　Maisur；　flows　in　a　wide　circuit　north　and　east　to　join　the　Krishna　not　far　from　Kurnool。　In　the　middle　of　its　course　the　Tungabhadra　cuts　through　a　wild　rocky　country　lying　about　forty　miles　north…west　of　Bellary；　and　north　of　the　railway　line　which　runs　from　that　place　to　Dharwar。　At　this　point；　on　the　north　bank　of　the　river；　there　existed　about　the　year　1330　a　fortified　town　called　Anegundi；　the　〃Nagundym〃　of　our　chronicles；　which　was　the　residence　of　a　family　of　chiefs　owning　a　small　state　in　the　neighbourhood。　They　had；　in　former　years；　taken　advantage　of　the　lofty　hills　of　granite　which　cover　that　tract　to　construct　a　strong　citadel　having　its　base　on　the　stream。　Fordable　at　no　point　within　many　miles　the　river　was　full　of　running　water　at　all　seasons　of　the　year；　and　in　flood　times　formed　in　its　confined　bed　a　turbulent　rushing　torrent　with　dangerous　falls　in　several　places。　Of　the　Anegundi　chiefs　we　know　little；　but　they　were　probably　feudatories　of　the　Hoysala　Ballalas。　Firishtah　declares　that　they　had　existed　as　a　ruling　family　for　seven　hundred　years　prior　to　the　year　1350　A。D。＇7＇

The　chronicle　of　Nuniz　gives　a　definite　account　of　how　the　sovereigns　of　Vijayanagar　first　began　to　acquire　the　power　which　afterwards　became　so　extensive。　This　account　may　or　may　not　be　accurate　in　all　details；　but　it　at　least　tallies　fairly　with　the　epigraphical　and　other　records　of　the　time。　According　to　him；　Muhammad　Taghlaq　of　Delhi；　having　reduced　Gujarat；　marched　southwards　through　the　Dakhan　Balaghat；　or　high　lands　above　the　western　ghats；　and　a　little　previous　to　the　year　1336＇8＇　seized　the　town　and　fortress　of　Anegundi。　Its　chief　was　slain；　with　all　the　members　of　his　family。　After　a　futile　attempt　to　govern　this　territory　by　means　of　a　deputy；　Muhammad　raised　to　the　dignity　of　chief　of　the　state　its　late　minister；　a　man　whom　Nuniz　calls　〃Deorao；〃　for　〃Deva　Raya。〃　or　Harihara　Deva　I。　The　new　chief　founded　the　city　of　Vijayanagar　on　the　south　bank　of　the　river　opposite　Anegundi　and　made　his　residence　there；　with　the　aid　of　the　great　religious　teacher　Madhava；　wisely　holding　that　to　place　the　river　between　him　and　the　ever…marauding　Moslems　was　to　establish　himself　and　his　people　in　a　condition　of　greater　security　than　before。　He　was　succeeded　by　〃one　called　Bucarao〃　（Bukka）；　who　reigned　thirty…seven　years；　and　the　next　king　was　the　latter's　son；　〃Pureoyre　Deo〃　（Harihara　Deva　II。）。

We　know　from　other　sources　that　part　at　least　of　this　story　is　correct。　Harihara　I。　and　Bukka　were　the　first　two　kings　and　were　brothers；　while　the　third　king；　Harihara　II。；　was　certainly　the　son　of　Bukka。

The　success　of　the　early　kings　was　phenomenal。　Ibn　Batuta；　who　was　in　India　from　1333　to　1342；　states　that　even　in　his　day　a　Muhammadan　chief　on　the　western　coast　was　subject　to　Harihara　I。；　whom　he　calls　〃Haraib〃　or　〃Harib；〃　from　〃Hariyappa〃　another　form　of　the　king's　name；　while　a　hundred　years　later　Abdur　Razzak；　envoy　from　Persia；　tells　us　that　the　king　of　Vijayanagar　was　then　lord　of　all　Southern　India；　from　sea　to　sea　and　from　the　Dakhan　to　Cape　Comorin　　〃from　the　frontier　of　Serendib　（Ceylon）　to　the　extremities　of　the　country　of　Kalbergah　。。。　His　troops　amount　in　number　to　eleven　lak；〃　I。E。　1；100；000。　Even　so　early　as　1378　A。D。；　according　to　Firishtah；＇9＇　the　Raya　of　Vijayanagar　was　〃in　power；　wealth；　and　extent　of　country〃　greatly　the　superior　of　the　Bahmani　king　of　the　Dakhan。

The　old　southern　states　appear　（we　have　little　history　to　guide　us）　to　have　in　general　submitted　peaceably　to　the　rule　of　the　new　monarchy。　They　were　perhaps　glad　to　submit　if　only　the　dreaded　foreigners　could　be　kept　out　of　the　country。　And　thus　by　leaps　and　bounds　the　petty　state　grew　to　be　a　kingdom；　and　the　kingdom　expanded　till　it　became　an　empire。　Civil　war　and　rebellion　amongst　the　Muhammadans　helped　Harihara　and　Bukka　in　their　enterprise。　Sick　of　the　tyranny　and　excesses　of　Muhammad　Taghlaq；　the　Dakhan　revolted　in　1347；　and　the　independent　kingdom　of　the　Bahmanis　was　for　a　time　firmly　established。

The　chronicle　of　Nuniz　opens　with　the　following　sentence：　

〃In　the　year　twelve　hundred　and　thirty　these　parts　of　India　were　ruled　by　a　greater　monarch　than　had　ever　reigned。　This　was　the　king　of　Dili；＇10＇　who　by　force　of　arms　and　soldiers　made　war　on　Cambaya　for　many　years；　taking　and　destroying　in　that　period　the　land　of　Guzarate　which　belongs　to　Cambaya；＇11＇　and　in　the　end　he　became　its　lord。〃

After　this　the　king　of　Delhi　advanced　against　Vijayanagar　by　way　of　the　Balaghat。

This　date　is　a　century　too　early；　as　already　pointed　out。　The　sovereign　referred　to　is　stated　in　the　following　note　（entered　by　Nuniz　at　the　end　of　Chapter　xx。；　which　closes　the　historical　portion　of　his　narrative）　to　have　been　called　〃Togao　Mamede。〃

〃This　king　of　Delhi　they　say　was　a　Moor；　who　was　called　Togao　Mamede。　He　is　held　among　the　Hindus　as　a　saint。　They　relate　that　once　while　he　was　offering　prayer　to　God；　there　came　to　him　four　arms　with　four　hands；　and　that　every　time　he　prayed　roses　fell　to　him　from　out　of　heaven。　He　was　a　great　conqueror；　he　held　a　large　part　of　this　earth　under　his　dominion；　he　subdued　。。。　（blank　in　original）　kings；　and　slew　them；　and　flayed　them；　and　brought　their　skins　with　him；　so　that　besides　his　own　name；　he　received　the　nickname　。。。　which　means　'lord　of　。。。　skins　of　kings；'　he　was　chief　of　many　people。

〃There　is　a　story　telling　how　he　fell　into　a　passion　on　account　of　（BEING　GIVEN？）　eighteen　letters　（OF　THE　ALPHABET　TO　HIS　NAME？）；　when　according　to　his　own　reckoning　he　was　entitled　to　twenty…four。＇12＇　There　are　tales　of　him　which　do　indeed　seem　most　marvellous　of　the　things　that　he　did；　as；　for　instance；　how　he　made　ready　an　army　because　one　day　in　the　morning；　while　standing　dressing　at　a　window　which　was　closed；　a　ray　of　the　sun　came　into　his　eyes；　and　he　cried　out　that　he　would　not　rest　until　he　had　killed　or　vanquished　whomsoever　had　dared　to　enter　his　apartments　while　he　was　dressing。　All　his　nobles　could　not　dissuade　him　from　his　purpose；　even　though　they　told　him　it　was　the　sun　that　had　done　it；　a　thing　without　which　they　could　not　live；　that　it　was　a　celestial　thing　and　was　located　in　the　sky；　and　that　he　could　never　do　any　harm　to　it。　With　all　this　he　made　his　forces　ready；　saying　that　he　must　go　in　search　of　his　enemy；　and　as　he　was　going　along　with　large　forces　raised　in　the　country　through　which　he　began　his　march　so　much　dust　arose　that　it　obscured　the　sun。　When　he　lost　sight　of　it　he　made　fresh　inquiries　as　to　what　the　thing　was；　and　the　captains　told　him　that　there　was　now　no　reason　for　him　to　wait；　and　that　he　might　return　home　since　he　had　put　to　flight　him　whom　he　had　come　to　seek。　Content　with　this；　the　king　returned　by　the　road　that　he　had　taken　in　his　search　for　the　sun；　saying　that　since　his　enemy　had　fled　he　was　satisfied。

〃Other　extravagances　are　told　of　him　which　make　him　out　a　great　lord；　as；　for　instance；　that　being　in　the　Charamaodel　country　he　was　told　that　certain　leagues　distant　in　the　sea　there　was　a　very　great　island；　and　its　land　was　gold；　and　the　stones　of　its　houses　and　those　which　were　produced　in　the　ground　were　rubies　and　diamonds：　in　which　island　there　was　a　pagoda；　whither　came　the　angels　from　heaven　to　play　music　and　dance。　Being　covetous　of　being　the　lord　of　this　land；　he　determined　to　go　there；　but　not　in　ships　because　he　had　not　enough　for　so　many　people；　so　he　began　to　cart　a　great　quantity　of　stones　and　earth　and　to　throw　it　into　the　sea　in　order　to　fill　it　up；　so　that　he　might　reach　the　island；　and　putting　this　in　hand　with　great　labour　he　did　so　much　that　he　crossed　over　to　the　island　of　Ceyllao；　which　is　twelve　or　fifteen　leagues　off＇13＇；　This　causeway　that　he　made　was；　it　is　said；　in　course　of　time　eaten　away　by　the　sea；　and　its　remains　now　cause　the　shoals　of　Chillao。　Melliquiniby；＇14＇　his　captain…general；　seeing　how　much　labour　was　being　spent　in　a　thing　so　impossible；　made　ready　two　ships　in　a　port　of　Charamaodell　which　he　loaded　with　much　gold　and　precious　stones；　and　forged　some　despatches　as　of　an　embassy　sent　in　the　name　of　the　king　of　the　island；　in　which　he　professed　his　obedience　and　sent　presents；　and　after　this　the　king　did　not　proceed　any　further　with　his　causeway。

〃In　memory　of　this　work　he　made　a　very　large　pagoda；　which　is　still　there；　it　is　a　great　place　of　pilgrimage。

〃There　are　two　thousand　of　these　and　similar　stories　with　which　I　hope　at　some　time　to　trouble　your　honour；　and　with　other　better　ones；　if　God　gives　me　life。　I　kiss　your　honour's　hand。〃＇15＇

To　conclusively　establish　the　fact　that　this　account　can　only　refer　to　Muhammad　Taghlaq　of　Delhi；　who　reigned　from　1325　to　1351；　it　is　necessa