a forgotten empire-vijayanagar-第37节

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ith　the　kindest　persuasions　prevailed　upon　him　to　lay　aside　his　mourning。　The　wife　of　Ramraaje　adopted　the　sultan　as　her　son；　and　at　the　end　of　three　days；　which　were　spent　in　interchanges　of　friendly　professions；　he　took　his　leave；　but　as　Ramraaje　did　not　attend　him　out　of　the　city；　he　was　disgusted；　and　treasured　up　the　affront　in　his　mind；　though　too　prudent　to　show　any　signs　of　displeasure　for　the　present。〃＇317＇

The　incident　thus　entirely　failed　in　its　intended　effect。　It　produced　a　lasting　irritation　in　the　mind　of　the　Sultan；　and　a　haughty　arrogance　on　the　part　of　Rama　Raya；　who　conceived　that　the　fortunes　of　his　hereditary　enemy　must　be　at　a　very　low　ebb　when　he　could　condescend　so　far　to　humble　himself。

In　the　next　year；　1558；　according　to　Couto；＇318＇　Rama　Raya　made　an　expedition　to　〃Meliapor；〃　or　Mailapur；　near　Madras；　where　was　an　important　establishment　of　Roman　Catholic　monks　and　the　Church　of　St。　Thomas。　I　quote　the　passage　from　the　summary　given　by　Senhor　Lopes　in　his　introduction　to　the　CHRONICA　DOS　REIS　DE　BISNAGA　（p。　lxvi。）。　〃The　poor　fathers　of　the　glorious　Order　of　St。　Francis　having　seized　all　the　coast　from　Negapatam　to　San　Thome；　they　being　the　first　who　had　begun　to　preach　there　the　light　of　the　Holy　Gospel；　and　having　throughout　that　tract　thrown　down　many　temples　and　destroyed　many　pagodas；　a　thing　which　grieved　excessively　all　the　Brahmans；　these　latter　reported　the　facts　to　Rama　Raya；　king　of　Bisnaga；　whose　vassals　they　were；　and　begged　him　that　he　would　hasten　to　their　assistance　for　the　honour　of　their　gods。〃

They　succeeded　in　persuading　him　that　the　newcomers　were　possessed　of　enormous　riches；　and　he　proceeded　against　the　place；　but　afterwards　finding　that　this　was　not　true；　and　that　the　inhabitants　were　loyal　to　him；　he　spared　them　and　left　them　in　peace。

On　his　return　to　Bijapur；　Ali　Adil　peremptorily　demanded　from　Hussain　Nizam　Shah　the　restoration　of　the　fortresses　of　Kallian　and　Sholapur；　and　on　the　latter's　contemptuous　refusal　（he　〃sent　back　a　reply　so　indecent　in　expression　as　to　be　unfit　to　relate。〃　says　Firishtah）　another　war　broke　out。

〃In　the　year　966　（October　14；　A。D。　1558　to　October　3；　1559）；　Ali　Adil　Shaw　having　called　Ramraaje　to　his　assistance；　they　in　concert　divided　the　dominions　of　Houssein　Nizam　Shaw；　and　laid　them　waste　in　such　a　manner　that　from　Porundeh　to　Khiber；　and　from　Ahmednuggur　to　Dowlutabad；　not　a　mark　of　population　was　to　be　seen。　The　infidels　of　Beejanuggur；　who　for　many　years　had　been　wishing　for　such　an　event；　left　no　cruelty　unpractised。　They　insulted　the　honour　of　the　mussulmaun　women；　destroyed　the　mosques；　and　did　not　even　respect　the　sacred　koraun。〃＇319＇

This　behaviour　on　the　part　of　the　Hindus　so　incensed　the　followers　of　Islam；　not　only　the　hostile　subjects　of　Golkonda　but　even　the　allied　troops　and　inhabitants　of　the　Bijapur　territories；　that　it　laid　the　foundation　for　the　final　downfall　and　destruction　of　Vijayanagar。

In　1558　Dom　Constantine　de　Braganza　became　Viceroy　of　Goa；　and　his　period　of　government　was　signalised　by　every　kind　of　violence　and　aggression。　In　1559　Luiz　de　Mello　carried　fire　and　sword　into　the　towns　along　the　Malabar　coast。　He　attacked　Mangalore；　set　fire　to　the　town；　and　put　all　the　inhabitants　to　death。　Later　in　the　year　he　destroyed　in　similar　manner　a　number　of　towns　and　villages　on　the　same　coast；　and　desolated　the　whole　seaboard。

In　1560　the　See　of　Goa　was　elevated　into　an　arch…bishopric；　and　the　Inquisition；　the　horrors　of　which　even　excelled　that　of　Spain；　was　established。　The　inhabitants　of　Goa　and　its　dependencies　were　now　forced　to　embrace　Christianity；　and　on　refusal　or　contumacy　were　imprisoned　and　tortured。　In　this　year　also；　and　those　following；　the　predatory　excursions　of　the　Portuguese　were　continued。　In　1564　the　Viceroy　sent　Mesquita　with　three　ships　to　destroy　a　number　of　ships　belonging　to　the　Malabarese。　Mesquita　captured　twenty…four　of　these；　by　twos　and　threes　at　a　time；　sunk　them；　beheaded　a　large　number　of　the　sailors；　and　in　the　case　of　hundreds　of　others；　sewed　them　up　in　sails　and　threw　them　overboard。　In　these　ways　he　massacred　2000　men。

This　resulted　in　a　serious　war　in　Malabar；　as　the　wretched　inhabitants　of　the　country；　driven　to　desperation；　determined　at　all　hazards　to　destroy　the　ruthless　invaders　of　their　land。　The　Portuguese　were　attacked　at　Cannanore；　and　a　series　of　desperate　struggles　took　place；　in　the　course　of　which　Noronha；　the　commandant；　desolated　the　country　and　ruined　many　people　by　cutting　down　forty　thousand　palm　trees。　At　last；　however；　peace　was　made。



CHAPTER　15

Destruction　of　Vijayanagar　（A。D。　1565）

Arrogance　of　Rama　Raya　　Ahmadnagar　attacked　　Muhammadans　combine　against　Vijayanagar　　The　league　of　the　five　kings　　Their　advance　to　Talikota　　Decisive　battle；　1565；　and　total　defeat　of　the　Hindus　　Death　of　Rama　Raya　　Panic　at　Vijayanagar　　Flight　of　the　royal　family　　Sack　of　the　great　city　　Its　total　destruction　　Evidence　of　Federici；　1567　　Downfall　of　Portuguese　trade；　and　decay　of　prosperity　at　Goa。

Meanwhile　affairs　were　advancing　rapidly　in　the　interior。　After　the　Nizam　Shah's　dominions　had　been　wasted；　as　already　described；　by　the　Adil　Shah　and　Rama　Raya；　peace　was　made　by　the　restoration　of　Kallian　to　Bijapur；＇320＇　but　as　soon　as　the　allies　had　retired；　Hussain　entered　into　an　alliance　with　Ibrahim　Qutb　Shah　and　again　marched　to　attack　Ali　Adil。　Again　Ali　called　in　the　aid　of　Vijayanagar；　and　again　Rama　Raya　marched　to　his　aid；　this　time　with　50；000　horse　and　an　immense　force　of　infantry。　The　opposing　forces　met　at　Kallian；　when　the　Qutb　Shah　deserted　to　Ali　Adil；　and　Hussain　was　compelled　to　withdraw　to　Ahmadnagar。　Attacked　in　his　own　capital；　he　retreated。

〃The　three　sovereigns　laid　siege　to　Ahmednuggur；　and　despatched　detachments　various　ways　to　lay　waste　the　country　round。　The　Hindoos　of　Beejanuggur　committed　the　most　outrageous　devastations；　burning　and　razing　the　buildings；　putting　up　their　horses　in　the　mosques；　and　performing　their　idolatrous　worship　in　the　holy　places；　but；　notwithstanding；　the　siege　was　pushed　with　the　greatest　vigour；　the　garrison　held　out　with　resolution；　hoping　that　at　the　approach　of　the　rainy　season；　the　enemy　would　be　necessitated　to　raise　the　siege。

〃when　the　rains　had　set　in；　from　the　floods；　damp；　and　want　of　provisions；　distress　began　to　prevail　in　the　camp　of　the　allies；　and　Kootub　Shaw　also　secretly　corresponded　with　the　besieged；　to　whom　he　privately　sent　in　grain。〃＇321＇

The　siege　was　raised；　therefore；　and　before　long　the　allies　separated；　and　the　Hindu　army　returned　home。

〃In　the　first　expedition　on　which　Ali　Adil　Shaw；　pressed　by　the　behaviour　of　Houssein　Nizam　Shaw；　had　called　Ramraaje　to　his　assistance；　the　Hindoos　at　Ahmednuggur　committed　great　outrages；　and　omitted　no　mark　of　disrespect　to　the　holy　religion　of　the　faithful；　singing　and　performing　their　superstitious　worship　in　the　mosques。　The　sultan　was　much　hurt　at　this　insult　to　the　faith；　but；　as　he　had　not　the　ability　to　prevent　it；　he　did　not　seem　to　observe　it。　Ramraaje　also；　at　the　conclusion　of　this　expedition；　looking　on　the　Islaam　sultans　as　of　little　consequence；　refused　proper　honours　to　their　ambassadors。　When　he　admitted　them　to　his　presence；　he　did　not　suffer　them　to　sit；　and　treated　them　with　the　most　contemptuous　reserve　and　haughtiness。　He　made　them　attend　when　in　publick　in　his　train　on　foot；　not　allowing　them　to　mount　till　he　gave　orders。　On　the　return　from　the　last　expedition　to　Nuldirruk；　the　officers　and　soldiers　of　his　army　in　general；　treated　the　mussulmauns　with　insolence；　scoffing；　and　contemptuous　language；　and　Ramraaje；　after　taking　leave；　casting　an　eye　of　avidity　on　the　countries　of　Koottub　Shaw　and　Adil　Shaw；　dispatched　armies　to　the　frontiers　of　each。〃

Both　the　great　Shahs；　therefore；　abandoned　certain　territories　to　the　Hindus；　and　from　Golkonda　Rama　obtained　Ghanpura　and　Pangul。　It　was　the　last　Hindu　success。

〃Ramraaje　daily　continuing　to　encroach　on　the　dominions　of　the　mussulmauns；　Adil　Shaw　at　length　resolved；　if　possible；　to　punish　his　insolence　and　curtail　his　power　by　a　general　league　of　the　faithful　against　him；　for　which　purpose　he　convened　an　assembly　of　his　friends　and　confidential　advisers。〃

Some　of　these　urged　that　the　Raya　was　too　wealthy　and　powerful；　by　reason　of　his　immense　revenues；　which　were　collected　from　no　less　than　sixty　seaports　in　addition　to　very　large　territories　and　dependencies；　and　the　number　of　his　forces　was　too　vast；　for　any　single　Muhammadan　monarch　to　cope　with　him。　They　therefore　pressed　the　Sultan　to　form　a　federation　of　all　the　kings　of　the　Dakhan　and　wage　a　joint　war。　Ali　Adil　heartily　concurred　in　their　opinion；　and　began　by　despatching　a　secret　embassy　to　Ibrahim　Qutb　Shah。

Ibrahim　eagerly　accepted；　and　offered　his　services　as　mediator　between　Ali　Adil　and　his　great　rival　at　Ahmadnagar。　An　envoy　was　sent　to　the　latter　capital；　and　the　sovereign；　Hussain　Shah；　warned　beforehand　of　the　important　proposals　to　be　made；　received　him　in　private　audience。　The　ambassador　then　laid　before　the　king　all　the　arguments　in　favour　of　the　Bijapur　plan。

〃He　represented　to　him　that　during　the　times　of　the　Bhamenee　princes；　when　the　whole　strength　of　the　mussulmaun　power