a forgotten empire-vijayanagar-第56节

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ll；　so　that　none　of　them　dared　go　near　it　for　the　harm　that　it　did　them。＇487＇　And　seeing　this；　the　King；　astonished　at　so　feeble　a　thing　biting　dogs　which　had　already　caught　for　him　a　tiger　and　a　lion；　judged　it　to　be　not　really　a　hare　but　（more　likely）　some　prodigy；　and　he　at　once　turned　back　to　the　city　of　Nagumdym。

And　arriving　at　the　river；　he　met　a　hermit　who　was　walking　along　the　bank；　a　man　holy　among　them；　to　whom　he　told　what　had　happened　concerning　the　hare。　And　the　hermit；　wondering　at　it；　said　to　the　King　that　he　should　turn　back　with　him　and　shew　him　the　place　where　so　marvellous　a　thing　had　happened；　and　being　there；　the　hermit　said　that　the　King　ought　in　that　place　to　erect　houses　in　which　he　could　dwell；　and　build　a　city；　for　the　prodigy　meant　that　this　would　be　the　strongest　city　in　the　world；　and　that　it　would　never　be　captured　by　his　enemies；　and　would　be　the　chief　city　in　the　kingdom。　And　so　the　King　did；　and　on　that　very　day　began　work　on　his　houses；　and　he　enclosed　the　city　round　about；　and　that　done　he　left　Nagumdym　and　soon　filled　the　new　city　with　people。　And　he　gave　it　the　name　Vydiajuna；　for　so　the　hermit　called　himself＇488＇　who　had　bidden　him　construct　it；　but　in　course　of　time　this　name　has　become　corrupted；　and　it　is　now　called　Bisnaga。　And　after　that　hermit　was　dead　the　King　raised　a　very　grand　temple＇489＇　in　honour　of　him　and　gave　much　revenue　to　it。　And　ever　since；　in　his　memory；　the　Kings　of　Bisnaga；　on　the　day　when　they　are　raised　to　be　kings；　have；　in　honour　of　the　hermit；　to　enter　this　house　before　they　enter　their　own；　and　they　offer　many　prayers　in　it；　and　celebrate　many　feasts　there　every　year。

This　King　Dehorao　reigned　seven　years；　and　did　nothing　therein　but　pacify　the　kingdom；　which　he　left　in　complete　tranquillity。

By　his　death　one　called　Bucarao＇490＇　inherited　the　kingdom；　and　he　conquered　many　lands　which　at　the　time　of　the　destruction　of　that　kingdom　remained　rebellious；　and　by　him　they　were　taken　and　turned　to　his　power　and　lordship；　and　he　took　the　kingdom　of　Orya；　which　is　very　great；　it　touches　on　Bemgalla。　He　reigned　thirty…seven　years；　being　not　less　feared　than　esteemed；　and　obeyed　by　all　in　his　kingdom。

On　the　death　of　that　King　Bucarao　there　came　to　the　throne　his　son　called　Pureoyre　Deorao；＇491＇　which　in　Canara　means　〃powerful　lord；〃　and　he　coined　a　money　of　PARDAOS　which　even　now　they　call　〃PUROURE　DEORAO；〃　and　from　that　time　forward　it　has　become　a　custom　to　call　coins　by　the　names　of　the　kings　that　made　them；　and　it　is　because　of　this　that　there　are　so　many　names　of　PARDAOS　in　the　kingdom　of　Bisnaga。　And　this　King　in　his　time　did　nothing　more　than　leave　at　his　death　as　much　conquered　country　as　his　father　had　done。

This　King　had　a　son　who　by　his　death　inherited　the　kingdom；　who　was　called　Ajarao；＇492＇　and　he　reigned　forty…three　years；　in　which　time　he　was　always　at　war　with　the　Moors；　and　he　took　Goa；　and　Chaul；　and　Dabull；　and　Ceillao；＇493＇　and　all　the　country　of　Charamamdell；＇494＇　which　had　also　rebelled　after　the　first　destruction　of　this　kingdom；　and　he　did　many　other　things　which　are　not　recorded　here。

This　King　made　in　the　city　of　Bisnaga　many　walls　and　towers　and　enclosed　it　anew。　Now　the　city　at　that　time　was　of　no　use；　there　being　no　water　in　it　by　which　could　be　raised　gardens　and　orchards；　except　the　water　of　the　Nagumdym　which　was　far　from　it；　for　what　water　there　was　in　the　country　was　all　brackish　and　allowed　nothing　to　grow；　and　the　King；　desiring　to　increase　that　city　and　make　it　the　best　in　the　kingdom；　determined　to　bring　to　it　a　very　large　river　which　was　at　a　distance　of　five　leagues　away；　believing　that　it　would　cause　much　profit　if　brought　inside　the　city。　And　so　he　did；　damming　the　river　itself　with　great　boulders；　and　according　to　story　he　threw　in　a　stone　so　great　that　it　alone　made　the　river　follow　the　King's　will。　It　was　dragged　thither　by　a　number　of　elephants　of　which　there　are　many　in　the　kingdom；　and　the　water　so　brought　he　carried　through　such　parts　of　the　city　as　he　pleased。　This　water　proved　of　such　use　to　the　city　that　it　increased　his　revenue　by　more　than　three　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　PARDAOS。　By　means　of　this　water　they　made　round　about　the　city　a　quantity　of　gardens　and　orchards　and　great　groves　of　trees　and　vineyards；　of　which　this　country　has　many；　and　many　plantations　of　lemons　and　oranges　and　roses；　and　other　trees　which　in　this　country　bear　very　good　fruit。　But　on　this　turning　of　the　river　they　say　the　King　spent　all　the　treasure　that　had　come　to　him　from　the　king　his　father；　which　was　a　very　great　sum　of　money。

This　King　left　a　son　at　his　death　called　Visarao；＇495＇　who　inherited　the　kingdom　on　the　death　of　his　father；　and　he　lived　six　years；　and　during　this　time　did　nothing　worth　relating。

At　his　death　he　left　a　son　called　Deorao；　who　reigned　twenty…five　years。　He　determined　to　collect　great　treasures；　but　owing　to　constant　warfare　he　could　not　gain　more　than　eight　hundred　and　fifty　millions　of　gold；　not　counting　precious　stones。　This　was　no　great　sum；　seeing　that　in　his　time　the　King　of　Coullao；＇496＇　and　Ceyllao；　and　Paleacate；＇497＇　and　Peguu；　and　Tanacary＇498＇　and　many　other　countries；　paid　tribute　to　him。

At　his　death　this　King　left　a　son　who　inherited　the　kingdom；　who　was　called　Pinarao；＇499＇　he　reigned　twelve　years；　and　was　a　great　astrologer；　he　was　given　much　to　letters；　and　made　many　books　and　（promulgated）　ordinances　in　his　land　and　kingdom。　As　long　as　he　reigned　he　had　twenty　ministers；　which　is　an　office　that　amongst　these　（people）　is　（generally）　held　only　by　one　person。　This　King　was　very　wise；　he　was　well　versed　in　all　his　duties；　and　possessed　such　good　talents　and　qualities　that　they　called　him　Pinarao；　which　amongst　them；　in　the　language　of　Canara；　means　a　very　wise　man。　This　King　was　killed　by　treason　by　the　hand　of　a　nephew　whom　he　had　brought　up　in　his　house　like　a　son；　who　thus　caused　the　death　of　the　King。＇500＇　The　nephew　resolved　to　marry；　and　for　the　feasts　at　his　wedding　he　prayed　the　King；　his　uncle；　that　he　would　command　that　he　should　be　attended　and　honoured　at　his　wedding　by　the　King's　own　son；　and　the　King；　for　the　love　that　he　bore　him　and　the　pleasure　that　he　had　in　honouring　him；　bade　his　son　make　ready　with　his　following；　and　sent　him　with　the　ministers　and　captains　of　his　court　to　attend　and　honour　the　wedding　of　his　nephew。　And　he；　making　all　ready；　as　soon　as　they　were　in　his　house；　being　at　table；　they　were　all　slain　by　daggers　thrust　by　men　kept　in　readiness　for　that　deed。　This　was　done　without　any　one　suspecting　it；　because　the　custom　there　is　to　place　on　the　table　all　that　there　is　to　eat　and　drink；　no　man　being　present　to　serve　those　who　are　seated；　nor　being　kept　outside；　but　only　those　who　are　going　to　eat；　and　because　of　their　thus　being　alone　at　table；　nothing　of　what　passed　could　be　known　to　the　people　they　had　brought　with　them。　And　after　he　had　killed　the　King's　son　with　all　the　captains；　the　minister＇501＇　set　out　to　ride　as　if　he　were　going　to　bear　a　present　to　the　King；　and　as　soon　as　he　arrived　at　the　gates　of　the　palace　he　sent　a　message　to　the　King　saying　that　he　was　there；　and　had　brought　him　a　present　according　to　custom。　And　the　King；　being　at　that　time　at　leisure　and　amusing　himself　with　his　wives；　bade　him　enter；　and　as　soon　as　he　was　come　to　where　he　stood；　he　presented　to　the　King　a　golden　bowl　in　which　he　had　placed　a　dagger　steeped　in　poison；　with　which　he　wounded　him　in　many　places；　but　the　King；　as　he　was　a　man　who　knew　how　to　use　both　sword　and　dagger　better　than　any　one　in　his　kingdom；　avoided　by　twists　and　turns　of　his　body　the　thrusts　aimed　at　him；　freed　himself　from　him；　and　slew　him　with　a　short　sword　that　he　had。　And　this　done　he　ordered　a　horse　to　be　saddled；　and　mounted　it；　and　rode　holding　his　nephew's　head　in　his　hand；　and　he　took　the　road　to　the　latter's　house；　apprehending　that　treason　might　have　been　wrought　and　fearing　that　his　son　might　be　dead。　And　as　soon　as　he　arrived　he　beheld　the　treason　in　very　deed；　and　how　wicked　a　deed　his　nephew　had　done；　seeing　that　his　son　and　his　principal　captains　were　dead；　and　that　the　traitor　might　have　prevailed　against　himself　had　he　had　the　power。　In　great　wrath　the　King　commanded　his　men　to　inflict　dreadful　punishments　on　all　found　guilty　of　this　treason；　and　indeed　many　who　were　not　so。　He　himself　remained　grievously　wounded　with　the　poisoned　wounds　and　he　lasted　only　six　months；　and　these　ended；　died　of　the　poison　carried　on　the　dagger。

After　his　death　a　son　remained　to　him　who　inherited　the　kingdom　and　was　called　。。。　＇502＇；　and　this　King；　as　soon　as　he　began　to　reign；　sent　to　call　his　treasurers　and　the　minister　and　the　scribes　of　his　household；　and　inquired　of　them　the　revenue　of　his　kingdom；　and　learned　how　much　revenue　came　in　yearly；　and　His　Highness　had　every　year　thirteen　millions　of　gold。　This　King　granted　to　the　pagodas　a　fifth　part　of　the　revenue　of　his　kingdom；　no　law　is　possible　in　the　country　where　these　pagodas　are；　save　only　the　law　of　the　Brahmans；　which　is　that　of　the　priests；　and　so　the　people　suffer。

On　the　death　of　this　King　succeeded　a　son　named　Verupacarao。＇503＇　As　long　as　he　reigned　he　was　given　over　to　vice；　caring　for　nothing　but　women；　and　to　fuddle　himself