A Forgotten Empire (Vijayanagar): A Contribution to the History of IndiaSewell, Robert
History
A Forgotten Empire (Vijayanagar): A Contribution to the History of India
Sewell, Robert
Vijayanagar (Empire) -- History
For if a comparison is made between the narrative of Batuta and the
traditional account given by Nuniz as to the events that preceded and
led to the foundation of Vijayanagar, little doubt will remain in the
mind that both relate to the same event. According to Ibn Batuta,[25]
Sultan Muhammad marched southwards against his rebel nephew,
Baha-ud-din Gushtasp, who had fled to the protection of the "Rai of
Kambila," or "Kampila" as Firishtah calls the place, in his stronghold
amongst the mountains. The title "Rai" unmistakably points to the
Kanarese country, where the form "Raya" is used for "Rajah;" while in
"Kambila" or "Kampila" we recognise the old town of Kampli, a fortified
place about eight miles east of Anegundi, which was the citadel of the
predecessors of the kings of Vijayanagar. Though not itself actually
"amongst the mountains," Kampli is backed by the mass of rocky hills
in the centre of which the great city was afterwards situated. It is
highly natural to suppose that the "Rai," when attacked by the Sultan,
would have quitted Kampli and taken refuge in the fortified heights
of Anegundi, where he could defend himself with far greater chance
of success than at the former place; and this would account for the
difference in the names given by the two chroniclers. Ibn Batuta goes
on to say that the Raya sent his guest safely away to a neighbouring
chief, probably the Hoysala Ballala, king of Dvarasamudra in Maisur,
then residing at Tanur. He caused a huge fire to be lit on which
his wives and the wives of his nobles, ministers, and principal
men immolated themselves, and this done he sallied forth with his
followers to meet the invaders, and was slain. The town was taken,
"and eleven sons of the Rai were made prisoners and carried to the
Sultan, who made them all Mussalmans." After the fall of the place
the Sultan "treated the king's sons with great honour, as much for
their illustrious birth as for his admiration of the conduct of their
father;" and Batuta adds that he himself became intimately acquainted
with one of these -- "we were companions and friends."
There are only two substantial points of difference between this
story and the traditional Hindu account given by Nuniz. One of these
concerns the reason for the Sultan's attack. According to the Hindus
it was a war undertaken from pure greed of conquest; according to
Muhammadan story it was a campaign against a rebel. The second is
that while the Hindus declare that none of the blood royal escaped,
Batuta distinctly mentions the survival of eleven sons, and proves his
point incontestably. But this does not vitiate the general resemblance
of the two accounts, while the synchronism of the dates renders it
impossible to believe that they can refer to two separate events. We
may suppose that since the eleven sons became followers of Islam they
were for ever blotted out of account to the orthodox Hindu.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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