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
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.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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