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
[394] -- BREDOS, "blites," an insipid kitchen vegetable. But as the
word is not common, and as Brahmans make use of most vegetables,
I have preferred the more general term.
[395] -- MACAAS, literally "apples."
[396] -- It was generally called Nagalapur, but Nuniz says that the
lady's name was Chinnadevi (below, p. 362).
[397] -- CORUCHEES. See p. 200, note 3.
[398] -- GRANDES SUPITOS.
[399] -- A mixture, apparently, of MAHA, "great," and "Shah."
[400] -- The passage that follows is not very clear in the original.
[401] -- The word last used is SELLADOS, literally "sealed."
[402] -- ALJOFAR. This word is constantly used in the
chronicles. Garcia da Orta (COLLOQ. xxxv.) derives it from Cape Julfar
in Arabia, near Ormuz. Cobarruvias says it is from Arabic jauhar,
"jewel" (Yule and Burnell Dict.). Da Orta writes: "CHAMA-SE perla EM
CASTELHANO E perola EM PORTUGUEZ, E EM LATIM unio, E ISTO NO aljofar
GRANDE; PORQUE O MIUDO CHAMA-SE EM LATIM margarita, E EM ARABIO lulu,
E EM PERSIO E NEST' OUTRAS GERACOES DA INDIA moti, E EM MALAVAR mutu,
E EM PORTUGUEZ E CASTELHANO aljofar;" I.E. a large pearl is called
PERLA in Spanish, PEROLA in Portuguese, UNIO in Latin; a small pearl
is called in Latin MARGARITA, in Arabic LULU, in Persian and many
Indian languages MOTI, in Malayalam MUTU, and in Portuguese and
Spanish ALJOFAR.
[403] -- EMGELLYM, sesamum or gingelly, an oil seed.
[404] -- This was the great Saluva Timma, Krishna Deva's minister. The
termination -RSEA probably represents ARASA, the Kanarese form for
Rajah. TEMERSEA = TIMMARASA = TIMMA RAJAH.
[405] -- According to Correa, Christovao de Figueiredo had been sent
by the governor, Lopo Soares, in 1517 to Vijayanagar as factor, with
horses and elephants (LENDAS DA INDIA, ii. 509 -- 510); but Senhor
Lopes points out (Introduction to his CHRONICA, lxxxii. note) that we
do not know how far this assertion is true. He certainly lived at Goa,
and not long after this battle was made chief TANEDAR of the mainlands
of Goa, with residence at the temple of Mardor. He was several times
in peril at the hands of the Mussalmans, and in 1536 was present at
the battles which took place between the Portuguese and Asada Khan of
Belgaum, with whom he was on terms of friendship. Mr. Danvers (ii. 507)
states that he was also at one time attorney of the factory of Goa.
[406] -- This apparently refers to Ruy de Mello (see above, p. 142
ff.). If De Sequeira were meant he would have been called "Governor."
[407] -- HORGAOS. Mr. Ferguson points out that these were undoubtedly
musical instruments. Castanheda (v. xxviii.), describing the embassy to
"Prester John" under Dom Roderigo de Lima in 1520 (the same year),
states that among the presents sent to that potentate were "some
organs and a clavichord, and a player for them." These organs are
also mentioned in Father Alvares's account of their embassy (Hakluyt
Society Trans., p. 10).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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