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
"It happened, that the sultan going to hunt, in the eagerness of
chase separated from the body of his attendants, and advanced near
twelve miles from his camp.[106] The devoted infidels, informed of
the circumstance, immediately hastened to intercept him, and arrived
in sight when even his personal attendants, about two hundred Moguls,
were at some distance from him. The sultan alarmed, galloped on in
hopes of gaining a small mud enclosure which stood on the plain as
a fold for cattle, but was so hotly pursued, that some broken ground
falling in his way, he was not able to cross it before his pursuers
came up. Luckily some archers at this instant arrived to his aid, so
that the enemy were delayed sufficiently to give the sultan time to
reach the enclosure with his friends. The infidels attempted to enter,
and a sharp conflict took place; all the faithful repeating the creed
of testimony, and swearing to die, rather than submit.... Their little
troop being mostly killed and wounded, the assailants advanced close to
the wall, which they began to throw down with pickaxes and hatchets,
so that the sultan was reduced to the extremity of distress. At this
critical juncture arrived Abd-al-Kadir, first armour-bearer to the
sultan, and a body of troops, with whom, fearful of some accident
having happened to occasion his absence, he had left the camp in
search of his master. The infidels had completed a wide breach, and
were preparing to enter, when they found their rear suddenly attacked
The sultan with his remaining friends joined Abd-al-Kadir in attacking
the enemy, who after a long struggle were driven off the field, with
a loss of a thousand men, and about five hundred of the mussulmauns
attained martyrdom. Thus the sultan, by the almost inspired caution
of Abd-al-Kadir, acceded, as it were, a second time, from the depths
of danger to the enjoyment of empire.[107] It deserves place among
the records of time, as a remarkable event, that two sovereigns at
the head of armies, should fall into such danger for want of numbers,
and both escape uninjured....
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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