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
The Sultan's next war took place in A.H. 828, when he advanced against
Warangal over the undulating plains of the Dakhan, then rich in crop,
and was completely successful. The Hindu kingdom was completely and
for ever destroyed. The English date usually given for this event
is A.D. 1424, but it is quite possible that a mistake has been
made owing to the use of imperfect chronological tables by those
who have written on the subject, and that Ahmad Shah's capture of
Warangal may have taken place in A.D. 1425. Briggs, for instance,
calls A.H. 828 "A.D. 1424," but the year only began on November
23, 1424. The campaign, however, was very short, and may have been
concluded before the end of December of that year.
We hear nothing more from Firishtah regarding the affairs of
Vijayanagar till the early part of the reign of Ahmad's son and
successor, Ala-ud-din II., which began on Sunday, February 27,
A.D. 1435,[110] the day of Sultan Ahmad's death.
Ala-ud-din's first act was to despatch his brother Muhammad Khan with
a powerful army against Deva Raya of Vijayanagar --
"who had withheld his tribute for five years and refused to pay the
arrears. They laid waste the country in such a manner that the Roy
in a short time was glad to procure peace by giving twenty elephants,
a great sum of money, and two hundred female slaves skilled in music
and dancing, besides a valuable present to Mahummud Khan."
Flushed with this victory, and in command of a large force, Prince
Muhammad rebelled against his brother, and Firishtah states that
in doing so he obtained aid from Deva Raya. The prince took Mudkal,
Raichur, Sholapur, Bijapur, and Naldirak from the Sultan's governors,
but in a pitched battle with the royal forces was completely defeated
and fled. Shortly afterwards, however, he was forgiven by his generous
sovereign, and the fortress and territories of Raichur were conferred
on him.
About the year 1442 Deva Raya began to consider more seriously his
situation in relation to his powerful neighbour at Kulbarga.
"He called[111] a general council of his nobility and principal
bramins, observing to them that as his country of Carnatic in extent,
population, and revenue far exceeded the territories of the house
of Bahmenee; land in like manner his army was far more numerous,
wished therefore to explore the cause of the mussulmauns' successes,
and his being reduced to pay them tribute. Some said ... that the
superiority of the mussulmauns arose from two circumstances: one,
all their horses being strong, and able to bear more fatigue than the
weak, lean animals of Carnatic; the other, a great body of excellent
archers always kept up by the sultans of the house of Bahmenee,
of whom the roy had but few in his army.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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