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
His despatch is interesting as containing information regarding
Vijayanagar and the Sultan of Bijapur, part of which is certainly
accurate, while part tells us of Krishna Deva Raya's proceedings
at this period, regarding which we know nothing from any other
source. Fr. Luis wrote to Albuquerque that the Adil Shah had attacked
Bijapur, and had taken it after a siege of two months, while four lords
had risen against him "since the latter had carried off the king of
Decan as a prisoner." This king was the Bahmani king, while the Adil
Shah and the "four lords" were the revolting Muhammadan princes. He
added that the people of Belgaum had revolted from the Adil Shah and
submitted to the Hindu sovereign. As to Vijayanagar, he said that the
king was getting ready a small expedition of seven thousand men to send
against one of his vassals, who had risen up in rebellion and seized
the city of Pergunda (? Pennakonda), saying that it belonged to himself
by right; and that after he had taken the rebel the king would proceed
to certain places on the sea-coast. Fr. Luis professed himself unable
to understand the drift of this latter design, but warned Albuquerque
to be careful. He advised him to keep up friendly communications with
the king, and by no means to place any reliance on the man on whom, of
all others, the Portuguese had pinned their faith -- one Timoja,[198]
a Hindu who had befriended the new-comers. The priest declared that
Timoja was a traitor to them, and had, in conjunction with the king
of Garsopa, promised Krishna Deva Raya that he would deliver Goa to
him before the Portuguese could fortify their possessions therein,
if he should send a fully equipped army to seize the place.
After Albuquerque's second capture of Goa the chief of Bankapur
also sent messages of congratulation to the Portuguese, and asked
for permission to import three hundred horses a year. The request
was granted, as the place was on the road to Vijayanagar, and
it was important that its chief should be on friendly terms with
the Europeans. Moreover, Bankapur contained a number of superior
saddlers.[199]
Krishna Deva's anxiety was to secure horses. He must have thought
little of this foreign settlement on the coast as a political power,
but what he wanted was horses, and again horses, for his perpetual
wars against the Adil Shah; and Albuquerque, after toying a little
with the Muhammadan, gratified the Hindu by sending him a message in
which he declared that he would prefer to send cavalry mounts to him
rather than to supply them to the Sultan of Bijapur.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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