Part 26 (1/2)

[81] -- 17th Ramazan A.H. 799 (Firishtah).

[82] -- 23rd Safar A.H. 800 (Firishtah).

[83] -- EPIGRAPHIA INDICA, iii. 36, N. 3.

[84] -- Firishtah (Scott, p. 76).

[85] -- Rather, I think, basket-boats. These are described in the text of Paes (below, p. 259) as being in use on these rivers in the sixteenth century, just as they are to-day. They are circular in shape, and are made of wickerwork of split bamboo covered all over outside with leather. Colonel Briggs, writing of these boats (Firishtah, ii. 371), in a footnote says, ”A detachment of the British army crossed its heavy guns without even dismounting them over the Toongbudra in 1812 in these basket-boats.”

[86] -- These women always accompanied the Raya's armies. Nuniz says that large numbers of them were at the Hindu camp at Raichur in 1520.

[87] -- A stringed instrument.

[88] -- Youths trained to sing and dance in public.

[89] -- a.s.sessed at ”near [pound sterling]400,000” (Scott, Firishtah, p. 79, note).

[90] -- ”Mysore Inscriptions,” Rice, p. 279, No. 150. Professor Kielhorn in IND. ANT., xxiv. p. 204, No. 304, and note.

[91] -- ”South Indian Inscriptions,” i. 82 (Dr. Hultzsch).

[92] -- We must remember that the narrator is a loyal Muhammadan. Mudkal was in the tract always in dispute between the two kingdoms.

[93] -- About forty miles north.

[94] -- Briggs gives her name as ”Nehal.”

[95] -- Briggs says, ”In the beginning of the year 809.” This would be the month of June, and the months following would have been unfavourable for the march of armies. I prefer Scott's rendering.

[96] -- Firishtah generally calls this place ”Beekapore” (Scott, i. 47, 69, 85, 86 &c.), but on p. 301 he spells the name ”Binkapore.” Bankapur was one of the princ.i.p.al fortresses in the Carnatic. It is the ”Bengapor” or ”Vengapor” of our chronicles. (See below, p. 122.)

[97] -- This again points to the Muhammadan camp having been in the neighbourhood of Hospett, south of Vijayanagar.

[98] -- ”Plates of gold filled with incense and silver flowers.” -- Briggs (ii. 386).

[99] -- This square is the open s.p.a.ce mentioned by both Nuniz and Paes. On the left of it, as the cortege advanced, was the palace.

[100] -- Scott has it ”Mankul” (i. 90), but Briggs (ii. 389) corrects this into ”Pangul,” which is undoubtedly correct.

[101] -- His grandfather, Deva Raya I., was young enough at the beginning of his reign (A.D. 1406) to plunge into amorous intrigues and adventures, and he reigned only seven years at most. His son and successor, Vijaya, reigned only six years. Vijaya's son, Deva Raya II., therefore, was probably a mere boy when he came to the throne in A.D. 1419.

[102] -- PINA = CHINNA (Telugu) or CHIKKA (Kanarese), and means ”little” or ”young.” (See the tale told by Barradas below, p. 222 ff., of the events of 1614 A.D.) The name is very common in Southern India, and was generally applied to the Crown Prince.

[103] -- 7th Shawwal A.H. 825. Firishtah, (Scott) p. 95, gives the length of the reign, and his figures yield this result.

[104] -- The spot-was therefore probably close to one of the old irrigation channels, supplied by dams constructed across this river under the Rayas.

[105] -- It is difficult to reconcile this story with the fact of the Raya's tender age at this date, for I think it is certain that he was then quite a boy. Is it possible that the Muhammadan chroniclers, from whom Firishtah obtained the narrative, mistook for the king an adult member of the family who commanded the army? Such mistakes were certainly made in later years. The chroniclers seem to have taken little pains to ascertain the actual names of the Hindu kings. It must, however, be noted that a little later on Firishtah speaks of Deva Raya's son.

[106] -- There is no clue as to where this event took place, except that it was not very close to Vijayanagar. The Sultan must have been near some hills with a plain below, because he met with open ground difficult for a horse to cross, in his eagerness to reach a mud enclosure in a plain. The description is applicable to numberless places in the vicinity, and it is useless to speculate. As he was on horseback, it is possible that he was riding down antelope.