a forgotten empire-vijayanagar-第41章

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rom　the　Sultan's　dominions。＇313＇　The　story　of　the　rebel　〃Ein…al…Moolk's〃　discomfiture　at　the　hands　of　Venkatadri　is　thus　told　by　Firishtah：＇314＇　

〃Syef　Ein　al　Moolkh；　imitating　Assud　Khan；　resolved　to　surprize　the　infidels；　but　Venkatadry；　having　intelligence　of　his　designs；　ordered　his　troops　to　be　on　their　guard；　and　having　procured　long　faggots；　with　cloth　steeped　in　oil　bound　round　one　end　of　each；　commanded　his　followers　upon　the　alarm　being　given　to　light　them；　and　holding　them　up　as　high　as　possible；　give　the　troops　a　full　sight　of　the　enemy。　Ein　al　Moolk；　agreeably　to　his　intentions；　having　one　night　chosen　two　thousand　men　for　the　purpose；　marched　with　Sullabut　Khan　to　the　enemy's　camp；　which　he　was　allowed　to　enter　unmolested；　but　upon　a　signal　given；　all　the　brands　were　instantly　lighted　up；　and　Venkatadry；　who　was　prepared　with　his　troops；　rushed　upon　the　surprizers；　who　expected　no　resistance；　with　such　success　that　above　five　hundred　of　them　were　killed　before　the　detachment　could　clear　the　camp。　Ein　al　Moolk　and　Sullabut　with　the　greatest　difficulty　made　their　escape；　but；　losing；　the　road　through　the　darkness　of　the　night；　a　report　spread　in　his　camp　on　the　return　of　some　of　the　fugitives；　that　he　was　killed；　and　his　troops　being　immediately　struck　with　a　panic；　separated　and　fled　to　different　quarters。　Ein　al　Moolkh　and　Sullabut　Khan；　with　two　hundred　horse；　about　daylight　arriving　at　their　ground；　and　seeing　it　deserted；　fled　in　confusion　by　the　route　of　Maan　to　the　dominions　of　Nizam　Shaw；　where　they　sought　protection；　but　were　basely　assassinated　by　his　treachery。〃

In　1555　an　attempt　was　made　by　the　Portuguese　under　their　new　Viceroy；　Pedro　de　Mascarenhas；　to　place　Prince　Abdullah　on　the　throne　of　Bijapur；　the　foreigners　being　dazzled　by　the　magnificent　offers　made　to　them；　should　the　joint　efforts　of　the　conspirators　be　crowned　with　success。　Abdullah　was　established　at　Ponda；　and　proclamation　made　of　his　accession　to　the　throne。　On　the　death　of　De　Mascarenhas　in　1555；　Francisco　Barreto　succeeded　him　with　the　title　of　governor；　and　having　installed　the　prince　at　Ponda　he　proceeded　to　collect　the　revenues　of　the　country。　He　was；　however；　opposed　by　an　officer　of　Ibrahim　Adil　who　was　backed　by　seven　thousand　troops；　and　several　fights　took　place。

Meanwhile　Ibrahim　himself　had　not　been　idle；　and　aided　by　fifteen　thousand　of　Sadasiva's　troops　from　Vijayanagar　he　dethroned　and　captured　the　ambitious　prince；　following　this　up　by　several　attacks　on　the　Portuguese　forces。　The　war　lasted　during　the　whole　winter　of　1556；　but　with　no　very　decisive　results。　Next　year　a　fresh　relay　of　troops　from　Bijapur　attacked　Salsette　and　Bardes；　but　were　beaten　by　a　small　force　of　Portuguese　near　Ponda；　and　hostilities　were　suspended　for　a　time。

Shortly　after　this；　viz。；　in　1557；　Sultan　Ibrahim　died。　〃During　his　illness　he　put　to　death　several　physicians　who　had　failed　in　cure；　beheading　some；　and　causing　others　to　be　trodden　to　death　by　elephants；　so　that　all　the　surviving　medical　practitioners；　alarmed；　fled　from　his　dominions。〃　He　was　succeeded　by　his　eldest　son；　Ali　Adil。

The　new　Sultan；　immediately　on　his　accession；　cemented　his　father's　alliance　with　Sadasiva　and　Rama　Rajah　by　the　execution　of　a　new　treaty；　and　sent　ambassadors　on　a　similar　errand　to　Husain　Nizam　Shah；　the　successor　of　Burhan　at　Ahmadnagar。　These；　however；　were　badly　received；　and　Sultan　Ali；　whose　envoys　at　the　Hindu　capital　had　been　warmly　welcomed　and　hospitably　treated；　determined　to　establish；　if　possible；　a　real　and　lasting　friendship　with　Vijayanagar。　To　this　end　he　adopted　a　most　unusual　course；　the　account　of　which　will　be　best　given　in　Firishtah's　own　words。

〃Ali　Adil　Shaw；　who　was　intent　on　extricating　his　dominions　from　the　losses　of　his　father　by　alliance　with　Ramraaje；　on　the　death　of　a　son　of　that　monarch；＇315＇　with　uncommon　prudence　and　resolution　went；　attended　by　one　hundred　horse；　to　Beejanuggur；　to　offer　his　condolence　on　the　melancholy　occasion。　Ramraaje　received　him　with　the　greatest　respect；＇316＇　and　the　sultan　with　the　kindest　persuasions　prevailed　upon　him　to　lay　aside　his　mourning。　The　wife　of　Ramraaje　adopted　the　sultan　as　her　son；　and　at　the　end　of　three　days；　which　were　spent　in　interchanges　of　friendly　professions；　he　took　his　leave；　but　as　Ramraaje　did　not　attend　him　out　of　the　city；　he　was　disgusted；　and　treasured　up　the　affront　in　his　mind；　though　too　prudent　to　show　any　signs　of　displeasure　for　the　present。〃＇317＇

The　incident　thus　entirely　failed　in　its　intended　effect。　It　produced　a　lasting　irritation　in　the　mind　of　the　Sultan；　and　a　haughty　arrogance　on　the　part　of　Rama　Raya；　who　conceived　that　the　fortunes　of　his　hereditary　enemy　must　be　at　a　very　low　ebb　when　he　could　condescend　so　far　to　humble　himself。

In　the　next　year；　1558；　according　to　Couto；＇318＇　Rama　Raya　made　an　expedition　to　〃Meliapor；〃　or　Mailapur；　near　Madras；　where　was　an　important　establishment　of　Roman　Catholic　monks　and　the　Church　of　St。　Thomas。　I　quote　the　passage　from　the　summary　given　by　Senhor　Lopes　in　his　introduction　to　the　CHRONICA　DOS　REIS　DE　BISNAGA　（p。　lxvi。）。　〃The　poor　fathers　of　the　glorious　Order　of　St。　Francis　having　seized　all　the　coast　from　Negapatam　to　San　Thome；　they　being　the　first　who　had　begun　to　preach　there　the　light　of　the　Holy　Gospel；　and　having　throughout　that　tract　thrown　down　many　temples　and　destroyed　many　pagodas；　a　thing　which　grieved　excessively　all　the　Brahmans；　these　latter　reported　the　facts　to　Rama　Raya；　king　of　Bisnaga；　whose　vassals　they　were；　and　begged　him　that　he　would　hasten　to　their　assistance　for　the　honour　of　their　gods。〃

They　succeeded　in　persuading　him　that　the　newcomers　were　possessed　of　enormous　riches；　and　he　proceeded　against　the　place；　but　afterwards　finding　that　this　was　not　true；　and　that　the　inhabitants　were　loyal　to　him；　he　spared　them　and　left　them　in　peace。

On　his　return　to　Bijapur；　Ali　Adil　peremptorily　demanded　from　Hussain　Nizam　Shah　the　restoration　of　the　fortresses　of　Kallian　and　Sholapur；　and　on　the　latter's　contemptuous　refusal　（he　〃sent　back　a　reply　so　indecent　in　expression　as　to　be　unfit　to　relate。〃　says　Firishtah）　another　war　broke　out。

〃In　the　year　966　（October　14；　A。D。　1558　to　October　3；　1559）；　Ali　Adil　Shaw　having　called　Ramraaje　to　his　assistance；　they　in　concert　divided　the　dominions　of　Houssein　Nizam　Shaw；　and　laid　them　waste　in　such　a　manner　that　from　Porundeh　to　Khiber；　and　from　Ahmednuggur　to　Dowlutabad；　not　a　mark　of　population　was　to　be　seen。　The　infidels　of　Beejanuggur；　who　for　many　years　had　been　wishing　for　such　an　event；　left　no　cruelty　unpractised。　They　insulted　the　honour　of　the　mussulmaun　women；　destroyed　the　mosques；　and　did　not　even　respect　the　sacred　koraun。〃＇319＇

This　behaviour　on　the　part　of　the　Hindus　so　incensed　the　followers　of　Islam；　not　only　the　hostile　subjects　of　Golkonda　but　even　the　allied　troops　and　inhabitants　of　the　Bijapur　territories；　that　it　laid　the　foundation　for　the　final　downfall　and　destruction　of　Vijayanagar。

In　1558　Dom　Constantine　de　Braganza　became　Viceroy　of　Goa；　and　his　period　of　government　was　signalised　by　every　kind　of　violence　and　aggression。　In　1559　Luiz　de　Mello　carried　fire　and　sword　into　the　towns　along　the　Malabar　coast。　He　attacked　Mangalore；　set　fire　to　the　town；　and　put　all　the　inhabitants　to　death。　Later　in　the　year　he　destroyed　in　similar　manner　a　number　of　towns　and　villages　on　the　same　coast；　and　desolated　the　whole　seaboard。

In　1560　the　See　of　Goa　was　elevated　into　an　arch…bishopric；　and　the　Inquisition；　the　horrors　of　which　even　excelled　that　of　Spain；　was　established。　The　inhabitants　of　Goa　and　its　dependencies　were　now　forced　to　embrace　Christianity；　and　on　refusal　or　contumacy　were　imprisoned　and　tortured。　In　this　year　also；　and　those　following；　the　predatory　excursions　of　the　Portuguese　were　continued。　In　1564　the　Viceroy　sent　Mesquita　with　three　ships　to　destroy　a　number　of　ships　belonging　to　the　Malabarese。　Mesquita　captured　twenty…four　of　these；　by　twos　and　threes　at　a　time；　sunk　them；　beheaded　a　large　number　of　the　sailors；　and　in　the　case　of　hundreds　of　others；　sewed　them　up　in　sails　and　threw　them　overboard。　In　these　ways　he　massacred　2000　men。

This　resulted　in　a　serious　war　in