a forgotten empire-vijayanagar-第43章

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ries　they　had　never　succeeded　in　penetrating　to　the　south；　the　inhabitants　pursued　their　daily　avocations　with　no　shadow　of　dread　or　sense　of　danger；　the　strings　of　pack…bullocks　laden　with　all　kinds　of　merchandise　wended　their　dusty　way　to　and　from　the　several　seaports　as　if　no　sword　of　Damocles　was　hanging　over　the　doomed　city；　Sadasiva；　the　king；　lived　his　profitless　life　in　inglorious　seclusion；　and　Rama　Raya；　king　de　facto；　never　for　a　moment　relaxed　his　attitude　of　haughty　indifference　to　the　movements　of　his　enemies。　〃He　treated　their　ambassadors；〃　says　Firishtah；　〃with　scornful　language；　and　regarded　their　enmity　as　of　little　moment。〃＇324＇

Nevertheless　he　did　not　neglect　common　precautions。　His　first　action　was　to　send　his　youngest　brother；　Tirumala；　the　〃Yeltumraj〃　or　〃Eeltumraaje〃　of　Firishtah；　to　the　front　with　20；000　horse；　100；000　foot；　and　500　elephants；　to　block　the　passage　of　the　Krishna　at　all　points。　Next　he　despatched　his　second　brother；　Venkatadri；　with　another　large　army；　and　finally　marched　in　person　towards　the　point　of　attack　with　the　whole　power　of　the　Vijayanagar　empire。　The　forces　were　made　up　of　large　drafts　from　all　the　provinces　　Canarese　and　Telugus　of　the　frontier；　Mysoreans　and　Malabarese　from　the　west　and　centre；　mixed　with　the　Tamils　from　the　remoter　districts　to　the　south；　each　detachment　under　its　own　local　leaders；　and　forming　part　of　the　levies　of　the　temporary　provincial　chieftain　appointed　by　the　crown。　According　to　Couto；　they　numbered　600；000　foot　and　100；000　horse。　His　adversaries　had　about　half　that　number。　As　to　their　appearance　and　armament；　we　may　turn　for　information　to　the　description　given　us　by　Paes　of　the　great　review　of　which　he　was　an　eye…witness　forty…five　years　earlier　at　Vijayanagar；＇325＇　remembering　always　that　the　splendid　troops　between　whose　lines　he　then　passed　in　the　king's　procession　were　probably　the　ELITE　of　the　army；　and　that　the　common　soldiers　were　clad　in　the　lightest　of　working　clothes；　many　perhaps　with　hardly　any　clothes　at　all；　and　armed　only　with　spear　or　dagger。＇326＇

The　allies　had　perhaps　halted　too　long。　At　any　rate；　their　scouts　returned　to　their　sovereigns　with　the　news　that　all　the　passages　of　the　river　were　defended；　and　that　their　only　course　was　to　force　the　ford　immediately　in　their　front。　This　was　in　possession　of　the　Hindus；　who　had　fortified　the　banks　on　the　south　side；　had　thrown　up　earthworks；　and　had　stationed　a　number　of　cannon　to　dispute　the　crossing。

The　defenders　of　the　ford　anxiously　awaited　intelligence　of　their　enemy's　movements；　and　learning　that　he　had　struck　his　camp　and　marched　along　the　course　of　the　river；　they　quitted　their　post　and　followed；　keeping　always　to　the　south　bank　in　readiness　to　repel　any　attempt　to　cross　directly　in　their　front。　This　manoeuvre；　a　ruse　on　the　part　of　the　Mussulmans；　was　repeated　on　three　successive　days。　On　the　third　night　the　Sultans　hastily　left　their　camp；　returned　to　the　ford；　and；　finding　it　deserted；　crossed　with　a　large　force。　This　movement　covered　the　transit　of　the　whole　of　their　army；　and　enabled　them　to　march　southwards　to　the　attack　of　Rama　Raya's　main　body。

Rama　Raya；　though　surprised；　was　not　alarmed；　and　took　all　possible　measures　for　defence。　In　the　morning　the　enemy　was　within　ten　miles　of　his　camp；　and　Venkatadri　and　Tirumala　succeeded　in　effecting　a　junction　with　their　brother。

On　the　following　day；　Tuesday；　January　23；　1565；＇327＇　both　sides　having　made　their　dispositions；　a　pitched　battle　took　place＇328＇　in　which　all　the　available　forces　of　both　sides　were　engaged。　In　one　of　his　descriptions　Firishtah　estimates　the　Vijayanagar　army　alone　as　amounting　to　900；000　infantry；　45；000　cavalry；　and　2000　elephants；　besides　15；000　auxiliaries；　but　he　himself　varies　so　greatly　in　the　numbers　he　gives　in　different　parts　of　his　narrative　that　there　is　no　necessity　to　accept　these　figures　as　accurate。　There　can　be　little　doubt；　however；　that　the　numbers　were　very　large。　The　Hindu　left；　on　the　west；　was　entrusted　to　the　command　of　Tirumala；　Rama　Raya　in　person　was　in　the　centre；　and　the　right　was　composed　of　the　troops　of　Venkatadri。　Opposed　to　Tirumala　were　the　forces　of　Bijapur　under　their　Sultan　Ali　Adil；　the　Mussalman　centre　was　under　the　command　of　Hussain　Nizam　Shah；　and　the　left　of　the　allied　army；　in　Venkatadri's　front；　consisted　of　the　forces　brought　from　Ahmadabad　and　Golkonda　by　the　two　Sultans；　Ali　Barid　and　Ibrahim　Qutb。　The　allied　forces　drew　up　in　a　long　line　with　their　artillery　in　the　centre；　and　awaited　the　enemy's　attack；　each　division　with　the　standards　of　the　twelve　Imams　waving　in　the　van。　The　Nizam　Shah's　front　was　covered　by　six　hundred　pieces　of　ordnance　disposed　in　three　lines；　in　the　first　of　which　were　heavy　guns；　then　the　smaller　ones；　with　light　swivel　guns　in　the　rear。　In　order　to　mask　this　disposition　two　thousand　foreign　archers　were　thrown　out　in　front；　who　kept　up　a　heavy　discharge　as　the　enemy's　line　came　on。　The　archers　fell　back　as　the　Hindus　of　Rama's　division　approached；　and　the　batteries　opened　with　such　murderous　effect　that　the　assailants　retreated　in　confusion　and　with　great　loss。

Rama　Rajah　was　now　a　very　old　man　　Couto　says　〃he　was　ninety…six　years　old；　but　as　brave　as　a　man　of　thirty〃　　and；　against　the　entreaties　of　his　officers；　he　preferred　to　superintend　operations　from　a　litter　rather　than　remain　for　a　long　time　mounted　　a　dangerous　proceeding；　since　in　case　of　a　reverse　a　rapid　retreat　was　rendered　impossible。　But　he　could　not　be　induced　to　change　his　mind；　remarking　that　in　spite　of　their　brave　show　the　enemy　were　children　and　would　soon　be　put　to　flight。　So　confident　was　he　of　victory　that　it　is　said　he　had　ordered　his　men　to　bring　him　the　head　of　Hussain　Nizam；　but　to　capture　the　Adil　Shah　and　Ibrahim　of　Golkonda　alive；　that　he　might　keep　them　the　rest　of　their　lives　in　iron　cages。

The　battle　becoming　more　general；　the　Hindus　opened　a　desolating　fire　from　a　number　of　field…pieces　and　rocket…batteries。　The　left　and　right　of　the　Muhammadan　line　were　pressed　back　after　destructive　hand…to…hand　fighting；　many　falling　on　both　sides。　At　this　juncture　Rama　Raya；　thinking　to　encourage　his　men；　descended　from　his　litter　and　seated　himself　on　a　〃rich　throne　set　with　jewels；　under　a　canopy　of　crimson　velvet；　embroidered　with　gold　and　adorned　with　fringes　of　pearls；〃　ordering　his　treasurer　to　place　heaps　of　money　all　round　him；　so　that　he　might　confer　rewards　on　such　of　his　followers　as　deserved　his　attention。　〃There　were　also　ornaments　of　gold　and　jewels　placed　for　the　same　purpose。〃　A　second　attack　by　the　Hindus　on　the　guns　in　the　centre　seemed　likely　to　complete　the　overthrow　of　the　whole　Muhammadan　line；　when　the　front　rank　of　pieces　was　fired　at　close　quarters；　charged　with　bags　of　copper　money；　and　this　proved　so　destructive　that　5000　Hindus　were　left　dead　on　the　field　in　front　of　the　batteries。　This　vigorous　policy　threw　the　Hindu　centre　into　confusion；　upon　which　5000　Muhammadan　cavalry　charged　through　the　intervals　of　the　guns　and　cut　their　way　into　the　midst　of　the　disorganised　masses；　towards　the　spot　where　the　Raya　had　taken　post。　He　had　again　changed　his　position　and　ascended　his　litter；　but　hardly　had　he　done　so　when　an　elephant　belonging　to　the　Nizam　Shah；　wild　with　the　excitement　of　the　battle；　dashed　forward　towards　him；　and　the　litter…bearers　let　fall　their　precious　burden　in　terror　at　the　animal's　approach。　Before　he　had　time　to　recover　himself　and　mount　a　horse；　a　body　of　the　allies　was　upon　him；　and　he　was　seized　and　taken　prisoner。

This　event　threw　the　Hindus　into　a　panic；　and　they　began　to　give　way。　Rama　Raya　was　conducted　by　the　officer　who　commanded　the　artillery　of　Hussain　Nizam　to　his　Sultan；　who　immediately　ordered　his　captive　to　be　decapitated；　and　the　head　to　be　elevated　on　a　long　spear；　so　that　it　might　be　visible　to　the　Hindu　troops。

On　seeing　that　their　chief　was　dead；　the　Vijayanagar　forces　broke　and　fled　〃They　were　pursued　by　the　allies　with　such　successful　slaughter　that　the　river　which　ran　near　the　field　was　dyed　red　with　their　blood。　It　is　computed　on　the　best　authorities　that　above　one　hundred　thousand　infidels　were　slain　in　fight　and　during　the　pursuit。〃

The　Mussulmans　were　thus　complet