a forgotten empire-vijayanagar-第6章

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　the　synchronism　of　the　dates　renders　it　impossible　to　believe　that　they　can　refer　to　two　separate　events。　We　may　suppose　that　since　the　eleven　sons　became　followers　of　Islam　they　were　for　ever　blotted　out　of　account　to　the　orthodox　Hindu。

After　the　capture　of　the　fortress　the　Sultan；　according　to　Ibn　Batuta；　pursued　Baha…ud…din　southwards　and　arrived　near　the　city　of　the　prince　with　whom　he　had　taken　refuge。　The　chief　abandoned　his　guest　to　the　tender　mercies　of　the　tyrant；　by　whom　he　was　condemned　to　a　death　of　fiendish　barbarity。

〃The　Sultan　ordered　the　prisoner　to　be　taken　to　the　women　his　relations；　and　these　insulted　him　and　spat　upon　him。　Then　he　ordered　him　to　be　skinned　alive；　and　as　his　skin　was　torn　off　his　flesh　was　cooked　with　rice。　Some　was　sent　to　his　children　and　his　wife；　and　the　remainder　was　put　into　a　great　dish　and　given　to　the　elephants　to　eat；　but　they　would　not　touch　it。　The　Sultan　ordered　his　skin　to　be　stuffed　with　straw；　to　be　placed　along　with　the　remains　of　Bahadur　Bura；＇26＇　and　to　be　exhibited　through　the　country。〃

To　continue　briefly　the　story　given　by　Nuniz。　After　the　capture　of　Anegundi　in　1334　the　Sultan　left　Malik　Naib　（whom　Nuniz　calls　〃Enybiquymelly〃　in　his　second　chapter；　and　〃Mileque　neby；〃　〃Meliquy　niby；〃　and　〃Melinebiquy〃　in　the　third）　as　his　local　governor；　and　retired　northwards。　The　country　rose　against　the　usurpers；　and　after　a　time　the　Sultan　restored　the　principality　to　the　Hindus；　but　made　a　new　departure　by　raising　to　be　Raya　the　former　chief　minister　Deva　Raya；　called　〃Deorao〃　or　〃Dehorao〃　by　Nuniz。　He　reigned　seven　years。　During　his　reign　this　chief　was　one　day　hunting　amongst　the　mountains　south　of　the　river　when　a　hare；　instead　of　fleeing　from　his　dogs；　flew　at　them　and　bit　them。＇27＇　The　king；　astonished　at　this　marvel；　was　returning　homewards　lost　in　meditation；　when　he　met　on　the　river…bank　the　sage　Madhavacharya；　surnamed　VIDYARANYA　or　〃Forest　of　Learning；〃　　for　so　we　learn　from　other　sources　to　name　the　anchorite　alluded　to　　who　advised　the　chief　to　found　a　city　on　the　spot。　〃And　so　the　king　did；　and　on　that　very　day　began　work　on　his　houses；　and　he　enclosed　the　city　round　about；　and　that　done；　he　left　Nagumdym；　and　soon　filled　the　new　city　with　people。　And　he　gave　it　the　name　VYDIAJUNA；　for　so　the　hermit　called　himself　who　had　bidden　him　construct　it。〃＇28＇

Thus；　in　or　about　the　year　A。D。　1336；　sprung　into　existence　the　great　city　which　afterwards　became　so　magnificent　and　of　such　wide…spread　fame。

The　chronicle　continues　by　saying　that　the　king　constructed　in　the　city　of　Vijayanagar　a　magnificent　temple　in　honour　of　the　sage。　This　temple　I　take　to　be　the　great　temple　near　the　river；　still　in　use　and　known　as　the　temple　of　Hampi　or　Hampe；　having　a　small　village　clustering　about　it。　On　the　rocks　above　it；　close　to　a　group　of　more　modern　Jain　temples；　is　to　be　seen　a　small　shrine　built　entirely；　roof　as　well　as　walls；　of　stone。　Everything　about　this　little　relic　proves　it　to　be　of　greater　antiquity　than　any　other　structure　in　the　whole　circuit　of　the　hills；　but　its　exact　age　is　doubtful。　It　looks　like　a　building　of　the　seventh　century　A。D。　Mr。　Rea；　superintendent　of　the　Madras　Archaeological　Survey；　in　an　article　published　in　the　MADRAS　CHRISTIAN　COLLEGE　MAGAZINE　for　December　1886；　points　out　that　the　fact　of　mortar　having　been　used　in　its　construction　throws　a　doubt　upon　its　being　as　old　as　its　type　of　architecture　would　otherwise　make　it　appear。　It　is　quite　possible；　however；　that　the　shrine　may　have　been　used　by　a　succession　of　recluses；　the　last　of　whom　was　the　great　teacher　Madhava。　If　we　stand　on　that　rock　and　imagine　all　the　great　ruins　of　the　city　visible　from　thence；　the　palaces　and　temples；　the　statues　and　towers　and　walls；　to　be　swept　out　of　existence；　we　have　around　us　nothing　but　Nature　in　one　of　her　wildest　moods　　lofty　hills　near　and　far；　formed　almost　entirely　of　huge　tumbled　boulders　of　granite；　but　with　trees　and　grass　on　all　the　low　ground。　It　was　a　lonely　spot；　separated　by　the　river　from　the　mere　inhabited　country　on　the　farther　side；　where　dwelt　the　chiefs　of　Anegundi；　and　was　just　such　as　would　have　been　chosen　for　their　abode　by　the　ascetics　of　former　days；　who　loved　to　dwell　in　solitude　and　isolation　amid　scenes　of　grandeur　and　beauty。

We　shall；　however；　in　all　probability　never　know　whether　this　hermit；　whose　actual　existence　at　the　time　is　attested　by　every　tradition　regarding　the　origin　of　Vijayanagar；　was　really　the　great　Madhava　or　another　less　celebrated　sage；　on　whom　by　a　confusion　of　ideas　his　name　has　been　foisted。　Some　say　that　Madhavacharya　lived　entirely　at　Sringeri。

There　are　a　number　of　other　traditions　relating　to　the　birth　of　the　city　and　empire　of　Vijayanagar。

One　has　it　that　two　brothers　named　Bukka　and　Harihara；　who　had　been　in　the　service　of　the　king　of　Warangal　at　the　time　of　the　destruction　of　that　kingdom　by　the　Muhammadans　in　1323；　escaped　with　a　small　body　of　horse　to　the　hill　country　about　Anegundi；　being　accompanied　in　their　flight　by　the　Brahman　Madhava　or　Madhavacharya　Vidyaranya；　and　by　some　means　not　stated　became　lords　of　that　tract；　afterwards　founding　the　city　of　Vijayanagar。＇29＇

Another　states　that　the　two　brothers　were　officers　in　the　service　of　the　Muhammadan　governor　of　Warangal　subsequent　to　its　first　capture　in　1309。　They　were　despatched　against　the　Hoysala　Ballala　sovereign　in　the　expedition　under　the　command　of　Malik　Kafur　in　1310；　which　resulted　in　the　capture　of　the　Hindu　capital；　Dvarasamudra；　but　the　portion　of　the　force　to　which　the　brothers　belonged　suffered　a　defeat；　and　they　fled　to　the　mountainous　tract　near　Anegundi。　Here　they　met　the　holy　Madhava；　who　was　living　the　life　of　a　recluse；　and　by　his　aid　they　established　the　kingdom　and　capital　city。

A　variant　of　this　relates　that　the　two　brothers　for　some　reason　fled　direct　from　Warangal　to　Anegundi。　This　account　redounds　more　to　their　honour　as　Hindus。　Though　compelled　first　to　accept　service　under　their　conquerors；　their　patriotism　triumphed　in　the　end；　and　they　abandoned　the　flesh　pots　of　Egypt　to　throw　in　their　luck　with　their　co…religionists。

A　fourth　story　avers　that　the　hermit　Madhava　himself　founded　the　city　after　the　discovery　of　a　hidden　treasure；　ruled　over　it　himself；　and　left　it　after　his　death　to　a　Kuruba　family　who　established　the　first　regular　dynasty。

A　fifth；　mentioned　by　Couto；＇30＇　who　fixes　the　date　as　1220；　states　that　while　Madhava　was　living　his　ascetic　life　amongst　the　mountains　he　was　supported　by　meals　brought　to　him　by　a　poor　shepherd　called　Bukka；　〃and　one　day　the　Brahman　said　to　him；　'Thou　shalt　be　king　and　emperor　of　all　Industan。'　The　other　shepherds　learned　this；　and　began　to　treat　this　shepherd　with　veneration　and　made　him　their　head；　and　he　acquired　the　name　of　'king；'　and　began　to　conquer　his　neighbours；　who　were　five　in　number；　viz。；　Canara；　Taligas；　Canguivarao；　Negapatao；　and　he　of　the　Badagas；　and　he　at　last　became　lord　of　all　and　called　himself　Boca　Rao。〃　He　was　attacked　by　the　king　of　Delhi；　but　the　latter　was　defeated　and　retired；　whereupon　Bukka　established　a　city　〃and　called　it　Visaja　Nagar；　which　we　corruptly　call　Bisnaga；　and　we　call　all　the　kingdom　by　that　name；　but　the　natives　amongst　themselves　always　call　it　the　'kingdom　of　Canara。'　〃　Couto's　narrative　seems　to　be　a　mixture　of　several　stories。　His　wrong　date　points　to　his　having　partly　depended　upon　the　original　chronicle　of　Nuniz；　or　the　summary　of　it　published　by　Barros；　while　the　rest　of　the　tale　savours　more　of　Hindu　romance　than　of　historical　accuracy。　He　retains；　however；　the　tradition　of　an　attack　by　the　king　of　Delhi　and　the　latter's　subsequent　retirement。

Another　authority　suggests　that　Bukka　and　Harihara　may　have　been　feudatories　of　the　Hoysala　Ballalas。

Nikitin；　the　Russian　traveller；　who　was　in　India　in　1474；　seems　to　favour　the　view　that　they　belonged　to　the　old　royal　house　of　the　Kadambas　of　Banavasi；　since　he　speaks　of　〃the　Hindoo　Sultan　Kadam；〃　who　resided　at　〃Bichenegher。〃＇31＇

Here　we　have　a　whole　bundle　of　tales　and　traditions　to　account　for　the　origin　of　the　great　kingdom；　and　can　take　our　choice。　There　are　many　others　also。　Perhaps　the　most　reasonable　account　would　be　one　culled　from　the　general