a forgotten empire-vijayanagar-第8章

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On　the　assumption；　therefore；　that　the　reign　of　Bukka　I。　lasted　from　1343　to　1379；　we　turn　to　Firishtah　to　learn　what　were　this　king's　relations　with　the　followers　of　Islam；　now　supreme　on　the　north　of　the　Krishna。

Just　after　his　accession；　as　it　would　appear；　occurred　the　successful　campaign　alluded　to　above；　in　which　a　combination　of　Hindus　from　different　States　drove　back　the　invaders。　Here　is　Firishtah's　account　of　what　took　place。＇37＇　He　is　speaking　of　the　year　A。H。　744；　which　lasted　from　May　26；　A。D。　1343；　to　May　15；　1344；　and　he　says　that　Krishna　Naik；　son　of　Rudra　Deva　of　Warangal；　went　privately　to　Ballala　Deva　and　urged　him　to　join　a　combination　of　Hindus　with　the　view　of　driving　out　the　Muhammadans　from　the　Dakhan。　The　Ballala　prince　consented；　and　Krishna　Naik　promised；　when　the　preparations　were　complete；　to　raise　all　the　Hindus　of　Telingana　and　place　himself　at　their　head。

Ballala　Deva　then　built　the　city　of　Vijayanagar；＇38＇　raised　an　army；　and　the　war　began。　Warangal；　then　in　the　hands　of　the　Muhammadans；　was　reduced；　and　its　governor；　Imad…ul…Mulkh；　retreated　to　Daulatabad　or　Devagiri。　The　two　chiefs　then　induced　other　Rajahs　of　the　Malabar　and　Kanara　countries　to　join　them；　and　the　joint　forces　seized　the　whole　of　the　Dakhan　and　expelled　the　Muhammadans　there；　〃so　that　within　a　few　months　Muhammad　Taghlak　had　no　possessions　in　that　quarter　except　Daulatabad。〃

So　far　the　Muhammadan　historian。　It　is　necessary　to　observe　that　this　success　of　the　Hindus　was　only　temporary；　for　their　enemies　still　swarmed　in　the　Dakhan；　and　immediately　after　this　contest　the　Hindus　appear　to　have　retired　south　of　the　Krishna；　leaving　the　distracted　country　a　prey　to　temporary　anarchy。　This；　however；　was　of　short　duration；　for　though　the　domination　of　the　Sultan　of　Delhi　in　that　tract　was　completely　destroyed；　yet　three　years　later；　viz；　on　Friday　the　24th　Rabi…al…akhir　A。H。　748；　according　to　Firishtah；　a　date　which　corresponds　to　Friday；　August　3；　A。D。　1347；　Ala…ud…din　Bahmani　was　crowned　sovereign　of　the　Dakhan　at　Kulbarga；　establishing　a　new　dynasty　which　lasted　for　about　140　years。

A　few　years　after　this　there　was　a　successful　invasion　of　the　Carnatic　country　by　Ala…ud…Din；　but　though　the　army　returned　with　some　booty　Firishtah　does　not　claim　for　him　a　decisive　victory。　He　does；　however；　claim　that　the　new　Sultan　extended　his　territory　as　far　south　as　the　river　Tungabhadra；　〃the　vicinity　of　the　fortress　of　Adoni。〃　Ala…ud…din　died　at　the　age　of　sixty…seven　on　Sunday；　February　2；　A。D。　1358；＇39＇　and　was　succeeded　by　Muhammad　Shah。　The　Raya　of　Vijayanagar　had　presented　Ala…ud…din　with　a　ruby　of　inestimable　price；　and　this；　set　in　a　bird　of　paradise　composed　of　precious　stones；　the　Sultan　placed　in　the　canopy　over　his　throne；　but　some　say　that　this　was　done　by　Muhammad；　and　that　the　ruby　was　placed　above　his　umbrella　of　State。

Early　in　the　reign　of　Muhammad　it　was　discovered　that　the　gold　and　silver　coins　of　the　Bahrami　Sultans　were　being　melted　down　in　large　quantities　by　the　Hindus　of　Vijayanagar　and　Warangal；　and　numbers　of　the　merchants　were　put　to　death。　At　the　same　time　Bukka　I。；　supported　by　his　friend　at　Warangal；　demanded　the　restoration　of　certain　territories；＇40＇　and　as　the　Sultan　was　not　ready　for　war；　he　〃during　a　year　and　a　half　kept　the　ambassadors　of　the　Raies　at　his　court；　and　sent　his　own　to　Beejanugger　to　amuse　his　enemies。〃　Finally　he　resolved　on　war；　and　made　extravagant　counter…demands　on　the　Hindus。　Bukka　joined　forces　with　Warangal；　and　Muhammad　waged　war　on　the　latter　state；　plundering　the　country　up　to　the　capital；　and　retiring　only　on　receipt　of　a　large　indemnity。　Firishtah　does　not　relate　that　any　further　campaign　was　at　that　time　initiated；　and　we　are　therefore　free　to　suppose　that　the　Muhammadans　were　unable　to　press　their　advantage。　Warangal　was　not　long　left　in　peace；　and　it　may　be　well　to　glance　at　its　subsequent　history　before　returning　to　the　events　of　the　reign　of　Bukka　at　Vijayanagar。

After　an　interval；　enraged　at　an　insult　offered　or　supposed　to　have　been　offered　by　the　Rajah　of　Warangal；　Muhammad　made　a　rapid　advance　to　the　former's　city　of　〃Vellunputtun；〃　as　it　is　spelt　by　Firishtah；　or　〃Filampatan；〃　according　to　the　author　of　the　BURHAN…I…MAASIR。　He　seized　it；　slaughtered　the　inhabitants　without　mercy；　and　captured　the　unfortunate　prince　Vinayaka　Deva。＇41＇　The　Sultan　〃commanded　a　pile　of　wood　to　be　lighted　before　the　citadel；　and　putting　Nagdeo　in　an　engine　（catapult）；　had　him　shot　from　the　walls　into　the　flames；　in　which　he　was　consumed。〃　After　a　few　days'　rest　the　Sultan　retired；　but　was　followed　and　harassed　by　large　bodies　of　Hindus　and　completely　routed。　Only　1500　men　returned　to　Kulbarga；　and　the　Sultan　himself　received　a　severe　wound　in　his　arm。

This　was　followed　by　a　joint　embassy　from　Bukka　of　Vijayanagar　and　the　prince　of　Warangal　to　the　Sultan　of　Delhi；　in　which　they　offered　to　act　in　conjunction　with　him　should　an　army　be　sent　southwards　by　that　monarch　in　order　to　regain　his　lost　power　in　the　Dakhan；　〃but　Feroze　Shah；　being　too　much　employed　with　domestic　commotions　to　assist　them；　did　not　attend　to　their　representations。〃　Thus　encouraged；　Muhammad　assembled　fresh　forces　and　despatched　them　in　two　divisions　against　Warangal　and　Golkonda。　The　expedition　was　successful　and　the　Rajah　submitted；　the　Sultan　receiving　Golkonda；　an　immense　treasure；　and　a　magnificent　throne　as　the　price　of　peace。　The　throne　was　set　with　precious　stones　of　great　value；　and　being　still　further　enriched　by　subsequent　sovereigns　was　at　one　time　valued　at　four　millions　sterling。＇42＇　Warangal　finally　fell　in　A。D。　1424；　and　was　annexed　to　the　Bahmani　kingdom；　thus　bringing　the　Muhammadans　down　to　the　River　Krishna　all　along　its　length　except　in　the　neighbourhood　of　the　east　coast。

Now　for　the　principal　events　of　Bukka's　reign　and　the　affairs　of　Vijayanagar。　The　story　deepens　in　interest　from　about　the　year　1365；　and　for　two　centuries　we　can　follow　the　fortunes　of　the　Hindu　kingdom　without　much　difficulty。

Early　in　A。D。　1366＇43＇　the　Sultan　opened　his　first　regular　campaign　against　Vijayanagar。　Originating　in　an　after…dinner　jest；　it　ended　only　after　such　slaughter　that　Firishtah　computes　the　victims　on　the　Hindu　side　alone　as　numbering　no　less　than　half　a　million。　The　story　is　told　us　by　an　eye…witness；　one　Mullah　Daud　of　Bidar；　who　was　seal…bearer　to　Sultan　Muhammad。＇44＇

〃One　evening；　when　the　spring　of　the　garden　of　mirth　had　infused　the　cheek　of　Mahummud　Shaw　with　the　rosy　tinge　of　delight；　a　band　of　musicians　sung　two　verses　of　Ameer　Khoossroo　in　praise　of　kings；　festivity；　and　music。　The　Sultan　was　delighted　beyond　measure；　and　commanded　Mallek　Syef　ad　Dien　Ghoree　to　give　the　three　hundred　performers　a　draft　for　a　gratuity　on　the　treasury　of　the　roy　of　Beejanuggur。　The　minister；　though　he　judged　the　order　the　effect　of　wine；　in　compliance　with　the　humour　of　the　Sultan　wrote　it；　but　did　not　despatch　it。　However；　Mahummud　Shaw　penetrated　his　thoughts。　The　next　day　he　inquired　if　the　draft　had　been　sent　to　the　roy；　and　being　answered；　not；　exclaimed；　'Think　you　a　word　without　meaning　could　escape　my　lips？　I　did　not　give　the　order　in　intoxication；　but　serious　design。'　Mallek　Syef　ad　Dien　upon　this；　affixed　the　royal　seal　to　the　draft；　and　despatched　it　by　express　messenger　to　the　roy　of　Beejanuggur。　The　roy；　haughty　and　proud　of　his　independence；　placed　the　presenter　of　the　draft　on　an　ass's　back；　and；　parading　him　through　all　the　quarters　of　Beejanuggur；　sent　him　back　with　every　mark　of　contempt　and　derision。　He　also　gave　immediate　orders　for　assembling　his　troops；　and　prepared　to　attack　the　dominions　of　the　house　of　Bhamenee。　With　this　intent　he　marched　with　thirty　thousand　horse；　three　thousand　elephants；　and　one　hundred　thousand　foot　to　the　vicinity　of　the　fortress　of　Oodnee；＇45＇　from　whence　he　sent　detachments　to　destroy　and　lay　waste　the　country　of　the　faithful。〃

The　Raya；　in　spite　of　the　season　being　that　of　the　rains；　pressed　forward　to　Mudkal；　an　important　city　in　the　Raichur　Doab；　or　the　large　triangle　of　country　lying　west　of　the　junction　of　the　Krishna　and　Tungabhadra　rivers；　a　territory　which　was　ever　a　debatable　ground　between　the　Hindus　and　Mussulmans；　and　the　scene　of