a forgotten empire-vijayanagar-第24章

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In　A。D。　1259　a　Mogul　embassy　was　received　at　Delhi　by　an　escort　of　50；000　horse；　and　was　led　past　lines　of　infantry　numbering　as　many　as　200；000　in　their　ranks。

It　will　be　remembered　how　Muhammad　Taghlaq　of　Delhi＇238＇　raised；　according　to　Firishtah；　an　army　of　370；000　men　for　the　conquest　of　Persia；　and　when　he　wanted　to　destroy　the　inhabitants　of　a　certain　tract　of　country；　he　〃ordered　out　his　army　as　if　he　were　going　hunting；〃　surrounded　the　tract；　and　then；　pressing　inwards　towards　the　centre；　slaughtered　all　the　inhabitants　therein。　This　implies　that　he　took；　when　merely　hunting；　immense　numbers　of　men　with　him。　Shahab…ud…Din；　indeed；　declared　that　Muhammad　Taghlaq　had　an　army　of　900；000　horse；＇239＇　and　Nuniz；　on　the　opening　page　of　his　chronicle；　says　that　this　Sultan　invaded　the　Balaghat　with　800；000　horse。＇240＇　This　estimate　was；　of　course；　only　according　to　the　tradition　extant　in　1535。

Faria　y　Souza；　writing　in　the　seventeenth　century；　estimated　the　forces　of　Bahadur；　king　of　Cambay；　in　1534；　as　100；000　horse；　415；000　foot；　and　600　elephants。

As　late　as　1762　the　Mahrattas　are　said　to　have　had　an　army　of　100；000　horse。

Nuniz＇241＇　gives　details　of　the　provincial　forces　of　Vijayanagar；　compulsorily　maintained　by　eleven　out　of　a　total　of　two　hundred　nobles　amongst　whom　the　empire　was　divided；　and　the　total　of　the　forces　of　these　eleven　amounts　to　19；000　horse；　171；700　foot；　and　633　elephants。

Castanheda　confirms　other　writers　in　this　matter；　stating　that　the　infantry　of　Vijayanagar　were　countless；　the　country　being　of　large　extent　and　thickly　populated；　so　that　the　king　could　call　upon　a　million；　or　even　two　millions；　of　men　at　will。＇242＇　This　writer　visited　India　just　at　the　close　of　the　reign　of　Krishna　Deva　Raya。　He　states　that　the　king　kept　up　at　his　own　cost　an　establishment　of　100；000　horses　and　4000　elephants。

As　to　all　this；　I　repeat　that　every　one　is　at　liberty　to　form　his　own　opinion；　but　at　least　it　seems　certain　that　all　the　chroniclers　believed　that　the　king　of　Vijayanagar　could；　if　he　so　desired；　put　into　the　field　immense　masses　of　armed　men。　They　were　probably　not　all　well　armed；　or　well　trained；　or　well　disciplined；　but　as　to　large　numbers　there　can　be　little　reasonable　doubt。　A　relic　of　this　may　be　seen　every　year　at　modern　Haidarabad；　the　capital　city　of　H。H。　the　Nizam；　where；　at　the　annual　festival　known　as　the　〃Langar；〃　armed　irregulars　in　very　large　numbers　file　through　the　principal　streets。　They　are　for　the　most　part　a　mere　mob　of　men　with　weapons；　and　are　not　maintained　as　State　troops；　but　they　are　brought　up　by　the　various　nobles　in　separate　bodies；　each　chief　mustering　for　the　occasion　all　his　hereditary　retainers　and　forming　them　into　rough　regiments　and　brigades。

As　to　the　description　given　by　Nuniz　of　the　offensive　armour　of　the　elephants；　which　are　stated　to　have　gone　into　battle　with　long　swords　like　scythes　attached　to　their　trunks；　the　story　is　confirmed　by　many　other　writers。


Firishtah's　Narrative。

Firishtah's　account　of　the　battle　of　Raichur　is　interesting；　as　it　gives　a　description　of　the　affair　from　the　enemy's　point　of　view。　Ismail　Adil　Shah　marched

〃to　recover　Mudkul　and　Roijore　from　the　roy　of　Beejanugger；　who；　gaining　early　intelligence　of　his　designs；　moved　with　a　great　force；　and　stationed　his　camp　on　the　bank　of　the　Kistnah；　where　he　was　joined　by　many　of　his　tributaries；　so　that　the　army　amounted　at　least　to　50；000　horse；　besides　a　vast　host　of　foot。　The　sultan　would　now　have　delayed　his　expedition；　as　the　enemy　possessed　all　the　ferries　of　the　Kistnah；　but　that　his　tents　were　pitched；　and　it　would　have　been　disgraceful　to　retract　from　his　declarations　He　therefore　marched　with　7000　horse；　all　foreign；　and　encamped　on　the　bank　of　the　river　opposite　to　the　enemy；　waiting　to　prepare　floats　to　cross　and　attack　them。

〃Some　days　after　his　arrival；　as　he　was　reposing　in　his　tent；　he　heard　one　of　the　courtiers　without　the　skreens　reciting　this　verse：　　'Rise　and　fill　the　golden　goblet　with　the　wine　of　mirth　before　the　cup　itself　shall　be　laid　in　dust。'　The　sultan；　inspired　by　the　verse；　called　his　favourites　before　him；　and　spreading　the　carpet　of　pleasure；　amused　himself　with　music　and　wine。　When　the　banquet　had　lasted　longer　than　was　reasonable；　and　the　fumes　of　the　wine　had　exercised　their　power；　a　fancy　seized　the　sultan　to　pass　the　river　and　attack　the　enemy。。。。　Warm　with　wine　he　resolved　to　cross　immediately；　and　mounting　his　elephant；　without　making　his　intentions　known；　proceeded　to　the　river；　as　if　to　reconnoitre；　but　suddenly　gave　orders　for　as　many　of　his　troops　as　could　to　go　upon　the　rafts；　and　others　to　follow　him　on　elephants　through　the　river。　The　officers　represented　the　folly　and　danger　of　precipitation；　but　the　sultan；　without　reply；　plunged　his　own　elephant　into　the　stream；　and　was　followed　involuntarily　by　the　amras　and　their　followers；　on　about　250　elephants。

〃By　great　good　fortune；　all　reached　the　opposite　shore　in　safety；　and　as　many　troops　as　could　cross　on　the　floats　at　two　embarkations　had　time　to　arrive；　when　the　enemy　advanced　to　battle　in　so　great　force　as　excluded　every　probable　hope　of　escape　to　the　sultan；　who　had　not　more　than　2000　men　ready　to　oppose　30；000。　The　heroes　of　Islaam；　animated　with　one　soul；　made　so　gallant　a　resistance　that　about　a　thousand　of　the　infidels　fell；　among　whom　was　Sunjeet　Roy；　the　chief　general　of　Beejanuggur；　but　at　last；　harassed　beyond　all　power　of　opposition　by　cannon…shot；　musquetry；　and　rockets；　which　destroyed　near　half　their　numbers；　the　survivors　threw　themselves　into　the　river　in　hopes　of　escaping；　and　Nursoo　Bahadur　and　Ibrahim　Bey；　who　rode　on　the　same　elephant　with　Ismaeel　Adil　Shaw；　drove　the　animal　across　the　stream；　but　so　great　was　the　current；　that　except　the　royal　elephant　and　seven　soldiers；　all　the　rest　were　drowned。　The　sultan's　rashness　was　heavily　punished　by　so　great　a　loss。　He　took　a　solemn　vow　never　to　indulge　in　wine　till　he　had　revenged　his　defeat；　and　then；　throwing　away　despair；　busied　his　mind　in　repairing　this　unfortunate　miscarriage。

〃As　Mirza　Jehangeer　had　fallen　in　the　action；　the　sultan　consulted　with　Assud　Khan　on　what　measures　would　be　best　to　take　in　the　present　crisis　of　his　affairs。　Assud　Khan　replied；　that　as　his　loss　was　great　and　the　troops　dispirited；　it　would　be　better　for　the　present　to　retreat　to　Beejapore。　The　sultan　approving　the　advice；　marched　from　the　Kistnah　to　Beejapore；　and　conferring　the　dignity　of　Sippeh　Sallar＇243＇　on　Assud　Khan；　added　several　districts　to　his　jaghire；　and　made　him　his　principal　adviser　in　all　important　affairs。〃


Comparison　of　Accounts。

Comparing　this　account　with　that　given　by　Nuniz；　there　can；　I　think；　be　little　doubt　that　both　stories　refer　to　the　same　event；　though　there　are　of　course　several　discrepancies。　The　origin　of　the　war　is　related　differently。　Firishtah　states　that　on　the　arrival　of　the　Sultan　at　the　river…bank　he　found　the　Hindu　army　encamped　on　the　opposite　side；　he　crossed；　after　a　few　days'　delay；　with　a　small　force；　and　was　driven　into　the　river。　Nuniz　says　that　Krishna　Deva　Raya　heard　of　Ismail　Adil's　arrival　on　the　river…bank　while　he　himself　was　in　camp　at　Raichur；　fifteen　miles　away；　and　that　he　advanced　and　gave　battle　nine　miles　from　the　river；　in　the　end　driving　the　enemy　across。　But　taking　the　two　narratives　as　a　whole；　there　are　too　many　points　of　coincidence　to　leave　any　doubt　in　the　mind　that　each　chronicler　is　writing　of　the　same　event。

As　to　which　of　the　two　is　more　accurate　it　is　impossible　now　to　decide。　But　considering　that　Nuniz　wrote　only　fifteen　years　afterwards；　and　that　there　were　Portuguese　present　at　the　battle；　some　of　whom　Nuniz　may　have　personally　consulted　as　to　what　took　place；　it　would　seem　more　reasonable　to　trust　in　him　rather　than　in　a　Muhammadan　historian　who　did　not　compile　his　work　till　after　an　interval　of　sixty　years。　Moreover；　there　are　some　inherent　improbabilities　in　Firishtah's　narrative。

It　is　worthy　of　notice；　too；　that　throughout　the　story　of　Nuniz　at　this　part　of　his　chronicle　there　is　much　that　impels　the　belief　that　either　himself　or　his　informant　was　present　at　the　Hindu　camp　while　these　events　were　taking　place。　The　narrative　of　the　campaign；　in　complete　contrast　to　that　of　the　remainder　of　the　history；　reads　like　the　account　of　an　eye…witness；　especially　in　the　passages　describing　the　fortress　of　Raichur＇244＇　and　the　camp　　where　the　supplies　were　so　great　that　〃you　could　find　everything　that　you　wanted；〃＇245＇　where　〃you　saw〃＇246＇　the　goldsmiths　and　artisans　at　work　as　if　in　a　city；　where　〃you　will　find〃＇247＇　all　kinds　of　precious　stones　offered　for　sale；　and　where　〃no　one　who　did　not　understand　the　meaning　of　what　he　saw　would　ever　dream　that　a　war　was　going　on；　but　would　think　that　he　was　in　a　prosperous　city。〃　Note　also　the　description　given　of　the　extraordinary　noise　made　by　the　drums；　trumpets；　and　shouts　of　the　men；　so　that　even　the　birds　fell　down　into　the　soldiers'　hands　stricken　with　terror　and　〃it　seemed　as　if　the　sky　would　fall　to　the　earth；〃　and　〃if　you　asked　anything；　you　could　not　hear　yourself　speak；　and　you　had　to　ask　by　signs。〃　Many　such　instances　might　be　given；　but　not　to　be　tedious　I　will　invite　attention　to　only　three　more；　viz。；　the　account　given　by　Nuniz　of　how；　when　receiving　the　men　of　the　city　after　its　surrender；　the　king；　〃casting　his　eye　on　Christovao　de　Figueiredo；　nodded　his　head；　and　turned　to　the　people　telling　them　to　observe　what　great　things　could　be　effected　by　one　good　man；〃＇248＇　his　description　of　the　behaviour　of　the　defeated　citizens　when　Krishna　Deva　made　his　triumphant　entry　into　the　city；　and　his　narrative　of　the　ambassador's　reception　at　Vijayanagar　by　the　king　after　the　conclusion　of　the　campaign。＇249＇　It　may　be　remembered　that　our　other　chronicler　Domingo　Paes；　was　at　Vijayanagar　with　Christovao　de　Figueiredo　some　months　after　the　battle；　even　if　he　were　not　personally　present　in　the　fighting　at　Raichur。

The　great　interest　of　Nuniz's　narrative　lies　in　the　fact　that　it　is　the　only　detailed　account　extant。　Barros　related　the　events　in　historical　fashion；　taking　his　facts　from　this　very　chronicle；　but　he　was　never　in　India；　and　his　brief　summary　is　altogether　wanting　in　the　power　and　force　contained　in　the　graphic　story　of　Nuniz。　The　other　Portuguese　writers　pass　over　the　war　very　lightly。　It　appears　as　if　it　hardly　concerned　then；；　further　than　that　at　its　close　Ruy　de　Mello　seized　the　mainlands　near　Goa。



Political　Effects　of　the　Battle。

And　yet　it　had　far…reaching　effects。　The　Hindu　victory　so　weakened　the　power　and　prestige　of　the　Adil　Shah　that　he　ceased　altogether　to　dream　of　any　present　conquest　in　the　south；　and　turned　his　attention　to　cementing　alliances　with　the　other　Muhammadan　sovereigns；　his　neighbours。　The　victory　also　caused　all　the　other　Muhammadan　Powers　in　the　Dakhan　seriously　to　consider　the　political　condition　of　the　country；　and　this　eventually　led　to　a　combination　without　which　nothing　was　possible；　but　by　the　aid　of　which　the　Vijayanagar　Empire　was　finally　overthrown　and　the　way　to　the　south　opened。　It　furthermore　greatly　affected　the　Hindus　by　raising　in　them　a　spirit　of　pride　and　arrogance；　which　added　fuel　to　the　fire；　caused　them　to　become　positively　intolerable　to