第43章

The Reign of Krishna Deva Raya (A.D.1509to 1530)His character and person --Bankapur --Almeida and Fr.Luis's mission --Duarte Barbosa --His deion of the city --The king's early wars --Kondapalle --Rajahmundry --Kondavid --Udayagiri --Wars of the Qutb Shah of Golkonda in Telingana.

An inion in the Pampapati temple at Hampe states that on the occasion of a festival in honour of the coronation of Krishna Deva Raya,the king built a hall of assembly and a GOPURA or tower there,and the date is given as the 14th of the first half of the lunar month Magha in the expired Saka year 1430,the year of the cycle being "Sukla."[189]It so happens that the cyclic year Sukla does not correspond to Saka 1430expired,but to Saka 1431expired;and this unfortunate error leaves us in doubt as to the true date of that important event.If we conceive the mistake as having occurred,not in the NAME of the year,which was perhaps in constant daily use,but in the number of the Saka year,then the date corresponds to 23rd or 24th January A.D.1510;but if the number of the Saka year was correct and the name wrong,then the day must have been February 4,1509,the cyclic year being properly "Vibhava."Even then it is not certain whether this festival took place on the coronation day itself,or on an anniversary of that event;and a considerable interval may have elapsed between the king's accession and coronation.Probably we shall not be wrong if we consider that the new king succeeded to the throne in A.D.1509.[190]

Krishna Raya seems to have possessed a very striking personality,to judge from the glowing deion given us by Paes,who saw him about the year 1520.The account given by him is all the more interesting and valuable because without it the world would have remained justly in doubt as to whether this king really reigned at all,in the usual acceptation of the word --whether he was not a mere puppet,entirely in the hands of his minister,perhaps even an actual prisoner.For Firishtah never mentions him by name,and the inions which relate his conquests prove nothing beyond the fact that they took place during a reign which,for all we know,might have been a reign only in name,the real power being in the hands of the nobles.But with the deion of Paes in our hands there can be no longer a shadow of doubt.Krishna Deva was not only monarch DE JURE,but was in very practical fact an absolute sovereign,of extensive power and strong personal influence.He was the real ruler.He was physically strong in his best days,and kept his strength up to the highest pitch by hard bodily exercise.He rose early,and developed all his muscles by the use of Indian clubs and the use of the sword;he was a fine rider,and was blessed with a noble presence which favourably impressed all who came in contact with him.He commanded his immense armies in person,was able,brave,and statesmanlike,and was withal a man of much gentleness and generosity of character.He was beloved by all and respected by all.Paes writes of him that he was "gallant and perfect in all things."The only blot on his scutcheon is,that after his great success over the Muhammadan king he grew to be haughty and insolent in his demands.No monarch such as the Adil Shah could brook for a moment such a humiliation as was implied by a peace the condition of which was that he should kiss his triumphant enemy's foot;and it was beyond all doubt this and similar contemptuous arrogance on the part of successive Hindu rulers that finally led,forty years later,to the downfall of the Hindu empire.

All Southern India was under Krishna Deva's sway,and several quasi-independent chiefs were his vassals.These were,according to Nuniz,the chief of Seringapatam,and those of Bankapur,[191]Garsopa,Calicut,Bhatkal,and Barkur.The Portuguese treated these lesser chiefs as if they were kings,called them so and sent embassies to them,no doubt much to their satisfaction.

The present head of the Brahmanical establishment at the Hampe temple informed me that Krishna Deva Raya celebrated his accession by erecting the great tower at the entrance of the temple,and the next largest tower shortly afterwards.Nuniz tells us that immediately on attaining power,the king,making Saluva Timma his minister,sent his nephew,the son of the last sovereign,and his own three brothers,to the fortress of Chandragiri,250miles to the south-east,for his greater security,and himself remained for some time at the capital.This accords well with the writings of the other Portuguese,who relate that at least on two occasions,when missions were sent from Calicut and Goa,viz.,those of Fr.Luis and Chanoca,the envoys saw the king in person at Vijayanagar.

At the beginning of Krishna's reign,Almeida,as stated above,was viceroy of the Portuguese settlements on the coast,but at the end of the year 1509Albuquerque succeeded him under the title of governor.The latter suffered a severe reverse at Calicut,and from thence despatched Fr.Luis,of the Order of St.Francis,as ambassador to Vijayanagar,begging the Raya to come by land and reduce the Samuri of Calicut,promising himself to assault simultaneously by sea.[192]

The governor declared that he had orders from his master,the king of Portugal,to war against the Moors,but not against the Hindus;that Calicut had been destroyed by the governor,and its king had fled into the interior;that he (the governor)offered his fleet to assist the king of Vijayanagar in his conquest of the place;that as soon as Calicut was captured the Moors would be driven therefrom,and that afterwards the Portuguese would assist the king of Vijayanagar against his enemies,the "Moors"of the Dakhan.He promised in future to supply Vijayanagar alone with Arab and Persian horses,and not to send any to Bijapur.No answer was returned.