a forgotten empire-vijayanagar-第28部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！

　as　the　sea；　in　which　were　TANADARIS　yielding　more　than　500；000　gold　pardaos；　of　which　he　desired　to　make　a　present　to　the　king　of　Portugal　。。。　and　that　he　wanted　all　the　horses　that　came　to　Goa。　He　therefore　said　that　the　captain　of　Goa　could　enter　and　take　possession　of　the　TANADARIS。〃

This　was　immediately　done；　and　Ruy　de　Mello　took　possession　of　the　mainland　of　Goa；　including　Salsette；　in　ten　days。

Correa；　who　was　in　India　at　the　time；　having　gone　thither　in　1512　or　1514；　mentions＇222＇　that　de　Sequeira　left　Goa　for　the　Red　Sea　in　January　1520；　and　that　〃at　that　time〃　（NESTE　TEMPO　　the　expression　is　unfortunately　vague）　war　broke　out　between　Vijayanagar　and　Bijapur。　After　its　close　the　Hindu　king　sent　a　message　to　〃Ruy　de　Mello；　captain　of　Goa；〃　in　the　absence　of　the　governor…general；　regarding　the　mainlands　of　Goa。　Correa　does　not　mention　distinctly　the　year　in　which　this　occurred；　but　the　edition　of　1860　at　the　head　of　the　page　has　the　date　〃1521。〃　This；　however；　must　be　an　error　on　the　part　of　the　editor；　for　in　May　1521　Sequeira　was　not　absent；　and　therefore　the　year　referred　to　cannot　be　1521；　while　in　May　1522　Dom　Duarte　de　Menezes；　and　not　Sequeira；　was　governor…general。＇223＇　Sequeira　sailed　for　Portugal　January　22；　A。D。　1522。

Barros　relates　the　departure　of　de　Sequeira　from　India　for　the　Red　Sea　on　February　13；　1520；　and　states　that　in　his　absence　Ruy　de　Mello　was　governor　of　Goa；　under　Sequeira's　lieutenant；　Aleixo　de　Menezes。　Ruy　de　Mello　seized　the　mainland　of　Goa　after　the　battle　of　Raichur；＇224＇　and　at　that　time　de　Sequeira　was　absent　at　the　Red　Sea。　His　description　of　the　siege　of　Raichur　and　the　great　battle　in　the　vicinity　clearly　seems　to　have　been　taken　from　the　chronicle　of　Nuniz。　It　follows　the　latter　blindly；　even　in　the　misspelling　of　names；　and　therefore　is　really　of　no　greater　value。　When；　however；　Barros　comes　to　deal　with　the　acquisition　of　the　mainlands　of　Goa；＇225＇　he　is　dependent　on　other　information；　and　gives　a　much　more　detailed　account。　The　time　is　clearly　fixed。　After　the　battle　and　flight　of　the　Adil　Shah　the　feeling　between　the　two　adversaries　was　naturally　highly　strained；　and　this　〃enabled　Ruy　de　Mello；　captain　of　Goa；　to　take　the　mainlands　of　Goa。〃　Sequeira　was　at　the　Red　Sea　and　Menezes　at　Cochin。　A　very　important　passage　for　my　present　purpose　occurs　a　little　later　on　in　Barros's　work：＇226＇　

〃Diogo　Lopes　de　Sequeira；　AS　soon　as　he　arrived　at　Goa　（from　the　Red　Sea）；　all　necessary　arrangements　having　been　made　for　the　government　of　the　city；　AND　PRINCIPALLY　OF　THE　MAINLANDS；　WHICH　HE　FOUND　THAT　RUY　DE　MELLO　HAD　TAKEN　。。。　went　to　Cochin；〃

and　thence　to　Diu；　where　he　arrived　on　February　9；　1521。＇227＇　Another　passage　farther　on　in　the　narrative　of　Barros　also　establishes　the　fact　that　Ruy　de　Mello　took　the　lands　during　Sequeira's　absence　at　the　Red　Sea。＇228＇

Faria　y　Souza；　a　Spanish　writer；　whose　work　was　first　published　a　century　after　these　events；　confirms　the　period；　February　1520　to　February　1521；　as　that　of　Sequeira's　absence　at　the　Red　Sea；　and　he　writes：　

〃While　the　governor＇229＇　was　in　the　Red　Sea；　the　King　Crisnao　Rao　of　Bisnaga　covered　the　plains　and　hills　and　stopped　the　flow　of　the　rivers＇230＇　with　an　army　of　thirty…five　thousand　horse；　seven　hundred　and　thirty…three　thousand　foot；　and　five　hundred　and　eighty…six　elephants　carrying　castles　with　four　men　in　each；　and　twelve　thousand　watermen　。。。　and　baggage　in　such　quantities　that　the　courtesans　alone　numbered　more　than　twenty　thousand。〃＇231＇

Souza　also　states；　as　does　Nuniz；　that　after　the　defeat　of　the　Adil　Shah；　Krishna　Deva　Raya　demanded　that；　as　the　price　of　peace；　the　former　should　visit　him　and　kiss　his　foot；　and　that；　taking　advantage　of　the　Adil　Shah's　difficulties；　Ruy　de　Mello　seized　the　mainlands　of　Goa。＇232＇　It　is　clear；　therefore；　that　both　authors　are　writing　of　the　same　event。

Osorio；　a　later　writer；　confirms　the　story　in　most　of　its　details；　stating　that　after　the　defeat　of　the　Adil　Shah；　Krishna　Raya　sent　to　Ruy　de　Mello　（〃Roderigo　Melos〃）；　captain　of　Goa；　offering　the　mainlands；　and　promising　after　the　return　of　Sequeira　to　send　a　regular　embassy　to　conclude　a　solemn　treaty。　De　Mello　accordingly　took　the　mainlands。

Lafitau＇233＇　also　states　that　the　war　took　place　during　Sequeira's　absence　at　the　Red　Sea；　and　that　the　mainlands　were　taken　after　the　Adil　Shah's　defeat。＇234＇

Turning　to　Firishtah；　I　find　a　difference。　He　states　that　the　battle　of　Raichur　took　place　in　Hijra　927　（December　22；　1520；　to　December　1；　1521；　A。D。）；　which；　if　it　was　fought　in　May；　as　Nuniz　declares；　makes　the　date　May　1521。　That　he　is　speaking　of　the　same　affair　is　obvious　from　the　details　given。　He　mentions；　for　instance；　the　vast　host　constituting　the　Hindu　army；　the　Shah's　force　advancing　to　the　river　Krishna；　the　too　hasty　crossing　of　the　river；　the　gallant　fight　of　the　Muhammadans；　their　defeat　and　rout；　the　fact　of　the　Adil　Shah's　forces　being　driven　to　the　river　and　perishing　in　large　numbers　while　attempting　to　re…cross　it；　the　Shah's　narrow　escape；　and　his　dependence　on　Asada　Khan。　All　this　leaves　no　room　for　doubt。　The　only　difference　is　that；　whereas　we　learn　from　the　other　authorities　that　the　fortress　of　Raichur　was　in　the　hands　of　the　Muhammadans；　Firishtah　states　that　the　war　arose　because　the　Adil　Shah　〃made　preparations　for　marching　to　recover　Mudkul　and　Roijore　from　the　Roy　of　Beejanuggur；〃　as　if　the　latter　were　then　in　possession　of　those　places。　As　to　Firishtah's　date；　I　believe　it　to　be　wrong　by　one　year；　for　the　reasons　given　above。　It　must　be　remembered　that　he　wrote　many　years　after　the　event。

Having　thus；　I　hope　satisfactorily；　established　the　fact　that　the　date　given　by　Nuniz　for　the　battle　of　Raichur　is　wrong　by　two　years；　and　should　be　1520；　I　turn　to　examine　the　day　and　month。　It　was　the　new　moon　day　of　May；　according　to　Nuniz；　and　a　Saturday。　Krishna　Deva　Raya　was　ready　for　battle　on　the　Friday；　but　postponed　his　attack　to　the　next　day　since　Friday　was　considered　an　unlucky　day。

The　moment　of　the　occurrence　of　new　moon　in　May　120　was　2。27　A。M。　on　the　morning　of　Thursday；　May　17。　We　do　not　know　whether　Nuniz　ascertained　his　facts　from　native　almanacks　or　the　calculations　of　the　astrologers；　or　whether　he　spoke　from　observations　made　by　himself　or　by　some　one　who　was　present；　but　Nuniz　was　an　ordinary　person；　not　a　skilled　astronomer；　so　far　as　we　can　tell；　and　he　may　well　have　called　the　day　on　which　the　crescent　of　the　new　moon　first　made　its　appearance　just　after　sunset　the　〃new　moon　day。〃　This　first　appearance　actually　took　place　on　the　Saturday　following。　The　first　day　of　the　Muhammadan　month　Jamada'　l　akhir；　corresponding　to　the　heliacal　rising　of　the　moon　on　that　occasion；　was　Saturday；　May　19。

I　therefore　believe　that　this　great　battle　took　place　on　Saturday；　May　19；　A。D。　1520；＇235＇　a　date　almost　synchronous　with　the　of　the　〃Field　of　the　Cloth　of　Gold。〃


The　Number　of　Troops　Engaged。

When　we　total　up　the　list　given　by　Nuniz　of　the　columns　that　marched　from　Vijayanagar　for　the　campaign；　the　amount　is　so　huge　that　we　pause　in　natural　doubt　as　to　whether　the　story　could　by　any　possibility　be　true：　703；000　foot；　32；600　horse；　and　551　elephants；　BESIDES　the　camp　followers；　merchants；　&c。；　and　〃an　infinitude　of　people〃　who　joined　him　at　a　place　close　to　Raichur！　It　certainly　demands　a　large　strain　on　our　credulity。

Let　every　one　form　his　own　opinion。　I　can　only　call　attention　to　the　fact　that　large　armies　seem　to　have　always　been　the　rule　in　India；　and　that　certainly　Krishna　Raya　had　the　power　to　raise　immense　numbers　of　troops；＇236＇　though　whether　so　many　as　is　stated　is　another　question。　His　power　to　do　so　lay　in　his　mode　of　government。　Allusion　has　already　been　made　to　this；　and　Nuniz　gives　us　interesting　details。　The　whole　empire　was　divided　into　provinces　and　estates；　held　by　chiefs　bound　to　keep　up　masses　of　troops　fit　for　immediate　service。　It　is；　of　course；　natural　to　suppose　that　in　this　great　war　the　king　would　have　put　forth　all　his　strength。

To　prove　that　immense　armies　were　often　employed　by　Indian　kings；　we　have　only　to　refer　to　a　succession　of　writers。　Barros　notes　the　great　power　of　the　sovereign　of　Vijayanagar　and　his　almost　incredible　richness；　and　is　at　pains　to　give　an　account　of　how　these　enormous　forces　were　raised；　〃lest　his　tale　should　not　be　believed。〃

In　the　second　volume　of　Scott's　〃History　of　the　Dekhan；〃　a　translation　is　given　of　a　journal　kept　by　a　Bondela　officer　in　the　reign　of　Aurangzib；　an　officer　who　served　under　〃Dulput　Roy〃　in　A。D。　1690。　Writing　about　Vijayanagar　in　former　days；　at　the　height　of　its　grandeur　and　importance；　he　says；　〃They　kept　an　army　of　30；000　horse；　a　million　of　infantry；　and　their　wealth　was　beyond　enumeration。〃

Conti；　who　was　in　India　about　a　century　earlier　than　the　war　in　question；　told　Bracciolini　that　the　Vijayanagar　army　consisted　of　〃a　million　of　men　and　upwards。〃

Abdur　Razzak　（1442　A。D。）　tells　the　same　story；　putting　the　number　at　1；100；000　with　1000　elephants。

Twenty　years　later　Nikitin　states　that　the　Kulbarga　forces　marching　to　attack　the　Hindus　amounted　to　900；000　foot；　190；000　horse；　and　575　elephants。

The　Sultan　himself；　independently　of　his　nobles；　took　the　field　with　300；000　men