a forgotten empire-vijayanagar-第38部分

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〃He　represented　to　him　that　during　the　times　of　the　Bhamenee　princes；　when　the　whole　strength　of　the　mussulmaun　power　was　in　one　hand；　the　balance　between　it　and　the　force　of　the　roles　of　Beejanuggur　was　nearly　equal；　that　now　the　mussulmaun　authority　was　divided；　policy　demanded　that　all　the　faithful　princes　should　unite　as　one；　and　observe　the　strictest　friendship；　that　they　might　continue　secure　from　the　attacks　of　their　powerful　common　enemy；　and　the　authority　of　the　roles　of　Beejanuggur；　who　had　reduced　all　the　rajas　of　Carnatic　to　their　yoke；　be　diminished；　and　removed　far　from　the　countries　of　Islaam；　that　the　people　of　their　several　dominions；　who　ought　to　be　considered　the　charge　of　the　Almighty　committed　to　their　care；　might　repose　free　from　the　oppressions　of　the　unbelievers；　and　their　mosques　and　holy　places　be　made　no　longer　the　dwellings　of　infidels。〃

These　arguments　had　their　full　weight；　and　it　was　arranged　that　Hussain　Nizam　Shah　should　give　his　daughter　Chand　Bibi　in　marriage　to　Ali　Adil　with　the　fortress　of　Sholapur　as　her　DOT；　and　that　his　eldest　son；　Murtiza；　should　espouse　Ali's　sister　　the　two　kingdoms　coalescing　for　the　conquest　and　destruction　of　Vijayanagar。　The　marriages　were　celebrated　in　due　course；　and　the　Sultans　began　their　preparations　for　the　holy　war。

〃Ali　Adil　Shaw；　preparatory　to　the　war；　and　to　afford　himself　a　pretence　for　breaking　with　his　ally；　dispatched　an　ambassador　to　Ramraaje；　demanding　restitution　of　some　districts　that　had　been　wrested　from　him。　As　he　expected；　Ramraaje　expelled　the　ambassador　in　a　very　disgraceful　manner　from　his　court；　and　the　united　sultans　now　hastened　the　preparations　to　crush　the　common　enemy　of　the　Islaam　faith。〃

Ibrahim　Qutb　Shah　had　also　joined　the　coalition；　and　the　four　princes　met　on　the　plains　of　Bijapur；　with　their　respective　armies。　Their　march　towards　the　south　began　on　Monday；　December　25；　A。D。　1564。＇322＇　Traversing　the　now　dry　plains　of　the　Dakhan　country；　where　the　cavalry；　numbering　many　thousands；　could　graze　their　horses　on　the　young　crops；　the　allied　armies　reached　the　neighbourhood　of　the　Krishna　near　the　small　fortress　and　town　of　Talikota；　a　name　destined　to　be　for　ever　celebrated　in　the　annals　of　South　India。＇323＇

It　is　situated　on　the　river　Don；　about　sixteen　miles　above　its　junction　with　the　Krishna；　and　sixty…five　miles　west　of　the　point　where　the　present　railway　between　Bombay　and　Madras　crosses　the　great　river。　The　country　at　that　time　of　the　year　was　admirably　adapted　for　the　passage　of　large　bodies　of　troops；　and　the　season　was　one　of　bright　sunny　days　coupled　with　cool　refreshing　breezes。

Here　Ali　Adil；　as　lord　of　that　country；　entertained　his　allies　in　royal　fashion；　and　they　halted　for　several　days；　attending　to　the　transport　and　commissariat　arrangements　of　the　armies；　and　sending　out　scouts　to　report　on　the　best　locality　for　forcing　the　passage　of　the　river。

At　Vijayanagar　there　was　the　utmost　confidence。　Remembering　how　often　the　Moslems　had　vainly　attempted　to　injure　the　great　capital；　and　how　for　over　two　centuries　they　had　never　succeeded　in　penetrating　to　the　south；　the　inhabitants　pursued　their　daily　avocations　with　no　shadow　of　dread　or　sense　of　danger；　the　strings　of　pack…bullocks　laden　with　all　kinds　of　merchandise　wended　their　dusty　way　to　and　from　the　several　seaports　as　if　no　sword　of　Damocles　was　hanging　over　the　doomed　city；　Sadasiva；　the　king；　lived　his　profitless　life　in　inglorious　seclusion；　and　Rama　Raya；　king　de　facto；　never　for　a　moment　relaxed　his　attitude　of　haughty　indifference　to　the　movements　of　his　enemies。　〃He　treated　their　ambassadors；〃　says　Firishtah；　〃with　scornful　language；　and　regarded　their　enmity　as　of　little　moment。〃＇324＇

Nevertheless　he　did　not　neglect　common　precautions。　His　first　action　was　to　send　his　youngest　brother；　Tirumala；　the　〃Yeltumraj〃　or　〃Eeltumraaje〃　of　Firishtah；　to　the　front　with　20；000　horse；　100；000　foot；　and　500　elephants；　to　block　the　passage　of　the　Krishna　at　all　points。　Next　he　despatched　his　second　brother；　Venkatadri；　with　another　large　army；　and　finally　marched　in　person　towards　the　point　of　attack　with　the　whole　power　of　the　Vijayanagar　empire。　The　forces　were　made　up　of　large　drafts　from　all　the　provinces　　Canarese　and　Telugus　of　the　frontier；　Mysoreans　and　Malabarese　from　the　west　and　centre；　mixed　with　the　Tamils　from　the　remoter　districts　to　the　south；　each　detachment　under　its　own　local　leaders；　and　forming　part　of　the　levies　of　the　temporary　provincial　chieftain　appointed　by　the　crown。　According　to　Couto；　they　numbered　600；000　foot　and　100；000　horse。　His　adversaries　had　about　half　that　number。　As　to　their　appearance　and　armament；　we　may　turn　for　information　to　the　description　given　us　by　Paes　of　the　great　review　of　which　he　was　an　eye…witness　forty…five　years　earlier　at　Vijayanagar；＇325＇　remembering　always　that　the　splendid　troops　between　whose　lines　he　then　passed　in　the　king's　procession　were　probably　the　ELITE　of　the　army；　and　that　the　common　soldiers　were　clad　in　the　lightest　of　working　clothes；　many　perhaps　with　hardly　any　clothes　at　all；　and　armed　only　with　spear　or　dagger。＇326＇

The　allies　had　perhaps　halted　too　long。　At　any　rate；　their　scouts　returned　to　their　sovereigns　with　the　news　that　all　the　passages　of　the　river　were　defended；　and　that　their　only　course　was　to　force　the　ford　immediately　in　their　front。　This　was　in　possession　of　the　Hindus；　who　had　fortified　the　banks　on　the　south　side；　had　thrown　up　earthworks；　and　had　stationed　a　number　of　cannon　to　dispute　the　crossing。

The　defenders　of　the　ford　anxiously　awaited　intelligence　of　their　enemy's　movements；　and　learning　that　he　had　struck　his　camp　and　marched　along　the　course　of　the　river；　they　quitted　their　post　and　followed；　keeping　always　to　the　south　bank　in　readiness　to　repel　any　attempt　to　cross　directly　in　their　front。　This　manoeuvre；　a　ruse　on　the　part　of　the　Mussulmans；　was　repeated　on　three　successive　days。　On　the　third　night　the　Sultans　hastily　left　their　camp；　returned　to　the　ford；　and；　finding　it　deserted；　crossed　with　a　large　force。　This　movement　covered　the　transit　of　the　whole　of　their　army；　and　enabled　them　to　march　southwards　to　the　attack　of　Rama　Raya's　main　body。

Rama　Raya；　though　surprised；　was　not　alarmed；　and　took　all　possible　measures　for　defence。　In　the　morning　the　enemy　was　within　ten　miles　of　his　camp；　and　Venkatadri　and　Tirumala　succeeded　in　effecting　a　junction　with　their　brother。

On　the　following　day；　Tuesday；　January　23；　1565；＇327＇　both　sides　having　made　their　dispositions；　a　pitched　battle　took　place＇328＇　in　which　all　the　available　forces　of　both　sides　were　engaged。　In　one　of　his　descriptions　Firishtah　estimates　the　Vijayanagar　army　alone　as　amounting　to　900；000　infantry；　45；000　cavalry；　and　2000　elephants；　besides　15；000　auxiliaries；　but　he　himself　varies　so　greatly　in　the　numbers　he　gives　in　different　parts　of　his　narrative　that　there　is　no　necessity　to　accept　these　figures　as　accurate。　There　can　be　little　doubt；　however；　that　the　numbers　were　very　large。　The　Hindu　left；　on　the　west；　was　entrusted　to　the　command　of　Tirumala；　Rama　Raya　in　person　was　in　the　centre；　and　the　right　was　composed　of　the　troops　of　Venkatadri。　Opposed　to　Tirumala　were　the　forces　of　Bijapur　under　their　Sultan　Ali　Adil；　the　Mussalman　centre　was　under　the　command　of　Hussain　Nizam　Shah；　and　the　left　of　the　allied　army；　in　Venkatadri's　front；　consisted　of　the　forces　brought　from　Ahmadabad　and　Golkonda　by　the　two　Sultans；　Ali　Barid　and　Ibrahim　Qutb。　The　allied　forces　drew　up　in　a　long　line　with　their　artillery　in　the　centre；　and　awaited　the　enemy's　attack；　each　division　with　the　standards　of　the　twelve　Imams　waving　in　the　van。　The　Nizam　Shah's　front　was　covered　by　six　hundred　pieces　of　ordnance　disposed　in　three　lines；　in　the　first　of　which　were　heavy　guns；　then　the　smaller　ones；　with　light　swivel　guns　in　the　rear。　In　order　to　mask　this　disposition　two　thousand　foreign　archers　were　thrown　out　in　front；　who　kept　up　a　heavy　discharge　as　the　enemy's　line　came　on。　The　archers　fell　back　as　the　Hindus　of　Rama's　division　approached；　and　the　batteries　opened　with　such　murderous　effect　that　the　assailants　retreated　in　confusion　and　with　great　loss。

Rama　Rajah　was　now　a　very　old　man　　Couto　says　〃he　was　ninety…six　years　old；　but　as　brave　as　a　man　of　thirty〃　　and；　against　the　entreaties　of　his　officers；　he　preferred　to　superintend　operations　from　a　litter　rather　than　remain　for　a　long　time　mounted　　a　dangerous　proceeding；　since　in　case　of　a　reverse　a　rapid　retreat　was　rendered　impossible。　But　he　could　not　be　induced　to　change　his　mind；　remarking　that　in　spite　of　their　brave　show　the　enemy　were　children　and　would　soon　be　put　to　flight。　So　confident　was　he　of　victory　that　it　is　said　he　had　ordered　his　men　to　bring　him　the　head　of　Hussain　Nizam；　but　to　capture　the　Adil　Shah　and　Ibrahim　of　Golkonda　alive；　that　he　might　keep　them　the　rest　of　their　lives　in　iron　cages。

The　battle　becoming　more　general；　the　Hindus　opened　a　desolating　fire　from　a　number　of　field…pieces　and　rocket…batteries。　The　left　and　right　of　the　Muhammadan　line　were　pressed　back　after　destructive　hand…to…hand　fighting；　many　falling　on　both　sides。　At　this　juncture　Rama　Raya；　thinking　to　encourage　his　men；　descended