a forgotten empire-vijayanagar-第43部分

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ner　despaired　of　ever　escaping。

〃Echama　Naique；　seeing　that　this　stratagem　had　failed；　bribed　heavily　a　captain　of　five　hundred　men　who　were　in　the　fortress　to　slay　the　guards　as　soon　as　some　good　occasion　offered；　and　to　rescue　the　King。　This　man；　who　was　called　Iteobleza；＇362＇　finding　one　day　that　Jaga　Raya　was　leaving　the　palace　with　all　his　men　in　order　to　receive　a　certain　chief　who　had　proffered　his　submission；　and　that　there　only　remained　in　the　fortress　about　five　thousand　men；　in　less　than　an　hour　slew　the　guards；　seized　three　gates；　and　sent　a　message　to　Echama　Naique　telling　him　to　come　at　once　and　seize　the　fortress。　But　Jaga　Raya　was　the　more　expeditious；　he　returned　with　all　his　forces；　entered　by　a　postern　gate；　of　the　existence　of　which　Iteobleza　had　not　been　warned；　and　put　to　death　the　captain　and　his　five　hundred　followers。

〃Enraged　at　this　attempt；　Jaga　Raya；　to　strengthen　the　party　of　his　nephew；　resolved　to　slay　the　King　and　all　his　family。　He　entrusted　this　business　to　a　brother　of　his　named　Chinaobraya；＇363＇　ordering　him　to　go　to　the　palace　and　tell　the　poor　King　that　he　must　slay　himself；　and　that　if　he　would　not　he　himself　would　kill　him　with　stabs　of　his　dagger。

〃The　prisoner　attempted　to　excuse　himself；　saying　that　he　knew　nothing　of　the　attempted　revolt。　But　seeing　the　determination　of　Chinaobraya；　who　told　him　that　he　must　necessarily　die；　either　by　his　own　hand　or　by　that　of　another　　a　most　pitiful　case；　and　one　that　I　relate　full　of　sorrow！　　the　poor　King　called　his　wife；　and　after　he　had　spoken　to　her　awhile　he　beheaded　her。　Then　he　sent　for　his　youngest　son　and　did　the　same　to　him。　He　put　to　death　similarly　his　little　daughter。　Afterwards　he　sent　for　his　eldest　son；　who　was　already　married；　and　commanded　him　to　slay　his　wife；　which　he　did　by　beheading　her。　This　done；　the　King　took　a　long　sword　of　four　fingers'　breadth；　and；　throwing　himself　upon　it；　breathed　his　last；　and　his　son；　heir　to　the　throne；　did　the　same　to　himself　in　imitation　of　his　father。　There　remained　only　a　little　daughter　whom　the　King　could　not　bring　himself　to　slay；　but　Chinaobraya　killed　her；　so　that　none　of　the　family　should　remain　alive　of　the　blood　royal；　and　the　throne　should　be　secured　for　his　nephew。

〃Some　of　the　chiefs　were　struck　with　horror　at　this　dreadful　deed；　and　were　so　enraged　at　its　cruelty　that　they　went　over　to　Echama　Naique；　resolved　to　defend　the　prince　who　had　been　rescued　by　the　washerman；　and　who　alone　remained　of　all　the　royal　family。　Echama　Naique；　furious　at　this　shameful　barbarity　and　confident　in　the　justice　of　his　cause；　selected　ten　thousand　of　his　best　soldiers；　and　with　them　offered　battle　to　Jaga　Raya；　who　had　more　than　sixty　thousand　men　and　a　number　of　elephants　and　horses。　Echama　sent　him　a　message　in　this　form：　　'Now　that　thou　hast　murdered　thy　king　and　all　his　family；　and　there　alone　remains　this　boy　whom　I　rescued　from　thee　and　have　in　my　keeping；　come　out　and　take　the　field　with　all　thy　troops；　kill　him　and　me；　and　then　thy　nephew　will　be　secure　on　the　throne！'

〃Jaga　Raya　tried　to　evade　this　for　some　time；　but　finding　that　Echama　Naique　insisted；　he　decided　to　fight　him；　trusting　that　with　so　great　a　number　of　men　he　would　easily　not　only　be　victorious；　but　would　be　able　to　capture　both　Echama　Naique　and　the　prince。　He　took　the　field；　therefore；　with　all　his　troops。　Echama　Naique　entrusted　the　prince　to　a　force　of　ten　thousand　men　who　remained　a　league　away；　and　with　the　other　ten　thousand　he　not　only　offered　battle；　but　was　the　first　to　attack；　and　that　with　such　fury　and　violence　that　Jaga　Raya；　with　all　the　people　surrounding　his　nephew；　was　driven　to　one　side；　leaving　gaps　open　to　the　enemy；　and　many　met　their　deaths　in　the　fight。　Echama　Naique　entered　in　triumph　the　tents　of　Jaga　Raya；　finding　in　them　all　the　royal　insignia　belonging　to　the　old　King　and　these　he　delivered　to　the　young　prince；　the　Son　of　Chica　Raya；　proclaiming　him　rightful　heir　and　King　of　all　the　empire　of　Bisnaga。

〃The　spoil　which　he　took　was　very　large；　for　in　precious　stones　alone　they　say　that　he　found　two　millions　worth。

〃After　this　victory　many　of　the　nobles　joined　themselves　to　Echama　Naique。　So　much　so；　that　in　a　short　time　he　had　with　him　fifty　thousand　fighting　men　in　his　camp；　while　Jaga　Raya；　with　only　fifteen　thousand；　fled　to　the　jungles。　Here；　however；　he　was　joined　by　more　people；　so　that　the　war　has　continued　these　two　years；＇364＇　fortune　favouring　now　one　side　now　the　other。　But　the　party　of　the　young　prince　has　always　been　gaining　strength；　the　more　so　because；　although　the　great　Naique　of　Madura＇365＇　　a　page　of　the　betel　to　the　King　of　Bisnaga；　who　pays　a　revenue　every　year　of；　some　say；　600；000　pagodas；　and　has　under　him　many　kings　and　nobles　as　vassals；　such　as　he　of　Travancor　　took　the　side　of　Jaga　Raya；　and　sustained　him　against　the　Naique　of　Tanjaor。　Yet　the　latter；　though　not　so　powerful；　is；　with　the　aid　of　the　young　King；　gradually　getting　the　upper　hand。　Indeed　there　are　now　assembled　in　the　field　in　the　large　open　plains　of　Trinchenepali＇366＇　not　only　the　hundred　thousand　men　that　each　party　has；　but　as　many　as　a　million　of　soldiers。

〃Taking　advantage　of　these　civil　wars；　the　city　of　San　Thome＇367＇　　which　up　to　now　belonged　to　the　King　of　Bisnaga；　paying　him　revenues　and　customs　which　he　used　to　make　over　to　certain　chiefs；　by　whom　the　Portuguese　were　often　greatly　troubled　determined　to　liberate　itself；　and　become　in　everything　and　for　everything　the　property　of　the　King　of　Portugal。　To　this　end　she　begged　the　Viceroy　to　send　and　take　possession　of　her　in　the　name　of　his　Majesty；　which　he　did；　as　I　shall　afterwards　tell　you。　Meanwhile　the　captain　who　governed　the　town；　by　name　Manuel　de　Frias；　seeing　that　there　was　close　to　the　town　a　fortress　that　commanded　it；　determined　to　seize　it　by　force；　seeing　that　its　captain　declined　to　surrender　it。　So　he　laid　siege　to　it；　surrounding　it　so　closely　that　no　one　could　get　out。〃

In　the　end　the　Portuguese　were　successful。　The　fortress　was　taken；　its　garrison　of　1500　men　capitulated；　and　a　fleet　came　round　by　sea　to　complete　the　conquest。




The　foregoing　story　relates　to　events　never　before；　I　think；　made　known　to　English　readers；　and　so　far　is　of　the　highest　interest。　Let　us；　for　the　moment；　grant　its　accuracy；　and　read　it　by　the　light　of　the　genealogical　table　already　given。＇368＇

King　Venkata　I。　（1586　　1614）　had　a　sister　who　was　married　to　a　chief　whom　Barradas　calls　〃Obo〃　（perhaps　Obala）　Raya。　So　far　as　we　know；　his　only　nephews　were　Tirumala　II。　and　Ranga　III。；　sons　of　his　brother；　Rama　III。　Since　Tirumala　II。　appears　to　have　had　no　sons；　and　Ranga　III。　had　a　son；　Rama　IV；　who　is　asserted　in　the　inscriptions　to　have　been　〃one　of　several　brothers；〃　it　is　natural　to　suppose　that　the　nephew　mentioned　by　Barradas；　who　was　raised　to　be　king　on　the　death　of　the　old　King　Venkata　I。　in　1614；　and　who　had　three　sons；　was　Ranga　III。；　called　〃Chikka　Raya〃　or　〃Crown…prince〃　in　the　text。　He；　then；　succeeded　in　1614；　but　was　afterwards　deposed；　imprisoned；　and　compelled　to　take　his　own　life。　His　eldest　son　at　the　same　time　followed　his　example；　and　his　youngest　son　was　slain　by　his　father。　The　〃middle　son〃　escaped；　and　was　raised　to　the　throne　by　a　friendly　chief　named　Echama　Naik。　This　second　son　was　probably　Ranga　IV。　Two　of　King　Venkata's　wives　were　Bayama；　daughter　of　Jaga　Raya；　and　a　lady　unnamed；　sister　of　Narpa　Raya。　A　niece　of　Venkata　I。　had　been　given　in　marriage　to　a　Brahman　boy；　who　had　been　surreptitiously　introduced　into　the　palace　by　Bayama　and　educated　in　the　pretence　that　he　was　son　of　King　Venkata。　The　plot　to　raise　him　to　the　throne　was　temporarily　successful；　and　Ranga　III。　and　all　the　royal　family　were　killed；　saving　only　Ranga　IV。；　who　afterwards　came　to　the　throne。

How　much　of　the　story　told　is　true　we　cannot　as　yet　decide；　but　it　is　extremely　improbable　that　the　whole　is　a　pure　invention；　and　we　may　for　the　present　accept　it；　fixing　the　date　of　these　occurrences　as　certainly　between　the　years　1614　and　1616　A。D。　　the　date　of　Barradas's　letter　being　December　12　in　the　latter　year。

It　will　be　observed　that　the　inscriptions　upon　which　the　genealogical　table　given　above；　from　the　EPIGRAPHIA　INDICA；　is　founded　do　not　yield　any　date　between　A。D。　1614　and　1634；　when　Pedda　Venkata　II。　is　named　as　king。　In　1883　I　published＇369＇　a　list　of　Vijayanagar　names　derived　from　reports　of　inscriptions　which　had　then　reached　me。　I　am　by　no　means　certain　of　their　accuracy；　and　it　is　clear　that　they　must　all　be　hereafter　carefully　examined。　But　so　far　as　it　goes　the　list　runs　thus：　


A。D。　Ranga 1619　Rama 1620；　1622　Ranga 1623　Venkata 1623　Rama 1629　Venkata 1636


The　last…mentioned　name　and　date　are　apparently　correct。

In　1633　the　Portuguese；　encouraged　by　the　Vijayanagar　king；　still　at　Chandragiri；　attempted　to　eject　the　Dutch　from　〃Paleacate；〃　or　Pulicat。　An　arrangement　was　made　by　which　the　Portuguese　were　to　attack　by　sea　and　the　Rajah　by　land；　but　while　the　Viceroy　sent　his　twelve　ships　as　agreed　on；　the　Rajah　failed　to　attack；　alleging　in　explanation　that　he　was　compelled　to　use　his　army　to　put　down　internal　disturbances　in　the　kingdom。　A　second　expedition　met　with　no　better　success；　the　plans　o