第19章

Nuniz states that the successor of Harihara II.greatly improved the city of Vijayanagar,raising fresh walls and towers,increasing its extent,and building further lines of fortification.But his great work was the construction of a huge dam in the Tungabhadra river,and the formation of an aqueduct fifteen miles long from the river into the city.If this be the same channel that to the present day supplies the fields which occupy so much of the site of the old city,it is a most extraordinary work.For several miles this channel is cut out of the solid rock at the base of the hills,and is one of the most remarkable irrigation works to be seen in India.No details are given of the wars he engaged in,except that,besides his campaigns against the Moors,he took "Goa,Chaul,and Dabull,"and reduced the Choromandel side of the peninsula to loyalty and obedience to his rule.

We learn a great deal more about the doings of Bukka II.and Deva Raya I.from Firishtah than from Nuniz,and I make no apology for quoting copiously from the former author,whose writings throw much light on the period.

Bukka's first war began with the invasion already alluded to.It took place during his father Harihara's reign,apparently about the month of December A.D.1398(rather later than earlier).The wide cotton plains of that tract are only passable during prolonged dry weather,and the prince would certainly not have risked an advance while there was any likelihood of rain falling.Bukka's son accompanied his father,and the objective was the country of the Doab,and particularly the fortresses of Mudkal and Raichur,then in the hands of the Bahmani Sultan.Sultan Firuz moved to meet him,slaughtering on the way a Hindu chief or zamindar and seven or eight thousand of his followers,"who had always been very troublesome and refractory."The Raya had advanced to the northern frontier of the debatable land and was encamped on the river Krishna,then in full flood,having large bodies of troops posted to oppose the passage of the Muhammadans.

"Sultan Feroze Shaw,[84]on his arrival near the river,held a council of war with his chief officers,but received no advice that to him appeared satisfactory.

"While the sultan was debating in his own mind how to act,Cauzi Serauje,seeing his concern,offered,if the sultan would permit him,to cross the river with a few of his friends,whom he would select for that purpose,to assassinate Dewal Roy or his son,as he found most convenient....

"The sultan approving the measure,some hundreds of hurdles covered with leather[85]were prepared expeditiously for the troops to cross.Cauzi Serauje,with seven of his friends disguised as holy mendicants,proceeded to the roy's camp,and repaired to the quarter where the dancing-girls resided.[86]Here the cauzi pretended to be enraptured with a courtesan,and was guilty of a thousand extravagances to support his character.In the evening the girl,having adorned herself in her richest ornaments,prepared to go out,on which the cauzi,like a jealous and distracted lover,falling at her feet,entreated her to stay,or let him attend her,and not rend his heart by her absence.The woman upon this informed him that she was ordered to attend an entertainment by the roy's son,and durst not disobey,nor could she take him with her,as only musicians and dancers would be admitted.The cauzi upon this replied that he played on the same instrument as herself,and had,besides,some curious accomplishments that would highly please the roy's son.The dancing-girl,thinking him in jest,out of contempt gave him her mundal,[87]and desired him to play,which he did in so masterly a manner that she was delighted,saying that his company would give her superiority over her fellows and do her honour with the roy's son.Accordingly he with his companions attended the girl to the tents of the young roy.