第27章

"The king's brother,who had had a new house built for himself,invited thither the monarch and the principal personages of the empire.Now it is an established usage of the infidels never to eat in presence of each other.The men who were invited were assembled together in one grand hall.At short intervals the prince either came in person or sent some messenger to say that such or such great personage should come and eat his part of the banquet.Care had been taken to bring together all the drums,kettledrums,trumpets,and flutes that could be found in the city,and these instruments playing all at the same time,made a tremendous uproar.As soon as the individual who had been sent for entered the above-mentioned house,two assassins,placed in ambush,sprang out upon him,pierced him with a poignard,and cut him in pieces.After having removed his limbs,or rather the fragments of his body,they sent for another guest,who,once having entered this place of carnage,disappeared....In consequence of the noise of the drums,the clamour,and the tumult,no one was aware of what was going on.In this manner all those who had any name or rank in the state were slaughtered.The prince leaving his house all reeking with the blood of his victims,betook himself to the king's palace,and addressing himself to the guards who were stationed in that royal residence,invited them with flattering words to go to his house,and caused them to follow the steps of the other-victims.So that the palace was thus deprived of all its defenders.This villain then entered into the king's presence,holding in his hand a dish covered with betel-nut,under which was concealed a brilliant poignard.He said to the monarch,'The hall is ready and they only wait your august presence.'

"The king,following the maxim which declares that eminent men receive an inspiration from heaven,said to him,'I am not in good health to-day.'

"This unnatural brother,thus losing the hope of enticing the king to his house,drew his poignard,and struck him therewith several violent blows,so that the prince fell at the back of his throne.The traitor,thus believing that the king was dead,left there one of his confidants to cut off the monarch's head;then going out of the hall he ascended the portico of the palace,and thus addressed the people:'I have slain the king,his brothers,and such and such emirs,Brahmins,and viziers;now I am king.'

"Meanwhile his emissary had approached the throne with the intention of cutting off the king's head,but that prince,seizing the seat behind which he had fallen,struck the wretch with it with so much violence on the chest that he fell upon his back.The king then,with the help of one of his guards,who at the sight of this horrible transaction had hidden himself in a corner,slew this assassin,and went out of the palace by way of the harem.

"His brother,still standing on the steps of the hall of council,invited the multitude to recognise him as their king.At that moment the monarch cried out,'I am alive.I am well and safe.Seize that wretch.'

"The whole crowd assembled together threw themselves upon the guilty prince and put him to death.

"The only one who escaped was Danaik,the vizier,who previously to this sad event had gone on a voyage to the frontier of Ceylon.The king sent a courier to him to invite him to return,and informed him of what had just occurred.All those who had in any way aided in the conspiracy were put to death.Men in great numbers were slain,flayed,burnt alive,and their families entirely exterminated.The man who had brought the letters of invitation was put to the last degree of torture...."Nuniz states that the king died six months later and was succeeded by his son,but Abdur Razzak declares that he was presented in person to Deva Raya about the month of December 1443.The name of Deva Raya's son is not given by Nuniz,nor yet the length of his reign;he only states that he did nothing worth relating except to give enormous charities to temples.This king again was succeeded by a son called "Verupaca Rao,"who must be identical with Virupaksha,and Nuniz dates from his reign the commencement of the troubles that led to the usurpation of Narasimha and the downfall of the first dynasty.

But before putting together the confusing records of this period Imust revert to the events of the year A.D.1443.

"At this period,"says Abdur Razzak,referring to the second half of the year 1443,"Danaik[114]the vizier set out on an expedition into the kingdom of Kalbarga."The reasons which had led to this invasion were as follows:Sultan Ala-ud-din had heard of the treacherous attempt to kill the king of Vijayanagar and the murder of the nobles and Principal people,and he had sent a message to the king demanding payment of "seven lakhs of varahas,"as he thought the moment auspicious for an attempt to crush the kingdom."Diou-rai,the king of Bidjanagar,was equally troubled and irritated by the receipt of such a message,"but he sent a brave answer and prepared for war.

"Troops were sent out on both sides,which made great ravages on the frontiers of the two kingdoms....Danaik,after having nit de an invasion upon the frontiers of the country of Kalbarga,and taken several unfortunate prisoners,had retraced his steps...."Firishtah also describes this war of A.D.1443.He states that Deva Raya wantonly attacked the Bahmani princes --"crossed the Tummedra suddenly,took the fortress of Mudkul,sent his sons to besiege Roijore and Beekapore,encamped himself along the bank of the Kistnan,and sent out detachments,who plundered the country as far as Saugher and Beejapore,laying waste by fire and sword.