第68章

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 deions Firishtah estimates the Vijayanagar army alone as amounting to 900,000infantry,45,000cavalry,and 2000elephants,besides 15,000auxiliaries;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 from his litter and seated himself on a "rich throne set with jewels,under a canopy of crimson velvet,embroidered with gold and adorned with fringes of pearls,"ordering his treasurer to place heaps of money all round him,so that he might confer rewards on such of his followers as deserved his attention."There were also ornaments of gold and jewels placed for the same purpose."A second attack by the Hindus on the guns in the centre seemed likely to complete the overthrow of the whole Muhammadan line,when the front rank of pieces was fired at close quarters,charged with bags of copper money;and this proved so destructive that 5000Hindus were left dead on the field in front of the batteries.This vigorous policy threw the Hindu centre into confusion,upon which 5000Muhammadan cavalry charged through the intervals of the guns and cut their way into the midst of the disorganised masses,towards the spot where the Raya had taken post.He had again changed his position and ascended his litter;but hardly had he done so when an elephant belonging to the Nizam Shah,wild with the excitement of the battle,dashed forward towards him,and the litter-bearers let fall their precious burden in terror at the animal's approach.Before he had time to recover himself and mount a horse,a body of the allies was upon him,and he was seized and taken prisoner.

This event threw the Hindus into a panic,and they began to give way.Rama Raya was conducted by the officer who commanded the artillery of Hussain Nizam to his Sultan,who immediately ordered his captive to be decapitated,and the head to be elevated on a long spear,so that it might be visible to the Hindu troops.

On seeing that their chief was dead,the Vijayanagar forces broke and fled "They were pursued by the allies with such successful slaughter that the river which ran near the field was dyed red with their blood.It is computed on the best authorities that above one hundred thousand infidels were slain in fight and during the pursuit."The Mussulmans were thus completely victorious,and the Hindus fled towards the capital;but so great was the confusion that there was not the slightest attempt made to take up a new and defensive position amongst the hills surrounding the city,or even to defend the walls or the approaches.The rout was complete.

"The plunder was so great that every private man in the allied army became rich in gold,jewels,effects,tents,arms,horses,and slaves,as the sultans left every person in possession of what he had acquired,only taking elephants for their own use."De Couto,describing the death of Rama Raya,states[329]that Hussain Nizam Shah cut off his enemy's head with his own hand,exclaiming,"Now I am avenged of thee!Let God do what he will to me!"The Adil Shah,on the contrary,was greatly distressed at Rama Raya's death.[330]