a forgotten empire-vijayanagar- 第30部分

We　continue　the　narrative　of　events　in　Achyuta's　reign　as　gathered　from　Firishtah。＇280＇　As　soon　as　he　heard　of　the　death　of　Hoje　Tirumala　and　the　seizure　of　the　throne　by　〃Ramraaje；〃　Ibrahim　Adil　Shah　sent　Asada　Khan　to　reduce　the　important　fortress　of　Adoni；　which　was　undisputedly　in　Vijayanagar　territory。　Rama　Rajah　despatched　his　younger　brother；　Venkatadri；　to　its　relief；　and　the　latter　hastened　thither　with　a　large　force。

〃Assud　Khan；　upon　his　approach；　raised　the　siege　and　moved　towards　him。　A　sharp　engagement　ensued；　and　Assud　Khan；　finding　that　he　was　likely　to　have　the　worst　of　the　action；　from　the　vast　superiority　in　numbers　of　the　enemy；　retreated　in　good　order；　but　was　followed　fourteen　miles　by　the　victors；　when　he　encamped；　and　Venkatadry；＇281＇　in　order　to　be　ready　to　harass　the　retreat　the　next　day；　halted　in　full　security　at　a　distance　of　only　two　miles　from　him。　Assud　Khan；　who　had　ardently　wished　for　such　an　event；　towards　the　dawn　of　day；　with　four　thousand　chosen　horse；　surprized　the　camp　of　Venkatadry；　whose　self…confidence　had　left　him　wholly　off　his　guard　against　such　a　manoeuvre。　Assud　Khan　penetrated　to　his　tents　before　he　received　the　alarm；　and　he　had　scarce　time　to　make　his　escape；　leaving　his　treasures；　family；　and　elephants　to　the　mercy　of　the　victors。　When　the　day　had　fully　cleared　up；　Venkatadry　collected　his　scattered　troops；　and　drew　up　as　if　to　engage；　but　seeing　Assud　Khan　resolute　to　maintain　his　advantage；　and　fearing　for　the　personal　safety　of　his　wife　and　children；　he　declined　hazarding　a　battle；　and；　retiring　some　miles　off；　fixed　his　camp：　from　whence　he　wrote　Ramraaje　an　account　of　his　disaster；　and　requested　reinforcements　to　enable　him　to　repair　it。　Ramraaje　immediately　sent　supplies　of　men　and　money；　openly　declaring　his　intentions　of　carrying　on　the　war；　but　privately　informed　his　brother　that　he　had　reason　to　imagine　that　Ibrahim　Adil　Shaw　had　not　been　led　merely　of　his　own　will　to　besiege　Oodnee；　that　he　suspected　the　zemindars　of　that　quarter　had　invited　him　to　make　war；　and　that　many　of　the　nobility　with　him　were　secretly　in　his　interest；　therefore；　he　thought　he　would　act　prudently　by　making　peace　with　the　mussulmauns　at　present；　and　procuring　the　release　of　his　wife　and　family　from　Assud　Khan。　Venkatadry；　in　consequence　of　the　desires　of　his　brother；　having　procured　the　mediation　and　influence　of　Assud　Khan；　addressed　the　sultan　for　peace；　which　being　granted；　and　all　affairs　settled　to　the　satisfaction　of　both　states；　Ibrahim　Adil　Shaw　returned　to　Beejapore　with　Assud　Khan　and　the　rest　of　his　nobility　and　army。〃

Asada　Khan　after　this　was　greatly　honoured　by　the　Sultan；　in　spite　of　the　intrigues　which　were　fomented　against　him。　Quarrels　and　disturbances；　however；　arose　in　the　Bijapur　dominions　which　lasted　during　the　whole　of　the　year　1542；　in　the　course　of　which　year　King　Achyuta　died；　and　was　succeeded　nominally　by　Sadasiva；　during　whose　reign　Vijayanagar　was　practically　in　the　hands　of　Rama　Rajah　and　of　his　two　brothers；　Tirumala　and　Venkatadri。

Firishtah　was　a　great　admirer　of　Asada　Khan　and　supported　him　in　all　that　he　did。＇282＇　Asada　was　a　Turk；　who；　beginning　life　under　the　simple　name　of　Khusru　in　the　service　of　Ismail　Adil　Shah；　distinguished　himself　in　his　sovereign's　defence　during　the　attack　on　Bijapur　in　1511；　a　defence　celebrated　on　account　of　the　heroic　conduct　of　the　Sultan's　aunt；　Dilshad　Agha。　Khusru　was　rewarded　by　Ismail　with　the　title　of　〃Asada　Khan；〃　a　name　which　he　bore　for　the　rest　of　his　life；　and　a　grant　of　the　jaghir　of　Belgaum。　He　rose　to　be　chief　minister　and　commander…in…chief　of　the　army　of　his　master；　and　died　full　of　years　and　honours　in　A。D。　1549。

The　Portuguese　at　Goa　had　a　very　low　opinion　of　Asada's　character。　They　held　him　to　be　an　inveterate　intriguer；　ready　at　every　moment　to　betray　his　best　friends；　even　his　sovereign；　if　only　by　so　doing　he　could　advance　his　own　personal　and　selfish　interests；　and　in　this；　owing　to　his　consummate　skill　and　tortuous　ways；　he　invariably　succeeded。　If　space　permitted；　many　interesting　stories　could　be　narrated　of　him；　culled　from　the　various　writings　of　the　day。＇283＇

Barros　calls　him　〃Sufo　Larij；〃＇284＇　a　name　which　some　writers　have　derived　from　〃Yusuf　of　Lar。〃　Castanheda　spells　the　name　〃Cufolarim。〃

Asada　Khan　is　entitled　to　a　chapter　to　himself；　but；　to　avoid　prolixity；　I　will　only　give　one　extract　from　the　〃Asia〃　of　Barros。＇285＇　Allusion　has　been　made　above　to　an　attack　on　the　mainlands　of　Goa　by　three　Hindu　chiefs；　when　Ponda　was　besieged。　The　inhabitants　appealed　to　Nuno　da　Cunha；　the　governor…general；　who　hesitated　to　interfere　for　fear　of　bringing　on　a　war　with　the　Adil　Shah。　The　principal　danger　was　the　lord　of　Belgaum；　Asada　Khan。

〃Acadachan；　like　one　who　in　a　safe　and　lofty　place　watches　some　great　fire　spreading　over　the　plains　below；　watched　from　his　city　of　Belgaum　the　events　that　were　passing；〃　　but　did　nothing　till　the　Adil　Shah　wrote　desiring　him　to　return　to　Bijapur；　which　he　had　temporarily　left　owing　to　a　disagreement；　and　to　assist　him　in　the　government　of　the　kingdom。　Asada　Khan　replied　craftily　that　he　had　done　with　the　affairs　of　this　life；　and　proposed　to　go　and　die　at　Mecca。　At　this　Ismail　flew　into　a　passion　and　vowed　revenge　against　his　powerful　subject；　who；　to　save　himself；　wrote　to　Da　Cunha；　professing　his　unalloyed　friendship　for　the　Portuguese；　and　inviting　them　to　take　possession　of　certain　tracts　on　the　mainland；　declaring　that　his　master；　the　Sultan；　was　powerless　to　defend　himself　against　the　armies　of　Vijayanagar。　This　was；　it　must　be　borne　in　mind；　long　after　the　Hindu　victory　at　Raichur。　Da　Cunha　sent　Christovao　de　Figueiredo；　Krishna　Deva's　valiant　friend；　to　bear　his　reply；　since　the　latter　was　on　friendly　terms　with　the　lord　of　Belgaum。　A　conversation　took　place；　in　which　Asada　Khan　said　that　he　was　afraid　of　his　master；　who　was　of　variable　and　inconstant　character；　and　that　he　desired　of　all　things　to　preserve　friendship　with　the　Portuguese。　He　therefore　begged　to　be　allowed　to　visit　Goa　and　cement　an　alliance　with　the　governor…general；　to　whom　he　faithfully　promised　that　the　lands　in　question　should　become　for　ever　the　property　of　the　king　of　Portugal。　Accordingly　the　lands　were　seized　by　Da　Cunha。

Immediately　afterwards　Asada　began　to　intrigue　with　the　king　of　Vijayanagar；　and　being　invited　to　visit　that　city　on　the　occasion　of　one　of　the　great　MAHANAVAMI　festivals；　left　Belgaum　with　13；000　men　and　200　elephants。　Before　starting　he　wrote　to　Da　Cunha；　asking　that　Figueiredo　might　be　sent　to　accompany　him；　and　promising　to　obtain　for　the　Portuguese　a　definite　cession　of　the　lands　from　the　Raya；　since　these　had　formerly　been　the　latter's　possession。　Accordingly　Figueiredo　left　for　Vijayanagar；　but　learned　that　the　Khan　had　already　arrived　there　and　had　joined　the　king。　The　Raya　received　Asada　favourably；　and；　as　a　present；　gave　him　two　towns；　〃Tunge　and　Turugel；〃＇286＇since　he　hoped　for　his　aid　against　the　Sultan。

When　the　Sultan　heard　of　Asada　Khan's　defection　he　gave　himself　up　for　lost；　but　assembled　an　army　and　advanced　to　within　twelve　leagues　of　the　king's　camp；　where　Asada　Khan　had　pitched　his　tents　at　some　distance　from　those　of　the　Hindu　lords。　The　Sultan　thence　wrote　to　the　Raya　demanding　the　delivery　to　him　of　his　recalcitrant　〃slave；〃　and　the　Raya　sent　on　the　letter　to　Asada　Khan；　who　told　the　king　that　he　would　never　join　the　Muhammadans；　but　would　remain　faithful　to　Vijayanagar。　A　short　pause　ensued；　during　which　the　Raya　learned　that　constant　messages　were　passing　between　the　camps　of　the　Sultan　and　Asada　Khan。　Both　armies　then　marched　towards　Raichur；　the　Raya　to　retake　the　place　from　the　Sultan；　the　Sultan　watching　for　an　opportunity　to　attack　the　Raya。

On　the　third　day　Asada　Khan　started　with　his　forces　two　hours　in　advance　of　the　royal　troops；　crossed　the　river　first；　and　hastened　to　join　the　Sultan。　Adil　Shah　received　him　with　great　apparent　cordiality；　and　at　length　freely　forgave　him　on　the　Khan's　protestations　that　his　intrigues　with　Vijayanagar　and　the　Portuguese　were　only　so　many　moves　in　a　game　undertaken　for　the　advancement　of　the　Sultan's　interests。　Previous　to　this　move　the　Khan　had　held　a　conversation　with　Figueiredo；　in　which　he　succeeded　in　totally　deceiving　him　as　to　his　intentions；　and　reiterated　his　promises　to　obtain　the　cession　of　the　mainlands　from　the　Raya；　for　whom　he　professed　the　greatest　friendship。

In　the　end；　says　Barros；　the　Adil　Shah；　secretly　fearful　of　Asada　Khan's　duplicity；　made　a　treaty　of　peace　with　the　Raya；　by　which　the　Muhammadans　retained　Raichur　but　gave　up　some　other　territory。

Though　this　story　differs　from　Firishtah　at　almost　every　point；　it　is　permissible　to　think　that　it　may　refer　to　the　events　of　1535；　when　the　Sultan　visited　Vijayanagar；　for　in　continuing　his　narrative；　Barros　a　little　later　mentions　the　year　1536。　It　seems　hopeless　to　try　and　reconcile　the　conflicting　stories　of　Nuniz；　Barros；　and　Firishtah；　but　enough　has　been　said　to　afford　insight　into　the　character　of　Asada　Khan。　Nuniz　echoes　the　general　sentiment　when　he　writes　of　the　Khan's　rescue　of　the　Adil　Shah；　after　his　defeat　at　Raichur　in　1520　A。D。；　as　being　effected　〃by　cunning；〃　for　his　own　purposes；　and　when　he　describes　how；　by　a　series　of　lies；　Asada　contrived　the　execution　of　Salabat　Khan　at　the　hands　of　Krishna　Raya。




During　this　reign　the　Portuguese　were　busy　establishing　themselves　at　various　places　on　the　coast；　and　they　built　several　forts　there　for　the　protection　of　their　trade。　They　had　been　constantly　at　war　with　the　Samuri　of　Calicut　and　other　feudatories　of　Vijayanagar；　but　with　the　Raya　himself　they　were　on　terms　of　friendship；　and　in　1540　they　ratified　a　treaty　of　peace　with　the　sovereigns　of　Bijapur　and　Ahmadnagar　as　well　as　with　the　Samuri。

Throughout　the　whole　of　their　dealings　with　the　Portuguese　I　find　not　a　single　instance　where　the　Hindu　kings　broke　faith　with　the　intruders；＇287＇　but　as　much　cannot；　I　fear；　be　said　on　the　other　side。　The　Europeans　seemed　to　think　that　they　had　a　divine　right　to　the　pillage；　robbery；　and　massacre　of　the　natives　of　India。　Not　to　mince　matters；　their　whole　record　is　one　of　a　series　of　atrocities。　It　is　sad　to　turn　from　the　description　given　us　by　P