Storia do Mogor 273: The Karnatik.

273

The remaining lands of the Karnatik were divided [by Ram Raja] among his Hindu pages, while he retained some territory and a few fortresses scattered here and there in the middle of the said Karnatik [429]. This splitting up of his realm and giving it away was the cause of this emperor's ruin, for not many years passed before the princes, called Naiks, rebelled. One of these took possession of Madurey (Madura), another of Taniaur (Tanjor), another of Maxur (Maisūr), another of Cholomangalao (? Choromandal). They ceased to send in their tribute, giving him (the emperor) nothing but a small sum just sufficient for his support.
Upon his (Ram Raja's) death they crowned themselves and announced themselves as kings. Some were Mahomedans, and others were Hindus ; but all proclaimed themselves princes of the countries they held. All of them were rich and powerful, taking no notice of nor acknowledging the descendants of the emperor Ram Raja, their former suzerain.
There still survive some of his (Ram Raja's) descendants, but they keep in obscurity in order not to be recognised, otherwise Aurangzeb and his governors would most certainly take their lives. They subsist by begging for alms. One of them discovered himself to the Reverend Father Paul, Carmelite, and held several conversations with him. In one talk he requested him to prevail on one of the kings of Europe to send an army to his assistance. He promised that if such help were afforded he would give a great reward, with much land and many privileges. The said father, I well know, made proposals to several European nations, but his efforts had no result.