South India and her Muhammadan Invaders c15.s6.2

c15.s6.2

The first step taken by Nasir-eddin (Nasiru-d-din) was to ruin his uncle's vizir by extorting sums of money from him. He made Melic Bedr-eddin (Malik Badru-d-din) vizir, the same man whom his uncle had sent to meet me when I was at Fattan. He died very soon; and the Sultan nominated as his successor, Khodjah Sorour, the admiral, with the title of Khodjah Djihan (Khwaja-i-Jehan) similar to the vizir of Delhi. Whoever addressed the vizir by any other title, had to pay a fine of a certain number of gold pieces. Then the Sultan Nasir-eddin killed the son of his paternal aunt, who was married to the daughter of Ghiyath-eddin (the late Sultan), and afterwards married his widow. He was told that Melic Maç-oud (Malik-Masud) had visited his cousin in prison before he was put to death; so he killed him as well as Melic Behadour (Malik Bahadur), who was a generous and virtuous hero. He ordered that I should be provided with all the ships that his uncle had sanctioned for my expedition to the Maldives. But I was attacked with the deadly fever, and thought I would die. God inspired me to have recourse to the tamarind which is very plentiful in this place. I took about a pound of it and soaked it in water, then drank this beverage which made me better in three days, and with God's help I was cured. Being disgusted with the town of Madura, I asked the Sultan's permission to go on my voyage. He said to me, 'How will you go? There is only one month for the Maldive expedition to be got ready. Stay then until we give you all that the master of the world (the late Sultan) ordered for you.' I refused and he wrote to Fattan giving me leave to sail in any vessel I pleased. I found there were eight vessels sailing for Yaman from Fattan and embarked on one of them. We met three war ships, which fought with us for a time and then retired. After that we arrived at Caoulem (Quilon). As I was free from all illness, I remained in this town for three months and then set sail in order to find the Sultan Djemal-eddin Alhinaoury (Jamalu-d-din of Honawar) but infidels attacked us between Hinaour (Honawar) and Facanaour.