South India and her Muhammadan Invaders c6: Preface

South India and her Muhammadan Invaders c6

Language: English

Preface

c6.1

IN the course of writing the introductory chapter to my forthcoming history of the Empire of Vijayanagar, I was led to an investigation of the actual circumstances under which that Empire came into being, and, as a consequence, the condition of South India on the eve of the Muhammadan invasions. The result of this investigation is set forth in the following six lectures delivered as ‘the Third Course of Special Lectures in the Department of Indian History and Archæology’ at the University of Madras. The first lecture traces the decadence of the Chola Empire, and shows how it split up into a number of chieftaincies. The disruption is traced to the pressure of the Pāṇḍyas from the South, the natural tendency to independence of the feudatories within, and a fratricidal war arising among the members of the Chola ruling family itself. The next traces the revival of the Pāṇḍya power which had been reduced to subordination by the Cholas very early in their imperial career. The re-assertion of their independence began with the weakening of the Chola power about the middle of the twelfth century, and culminated in the establishment of the Pāṇḍyas as one of only two South Indian Powers in the middle of the thirteenth. The third lecture concerns itself with the first invasions of the Dakhan by Alau-d-din and Malik Kafur. In the fourth it is pointed out that there is satisfactory evidence of Malik Kafur's invasion having reached as far south as Madura and Ramēśvaram, and that the character of the invasions had nothing of conquest or occupation of territory in it. The fifth lecture bears upon the career of Muhammad Tughlak and the character of the invasions of South India sent by him. Muhammad's policy was conquest and extension of his empire, and was thus opposed to that of Alau-d-din. Muhammad’s empire was, it is pointed out, the largest that the Muhammadan empire ever reached in India and carried in it the seed of dismemberment. An attempt is made to arrange the chronology of Muhammad’s reign on rational lines on the basis of the History of the Sultanate of Madura founded in his reign. The sixth contains a somewhat detailed exposition of the foundation and further history of the Sultanate of Madura, and its wars against the Hoysalas who, under their last great ruler, Vīra Baḷḷāḷa III made a patriotic effort to dislodge the Muhammadans from the South. The Hoysala King fell in the effort, and brought his dynasty to an end in carrying on this great national war of the Hindus. Some of the more prominent officers of his empire discharged their debt to cause and country by ultimately succeeding where their master had failed, and giving visible embodiment to their success in elevating to the dignity of ‘ Capital of the Empire ’ a new foundation of the last great Hoysala, Vīra Baḷḷāḷa III.

c6.2

Vijitya Viśvam Vijayābhidhānām Viśvōttaram yō nagarīm vyadatta.

c6.3

This was Vijayanagar. The credit of this achievement is due to five brothers who all held positions of responsibility along the northern frontier when the critical moment had arrived. If one among them could be marked out, as peculiarly deserving of this honour, it was Bukka, his son Kumāra Kampana coming in for an honourable share.

c6.4

We have the high authority of Lord Morley for the dictum, ‘ we have no business to seek more from the past than the very past itself.’ I have striven hard to keep to the high level of this historical dictum, and trust I have kept out all bias one way or another. I have had occasion to lament with Freeman, ‘ I am beginning to think, that there is not, and never was such a thing as truth in the world. At least I do not believe that any two people ever give exactly the same account of anything, even when they have seen it with their own eyes, except when they copy from one another.' I have endeavoured to get at the truth despite this difficulty, and leave it to my readers to judge how far my effort has attained success.

c6.5

The work embodies a considerable volume of information the collection of which was made possible by the liberal permission accorded by the Syndicate of the University of Madras to my making a tour in the parts of the country involved in the course of this history. I acknowledge my obligation to them for their sympathy. Even so it would have been impossible to have got together all the local information I have, but for the good offices of several of my friends, among whom I must mention prominently Rao Sahib M. Ct. Muthia Chettiar, M.L.C., Sheriff of Madras, Diwan Bahadur T. Desikachariar, B.A., B.L., M.L.C., and his assistant Mr. N. P. Swaminatha Ayyar, B.A., Archæologist of the Pudukotta State, and my late lamented friend Mr. C. S. Anantarama Ayyar, B.A., Revenue Divisional Officer at Devakotta, carried off in the prime of a very useful and unostentatious life to the detriment alike of the service of which he was an ornament, and all real Oriental Scholarship for which he had always had genuine sympathy, and, what is more, in which he could and did take active interest. I must not omit mention of M.R.Ry. V. Ramalinga Mudaliar, Tahsildar of Sivaganga, for much valuable assistance. I acknowledge my indebtedness to these gentlemen with the most sincere pleasure. I acknowledge with equal pleasure my obligation to Principal Tait, late of the Central College, Bangalore, who read through the manuscript for me and offered valuable advice adding to his many kindnesses to me through a long period of close on thirty years during which he was successively my professor, colleague and Principal, but all along a friend. I am grateful to His Exalted Highness the Nizam's Government, Rao Bahadur R. Narasimhachariar, Prāktanavimarśa Vichakṣaṇa, Director of Archæological Researches in Mysore, Mr. A. H. Longhurst, Superintendent of Archæology, Madras, and Messrs. Wiele and Klein, Photographers, Madras, for having permitted the use of their excellent photographs for the illustrations.

c6.6

Messrs. C. K. Ramadorai, B.A. (Hons.) and R. Gopalan, B.A. (Hons.), University Research Students, helped me in verifying references and preparing the index. My nephew S. Raju Aiyangar drew the map which forms the frontispiece. I acknowledge with pleasure my obligations to these.

c6.7

In its final form, the substance of the book was delivered, by invitation of the Mysore University, as a course of Extension Lectures in Mysore, and one part under the name ‘ The Foundation of Vijayanagar ’ was similarly delivered as a lecture before the Mythic Society, Bangalore.

c6.8

It is a matter of particular gratification to me that His Highness the Maharaja of Mysore was graciously pleased to accept the dedication of this work. It is peculiarly appropriate as it is this work that exhibits, for the first time, the glorious part played by the last great Hoysala of Mysore in saving South India and Indian culture for the Hindus. His Highness has but added one more to the many gracious acts of kindness for which I am debtor without hope of repaying the kindness except by gratitude. I hope, however, it will be given to me to repay this kindness by further work which may deserve well of His Highness.

Linked texts (1)

Rameswaram