The Aravidu Dynasty of Vijayanagara, Vol. I v1.c10.69

v1.c10.69

On September 19th, 1547, the Governor Dom Joao de Castro, being now back at Goa, gave his signature and oath to all the items of this treaty; so too did the ambassador of Sadasiva; then the treaty was published and announced throughout the city with much rejoicing by a flourish of trumpets. Dom Joao de Castro gave the ambassador a rich present of several beautiful horses and precious cloths for his Sovereign, and some other gifts for himself. Freire de Andrada in his *Life of Dom Joao de Castro* says that the league was intended by Rama Raya to secure assistance from the Viceroy against his neighbour the Sultan of Bijapur, who, "understanding the Governor's resolution retired his inland garrisons, as if avoiding the blow of the first invasion, endeavouring to weary out the State with a sudden and incursive War" 2. This statement of Freire de Andrada is confirmed by a letter of Dom Joao de Castro himself to King John III, dated December 16th 1546. According to it the Vijayanagara Sovereign wanted an alliance to wage actual war with Bijapur. Castro agreed to all the terms proposed by the ambassador, but was not ready to commence a compaign against the Sultan of Bijapur, with whom an alliance had recently been made ¹.