The Aravidu Dynasty of Vijayanagara, Vol. I v1.c13.65

v1.c13.65

5. In the meanwhile several events had taken place in the South. In the West, the king of Travancore had withheld the tribute due to Vijayanagara; and in the East the Portuguese, who had taken possession of the Fishery Coast to protect the Paravas, were becoming more and more firmly established. Visvanatha, in the first years of his reign, was engaged in the twofold task of regulating the administration of his kingdom and subduing the rebellious chiefs of his dominions in the South. Hence he was unable to meet those new emergencies. In these circumstances Rama Raya thought it reasonable to send an army from the imperial court under a valiant general to defend the interests of the Empire, which were then at stake. Such was the origin and the purpose of the expedition of Rama Raya Vitthala to the South¹.