The Aravidu Dynasty of Vijayanagara, Vol. I v1.c14.24

v1.c14.24

The relations of Sevvappa with the Portuguese were very friendly. Several Portuguese merchants had in the beginning of his reign, or perhaps even earlier, settled in a small village on the coast near Tanjore called Nagapatam. To quote from the anonymous life of St. Xavier, "they were greatly favoured by the lord of that country who is a very powerful Captain of the king of Bisnaga" ⁶. Encouraged by this show of favour, more and more Portuguese established themselves there as years went on. They built several good houses, and the former village was converted into ‘half a city’. There was no Portuguese authority in the town, since it was supposed that it belonged to the Tanjore Nayak; but every three years the Portuguese Viceroy, or Governor, used to send a captain to administer justice among his subjects. Negapatam became after a few years a very rich and noble city¹. It contained two churches, one dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi and the other to Our Lady of Health (Nossa Senhora da Saude)². Caesar Frederick who visited Negapatam in 1567 calls it “a very great Citie, and very populous of Portugals and Christians of the Country and part Gentile”³.