The Aravidu Dynasty of Vijayanagara, Vol. I v1.c16.47

v1.c16.47

6. The Mussulman sovereigns spent six months at Vijayanagara¹. During this time their troops were occupied in plundering the city and its surroundings. "The efforts of the conquerors," says the anonymous chronicler, "were directed to the plunder of the country and of the city"²; and Frederick states that they were "searching under houses and in all places for money and other things that were hidden"³. The booty was enormous. Couto and Faria y Sousa state that Ali Adil Shah got from the spoil a diamond as large as a hen’s egg, and this was affixed to the base of the plume on the headdress of his favourite horse; he also got another diamond not so large but very uncommon, besides a multitude of jewels and precious things⁴.