The Aravidu Dynasty of Vijayanagara, Vol. I v1.c25.96

v1.c25.96

And then all of a sudden it happened that Krishnappa Nayaka became demented. “Krishnappa Naiken, the Sovereign of Jinji”, says Anquetil du Perron, “became insane, as a result of a poison which was administered to him” ⁵. This was indeed the first rumour of this affair; but soon it was clear that his madness was feigned, as we read in Fr. Coutinho’s letter mentioned above. “Christapanaicus (Krishnappa Nayaka)”, says he, “being poisoned, got mad, although the fraud is now patent: the King feigned to be out of his head in order to please four of the grandees of his kingdom, who were afterwards killed by his order”. This apparent insanity saved Krishnappa Nayaka from the war which Venkata and his nobles were ready to make upon him. “They persuaded the King (Venkata) to invest this city (Jinji)”, says Coutinho, “but he, though having right to do so,...replied that it would be a most cruel thing to go to war with a feudatory while he was insane” 1.