The Aravidu Dynasty of Vijayanagara, Vol. I v1.c28.22

v1.c28.22

4. The income of the villages which Venkata had promised to the Jesuits at his court, was, according to a Jesuit letter of 1602, "never settled, because of the chief governor and some grandees of that court, who claimed that the revenue of the villages belonged to them. Hence the King," continues the MS., "gave them yearly a thousand *pagodas* out of the tribute paid by one of the Naiques (Nayaks) who are his subjects, until some lands should be vacant, from which the maintenance of the Fathers could be taken without objection. For this purpose he issued the necessary ollas; and one of our Fathers went to Cangeuaram (Kanchivaram) to see the Polle (an officer of the imperial treasury), through whom such a rent had to be received. He was entertained and honoured by this Polle, who gave him as great proofs of his love as any of those princes who are friends of the Society would have done in Europe. When he was aware of the coming of the Father, he used to send him every day a messenger with congratulatory letters, that were, he said, like daily salvoes to cheer him. He promised to pay diligently the first part of the rent in the following January, that is one fourth of the whole; and, as a matter of fact, he has already given us five hundred pardaos¹.