The Aravidu Dynasty of Vijayanagara, Vol. I v1.c30.45

v1.c30.45

Kondambika, however, did not replace her sister Raghavamba in Venkata’s affection. The new favourite Queen, who is sometimes simply called ‘the Queen’, is often mentioned in the Jesuit letters from 1606 onwards. In November of this year Fr. Coutinho wrote that ‘the Queen,’ owing to our sins, has the supreme power in this country’, and describes Venkata’s total subservience to this consort of his as follows: “He (Venkata) shows such great subjection to the black Queen that she governs every thing. He would rather break the bonds of friendship with everbody than thwart her wishes. She was the cause of our estrangement from the King and will continue hostile till she receives from St. Thome the money and presents she expects, as a satisfaction for their deeds” ¹. In another letter of Fr. Coutinho of the same date it is recorded that the complaints of the inhabitants of Mylapore against the Portuguese of St. Thome were sent to Venkata through the Queen ². In November of the following year, Fontebona received, during his illness at St. Thome ³, a prescription from the same sovereign, but it did not reach his own hands before passing through those of the Queen ⁴. In January 1608, after the serious defeat suffered by Krishnappa Nayaka of Jinji, terms of peace between Venkata and this chief were arranged through the influence of the Queen, who received on this occasion the fortress of Canaripatan ¹. In 1611, a letter of Fr. Laerzio sheds more light on the power of this Queen at court: "The King", says he, "has handed over the government to one of his wives and a brother of hers. These two are by no means friendly towards the Fathers, and even less friendly to the Portuguese" ². This shows that the favour of this Queen was shared by her brother. The influence of this man, indeed, makes itself felt at the court of Venkata at the same time as that of his sister. Fr. Coutinho, in the letter quoted above of November, 1606, relates that when the Archbishop-Governor of Goa, Fr. Alexio de Menezes, sent a horse to Venkata, the Queen's brother had obtained it from the King even before it had reached the capital ³. Philip III, writing to Dom Jeronymo d'Azevedo, on January 31st, 1614, recommends to him "to be on good terms with the brother-in-law of the King of Bisnaga (Vijayanagara)" ⁴. Another letter of Fr. Coutinho, of 1608, shows that several other relatives of this Queen were elevated to power by her; when speaking of her favour at the court, he says that 'everybody is complaining of her relatives' ⁵.