The Aravidu Dynasty of Vijayanagara, Vol. I v1.c7.74

v1.c7.74

About his end, Couto only says that his subjects killed him 2, and the *Vasucharitramu* and the *Narasabupaliyamu* state respectively that ‘Rama finally killed’ 3 or ‘destroyed the traitor Salakam Timma’ 4. The same is recorded by Mirza Ibrahim Zabiri 5. Finally, the *Annals* record that ‘he was killed in the fight’ 6. But Ferishta, whom I trust more on this occasion on account of the detailed account he gives, relates these events as follows: “Bhol Tirmal Ray, finding he was betrayed, shut himself up in the palace, and, becoming mad from despair, blinded all the royal elephants and horses, and cut off their tails that they might be of no use to his enemy. All the diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and other precious stones and pearls, which had been collected in the course of many ages, he crushed to powder between heavy mill-stones, and scattered them on the ground. He then fixed a sword-blade into a pillar of his apartment, and ran his breast upon it with such force, that it pierced through, and came out at his back; thus putting an end to his existence, just as the gates of the palace were opened to his enemies” 7. Correa agrees with this Muham-madan writer, and even says that before dying Salakam said that he wanted to die as a king of Vijayanagara 8.