Social and Political Life in the Vijayanagara Empire (A.D. 1346 – A.D. 1646) v1.c10.s7.6

v1.c10.s7.6

'Abdur Razzāq speaks of a centralized treasury, the moneys of which, as in his own case, were used for State purposes, and for the disbursement of the pay of soldiers. Evidently a treasury which could on demand produce 7,000 *fanams* must have been sufficiently well organized. But Paes makes us believe that it was a collection of gold hoarded in vaults to be used only when the kings were in great distress. The remarks of Paes, it is admitted, are supported by those of Nuniz, who, in his description of the capture of the six officers of the King of "Bisnaga" by the soldiers of the Sultan of Delhi, says: "These were made captive and were taken before the King (of Delhi), and the King asked them who they were and how they had escaped, and they told them who they were; at which the King greatly rejoiced, because one of them was the minister of the kingdom and another the treasurer, and the others were leading officers in it. They were questioned by the King concerning the treasures of the King of Bisnaga, and such riches as were buried in the vaults of the fortress were delivered up to him. . ."² The concluding words of the above, "the treasures of the King of Bisnaga and such riches as were buried in the vaults", seem to corroborate the statement of Paes about the treasures.