Social and Political Life in the Vijayanagara Empire (A.D. 1346 – A.D. 1646) v1.c13.s5.1

v1.c13.s5.1

Judged by the evidence of some of the foreign travellers, it is clear that there were cases of oppression and maladministration in the Vijayanagara Empire. But since none of the witnesses has given any explanation of the tyranny inflicted by the tributary chieftains, and by the officials of the Government, it is necessary to understand from equally reliable sources, both indigenous and foreign, whether monarchs, feudatories, and officials of Vijayanagara were really given to a continual life of rapine and plunder, and whether the rulers and the people made no attempt to suppress official high-handedness in the country. According to John Nieuhof the Nāyaka of Madura was no better than a voluptuous tyrant, who, in order to secure the fidelity of the governors, resorted to the meanest of devices by imprisoning their wives. In the opinion of Pimenta, the Nāyaka of Madura of the same age, was a thoroughly pious person given to the worship of the gods and Brahmans. Pimenta in A.D. 1599 thus relates: "Hee (Kṛiṣṇappa Nāyaka) daily sits in judgement, a Bramene standing by, which ever and anone whineth out the name of the Idoll Aranganassa; and when one is weary another succeedeth, and continueth that acclamation, though hee sits sixe houres".² Pimenta, who was "Visiter of the Jesuits in India", and whose account contains many descriptions of the pagan credulities of the Hindus, did not write this to justify the character and action of the Nāyaka of Madura. This account of Pimenta and that of Nieuhof enable us to understand that Madura could as well boast of a pious prince as she could be ashamed of a ruthless ruler.