Social and Political Life in the Vijayanagara Empire (A.D. 1346 – A.D. 1646) v1.c14.s1.5

v1.c14.s1.5

But the Hindu rulers do not seem to have always been as generous towards foreign ambassadors as Dēva Rāya II had been to 'Abdur Razzāq. Nuniz tells us the following about the ambassador, whom he calls "Matucotam", from the court of 'Ali 'Adil Shāh: "As soon as he had thus settled himself the ambassador sent to inform the King (Kṛṣṇa Dēva Rāya) of his arrival, and begged that His Highness would grant him an audience and despatch him without delay. The King replied that he would see him, but told him that he should not be impatient since he himself had but now arrived, and that he would give him leave to depart as soon as the time had arrived. And with this the ambassador stayed there a month without the King having sought to see him, nor having asked to know why he had come; he went every day to the palace, and seeing the way in which the King acted towards him he determined to speak no more but to wait till the King summoned him".¹ According to the Bakhair of Rāma Rāja, the Mahaldar, who came also from the same court, was not ordered into the royal presence immediately on his arrival. "He (the Mahaldar) then considered with (in) himself that the Raja (i.e., Rāma Rāja) by not sending for him on his arrival to receive his Sovereign's letters, had shown great slight and contempt; yet (he thought) it was not prudent to open his mouth on this subject as it might not be to his honour. . ."²