Social and Political Life in the Vijayanagara Empire (A.D. 1346 – A.D. 1646) v1.c8.s3.46

v1.c8.s3.46

The monotony and weariness of travel in those days must have been in a way compensated by the grace and grandeur of the vehicles, some of which, like the palanquin of the Bōyees and the howdah over the elephant, possessed, it must be admitted, a singular charm to the Indian eye. The conveyances, according to Śukra, are the elephant, the camel, the bull and the horse. These he describes as excellent beasts of burden in descending order. Carriages are the best of all conveyances except in the rainy season.⁸ Except these last, the Vijayanagara people were familiar with all the rest, although we may observe that travellers speak of carts as well. Barbosa in A.D. 1514 noted the following about the beasts of burden: "And they carry their goods by means of buffaloes, oxen, asses, and ponies, and do their field work with them".⁹ While speaking of pepper which was imported into the city from Malabar, he says that it was "brought from Malabar on oxen and asses".¹⁰ Both Paes and Nuniz agree with Barbosa on this point. The former says: ". . . the oxen are beasts of burden and are sumpter-mules; these carry all their goods".¹ And the latter remarks, ". . . for all comes from outside on pack-oxen since in this country they always use beasts for burdens . . ."² These animals were also used for the same purpose in the Hoysala times. While describing the greatness of the Vira Baṇaja Dharma, an inscription dated A.D. 1150 says the following: "The Nānā-dēsis enjoying in great comfort, merit, wealth, pleasure and property (the four objects of human desire)", "were also the carriers with asses and buffaloes, adorned with red trappings" of the country's trade.³ Caesar Frederick tells us that people "ride on bullocks with pannels as wee terme them, girts and bridles, and they have a very good commodious pace".⁴