Social and Political Life in the Vijayanagara Empire (A.D. 1346 – A.D. 1646) v1.c8.s3.62

v1.c8.s3.62

In addition to the services of the animals mentioned above, those of man were also in great demand. A large population, the exact estimate of which however cannot be gathered; the consequent cheapness of labour; the four-fold divisions of society; the tradition of having a particular class of people to do a particular trade; the rights and privileges which such people enjoyed; and the existence of slavery—these were perhaps some of the reasons why man in those days performed, as he unfortunately does still in some parts of southern India, the work of a beast of burden. The palanquins, most often beautiful in design and costly in value, with their traditional carriers, the Boyees, used by the captains and the rich classes, were the rule of the day. Barbosa tells us how the nobles, who had incurred the king's displeasure, were ordered to present themselves before him. They "have to come immediately: and they come in very rich litters on men's shoulders, and their horses are led by the bridle before them, and many horses go in front of them".⁴ The common people were not allowed the use of this coveted conveyance. "All the captains of this kingdom", according to Nuniz, "make use of litters and palanqueens. These are like biers and men carry them on their shoulders, but people are not allowed to make use of litters unless they are cavaliers of the highest rank, and the captains and principal persons use palanqueens. There are always at the court where the King is twenty thousand litters and palanqueens".¹