Social and Political Life in the Vijayanagara Empire (A.D. 1346 – A.D. 1646) v1.c8.s4.16

v1.c8.s4.16

Another flourishing city on the same coast was Bhatkal (Baṭṭakaḷa). The travellers have a word of praise for it. Varthema says that "Bathacala" was "a very noble city of India", "walled, and very beautiful, and almost a mile distant from the sea. Its king is subject to the King of Narsinga. The city has no seaport, the only approach to it being a small river".⁵ Barbosa supplements this account with more details. He writes: "This town is situated in level country, it is very populous, and not walled; it is surrounded with many gardens, very good estates, and very fresh and abundant water".⁶ Though in this account he contradicts Varthema's remark that the city had a wall, yet he admits that Bhatkal was "large town", "of very great trade in merchandise, inhabited by many Moors and Gentiles, very commercial people. And at this port congregate many ships from Orguz (Ormuz), to load very good white rice, sugar in powder, of which there is much in this country, for they do not know how to make it in loaves; and it is worth at the rate of two hundred and forty maravedis the arroba (i.e., quarter of hundredweight)." About its viceroy he says: "This town produces much revenue to the King. Its governor is a Gentile: he is named Damaqueti. He is very rich in money and jewels. The King of Narsinga has given this place and others to a nephew of his, who rules and governs them, and lives in great State, and calls himself king, but is in obedience to the king his uncle".⁷ To the Portuguese this was an important centre of influence. Barbosa speaks of the ships bound for Aden, in the harbour of Bhatkal, "risking themselves, although it is forbidden them by the Portuguese", who prohibited the importation of spices and drugs. Bhatkal paid an annual tribute to the king of Portugal.⁸