Social and Political Life in the Vijayanagara Empire (A.D. 1346 – A.D. 1646) v1.c8.s4.24

v1.c8.s4.24

But a more important town than Aṅkōlā was Maṅgalūr (Mangalore). In the days of 'Abdur Razzāq, it marked the limits of the Vijayanagara Empire on the Malabar coast.³ When Barbosa visited it, it was already a flourishing town. He writes thus about it: "The banks of this river (i.e., Nētrāvati) are very pretty, and very full of woods and palm trees, and are very thickly inhabited by Moors and Gentiles, and studded with fine buildings and houses of prayer of the Gentiles, which are very large and enriched with large revenues. There are also many mosques, where they greatly honour Mahomed".⁴ As we remarked in an earlier connection, Maṅgalūr was the headquarters of the Vijayanagara fleet on the Tuḷuva coast under its officer who was called Nāvigada-Prabhu (Lord of Ships). In A.D. 1514, however, it was looted by the Portuguese captain, Luiz de Mello de Silva.⁵