Social and Political Life in the Vijayanagara Empire (A.D. 1346 – A.D. 1646) v1.c8.s4.48

v1.c8.s4.48

An equally famous hill-fortress was Gingee or Señji. Its location is thus given in an inscription of Saka 1545: Señji in Veṇbar-nāḍu which was a sub-division of Karikāla-kaṇṇa-valanāḍu in Magada-maṇḍalam.³ Even in Hoysala times it was reckoned to be a well known hill-fortress. In A.D. 1187 Viṣṇuvardhana is said to have conquered a great many strongholds, among which the name "Chengiri" appears. That illustrious Hoysala ruler is said to have destroyed the serpent of Chengiri, which has been identified by Rice with Señji.⁴ It continued to be an important military station during and after the Vijayanagara times. In A.D. 1597 it was the seat of Kṛṣṇa Nāyaka. It was here that Pimenta was taken into the presence of the Nāyaka by two hundred Brahmans who went "in a ranke to sprinkle the house with Holy water, and to prevent Sorcerie against the King which they use to doe every day that the King first entereth into any house".⁵