Social and Political Life in the Vijayanagara Empire (A.D. 1346 – A.D. 1646) v1.c9.s5.104

v1.c9.s5.104

This traveller also tells us that the Vijayanagara Emperor (Tirumala) was in the capital in A.D. 1567. "In the yeer of our Lord 1567, I went from Goa", writes Frederick, "to Bezeneger the chief Citie of the kingdom of Narsinga eight dayes journey from Goa, within the Land, in the companie of two other Merchants which carried with them three hundred Arabian Horses to that King".² Indeed, it must be said to the credit of the Hindus that they tried to reoccupy the capital after the disaster. "'Tirumala returned to Vijayanagara after the departure of the Dekanese' says Anquetil du Perron".³ The return of the Regent Tirumala, in the opinion of the Rev. Heras, "is one of the outstanding events of those days. It signifies that the battle of Raksas-Tagdi (Rākhasa-Taṅgaḍi) the ruler of Vijayanagara did not despair of restoring the Empire to its ancient grandeur; to maintain the capital next to the boundaries of their enemies showed the indomitable courage that could still challenge the Deccani Muhammadans, with the sure hope of crushing them as in former days, for Vijayanagara was the city of Victory!"⁴ In this bold venture of Tirumala we have an insight into the Hindu character under the Vijayanagara kings: it was the desire to do daring deeds in spite of overwhelming disaster. If the Muhammadan Sultans were in the capital immediately after the war, and if they were followed by the Hindu Regent, who was at least for two years in the city, then, it could not have been that the wandering hordes of gipsies looted the capital on the next day of the battle.