Social and Political Life in the Vijayanagara Empire (A.D. 1346 – A.D. 1646) v2.c23.s3.41

v2.c23.s3.41

Before we deal with the description of the Hindu dishes by writers, we may note briefly the remarks of foreigners on some etiquette while eating. ³ Abdur Razzāq relates the following while describing the attempt that was made on the life of Dēva Rāya II. "The brother of the king had constructed a new house, and invited the king and the nobles of state to an entertainment. The custom of the infidels is, not to eat in the presence of one another."³ The observations of Nuniz on this subject are more pertinent. He describes the plot got up by the nephew of a king whom he calls "Pinarao". "And he, making all ready, as soon as they were in his house, being at table, they were all slain by daggers thrust by men kept in readiness for that deed. This was done without any one suspecting it, because the custom there is to place on the table all that there is to eat and drink, no man being present to serve those who are seated, nor being kept outside, but only those who are going to eat; and because of their thus being alone at table, nothing of what passed could be known to the people they had brought with them."⁴ Whether it was a universal custom not to have any one to serve those who were seated is a debatable point. It may have been due in this particular instance to the precautions which the guilty prince took to carry his plot to a successful issue.