A History of South India from Prehistoric Times to the Fall of Vijayanagar c18.10

c18.10

The king made his appearance in open durbar at least once a day, when all high officials and nobles had to be in attendance, and nothing was omitted that could increase the splendour of the display. It was then that he generally transacted public business, heard complaints, received ambassadors from foreign countries and tribute from subordinate rulers. Such scenes have been repeatedly described by travellers from abroad, and the following account by Nicolas Pimenta (1599) of the interview he had with the Naick (*nāyak*) of Gingee at Chidambaram may be considered more or less typical. ‘The Naickus of Gingi was come hither, in whose dominion it standeth. He commanded that we should be brought to his Presence. Before us two hundred Brachmanes went in a ranke to sprinkle the house with Holy water, and to prevent Sorcerie against the King, which they use to do every day that the King first entreth into any house. We found him lying on a silken carpet leaning on two Cushions, in a long silken Garment, a great Chaine hanging from his necke, distinguished with many Pearles and Gemmes, all over his breast, his long hair tyed with a knot on the Crowne, adorned with Pearles; some Princes and Brachmanes attended him. He entertained us kindly, and marvelled much that we chewed not the leaves of Betele which were offered to us, and dismissed us with gifts of precious clothes wrought with Gold, desiring a Priest of us for his new Citie which he was building.’ In 1443, the king of Vijayanagar interviewed the Persian ambassador Abdur Razzak twice a week when he stayed in the city, and on one occasion he said to the ambassador through his interpreter: ‘Your monarchs invite an ambassador, and receive him to their table; as you and we may not eat together, this purse full of gold is the feast we give to an ambassador.’ The sultans of the Bāhmani kingdom and their nobles were, if anything, even more luxurious and extravagant in their mode of life, as the Russian merchant Athanasius Nikitin testifies. About Bijapur, Varthema (1505) wrote: ‘The king lives in great pride and pomp. A great number of his servants wear on the insteps of their shoes rubies and diamonds, and other jewels; so you may imagine how many are worn on the fingers of the hand and in the ears . . . . They are all Mahommedans . . . . The ladies go with their faces quite covered, according to the custom of Damascus.’