A Forgotten Empire (Vijayanagar): A Contribution to the History of India c10.52

c10.52

Nuniz states that his "Togao Mamede" conquered Gujarât, was at war with Bengal, and had trouble with the Turkomans on the borders of Sheik Ismâil, *i.e.* Persia.⁴ To take these in reverse order. Early in the reign of Muhammad Taghlaq vast hordes of Moghuls invaded the Panjâb and advanced almost unopposed to Delhi, where the king bought them off by payment of immense sums of money. Next as to Bengal. Prior to his reign that province had been subdued, had given trouble, and had again been reduced. In his reign it was crushed under the iron hand of a viceroy from Delhi, Ghiyâs-ud-dîn Bahâdur “Bura,” who before long attempted to render himself independent. He styled himself Bahâdur Shâh, and issued his own coinage. In 1327 (A.H. 728) the legends on his coins acknowledge the overlordship of Delhi, but two years later they describe him as independent king of Bengal.¹ In 1333 Muhammad issued his own coinage for Bengal and proceeded against the rebel. He defeated him, captured him, flayed him alive, and causing his skin to be stuffed with straw ordered it to be paraded through the provinces of the empire as a warning to ambitious governors. With reference to Gujarât Nuniz has been led into a slight error. Muhammad Taghlaq certainly did go there, but only in 1347. What he did do was to conquer the Dakhan. Firishtah mentions among his conquests Dvârasamudra, Malabar, Ânegundi (under the name “Kampila,” for a reason that will presently be explained), Warangal, &c., and these places “were as effectually incorporated with his empire as the villages in the vicinity of Delhi.”² He also held Gujarât firmly. If, therefore, we venture to correct Nuniz in this respect, and say that “Togao Mamede” made war on the “Dakhan” instead of on “Gujarât,” and then advanced against Ânegundi (wrongly called “Vijayanagar,” which place was not as yet founded), we shall probably be not far from the truth. The history of “Togao Mamede” so far is the history of Muhammad Taghlaq.