A Forgotten Empire (Vijayanagar): A Contribution to the History of India c15.37

c15.37

The account given by the *Burhān-i Maāsir* as to Muhammad Shāh's proceedings at this period is that on going to Rajahmundry he found there Narasimha Rāya “with 700,000 cursed infantry, and 500 elephants like mountains of iron,” who, in spite of all his pomp and power, fled like a craven on the approach of the army of Islâm. The Sultan then reduced Rajahmundry, which had been held by a *Hindu* force—not Muhammadan, as Firishtah declares. In November 1480¹ he marched from Rajahmundry to Kondavid, going “towards the kingdom of Vijayanagar.” After reducing that fortress, he proceeded after a while to Malur, which belonged to Narasimha, “who, owing to his numerous army and the extent of his dominions, was the greatest and most powerful of all the rulers of Telingana and Vijayanagar,” and who “had established himself in the midst of the countries of Kanara and Telingana, and taken possession of most of the districts of the coast and interior of Vijayanagar.”