A Forgotten Empire (Vijayanagar): A Contribution to the History of India c16.s1.7

c16.s1.7

¹ The origin of the name “Sabayo” has often been discussed, and never, I think, quite satisfactorily explained. Several of the old writers have exercised their ingenuity on the question. Barros (Dec. II. l. v. cap. 1) writes: “Ao tempo que nos entramos na India, era Senhor desta Cidade Goa hum mouro per nome Soai, capitao d’el Rey do Decan, a que communamente chamamos Sabayo”—“When we arrived in India, the lord of this city of Goa was a Moor, by name Soai, captain of the king of the Dakhan, whom we commonly call Sabayo.” But Barros must not always be depended upon for Indian names. He explains “Sabayo” as derived from Saba or Sava—“Persian,” and says that the Sabayo’s son was Âdil Shâh. Garcia da Orta derives it from Sahib. Burton (Lusiads, iii. p. 290) thinks it was a corruption of Sipahdar or “military governor.”