A Forgotten Empire (Vijayanagar): A Contribution to the History of India c21.s3.t6.16

c21.s3.t6.16

The King then advanced to the camp of the Ydallcão and rested himself in his tent, but many of the captains spoke against his action in thus taking repose, saying that he ought rather to complete the destruction of all his enemies, and they would secure this for him; and that if he did not wish himself to do this he should at least command some of them to do it, and that it was not wise to cease from pursuit so long as daylight should last. To whom the King answered that many had died who were not to blame; that if the Ydallcão had done him wrong, he had already suffered enough; and moreover, that it did not seem to him good, since Rachol remained behind them to be taken, that they should go forward, but rather they should make themselves ready for its capture; for that the siege had to be conducted henceforth in a new and better manner. For the King was persuaded throughout that, since the Ydallcão had lost so many men and so much honour, and had lost indeed all his power, he would not wish to live any longer, and that he must be dead on the field. Which, however, was not so, seeing that the Ydallcão had not even entered into the fight, but had all the time remained under guard of Sefallarym¹—he who now calls himself Açadacão and is lord of Belgaum—who, fearing the event, contrived by cunning that the Ydallcão should select him for his guard with all his troops, among whom he had four hundred cavalry; and when he saw how the soldiers fled, and how completely they had been defeated, he said to the Ydallcão, “Sire, if thou seekest to live follow me!” and the Ydallcão took refuge on an elephant and followed him, leaving his camp and all that he possessed. And as Açadacão wished him to travel by land,¹ he took no care to search for the ford, but skirting the range of hills on the south he went by that way.²