palace gates. Meantime the women inside were re- CHAPTER III. inforced by fresh bodies of archers and match-lockmen; the new arrivals made their way over the fort ditch at the back of the palace; they were dragged up to the windows by ropes. A fierce battle raged. Many were killed and wounded. At last Sáfdar Khan burst open the palace gates and rushed into the court-yard. An arrow pierced his eye; he crouched down against the wall. At that moment the young Sultan heaved a great stone upon him ; it crushed him to death. Shiahs. The Sunní revolt was at an end; Ismail recover- Triumph of the ed his throne. The body of the faithful Turk was buried in a magnificent tomb; holy men were appointed to pray for his soul; so long as the Sultan dwelt at Bíjápur he paid a monthly visit to the tomb, and joined in the prayers. monster, 1534. The further reign of Ismail is of small interest. Mallu, the He was a Shiah; he received an embassy from the Shíah Sultan of Persia.45 He was succeeded by his son Mallu. The new Sultan was a monster of wickedness. His grandmother, the Mahratta princess, ordered a Turkish noble to depose him and put out his eyes. next Ibrahim, the Sun- tion of the Sunní: persecu away Ibrahim, a younger brother, was the Sultan. He was a Sunní; he promoted the nís, and persecuted the Shiahs. He turned the Persian accountants because they were Shíahs; he engaged Mahratta Bráhmans in their room. The change proved mischievous. Many of the Bráhmans proved unfaithful and were put to death. 45 In the year 1500 the Shíahs of Persia had established an independent king. dom under the Súfi Sultans. It was a Sultan of this dynasty that sent an embassy to the Sultan of Bíjápur. Shiahs, 15341557. CHAPTER III. Numbers of Shíahs departed out of the kingdomand entered the service of the Rai of Vijayanagar. Ibrahim carried on many wars against his Mussulman neighbours; they are forgotten now. He died in 1557. His last act was to order the execution of his physicians because they could not cure him. Revolution in Vijayanagar. Intrigues of Timma, the minister. Ram Rai, son of Timma, gains the throne. During the reign of Ibrahim, the empire of Vijayanagar was convulsed by treacheries and massacres. The story is horrible but typical. It tells of a revolution which is frequent in Hindú history; the transfer of the sovereignty from the family of the Raja to that of the minister. It reveals the perfidy and bloodthirstiness which have been the curse of Asiatic courts from the remotest antiquity. Deva Rai had a minister named Timma. When Deva Rai died, there was no son old enough to succeed him as Raja of Vijayanagar. Timma placed an infant prince upon the throne; he ruled in his name as regent of the empire. When the infant was growing old enough to reign, he was murdered. Three infants reigned in succession; each one was murdered in turn. There was no one to interfere; the machinery of the state went on as usual; the treasury was in the hands of Timma; the armies of the empire were at his command. Meanwhile Timma married his son Ram Rai to a granddaughter of Deva Rai. This was part of his life-long intrigue. The marriage to the princess gave Ram Rai a show of claim to the throne. In the end Ram Rai was proclaimed Raja. Another work of slaughter was carried out in the dark places of the palace. All the males of the royal family were put to death; none escaped, except a CHAPTER III. half-witted man named Termal, and an infant of the female branch. the nobles. Ram Rai gained the throne without opposition. Opposition of Had he been courtly towards his nobles, after the manner of Rajas, he might have reigned until his dying day. But he was puffed-up and insolent; he offended the vassals of the empire by his pride and arrogance. They cried out against the usurper; they demanded a prince royal for their Raja. Ram Rai. Ram Rai was in extreme peril; his kingdom Intrigues of and his life were in equal danger. He saved himself by yielding to the clamour. He placed the infant of the female branch upon the throne; het fell back upon the post of minister. The nobles were satisfied. Ram Rai still reigned as regent; possibly he stooped to fawn and flatter. Meantime he pushed on the work of assassination; every dangerous foe was put out of the way. His resources were boundless; poison or the dagger might be freely used his instruments had nothing to fear. When Rama had cut down every enemy, he placed the infant Raja in confinement; he once more took his seat upon the throne as Raja of the empire. Ram Rai. Many of the nobles chafed under the new usurp- Overthrow of ation. Some broke out in rebellion. Ram Rai took the field against them. Suddenly a strange incident wrested the empire out of his hands. He had entrusted the charge of the imperial treasury at Vijayanagar to a favourite slave whom he had raised to high office. His campaign in the province exhausted his army chest; he sent to the capital for a fresh supply of money. The slave opened the imperial treasury; his brain was turned at the sight of the CHAPTER III. golden hoards. Termal seizes the throne. Invites the Sultan of Bíjápur.< Ibrahim Shah at Vijayanagar. Wild cravings seduced him into treason. He released the infant Raja, placed him on the throne, assumed the post of minister, and began to levy troops. Every disaffected tributary in the empire hastened to Vijayanagar to rally round the lawful Raja and defend him against Ram Rai. At this crisis there was another turn of fortune. The slave had not acted alone. He had discovered his plans to Termal, the half-witted prince. Termal had all the craft and cruelty of a madman. He put the slave to death and became minister. He put the infant to death and became Raja. The feudatories accepted the change; probably they would have accepted any change that delivered them from the insolence of Ram Rai. Termal Rai was akin to the old dynasty; consequently he had a claim to the sovereignty. Ram Rai was completely baffled; he retired to his own estates and bided his time. The madness of Termal proved more unbearable than the insolence of Ram Rai. The nobles of the empire were driven to rally round Ram Rai. Termal suddenly found himself in mortal danger; a tempest was gathering round him to destroy him. He saved himself by calling in the Mussulmans. He sent large presents to Ibrahim, Sultan of Bíjápur; he entreated the Sultan to help him; he promised that if the Sultan saved him he would become the vassal of Bíjápur. Ibrahim accepted the offer with gladness. He marched his army with all speed to Vijayanagar; he was admitted within the walls; he was conducted to the palace. Termal hailed him as his deliverer. He placed the Sultan upon the throne of Vijayanagar; he did homage before Ibrahim as his vassal. trayed: kills The Hindus were in the utmost dismay. Termal CHAPTER III had betrayed the empire to the Mussulmans; his Termal beMussulman allies enabled him to defy his Hindú himself. enemies. Ram Rai and his adherents entreated him to send away the Sultan. They declared that the presence of the Mussulmans polluted the temples and offended the gods. They vowed that if he would only dismiss the Mussulmans they would be his faithful subjects for the future. Termal was already sick of the Mussulmans. He was anxious to be reconciled to his feudatories. He bribed Ibrahim to go back to Bíjápur with a subsidy of nearly two millions sterling. Scarcely had the Mussulman army crossed the Krishna river when Termal was undeceived. The nobles threw their vows to the winds. They proclaimed that they were marching on Vijayanagar to avenge the young Raja who had been murdered by Termal. The tidings drove Termal frantic. He put out the eyes of all his horses and elephants; he cut off their tails. He crushed the jewels in the treasury with heavy millstones. Finally, just as his enemies were breaking into the palace, he fell upon his sword and perished on the spot.46 of Vijayanagar. Ram Rai now became Raja of Vijayanagar; he Ram Rai, Raja soon restored the empire to its former grandeur. He threw off all show of dependence upon the Mussulmans. He was in reality the master. He paid no tribute to Bíjápur; he kept possession of the Raichor Doab. Meanwhile Ali Adil Shah succeeded his father Ali Adil Shah, 46 These desperate proceedings were in accordance with old Rajpoot usages. Raja Jaipál of Lahore threatened to act in like manner unless Sabaktigín aud Mahmud concluded a peace. a Shiah, 15571565. |