Vijayanagar

Title: Vijayanagar – As Seen by Domingo Paes and Fernao Nuniz and Others

Editor: Vasundhara Filliozat

Publisher: National Book Trust, India, 1999 (First published 1997)

ISBN: 81-237-2658-9

Pages: 370

There are many books available now that offer much information about Vijayanagara Empire. Almost all of them base their conclusions and arguments on the descriptions of three medieval personalities, two of them Portuguese travelers, Domingo Paes and Fernao Nuniz and the other Ferishta, a historian in Nizam’s court. This book is a welcome change from the run of the mill histories as it has included the accounts of all travelers who had remarked anything about Vijayanagara, including in addition to the two Portuguese above, we have Nicolo Conti, Abdur Razak, Nikitin, Varthema, Tome Pires, Barbosa, Frederici and an anonymous letter. In addition to this, two travelogues on Hampi done in 1878 and the 18^th century are included to provide an interesting comparison to the state of things now. The author has displayed keen intellect in solving some of the riddles in the chronicles which makes this book a worthwhile companion to those who study the history of Vijayanagara. The author, Vasundhara Filliozat was born in Karnataka and brought up in an environment soaked in Sanskrit and Kannada culture. She has studied in France and has published about twenty books and numerous articles in Kannada, English and French. She had married Pierre-Sylvain Filliozat, a Frenchman who taught Sanskrit in Paris. This book is eminently readable even though it reeks occasionally of a strong patriotic Karnataka flavour.

In the section on ‘Historical Introduction’, a bare new idea is propounded. While every book on Vijayanagar are more or less about the name of the empire and its capital city to be the same, the author differs from this assertion and proposes that the capital city was named thus, but the empire was known as Karnataka. It is to be admitted that the effort is well founded on epigraphical evidence. The kings were called ‘emperors of Karnataka’ on many inscriptions, and the branch of classical music which was popular in the South was called Karnataki, in the sense that the music flourished in the empire of Karnataka. However, the author takes much pain to dispel any doubt on the similarity of the name with that of the modern Indian state of Karnataka. She argues that though the empire was named Karnataka, its vassals calling themselves Nayaks of Karnataka ruling from Madurai, were Tamils. Not only that, the court language of the empire was Telugu. Hence, it may be said that the author’s efforts to sing the praise of a Karnataka empire previously not recognized as such, turns out to be a Pan-South Indian kingdom. But there seems to be a flaw in Filliozat’s argument. She states that Ballala III, king of the Hoysala Empire was also called King of Karnataka as noted in a commentary by Ferishta (p.13). This point raises further doubts. There is no contention on the fact that Ballala’s empire was called Hoysala and its capital city Dvarasamudra, but still he is often referred to as a king of Karnataka. This can only mean that the term Karnataka was meant only as a geographic indicator like ‘Deccan’ and there is nothing to eulogize for Kannadigas (the people inhabiting present-day Karnataka state). Being a Kannadiga herself, Vasundhara tries her best to paint the rulers of Vijayanagar in glowing terms. How the kings of Karnataka could be anything but good and compassionate? She omits an incident in the life of Devaraya I, noted by many historians, which ended in much ignominy for the king. His lustful overtures towards a farmer’s daughter in a contested territory with Bahmanis were turned down and the king made a raid on the town. The farmer and his family fled, but the king’s invasion resulted in a counter attack by the Bahmani sultan that ended in Devaraya’s defeat. One of his daughters was handed over to the sultan and the farmer’s daughter, who was instrumental for all these events, was taken over by the sultan’s son. The author is silent on this episode and instead sings praise on Devaraya I for his rule.

The book would have been much better and objective if the Kannada chauvinism bursting the banks of reason and drowning the sensible part too, had not been so distinctly discernible. In her heroic attempt to depict everything concerned with the Karnataka Empire headquartered at Vijayanagar in favourable light, Vasundhara has crossed all limits of appropriateness. Many visitors had remarked about the gruesome practice of Sati (widow burning or burial) that was widely enforced in Vijayanagar and has written eloquently about this inhuman ritual. But this was practiced in Karnataka and how does the author react to it? She boldly comes up with the ridiculous notion that “the European travelers were wonderstruck at this heroic custom of women of India facing the death so courageously” (p.243, foot note). Here we have a rationalization of Sati and that too, coming from a woman! This was outrageous. Again, the unwarranted comparison of Hampi to the temples of Tamil Nadu is another act of militant patriotism, when she says, “the Karnataka architecture was adopted in the construction of mandapas at Madurai, Sucheendram and other temples, but they cannot hold a flame to the charm and musicality of the pillars of Vittala Temple at Hampi” (p.52).

The foreign visitors provide a glimpse into the lives of the kings, nobles and commoners of Vijayanagar. Regarding the culinary tastes of the royal personages, Nuniz writes, “The kings of Bisnaga eat all sorts of things, but not the flesh of oxen or cows, which they never kill in all the country of the heathen because they worship them. They eat mutton, pork, venison, partridges, hares, doves, quail, and all kinds of birds; even sparrows, and rats, and cats and lizards, all of which are sold in the market of the city of Bisnaga” (p.225). If anyone had an inkling that the kings were vegetarians, that is indeed very far from the truth! The city was neck deep in corruption even under the reputation of Krishna Devaraya as an enforcer of justice and discipline. Nuniz says again, “Every merchant who brings merchandise in horses and other things which he may have brought to sell to the king, if he desires an audience, has to offer him a present of a piece of goods or a horse of the best that he has brought, in order that he may obtain an audience and transact his business. And this, not only to the king. You must perforce pay bribes to all the several officers with whom you have to deal. They will do nothing without some profit to themselves” (p.230). The king’s sexual tyranny was intolerable with modern standards. The nobles and particularly their daughters lived very submissive lives to the whims and sexual fantasies of the king who considered all women as his sex slaves. All of the courtiers were forced to send their daughters to the harem. And they lived a degraded existence in the seraglio, as Barbosa says “The king has in his palace many women of position, daughters of great lords of the realm, and others as well, some as concubines, and some has handmaids. For this purpose the fairest and most healthy women are sought throughout the kingdom, that they may do him service with cleanliness and neatness, for all the service is carried out by women, and they do all the work inside the gates, and hold all the duties of the household. They are all gathered inside the palaces, where they have in plenty all that they require, and have many good lodgings. They sing and play and offer a thousand other pleasures as well to the king. They bathe daily in the many tanks as kept for that purpose. The king goes to see them bathing, and she who pleases him most is sent for to come to his chamber. There is such envy and rivalry among these women with regard to the king’s favour that ‘some kill others’ and some poison themselves” (p.304-5).

This book is noteworthy in the sense that it has successfully explained some of the incongrueties in Nuniz’s chronicle. For example, Nuniz declares that Tughlaq’s invasion took place in the year 1230, whereas the actual year was 1309. Sewell and others believe this to be an error on the chronicler’s part. But the author asserts that this number represents the same year as 1309 in the Saka calendar, which is the official calendar of the country now, but was in widespread use among the Hindu kingdoms. This reasoning enhances Nuniz’s credibility, but the author goes against him in many other places when his description does not lend credit to the glory of Krishna Devaraya or the Vijayanagara kings. Krishna is reported to have blinded his minister Saluva Timma, to whom he owed his throne and who faithfully served him for many decades, under the suspicion that Timma had poisoned the heir apparent, Krishna’s son, who was only 6 years old. This incident rattles against the Raya’s fame as a just ruler when reflected with the ignominy of his ungrateful act. Vasundhara attacks Nuniz for fabricating a ‘cock and bull story’ based on court intrigue, but don’t disclose her own reasons for making this offensive conclusion. The author’s passionate regard for Karnataka bordering on chauvinism overshadows her objectivity on many occasions, including this one.

The book is recommended.

Rating: 2 Star

Hampi

Title: Hampi – Discover the Splendours of Vijayanagar

Author: Subhadra Sen Gupta

Publisher: Niyogi Books, 2010 (First)

ISBN: 978-81-89738-64-8

Pages: 262

No one forgets the first sight of Hampi in Karnataka. You suddenly seem to be transported from the modern world at the wave of a magic wand to a medieval town in which kings and courtiers roam the streets. If the pedestrians decide to don the clothes worn a few centuries ago, they would blend seamlessly to the background, in which the traveler see history frozen in stone – broken stone, to be precise, as the city never recovered from the barbaric destruction let loose on it after its defeat in the Battle of Talikota in 1565. A lot of travel related information is freely available on the Web, but there is nothing to compare with the experience of huddling with a nice comfortable volume, like this one, which is hard bound and having fine pages of enough thickness that can handle rough times of travel and superb pictures by Clare Arni, who is a Bengaluru-based photographer specializing in architecture. The author, Subhadra Sen Gupta writes on various aspects of Indian history and culture through fiction and travel writing. She also writes historical fiction for children and scripts comic books. At the end of it, we are not quite sure whether this book comes in which category.

The book is divided into eight chapters, with history pouring out lavishly in the description. But none of it should be taken very seriously unless the contention is borne out by quotations in other more reliable texts. True to the author’s predilection to historical fiction, the events are portrayed in flowery detail that pictures the Vijayanagara kings in a eulogizing light, as the representatives of good battling the evil forces of other kings and sultans. When you read history with an objective mind, the first thing you would notice is the absence of crystal clear truths and falsities among the avowed professions of the rivals. History is more of a matter of logical interpretation that suits the current society, than a fit case for impartial judgment. The author’s assertions on historical events interest the casual traveler, and may even help him more to be at ease with the surroundings of Hampi’s ruins. The skewed narrative that depicts a Hindu kingdom being mercilessly harangued by evil Muslim sultanates in the neighbourhood casts a shadow of historical immaturity on the book. But of course, no one takes travel books seriously. Even though it might be so, a warning may be relevant here that informs the visitors that whatever incidents narrated in the book is the personal opinion of the author which may or may not have solid foundation on actual facts.

The chapters containing Introduction and ‘A City Time Forgot’ is very nicely written and warmly invites the attention of readers who had visited or actually plan to visit the city. Sengupta does not stop by merely describing the sights, she extols the visitor to be a part of the ambience by gently instructing him to “take off your shoes and feel the cool stone under your feet. Touch a pillar and follow the lines of carvings of a dancing Shiva and you’ll be able to imagine what that forgotten stone carver felt as he tapped the unyielding stone with his chisel. Listen to the silence as you watch the sun dip past the gigantic head of the Narasimha statue that still watches over Hampi with such ferocious pride”. Such lovely advice would definitely win the hearts of the traveler.

The book depicts each part of Hampi through separate chapters each doing justice to the matter under discussion. Thus we see sections titled Pilgrims by a sacred river, Living in Vijayanagar, and an Imperial citadel. Vitthala temple is the most exquisite of Hampi monuments and the author sets aside a full chapter on this magnificent piece of medieval Indian architecture. The book is divided into two halves, the first one priming the reader on the historical background of Hampi and the latter painting the sculptures in vivid colours. Arni has done a wonderful job in filling the volume with lots of crisp and stunning photographs that do full justice to the glorious relics that adorn the little hamlet tucked away in the middle of giant boulders which lie tumbled among the monuments. As a travel guide, the book should have contained more on-the-road instructions and cut down a little on history, which is not so accurate anyway. Being a hard cover and printed on excellent quality thick paper, the book is a bit heavy with 1.25 kilograms that might prove to be a hardship for the traveler to lug it around. A clear, contemporary map of the place is painfully lacking though what is provided is a very old one that doesn’t show modern pathways. A comprehensive index and suggestions for further reading adds value to the content.

The book is highly recommended for the traveler.

Rating: 3 Star

A Forgotten Empire

Title: A Forgotten Empire (Vijayanagar) – A Contribution to the History of India

Author: Robert Sewell

Publisher: Master Mind Books, 2012 (First published 1900)

ISBN: 978-81-8468-290-8

Pages: 359

Robert Sewell (1845 – 1925) was a British civil servant employed at the Madras Record Office as a Keeper entrusted with documenting ancient inscriptions and remains in the region. This book is the first ever attempt to decipher the puzzle of history hidden in the stony ruins of Hampi. Basing his research mainly on three sixteenth century historians of the region, Sewell unveils a preliminary montage of a forgotten dynasty that fired up the imagination of folklore, but hardly left any historical references of its own. The author describes the birth of the empire in 1336 and its eclipse in 1565 in which the combined military might of the Deccani sultanates comprehensively decimated them at the Battle of Talikota. The two centuries of Vijayanagara prominence was a defining point in South Indian history, though they hardly made any impact north of the Vindhyas. The entire south accepted their tutelage and consolidation of Hindu monarchs helped stem the tide of Muslim invasions to a limited extent. Sewell’s historiography might look a little odd in the light of present standards, as in its emphasis on religious differences between the winners and vanquished as the root cause of all strife. But we should not lose sight of the fact that the book was written at the height of colonial power and his natural inclination was to paint the alien rulers in a better light when the reader is indirectly to make a comparison between the times his story narrates to the then existing conditions prevailing in British India.

Mohammed bin Tughlaq’s invasion of Anegundi, which was the ancestral seat of the Sangama brothers who were ministers of the ruling monarch provided the spur for establishing the dynasty. Its early phase was marred with frequent collisions with Bahmani sultans who established their headquarters at Gulbarga. The invasions were frequent and every time we read about a debacle on the part of Vijayanagara rulers and their having to part with gold, jewels and their daughters to the sultans. The dynasty itself was also not free from internecine strife and fratricidal intrigues for obtaining the throne by deceitful means. Vijayanagara’s star turned when Krishna Devaraya ascended the throne in 1509, who ruled till 1530. His rule was legendary and completely stemmed the alien tide as long as he reigned. Personal valour, efficient military administration and liberal assistance from the Portuguese with whom the King was in cordial relations helped him vanquish the opponents. The historical sky of Vijayanagara was illuminated by the lone star of Krishna Devaraya. The empire began to crumble right from his death. His successors were either weak or harsh on the nobles which drove them to sideline the monarch with titular powers. The haughty demeanour exhibited by Krishna himself prompted the five sultanates to join forces and defeat Vijayanagara in a convincing rout in the year 1565.

The writer leans on the historical narratives of two Portuguese historians Fernao Nuniz and Domingo Paes who travelled and wrote about Vijayanagara in 1535-37 and 1520 respectively. Being chroniclers of a foreign potentate, they look at the spectacle of Indian royalty with an open mind and makes frank comparisons with what they were familiar with, in Europe and elsewhere. Vijayanagara had a monopoly on buying horses traded by Portuguese ships which transported the animals from Yemen to Goa and then overland to Hampi. It is said that the demise of the empire after 1565 was one of the direct causes of the darkening of Portuguese prominence around this period. The sudden loss of a lucrative item of trade which never regained its old scale proved to be one of the nails in the Portuguese coffin.

Nuniz’s description of the life in Vijayanagara makes interesting reading. Generally, it is believed that the upper castes among the Hindus observe a strict diet of vegetarianism. But what we learn from the traveler is quite contrary, as he asserts that “these Kings of Bisnaga eat all sorts of things, but not the flesh of oxen or cows, which they never kill in all the country of the heathen because they worship them. They eat mutton, pork, venison, partridges, hares, doves, quail and all kinds of birds; even sparrows, and rats, and cats, and lizards, all of which are sold in the markets of the city of Bisnaga (Vijayanagara)” (p.308). Would the present-day Hindu revivalists be able to ‘stomach’ these hard facts?

Other books related to Vijayanagara Empire and reviewed earlier in this blog are Vijayanagara by Burton Stein, Hampi Ruins - Described and Illustrated by A H Longhurst and Court Life Under the Vijayanagar Rulers Madhao P Patil.

The book is highly recommended.

Rating: 3 Star