a forgotten empire-vijayanagar-第59部分

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alrao　who　was　only　eight　years　old；　commanded　to　bring　a　she…goat；　and　he　put　out　its　eyes；　and　took　them　to　show　the　King；　for　already　he　was　at　the　last　hour　of　his　life；　and　he　presented　them　to　him；　and　as　soon　as　the　King　was　dead　his　brother　Crisnarao　was　raised　to　be　king；　whose　eyes　the　late　King　had　ordered　to　be　torn　out。


CHAPTER　5


Of　the　things　done　by　King　Crisnarao　after　he　was　raised　to　the　throne。

As　soon　as　Crisnarao　was　raised　to　be　King　and　was　obeyed　throughout　all　his　kingdom；　　Salvatine　being　his　minister；　who　had　been　the　same　for　his　brother　Busbalrao；＇514＇　　he　without　delay　sent　his　nephew；　son　of　Busbalrao　his　brother；　together　with　his　own　three　brothers；　to　a　fortress　called　Chaodegary；　the　nephew　remained　there　till　he　died。　And　after　the　King　had　done　this　for　his　own　safety　he　stayed　in　the　city　of　Bisnaga　for　a　year　and　a　half　without　going　outside　of　it；　learning　the　affairs　of　the　kingdom　and　looking　at　the　testaments　of　past　kings。　Amongst　these　he　found　one　of　king　Narsymga；　whose　minister　his　father　Narsenayque　had　been；　in　which　that　King　desired　that　his　sons；　or　whoever　should　inherit　this　kingdom　of　Narsymga　which　he　had　gained　by　force　of　arms；　should　capture　three　fortresses　that　at　his　death　remained　in　revolt　against　him；　the　which　he　had　not　himself　taken　because　time　failed　him；　one　of　them　was　called　Rracholl；＇515＇　and　another　Medegulla。＇516＇

Crisnarao；　seeing　this　testament　and　seeing　how　badly　the　kings　his　predecessors　had　acted　in　what　had　been　enjoined　on　them；　determined　at　once　to　prepare　armies　and　to　go　against　these　places；　and　one　of　these　fortresses　was　called　Odigair；　and　it　belonged　to　the　King　of　Orya。　And；　determining　to　go　first　against　this；　he　collected　（an　army　of）　thirty…four　thousand　foot　and　eight　hundred　elephants；　and　arrived　with　this　force　at　the　city　of　Digary；＇517＇　in　which　there　were　ten　thousand　foot　soldiers　and　four　hundred　horse；　for　the　fortress　had　no　necessity　for　more　by　reason　of　its　great　strength；　because　it　could　not　be　taken　except　by　being　starved　out。

And　the　King　laid　siege　to　it　for　a　year　and　a　half；　in　which　time　he　made　many　paths　across　rocky　hills；　breaking　up　many　great　boulders　in　order　to　make　a　road　for　his　soldiers　to　approach　the　towers　of　the　fortress。　The　place　at　this　time　was　so　strong　that　they　could　not　approach　it　except　by　one　way　which　was　so　narrow　that　men　could　only　pass　along　it　one　at　a　time；　and　in　this　place　he　made　a　broad　road；　and　many　others　also；　so　that　he　could　come　close　to　the　fortress。

And　he　took　it　by　force　of　arms；　and　in　it　captured　an　aunt＇518＇　of　the　King　of　Orya；　who　was　taken　captive　and　carried　off　with　all　the　courtesy　that　he　could　show　her；　having　her　liberty；　and　he　took　her　along　with　himself。

And　after　this　was　done　he　called　Salvatinya　and　bade　him　see　how　well　he　had　performed　that　which　king　Narsymga　had　by　his　testament　enjoined　on　him；　and　yet　he　said　he　was　not　content　with　such　a　trivial　victory；　for＇519＇　he　desired　to　go　forward　a　hundred　leagues　into　the　kingdom　of　Orya；　and　he　ordered　him　to　make　ready　provisions　and　pay　fully　the　salaries　of　the　forces。

And　after　this　fortress　was　taken　he　departed　and　went　against　Comdovy；＇520＇　which　was　one　of　the　principal　cities　of　the　kingdom　of　Orya；　and　besieged　it；　and；　learning　this；　the　King　of　Orya　came　against　him　to　defend　his　territories；　and　brought　with　him　one　thousand　three　hundred　elephants；　and　twenty　thousand　horsemen；　and　he　brought　five　hundred　thousand　foot…soldiers。　Crisnarao；　being　aware　of　the　approach　of　the　king　of　Orya；　left　the　city　without　assaulting　it；　saying　that　he　preferred　to　fight　the　King　in　person　and　his　army　rather　than　to　attack　the　city；　and　that　there　would　be　plenty　of　time　afterwards　to　take　it；　and　he　went　forward　four　leagues　from　it；　leaving　a　force　to　prevent　the　escape　of　the　people　from　the　city　if　they　should　seek　to　flee　to　the　coast。　And　he　arrived　at　a　large　river　of　salt　water　crossed　by　a　ford；＇521＇　and　on　the　other　side　of　the　river　was　the　King　of　Orya　with　his　army。　King　Crisnarao　halted　his　army　on　this　side　of　the　river；　and　sent　the　King　a　message　that　if　he　desired　to　fight　with　him　he　would　retire　from　the　river　two　leagues；　so　that　he　（the　king　of　Orya）　might　pass　the　river　unmolested；　and　as　soon　as　he　had　passed　he　would　join　battle；　to　which　message　the　King　of　Orya　gave　no　reply；　but　on　the　contrary　made　ready　to　give　battle。　And　King　Crisnarao；　seeing　his　determination；　crossed　the　river　with　all　his　forces　and　elephants；　and　in　the　crossing　of　the　river　there　were　heavy　encounters　on　both　sides；　and　many　were　slain。　Notwithstanding　this；　King　Crisnarao　crossed　the　river；　and　on　the　bank　fought　so　bravely　that　he　defeated　the　King　of　Oria　and　put　him　to　flight；　in　which　defeat　he　took　many　horses　and　elephants。

And　after　the　King　had　done　this　he　told　Salvatinea　his　minister　that　he　purposed　to　turn　back　to　the　fortress；　which　had　not　yet　experienced　his　strength；　and　he　went　against　it；　and　stopped　there　two　months　besieging　it；　and　he　took　it。

And　he　gave　the　command　of　it　to　Salvatinea；　who　left　in　it；　from　his　army；　for　captain　one　of　his　brothers；　in　order　that　he　himself　might　go　forward　with　the　King　through　the　kingdom　of　Orya。　And　the　King；　passing　the　river　once　more　in　pursuit　of　the　King　of　Orya；　and　taking　and　ravaging　all　the　country　which　had　no　reason　for　expecting　him；　arrived　at　a　city　called　Comdepallyr；＇522＇　where　were　all　the　chiefs　of　the　kingdom；　it　being　the　chief　city　in　that　kingdom。　And　he　laid　siege　to　it；　and　remained　there　three　months　without　being　able　to　capture　it；　and　in　the　end　he　took　it　more　by　reason　of　his　numbers　than　by　force　of　arms；　in　which　fortress　he　found　many　people　of　high　rank　whom　he　made　captive；　amongst　whom　was　a　wife　of　the　King；　and　one　of　his　sons　who　was　a　prince；　and　seven　principal　captains　of　the　kingdom；　all　of　whom　he　sent　by　road　to　Bysnaga。

And　he　went　forward　a　hundred　leagues　into　the　kingdom；　finding　no　one　to　bar　his　progress　till　he　got　to　Symamdary；＇523＇　which　was　a　very　large　city；　in　which　he　halted　for　six　months；　waiting　for　the　King　of　Orya。　He　sent　many　messages　to　say　that　he　was　waiting　for　him　in　the　field；　but　he　never　came。　And　in　this　city　he　did　many　works；　and　gave　alms　to　the　temples；　and　erected　therein　a　very　grand　temple　to　which　he　gave　much　revenue。　And　he　commanded　to　engrave　on　it　an　inscription　which　says：　　〃Perhaps　when　these　letters　are　decayed；　the　king　of　Orya　will　give　battle　to　the　King　of　Bisnaga。　If　the　King　of　Orya　erases　them；　his　wife　shall　be　given　to　the　smiths　who　shoe　the　horses　of　the　King　of　Bisnaga。〃

And　after　this　was　done　he　returned；　leaving　the　greater　part　of　those　lands　to　the　temples；　and　came　to　Bisnaga　where　he　rested　some　days。　And　he　sent　to　call　the　son　of　the　king　of　Orya　who　was　taken　captive　in　the　first　fortress；　and　told　him　that　as　people　said　that　he　was　a　very　active　man　and　was　very　dexterous　with　both　sword　and　dagger；　he　would　be　pleased　to　see　him　fence。

The　young　man　said　that　since　His　Highness　summoned　him　he　would　do　what　he　could；　and　asked　that　this　might　be　put　off　till　next　day。　And　when　the　next　day　came　the　King　sent　to　call　him；　and　also　sent　for　one　of　his　own　men　who　at　that　time　was　very　expert　in　the　art；＇524＇　that　he　should　fence　with　him。　And　when　the　son　of　the　King　of　Orya　saw　him；　being　offended　with　the　King　for　sending　a　man　to　fight　with　him　who　was　not　the　son　of　a　King　but　only　a　man　of　humble　birth；　he　cried　out　to　the　King：　　〃God　forbid　that　I　should　soil　my　hands　by　touching　a　man　not　of　the　blood　royal；〃　and　saying　this　he　slew　himself。　And　his　father；　hearing　how　his　son　was　dead；　wrote　to　Salvatinea　（asking）　by　what　means　he　could　ransom　his　wife　who　remained　in　the　power　of　the　King；　since　his　son　was　dead；　to　which　he　made　answer　that　he　should　arrange　the　marriage　of　his　daughter　with　the　King；　and　that　afterwards　the　King　would　restore　him　his　wife　and　lands　（or；　would　take　only　his　lands）。＇525＇　This　counsel　he　accepted；　and　he　sent　ambassadors　to　Bisnaga　to　arrange　a　marriage　with　his　daughter；　with　which　King　Crisnarao　was　well　content；　and　when　the　King　of　Orya　knew　his　will　（in　the　matter）　he　sent　him　his　daughter；　and　with　the　coming　of　her　they　were　friends。　And　Crisnarao　restored　the　lands　on　the　other　side　of　the　river；　and　kept　those　on　the　hither　side　for　himself。


CHAPTER　6


How　Crisnarao；　after　he　had　made　peace　with　the　King　of　Oria；　determined　to　go　against　the　land　of　Catuir。

After　Crisnarao　had　made　peace；　and　had　married　the　daughter　of　the　King　of　Oria；　and　had　restored　to　him　his　wife　and　the　lands　beyond　the　river；　as　has　been　narrated　above；　he　made　ready　a　large　army　and　prepared　to　attack　Catuir；＇526＇　which　is　the　land　of　a　lord　who　had　been　in　revolt　for　fifty　years；　this　land　is　on　the　Charamaodel　side。　And　he　went　against　it；　and　laid　siege　to　one　of　the　principal　cities　where　the　lord　of　the　land　was；　and　it　is　called　。。。＇527＇and　is　surrounded　with　water。

Now　at　the　time　when　Crisnarao　attacked　this　city　it　was　winter；　for　which　cause　the　river　that　surrounded　it　was　so　swollen；　and　carried　down　so　much　water；　that　the　king　cou