第59章

Barros calls him "Sufo Larij,"[284]a name which some writers have derived from "Yusuf of Lar."Castanheda spells the name "Cufolarim."Asada Khan is entitled to a chapter to himself,but,to avoid prolixity,I will only give one extract from the "Asia"of Barros.[285]

Allusion has been made above to an attack on the mainlands of Goa by three Hindu chiefs,when Ponda was besieged.The inhabitants appealed to Nuno da Cunha,the governor-general,who hesitated to interfere for fear of bringing on a war with the Adil Shah.The principal danger was the lord of Belgaum,Asada Khan.

"Acadachan,like one who in a safe and lofty place watches some great fire spreading over the plains below,watched from his city of Belgaum the events that were passing;"--but did nothing till the Adil Shah wrote desiring him to return to Bijapur,which he had temporarily left owing to a disagreement,and to assist him in the government of the kingdom.Asada Khan replied craftily that he had done with the affairs of this life,and proposed to go and die at Mecca.At this Ismail flew into a passion and vowed revenge against his powerful subject,who,to save himself,wrote to Da Cunha,professing his unalloyed friendship for the Portuguese,and inviting them to take possession of certain tracts on the mainland;declaring that his master,the Sultan,was powerless to defend himself against the armies of Vijayanagar.This was,it must be borne in mind,long after the Hindu victory at Raichur.Da Cunha sent Christovao de Figueiredo,Krishna Deva's valiant friend,to bear his reply,since the latter was on friendly terms with the lord of Belgaum.A conversation took place,in which Asada Khan said that he was afraid of his master,who was of variable and inconstant character,and that he desired of all things to preserve friendship with the Portuguese.He therefore begged to be allowed to visit Goa and cement an alliance with the governor-general,to whom he faithfully promised that the lands in question should become for ever the property of the king of Portugal.Accordingly the lands were seized by Da Cunha.

Immediately afterwards Asada began to intrigue with the king of Vijayanagar,and being invited to visit that city on the occasion of one of the great MAHANAVAMI festivals,left Belgaum with 13,000men and 200elephants.Before starting he wrote to Da Cunha,asking that Figueiredo might be sent to accompany him,and promising to obtain for the Portuguese a definite cession of the lands from the Raya,since these had formerly been the latter's possession.Accordingly Figueiredo left for Vijayanagar,but learned that the Khan had already arrived there and had joined the king.The Raya received Asada favourably,and,as a present,gave him two towns,"Tunge and Turugel,"[286]since he hoped for his aid against the Sultan.

When the Sultan heard of Asada Khan's defection he gave himself up for lost,but assembled an army and advanced to within twelve leagues of the king's camp,where Asada Khan had pitched his tents at some distance from those of the Hindu lords.The Sultan thence wrote to the Raya demanding the delivery to him of his recalcitrant "slave,"and the Raya sent on the letter to Asada Khan,who told the king that he would never join the Muhammadans,but would remain faithful to Vijayanagar.A short pause ensued,during which the Raya learned that constant messages were passing between the camps of the Sultan and Asada Khan.Both armies then marched towards Raichur,the Raya to retake the place from the Sultan,the Sultan watching for an opportunity to attack the Raya.