A war with the Imad Shah followed,in which Sultan Quli was again victorious.Shortly afterwards there were disturbances on the east of the Golkonda territories.Sitapati,Rajah of Kambampeta,on the Muniyer river,who possessed extensive territories --including Warangal and Bellamkonda,a fortress south of the Krishna --rose against the Muhammadans,and the Sultan marched against Bellamkonda,which,after a long siege,he captured.Sitapati then fought a pitched battle,was defeated,and fled,Quli returning to Golkonda.The Rajah then stirred up a number of neighbouring chiefs and assembled large forces at Kambampeta.Hearing of this,the Golkonda forces marched to attack them,and met with complete success,Sitapati flying to the protection of "Ramchunder Dew,the son of Gujputty,who held his court at Condapilly,"and was king of Orissa.The Sultan advanced and attacked Kambampeta,where,after his capture of the place,he slew every man,woman,and child in the city,seizing the females of Sitapati's household for his own seraglio.Meanwhile an immense Hindu host from all the countries about,under command of the king of Orissa,prepared to do battle for their country,and a decisive action took place near the river at Palinchinur,in which the Hindus were completely defeated.Quli then seized Kondapalle,Ellore,and Rajahmundry,and a treaty was made between him and Orissa fixing the Godavari river as the eastern boundary of Golkonda.By this the Sultan added the districts of Ellore and Bezvada to his own dominions.
Krishna Raya then advanced to the rescue and the Sultan marched to Kondavid.He invested the place,but was forced to retreat owing to attacks made on him from Bellamkonda and Vinukonda,the first of which fortresses he succeeded in reducing after heavy loss.After this he retired towards Kondapalle.Krishna Raya now arrived and attacked the Muhammadan garrison in Bellamkonda,upon which the Sultan counter-marched,and suddenly appeared in rear of the Hindu army.In the battle which ensued he was victorious and the siege was raised,after which he returned to Kondavid and took it.On learning of the fall of Kondavid,Krishna Raya detached "his general and son-in-law Seeva Ray"[209]with 100,000foot and 8000horse to march against the Muhammadans.The Sultan retreated and encamped on the banks of the Krishna,leaving Kondavid to the Hindus.[210]After settling the place the Vijayanagar forces proceeded in pursuit of the Sultan,were attacked by him,defeated,and retired to Kondavid,which was a second time invested by the army of Golkonda.The Hindus then submitted and agreed to become tributary.
On his return towards his capital the Sultan learned that Ismail Adil Shah of Bijapur was besieging Kovilkonda,"at the instance of the Raja of Beejanuggur."[211]He marched against him,and a series of actions ensued,the campaign lasting eleven months,at the end of which Ismail died of a fever,and was succeeded by his son Malu.In one of the fights Sultan Quli was wounded severely by a sabre in the face,and disfigured for life.[212]
I have given the whole of this story in this place because it runs as a consecutive series of events in the original Muhammadan account.But it really covers a period of at least twenty-one years;for the narrative begins shortly after the beginning of Quli's reign (1512),and ends with Ismail's death (1534).We are left,therefore,entirely in the dark as to the exact years referred to.But there are some points of agreement between our authorities.It is certain that Krishna Deva took Kondavid in A.D.1515,and fought battles in the neighbourhood in the following year;and though Nuniz asserts that he took Kondavid from the king of Orissa,he also alludes to the presence of armed bodies of Muhammadans in that tract opposed to the Hindus.
With these remarks we return to Vijayanagar history.
From 1516to 1520we have no records from Hindu sources to guide us as to events at the capital.
The Portuguese traded on the coast,and there were some fights with the neighbouring Hindu chiefs,but they seem to have affected the capital but little;the foreigners were generally on friendly terms with the suzerain at Vijayanagar,and so far as he was concerned were welcome to consolidate their commerce,since he benefited largely by the import of horses and other requisites.The rest of his dominions were tranquil and the inhabitants obedient to his rule.
The whole country was divided out --so Nuniz tells us,and his account is confirmed by other evidence --into governorships.Each chief was allowed entire independence in the territory allotted to him so long as he maintained the quota of horse,foot,and elephants,the maintenance of which was the price of his possession,in perfect readiness for immediate action,and paid his annual tribute to the sovereign.Failing these he was liable to instant ejection,as the king was lord of all and the nobles held only by his goodwill.
But during this period of peace the king made extensive preparations for a grand attack on the territory between the rivers,the ever-debatable land which for nearly two centuries had been the subject of dispute between his predecessors and their northern neighbours.His objective was the city of Raichur,then under the Muhammadans,[213]and when all was ready he marched to the attack with an immense force.
This event requires a chapter to itself.
