rain；　so　that　the　Sultan　may　have　been　able　to　traverse　the　cotton　plains　lying　between　Vijayanagar　and　Kulbarga；　plains　quite　impassable　for　troops　in　wet　weather；　somewhat　earlier　than　would　otherwise　have　been　the　case。
  The　Sultan's　next　war　took　place　in　A。H。　828；　when　he　advanced　against　Warangal　over　the　undulating　plains　of　the　Dakhan；　then　rich　in　crop；　and　was　completely　successful。　The　Hindu　kingdom　was　completely　and　for　ever　destroyed。　The　English　date　usually　given　for　this　event　is　A。D。　1424；　but　it　is　quite　possible　that　a　mistake　has　been　made　owing　to　the　use　of　imperfect　chronological　tables　by　those　who　have　written　on　the　subject；　and　that　Ahmad　Shah's　capture　of　Warangal　may　have　taken　place　in　A。D。　1425。　Briggs；　for　instance；　calls　A。H。　828　〃A。D。　1424；〃　but　the　year　only　began　on　November　23；　1424。　The　campaign；　however；　was　very　short；　and　may　have　been　concluded　before　the　end　of　December　of　that　year。
  We　hear　nothing　more　from　Firishtah　regarding　the　affairs　of　Vijayanagar　till　the　early　part　of　the　reign　of　Ahmad's　son　and　successor；　Ala…ud…din　II。；　which　began　on　Sunday；　February　27；　A。D。　1435；＇110＇　the　day　of　Sultan　Ahmad's　death。
  Ala…ud…din's　first　act　was　to　despatch　his　brother　Muhammad　Khan　with　a　powerful　army　against　Deva　Raya　of　Vijayanagar
  〃who　had　withheld　his　tribute　for　five　years　and　refused　to　pay　the　arrears。　They　laid　waste　the　country　in　such　a　manner　that　the　Roy　in　a　short　time　was　glad　to　procure　peace　by　giving　twenty　elephants；　a　great　sum　of　money；　and　two　hundred　female　slaves　skilled　in　music　and　dancing；　besides　a　valuable　present　to　Mahummud　Khan。〃
  Flushed　with　this　victory；　and　in　command　of　a　large　force；　Prince　Muhammad　rebelled　against　his　brother；　and　Firishtah　states　that　in　doing　so　he　obtained　aid　from　Deva　Raya。　The　prince　took　Mudkal；　Raichur；　Sholapur；　Bijapur；　and　Naldirak　from　the　Sultan's　governors；　but　in　a　pitched　battle　with　the　royal　forces　was　completely　defeated　and　fled。　Shortly　afterwards；　however；　he　was　forgiven　by　his　generous　sovereign；　and　the　fortress　and　territories　of　Raichur　were　conferred　on　him。
  About　the　year　1442　Deva　Raya　began　to　consider　more　seriously　his　situation　in　relation　to　his　powerful　neighbour　at　Kulbarga。
  〃He　called＇111＇　a　general　council　of　his　nobility　and　principal　bramins；　observing　to　them　that　as　his　country　of　Carnatic　in　extent；　population；　and　revenue　far　exceeded　the　territories　of　the　house　of　Bahmenee；　land　in　like　manner　his　army　was　far　more　numerous；　wished　therefore　to　explore　the　cause　of　the　mussulmauns'　successes；　and　his　being　reduced　to　pay　them　tribute。　Some　said　。。。　that　the　superiority　of　the　mussulmauns　arose　from　two　circumstances：　one；　all　their　horses　being　strong；　and　able　to　bear　more　fatigue　than　the　weak；　lean　animals　of　Carnatic；　the　other；　a　great　body　of　excellent　archers　always　kept　up　by　the　sultans　of　the　house　of　Bahmenee；　of　whom　the　roy　had　but　few　in　his　army。
  〃Deo　Roy　upon　this　gave　orders　for　the　entertainment　of　mussulmauns　in　his　service；　allotted　them　jaghires；＇112＇　erected　a　mosque　for　their　use　in　the　city　of　Beejanuggur；　and　commanded　that　no　one　should　molest　them　in　the　exercise　of　their　religion。　He　also　ordered　a　koraun　to　be　placed　before　his　throne；　on　a　rich　desk；　that　the　mussulmauns　might　perform　the　ceremony　of　obeisance　in　his　presence；　without　sinning　against　their　laws。　He　also　made　all　the　Hindoo　soldiers　learn　the　discipline　of　the　bow；　in　which　he　and　his　officers　used　such　exertions；　that　he　had　at　length　two　thousand　mussulmauns　and　sixty　thousand　Hindoos；　well　skilled　in　archery；　besides　eighty　thousand　horse　and　two　hundred　thousand　foot；　armed　in　the　usual　manner　with　pikes　and　lances。〃
  On　a　day　which　must　have　been　between　November　1442　and　April　1443　a　desperate　attempt　was　made　on　the　life　of　King　Deva　Raya　by　one　of　his　closest　relatives　　a　brother；　according　to　Abdur　Razzak；　a　nephew；　according　to　Nuniz。　Abdur　Razzak's　story　is　without　doubt　the　more　reliable　of　the　two；　since　he　is　a　contemporary　witness。　The　story　as　told　by　Nuniz　is　given　in　the　chronicle　at　the　end　of　this　volume。＇113＇　Abdur　Razzak　was　ambassador　from　Persia　to　Calicut　and　Vijayanagar；　and　his　account　is　particularly　important　as　it　definitely　fixes　the　date。
  〃During　the　time　that　the　author　of　this　narrative　was　still　sojourning　at　Calicut　（November　1442　to　April　1443）　there　happened　in　the　city　of　Bidjanagar　an　extraordinary　and　most　singular　occurrence。。。。
  〃The　king's　brother；　who　had　had　a　new　house　built　for　himself；　invited　thither　the　monarch　and　the　principal　personages　of　the　empire。　Now　it　is　an　established　usage　of　the　infidels　never　to　eat　in　presence　of　each　other。　The　men　who　were　invited　were　assembled　together　in　one　grand　hall。　At　short　intervals　the　prince　either　came　in　person　or　sent　some　messenger　to　say　that　such　or　such　great　personage　should　come　and　eat　his　part　of　the　banquet。　Care　had　been　taken　to　bring　together　all　the　drums；　kettledrums；　trumpets；　and　flutes　that　could　be　found　in　the　city；　and　these　instruments　playing　all　at　the　same　time；　made　a　tremendous　uproar。　As　soon　as　the　individual　who　had　been　sent　for　entered　the　above…mentioned　house；　two　assassins；　placed　in　ambush；　sprang　out　upon　him；　pierced　him　with　a　poignard；　and　cut　him　in　pieces。　After　having　removed　his　limbs；　or　rather　the　fragments　of　his　body；　they　sent　for　another　guest；　who；　once　having　entered　this　place　of　carnage；　disappeared。。。。　In　consequence　of　the　noise　of　the　drums；　the　clamour；　and　the　tumult；　no　one　was　aware　of　what　was　going　on。　In　this　manner　all　those　who　had　any　name　or　rank　in　the　state　were　slaughtered。　The　prince　leaving　his　house　all　reeking　with　the　blood　of　his　victims；　betook　himself　to　the　king's　palace；　and　addressing　himself　to　the　guards　who　were　stationed　in　that　royal　residence；　invited　them　with　flattering　words　to　go　to　his　house；　and　caused　them　to　follow　the　steps　of　the　other…victims。　So　that　the　palace　was　thus　deprived　of　all　its　defenders。　This　villain　then　entered　into　the　king's　presence；　holding　in　his　hand　a　dish　covered　with　betel…nut；　under　which　was　concealed　a　brilliant　poignard。　He　said　to　the　monarch；　'The　hall　is　ready　and　they　only　wait　your　august　presence。'
  〃The　king；　following　the　maxim　which　declares　that　eminent　men　receive　an　inspiration　from　heaven；　said　to　him；　'I　am　not　in　good　health　to…day。'
  〃This　unnatural　brother；　thus　losing　the　hope　of　enticing　the　king　to　his　house；　drew　his　poignard；　and　struck　him　therewith　several　violent　blows；　so　that　the　prince　fell　at　the　back　of　his　throne。　The　traitor；　thus　believing　that　the　king　was　dead；　left　there　one　of　his　confidants　to　cut　off　the　monarch's　head；　then　going　out　of　the　hall　he　ascended　the　portico　of　the　palace；　and　thus　addressed　the　people：　'I　have　slain　the　king；　his　brothers；　and　such　and　such　emirs；　Brahmins；　and　viziers；　now　I　am　king。'
  〃Meanwhile　his　emissary　had　approached　the　throne　with　the　intention　of　cutting　off　the　king's　head；　but　that　prince；　seizing　the　seat　behind　which　he　had　fallen；　struck　the　wretch　with　it　with　so　much　violence　on　the　chest　that　he　fell　upon　his　back。　The　king　then；　with　the　help　of　one　of　his　guards；　who　at　the　sight　of　this　horrible　transaction　had　hidden　himself　in　a　corner；　slew　this　assassin；　and　went　out　of　the　palace　by　way　of　the　harem。
  〃His　brother；　still　standing　on　the　steps　of　the　hall　of　council；　invited　the　multitude　to　recognise　him　as　their　king。　At　that　moment　the　monarch　cried　out；　'I　am　alive。　I　am　well　and　safe。　Seize　that　wretch。'
  〃The　whole　crowd　assembled　together　threw　themselves　upon　the　guilty　prince　and　put　him　to　death。
  〃The　only　one　who　escaped　was　Danaik；　the　vizier；　who　previously　to　this　sad　event　had　gone　on　a　voyage　to　the　frontier　of　Ceylon。　The　king　sent　a　courier　to　him　to　invite　him　to　return；　and　informed　him　of　what　had　just　occurred。　All　those　who　had　in　any　way　aided　in　the　conspiracy　were　put　to　death。　Men　in　great　numbers　were　slain；　flayed；　burnt　alive；　and　their　families　entirely　exterminated。　The　man　who　had　brought　the　letters　of　invitation　was　put　to　the　last　degree　of　torture。。。。〃
  Nuniz　states　that　the　king　died　six　months　later　and　was　succeeded　by　his　son；　but　Abdur　Razzak　declares　that　he　was　presented　in　person　to　Deva　Raya　about　the　month　of　December　1443。　The　name　of　Deva　Raya's　son　is　not　given　by　Nuniz；　nor　yet　the　length　of　his　reign；　he　only　states　that　he　did　nothing　worth　relating　except　to　give　enormous　charities　to　temples。　This　king　again　was　succeeded　by　a　son　called　〃Verupaca　Rao；〃　who　must　be　identical　with　Virupaksha；　and　Nuniz　dates　from　his　reign　the　commencement　of　the　troubles　that　led　to　the　usurpation　of　Narasimha　and　the　downfall　of　the　first　dynasty。
  But　before　putting　together　the　confusing　records　of　this　period　I　must　revert　to　the　events　of　the　year　A。D。　1443。
  〃At　this　period；〃　says　Abdur　Razzak；　referring　to　the　second　half　of　the　year　1443；　〃Danaik＇114＇　the　vizier　set　out　on　an　expedition　into　the　kingdom　of　Kalbarga。〃　The　reasons　which　had　led　to　this　invasion　were　as　follows：　Sultan　Ala…ud…din　had　heard　of　the　treacherous　attempt　to　kill　the　king　of　Vijayanagar　and　the　murder　of　the　nobles　an