Opposite　the　DIVAN…KHANEH；　he　continues；　is　the　house　of　the　elephants。
  〃Each　elephant　has　a　separate　compartment；　the　walls　of　which　are　extremely　solid；　and　the　roof　composed　of　strong　pieces　of　wood。。。。　Opposite　the　Mint　is　the　house　of　the　Governor；　where　are　stationed　twelve　thousand　soldiers　on　guard。。。。　Behind　the　Mint　is　a　sort　of　bazaar；　which　is　more　than　three　hundred　ghez　in　length；　and　more　than　twenty　in　breadth。＇142＇　On　two　sides　are　ranged　houses　and　forecourts；　in　front　of　them　are　erected；　instead　of　benches　（KURSI）；　several　lofty　seats　constructed　of　beautiful　stones。　On　the　two　sides　of　the　avenue　formed　by　the　chambers　are　represented　figures　of　lions；　panthers；　tigers；　and　other　animals。＇143＇　Thrones　and　chairs　are　placed　on　the　platforms；　and　the　courtesans　seat　themselves　thereon；　bedecked　in　gems　and　fine　raiment。〃
  The　author　took　up　his　abode　in　a　lofty　house　which　had　been　allotted　to　him；　on　the　1st　Muharram　（May　1；　1443）
  〃One　day　some　messengers　sent　from　the　palace　of　the　king　came　to　see　me；　and　at　the　close　of　the　same　day　I　presented　myself　at　court。。。。　The　prince　was　seated　in　a　hall；　surrounded　by　the　most　imposing　attributes　of　state。　Right　and　left　of　him　stood　a　numerous　crowd　of　men　arranged　in　a　circle。　The　king　was　dressed　in　a　robe　of　green　satin；　around　his　neck　he　wore　a　collar；　composed　of　pearls　of　beautiful　water；　and　other　splendid　gems。　He　had　an　olive　complexion；　his　frame　was　thin；　and　he　was　rather　tall；　on　his　cheeks　might　be　seen　a　slight　down；　hut　there　was　no　beard　on　his　chin。　The　expression　of　his　countenance　was　extremely　pleasing。＇144＇　。。。
  〃If　report　speaks　truly；　the　number　of　the　princesses　and　concubines　amounts　to　seven　hundred。〃
  Abdur　Razzak　gives　a　glowing　account　of　the　brilliancy　of　a　great　festival　of　which　he　was　a　spectator　while　in　the　capital。　He　calls　it　the　Mahanavami＇145＇　festival；　but　I　have　my　doubts　as　to　whether　he　was　not　mistaken；　since　he　declares　that　it　took　place　in　the　month　Rajab　（October　25　to　November　23；　1443　A。D。）。　The　Hindus　celebrate　the　MAHANAVAMI　by　a　nine　days'　festival　beginning　on　Asvina　Sukla　1st　in　native　reckoning；　that　is；　on　the　day　following　the　new　moon　which　marks　the　beginning　of　the　month　Asvina；　while　the　New　Year's　Day　at　that　period　was　the　first　day　of　the　following　month；　Karttika　（if　the　year　began；　as　it　certainly　did　at　Vijayanagar　in　the　time　of　Paes；　eighty　years　later；　on　1st　Karttika）。　But　the　new　moon　of　Rajab　in　A。D。　1443　corresponded　to　the　new　moon　of　KARTTIKA；　not　to　that　of　ASVINA。＇146＇　Either；　therefore；　the　festival　which　he　witnessed　was　the　New　Year's　Day　festival；　or　the　traveller　was　in　error　in　giving　the　month　〃Rajab。〃　It　seems　most　probable　that　the　former　was　the　case；　because　he　apparently　makes　the　festival　one　of　only　three　days'　duration；　whereas　the　MAHANAVAMI；　as　its　name　implies；　was　a　nine　days'　feast。　But　there　is　also　another　difficulty。　The　MAHANAVAMI　celebrations　began　with　the　new　moon；　whereas　Razzak　says　that　the　festival　he　saw　began　with　the　〃full　moon。〃　This；　however；　may　have　been　due　to　a　slip　of　the　pen。
  However　that　may　be；　he　certainly　was　a　spectator　of　a　brilliant　scene；　and　I　append　his　account　of　it。
  〃In　pursuance　of　orders　issued　by　the　king　of　Bidjanagar；　the　generals　and　principal　personages　from　all　parts　of　his　empire　。。。　presented　themselves　at　the　palace。　They　brought　with　them　a　thousand　elephants　。。。　which　were　covered　with　brilliant　armour　and　with　castles　magnificently　adorned。。。。　During　three　consecutive　days　in　the　month　of　Redjeb　the　vast　space　of　land　magnificently　decorated；　in　which　the　enormous　elephants　were　congregated　together；　presented　the　appearance　of　the　waves　of　the　sea；　or　of　that　compact　mass　which　will　be　assembled　together　at　the　day　of　the　resurrection。　Over　this　magnificent　space　were　erected　numerous　pavilions；　to　the　height　of　three；　four；　or　even　five　storeys；　covered　from　top　to　bottom　with　figures　in　relief。。。。　Some　of　these　pavilions　were　arranged　in　such　a　manner　that　they　could　turn　rapidly　round　and　present　a　new　face：　at　each　moment　a　new　chamber　or　a　new　hall　presented　itself　to　the　view。
  〃In　the　front　of　this　place　rose　a　palace　with　nine　pavilions　magnificently　ornamented。　In　the　ninth　the　king's　throne　was　set　up。　In　the　seventh　was　allotted　a　place　to　the　humble　author　of　this　narrative。。。。　Between　the　palace　and　the　pavilions　。。。　were　musicians　and　storytellers。〃
  Girls　were　there　in　magnificent　dresses；　dancing　〃behind　a　pretty　curtain　opposite　the　king。〃　There　were　numberless　performances　given　by　jugglers；　who　displayed　elephants　marvellously　trained。
  During　three　consecutive　days；　from　sunrise　to　sunset；　the　royal　festival　was　prolonged　in　a　style　of　the　greatest　magnificence。　Fireworks；　games；　and　amusements　went　on。　On　the　third　day　the　writer　was　presented　to　the　king。
  〃The　throne；　which　was　of　extraordinary　size；　was　made　of　gold；　and　enriched　with　precious　stones　of　extreme　value。。。。　Before　the　throne　was　a　square　cushion；　on　the　edges　of　which　were　sown　three　rows　of　pearls。　During　the　three　days　the　king　remained　seated　on　this　cushion。　When　the　fete　of　Mahanawi　was　ended；　at　the　hour　of　evening　prayer；　I　was　introduced　into　the　middle　of　four　ESTRADES；　which　were　about　ten　ghez　both　in　length　and　breadth。＇147＇　The　roof　and　the　walls　were　entirely　formed　of　plates　of　gold　enriched　with　precious　stones。　Each　of　these　plates　was　as　thick　as　the　blade　of　a　sword；　and　was　fastened　with　golden　nails。　Upon　the　ESTRADE；　in　the　front；　is　placed　the　throne　of　the　king；　and　the　throne　itself　is　of　very　great　size。〃
  The　descriptions　given　by　these　travellers　give　us　a　good　idea　of　the　splendours　of　this　great　Hindu　capital　in　the　first　half　of　the　fifteenth　century；　and　with　this　in　our　minds　we　return　to　the　history　of　the　period。
  CHAPTER　8
  Close　of　the　First　Dynasty　（A。D。　1449　to　1490）
  Mallikarjuna　and　Virupaksha　I。　　Rajasekhara　and　Virupaksha　II。　　The　Dakhan　splits　up　into　five　independent　kingdoms　　The　Bijapur　king　captures　Goa　and　Belgaum　　Fighting　at　Rajahmundry；　Kondapalle；　and　other　parts　of　Telingana　　Death　of　Mahmud　Gawan　　The　Russian　traveller　Nikitin　　Chaos　at　Vijayanagar　　Narasimha　seizes　the　throne。
  I　have　already　stated　that　the　period　following　the　reign　of　Deva　Raya　II。　is　one　very　difficult　to　fill　up　satisfactorily　from　any　source。　It　was　a　period　of　confusion　in　Vijayanagar　　a　fact　that　is　clearly　brought　out　by　Nuniz　in　his　chronicle。
  A。D。　1449　is　the　last　date　in　any　known　inscription　containing　mention　of　a　Deva　Raya；　and　Dr。　Hultzsch＇148＇　allots　this　to　Deva　Raya　II。　It　may　be；　as　already　suggested；　that　there　was　a　Deva　Raya　III。　on　the　throne　between　A。D。　1444　and　1449；　but　this　remains　to　be　proved。　Two　sons　of　Deva　Raya　II。；　according　to　the　inscriptions；　were　named　Mallikarjuna　and　Virupaksha　I。　respectively。　There　are　inscriptions　of　the　former　dated　in　A。D。　1452　　53　and　1464　　65；＇149＇　and　one　of　the　latter　in　1470。＇150＇　Mallikarjuna　appears　to　have　had　two　sons；　Rajasekhara；　of　whom　we　have　inscriptions　in　the　years　A。D。　1479　　80　and　1486　　87；　and　Virupaksha　II。；　mentioned　in　an　inscription　dated　A。D。　1483　　84；　three　years　earlier　than　the　last　of　Rajasekhara。
  Dr。　Hultzsch；　in　the　third　volume　of　the　EPIGRAPHIA　INDICA；　p。　36；　gives　these　dates；　but　in　the　fourth　volume　of　the　same　work　（p。　180）　he　notes　that　an　inscription　of　Rajasekhara　exists　at　Ambur　in　North　Arcot；　which　is　dated　in　the　year　corresponding　to　A。D。　1468　　69。　I　have　also　been　told　of　an　inscription　on　stone　to　be　seen　at　the　village　of　Parnapalle　（or　Paranapalle）　in　the　Cuddapah　district；　of　which　a　copy　on　copper…plate　is　said　to　be　in　the　possession　of　one　Narayana　Reddi　of　Goddamari　in　the　Tadpatri　Taluq　of　the　Anantapur　district。　This　is　reported　to　bear　the　date　Saka　1398　（A。D。　1476　　77）；　and　to　mention　as　sovereign　〃Praudha　Deva　Raya　of　Vijayanagar。〃
  Rajasekhara's　second　inscription　must　have　been　engraved　very　shortly　before　the　final　fall　of　the　old　royal　house；　for　the　first　certain　date　of　the　usurper　Narasimha　is　A。D。　1450。
  Amid　this　confusion　of　overlapping　dates　we　turn　for　help　to　Nuniz；　but　though　his　story；　gathered　from　tradition　about　the　year　1535；　is　clear　and　consecutive；　it　clashes　somewhat　with　the　other　records。　According　to　him；　Deva　Raya　II。　had　a　son；　Pina　Raya；　who　died　six　months　after　his　attempted　assassination；　but　we　have　shown　that　Abdur　Razzak　conclusively　establishes　that　this　unfortunate　monarch　was　Deva　Raya　II。　himself；　and　that　the　crime　was　committed　before　the　month　of　April　1443。　Pina　Raya　left　a　son　unnamed；　who　did　nothing　in　particular；　and　was　succeeded　by　his　son　〃Verupaca；〃　by　which　name　Virupaksha　is　clearly　meant。　Virupaksha　was　murdered　by　his　eldest　son；　who　in　turn　was　slain　by　his　younger　brother；　〃Padea　Rao；〃　and　this　prince　lost　the　kingdom　to　the　usurper　Narasimha。
  The　period　was　without　doubt　a　troublous　one；　and　all　that　can　be　definitely　and　safely　stated　at　present　is　that　for　about　forty　years　prior　to　the　usurpation　of　Narasimha　the　kingdom　passed　from　one　hand　to　the　other；　in　the　midst　of　much　political　agitation；　discontent；　and　widespread　antagonism　to　the　representatives　of　the　old　royal　family；　s