omes　less　confused；　and　we　are　able　to　trace　the　sequence　of　events　without　serious　difficulty。　This　was　the　period　of　Vijayanagar's　greatest　successes；　when　its　armies　were　everywhere　victorious；　and　the　city　was　most　prosperous。
  CHAPTER　10
  The　Reign　of　Krishna　Deva　Raya　（A。D。　1509　to　1530）
  His　character　and　person　　Bankapur　　Almeida　and　Fr。　Luis's　mission　　Duarte　Barbosa　　His　description　of　the　city　　The　king's　early　wars　　Kondapalle　　Rajahmundry　　Kondavid　　Udayagiri　　Wars　of　the　Qutb　Shah　of　Golkonda　in　Telingana。
  An　inscription　in　the　Pampapati　temple　at　Hampe　states　that　on　the　occasion　of　a　festival　in　honour　of　the　coronation　of　Krishna　Deva　Raya；　the　king　built　a　hall　of　assembly　and　a　GOPURA　or　tower　there；　and　the　date　is　given　as　the　14th　of　the　first　half　of　the　lunar　month　Magha　in　the　expired　Saka　year　1430；　the　year　of　the　cycle　being　〃Sukla。〃＇189＇　It　so　happens　that　the　cyclic　year　Sukla　does　not　correspond　to　Saka　1430　expired；　but　to　Saka　1431　expired；　and　this　unfortunate　error　leaves　us　in　doubt　as　to　the　true　date　of　that　important　event。　If　we　conceive　the　mistake　as　having　occurred；　not　in　the　NAME　of　the　year；　which　was　perhaps　in　constant　daily　use；　but　in　the　number　of　the　Saka　year；　then　the　date　corresponds　to　23rd　or　24th　January　A。D。　1510；　but　if　the　number　of　the　Saka　year　was　correct　and　the　name　wrong；　then　the　day　must　have　been　February　4；　1509；　the　cyclic　year　being　properly　〃Vibhava。〃　Even　then　it　is　not　certain　whether　this　festival　took　place　on　the　coronation　day　itself；　or　on　an　anniversary　of　that　event；　and　a　considerable　interval　may　have　elapsed　between　the　king's　accession　and　coronation。　Probably　we　shall　not　be　wrong　if　we　consider　that　the　new　king　succeeded　to　the　throne　in　A。D。　1509。＇190＇
  Krishna　Raya　seems　to　have　possessed　a　very　striking　personality；　to　judge　from　the　glowing　description　given　us　by　Paes；　who　saw　him　about　the　year　1520。　The　account　given　by　him　is　all　the　more　interesting　and　valuable　because　without　it　the　world　would　have　remained　justly　in　doubt　as　to　whether　this　king　really　reigned　at　all；　in　the　usual　acceptation　of　the　word　　whether　he　was　not　a　mere　puppet；　entirely　in　the　hands　of　his　minister；　perhaps　even　an　actual　prisoner。　For　Firishtah　never　mentions　him　by　name；　and　the　inscriptions　which　relate　his　conquests　prove　nothing　beyond　the　fact　that　they　took　place　during　a　reign　which；　for　all　we　know；　might　have　been　a　reign　only　in　name；　the　real　power　being　in　the　hands　of　the　nobles。　But　with　the　description　of　Paes　in　our　hands　there　can　be　no　longer　a　shadow　of　doubt。　Krishna　Deva　was　not　only　monarch　DE　JURE；　but　was　in　very　practical　fact　an　absolute　sovereign；　of　extensive　power　and　strong　personal　influence。　He　was　the　real　ruler。　He　was　physically　strong　in　his　best　days；　and　kept　his　strength　up　to　the　highest　pitch　by　hard　bodily　exercise。　He　rose　early；　and　developed　all　his　muscles　by　the　use　of　Indian　clubs　and　the　use　of　the　sword；　he　was　a　fine　rider；　and　was　blessed　with　a　noble　presence　which　favourably　impressed　all　who　came　in　contact　with　him。　He　commanded　his　immense　armies　in　person；　was　able；　brave；　and　statesmanlike；　and　was　withal　a　man　of　much　gentleness　and　generosity　of　character。　He　was　beloved　by　all　and　respected　by　all。　Paes　writes　of　him　that　he　was　〃gallant　and　perfect　in　all　things。〃　The　only　blot　on　his　scutcheon　is；　that　after　his　great　success　over　the　Muhammadan　king　he　grew　to　be　haughty　and　insolent　in　his　demands。　No　monarch　such　as　the　Adil　Shah　could　brook　for　a　moment　such　a　humiliation　as　was　implied　by　a　peace　the　condition　of　which　was　that　he　should　kiss　his　triumphant　enemy's　foot；　and　it　was　beyond　all　doubt　this　and　similar　contemptuous　arrogance　on　the　part　of　successive　Hindu　rulers　that　finally　led；　forty　years　later；　to　the　downfall　of　the　Hindu　empire。
  All　Southern　India　was　under　Krishna　Deva's　sway；　and　several　quasi…independent　chiefs　were　his　vassals。　These　were；　according　to　Nuniz；　the　chief　of　Seringapatam；　and　those　of　Bankapur；＇191＇　Garsopa；　Calicut；　Bhatkal；　and　Barkur。　The　Portuguese　treated　these　lesser　chiefs　as　if　they　were　kings；　called　them　so　and　sent　embassies　to　them；　no　doubt　much　to　their　satisfaction。
  The　present　head　of　the　Brahmanical　establishment　at　the　Hampe　temple　informed　me　that　Krishna　Deva　Raya　celebrated　his　accession　by　erecting　the　great　tower　at　the　entrance　of　the　temple；　and　the　next　largest　tower　shortly　afterwards。　Nuniz　tells　us　that　immediately　on　attaining　power；　the　king；　making　Saluva　Timma　his　minister；　sent　his　nephew；　the　son　of　the　last　sovereign；　and　his　own　three　brothers；　to　the　fortress　of　Chandragiri；　250　miles　to　the　south…east；　for　his　greater　security；　and　himself　remained　for　some　time　at　the　capital。　This　accords　well　with　the　writings　of　the　other　Portuguese；　who　relate　that　at　least　on　two　occasions；　when　missions　were　sent　from　Calicut　and　Goa；　viz。；　those　of　Fr。　Luis　and　Chanoca；　the　envoys　saw　the　king　in　person　at　Vijayanagar。
  At　the　beginning　of　Krishna's　reign；　Almeida；　as　stated　above；　was　viceroy　of　the　Portuguese　settlements　on　the　coast；　but　at　the　end　of　the　year　1509　Albuquerque　succeeded　him　under　the　title　of　governor。　The　latter　suffered　a　severe　reverse　at　Calicut；　and　from　thence　despatched　Fr。　Luis；　of　the　Order　of　St。　Francis；　as　ambassador　to　Vijayanagar；　begging　the　Raya　to　come　by　land　and　reduce　the　Samuri　of　Calicut；　promising　himself　to　assault　simultaneously　by　sea。＇192＇　The　governor　declared　that　he　had　orders　from　his　master；　the　king　of　Portugal；　to　war　against　the　Moors；　but　not　against　the　Hindus；　that　Calicut　had　been　destroyed　by　the　governor；　and　its　king　had　fled　into　the　interior；　that　he　（the　governor）　offered　his　fleet　to　assist　the　king　of　Vijayanagar　in　his　conquest　of　the　place；　that　as　soon　as　Calicut　was　captured　the　Moors　would　be　driven　therefrom；　and　that　afterwards　the　Portuguese　would　assist　the　king　of　Vijayanagar　against　his　enemies；　the　〃Moors〃　of　the　Dakhan。　He　promised　in　future　to　supply　Vijayanagar　alone　with　Arab　and　Persian　horses；　and　not　to　send　any　to　Bijapur。　No　answer　was　returned。
  Albuquerque　next　attacked　Goa；　then　under　the　Adil　Shah；　and　captured　the　place；　making　his　triumphal　entry　into　it　on　March　1；　A。D。　1510。　Immediately　afterwards　he　despatched　Gaspar　Chanoca　on　a　mission　to　Vijayanagar；　renewing　Almeida's　request　for　a　fort　at　Bhatkal　for　the　protection　of　Portuguese　trade。　Barros＇193＇　states　that　Chanoca　reported　that；　though　he　was　received　〃solemnly；〃　Krishna　Deva　Raya　only　made　a　general　answer　in　courteous　terms；　and　did　not　specifically　grant　the　governor's　request；　the　reason　being　that　the　king　had　then　made　peace　with　the　Adil　Shah。　Presumably　this　peace　was　made　in　order　to　enable　the　Adil　Shah　to　retake　Goa。＇194＇
  Upon　this　a　message　was　sent　from　Vijayanagar　to　Albuquerque　congratulating　the　Portuguese　on　their　conquest　of　Goa；　and　promising　to　aid　them　against　the　Adil　Shah。　This　aid；　however；　does　not　appear　to　have　been　given。　The　Muhammadan　troops　attacked　Goa　in　May　and　after　a　severe　struggle　were　successful；　Albuquerque　evacuating　the　place　after　decapitating　a　hundred　and　fifty　of　the　principal　Muhammadans　there；　and　slaughtering　their　wives　and　children。＇195＇
  In　November　of　the　same　year；　Ismail　Adil's　attention　being　called　off　by　internal　dissension　at　Bijapur；　Albuquerque　attacked　Rasul　Khan；　Ismail's　deputy　at　Goa；　and　the　eight　thousand　men　under　his　command；　defeated　them；　retook　the　place　on　December　1；　and　slew　six　thousand　men；　women；　and　children　of　the　Muhammadans。　Firishtah　states　that　the　young　Adil　Shah's　minister；　Kummal　Khan；　after　this　made　peace　with　the　Europeans；　and　left　them　securely　established　at　Goa。　This；　however；　is　not　quite　correct；　for　Rasul　Khan　made　a　desperate　attempt　in　1512　to　retake　the　place；　but　failed　after　severe　fighting。＇196＇
  As　soon　as　the　news　reached　Vijayanagar　of　Albuquerque's　success　in　December　1510；　Krishna　Deva　Raya　sent　ambassadors　to　Goa；　and　by　them　Fr。　Luis　sent　letters　to　Albuquerque　detailing　the　result　of　his　mission。　He　〃had　been　well　received　by　all　except　the　king；〃　but　the　king　had　nevertheless　granted　permission　for　the　Portuguese　to　build　a　fort　at　Bhatkal。　Poor　Fr。　Luis　never　returned　from　his　embassy。　History　is　silent　as　to　what　happened　or　what　led　to　the　tragedy；　but　he　was　one　day　murdered　in　the　city　of　Vijayanagar。＇197＇
  His　despatch　is　interesting　as　containing　information　regarding　Vijayanagar　and　the　Sultan　of　Bijapur；　part　of　which　is　certainly　accurate；　while　part　tells　us　of　Krishna　Deva　Raya's　proceedings　at　this　period；　regarding　which　we　know　nothing　from　any　other　source。　Fr。　Luis　wrote　to　Albuquerque　that　the　Adil　Shah　had　attacked　Bijapur；　and　had　taken　it　after　a　siege　of　two　months；　while　four　lords　had　risen　against　him　〃since　the　latter　had　carried　off　the　king　of　Decan　as　a　prisoner。〃　This　king　was　the　Bahmani　king；　while　the　Adil　Shah　and　the　〃four　lords〃　were　the　revolting　Muhammadan　princes。　He　added　that　the　people　of　Belgaum　had　revolted　from　the　Adil　Shah　and　submitted　to　the　Hindu　sovereign。　As　to　Vijayanagar；　he　said　that　the　king　was　getting　ready　a　small　expedition　of　seven　thousand　men　to　send　against　one　of　h