kingdom stretched from Ceylon to Gulburga and from Bengal to Malabar." (This latter must be an exaggeration, for it is certain that the Vijayanagar dominions never extended north of the Kistna River.)

"Most of the land was tilled and fertile, and there were about 300 seaports equal to Kalikat. There were 1,000 elephants, and over a million men. There was no actual "Rai" in India, except the King of Vijayanagar. The city had seven fortified walls, one within the other. The first or outmost circle enclosed a space of eight miles (two parasangs) across. Between the first, second, and third circles of wall were fields and gardens, and from the third to the seventh or inmost circle, the space was crowded with markets and shops. The seventh centre was on a hill, and in it was the palace of the King and four markets with a lofty arcade, and a magnificent gallery at the head of each. The markets were broad and long. There were always sweet and fresh flowers, and the different crafts had separate quarters. Many streams flowed along polished and level stone channels. On the right of the palace, which was the loftiest building in the city, was a pillared hall in which the Minister did justice. On the left was the mint, with hollow chambers full of masses of molten gold. Opposite the mint was the police office with 12,000 soldiers. Behind the mint was a market 300 yards long by twenty broad, where the dancing girls lived, very beautiful, rich and accomplished. The King was exceedingly young, of a spare body, rather tall and of an olive complexion. During Abd-er-Razzak's stay at Vijayanagar, the brother of the King killed many of the leading nobles, and all but succeeded in assassinating the King. The King sat on a throne of gold, inlaid with jewels, and the walls of the throne room were lined with plates of gold. During part of the time Abd-er-Razzak was there, a Christian was Minister; there was a wonderful festival at "Dassara" time, or Mahan

avami, the September full moon. The great plain near the city was filled with enchanting pavilions covered with most delicate and tasteful pictures of animals, and there was one pillared mansion, nine stories high, for the King. For three days, with a most gorgeous display, dancing girls danced and sang, fireworks blazed, and showmen and jugglers performed wonderful feats. Abd-er-Razzak left Vijayanagar on the 5th of November, 1443, and reached Mangalore on the 23rd of the same month. It was impossible within reasonable space to give an idea of how well the country was peopled. All the people, high and low, even the workers in market places, wore jewels and gilt ornaments in their ears, round their necks, arms, and wrists, and fingers. From Mangalore he went to the port of Honavar or Honor, and there arranged for a vessel to take him back to Persia. He started on the 28th of January, and reached Ormuz on the 22nd* of April, after a voyage of sixty-five days."

Of the seven walls of which Abd-er-Razzak speaks, it is probable that the two outer ones were merely rows of forts. The village of Hospett, seven miles from the ruins, is still called the eighth gate of the ancient city; but a wall at this part enclosing a space eight miles across would have been a work too gigantic even for those days of forced labour. Nor is it likely that all traces of so large a work should have disappeared, and at present there is no sign of any wall until the Calingula of the tank is reached. The space enclosed by this latter wall might possibly be eight square miles or more, but cannot be more than about three miles across. Within these walls there are remains of many other walls, but, as said above, they do not form separate enceintes, but are for the most part connecting-links between different rocky hills. Abd-er-Razzak probably entered the city by means of seven different gates, and the distance between the outer and the *Bombay Gazetteer-Kanara. Vol. XV, Part II.

inner gates was very possibly eight miles. This view is confirmed by the account of the Italian traveller, Vartherna, who visited Vijayanagar in 1503. He says that the city "stood on the side of a mountain with three circles of walls, the outermost circle seven miles round." This would exactly correspond with the wall leading from the tank-bund, and the other two inner circles can also be traced. Vartherna says that the King was the richest he had ever heard of. "His Brahmans said that he had £4,000 a day. He was always at war. He had 40,000 horsemen, whose horses were worth £100 to £226 each, for horses were scarce; 400 elephants; and some dromedaries. He was a great friend of the Christians, and the Portuguese did him much honour. He wore a cap of gold brocade, and when he went to war, a quilted dress of cotton with an over-garment full of golden piastres, and hung with jewels. The ornaments on his horse. were worth more than an Italian city. He rode out with three or four kings, many lords, and five or six thousand horses." In 1514 another traveller, Duarte Barbosa, a Portuguese, says:-"Vijayanagar was on a level ground surrounded by a very good wall on one side, a river on a second side, and a mountain on a third. It was very large and very populous. There were many large and handsome palaces, and wide streets and squares. The King, a Gentile (= Gentoo) called Raheni, that is, Rayalu, always lived in the city. He lived very luxuriously and seldom left the palace. white, well-made, and had smooth black hair. on the King was by women, who all lived They sang and played and amused the King in a thousand ways. They went to bathe daily, and the King went to see them bathe, and sent to his chamber the one that pleased him most, and the first son he had from any of them inherited the Kingdom. Many litters and many horsemen stood at the door of the palace. The King kept 900 elephants, each worth

He was nearly The attendance in the palaces.

1,500 to 2,000 ducats and 20,000 horses worth 300 to 600 ducats, and some of the choicest worth 1,000 ducats. The King had more than 100,000 men, horse and foot, and 5,000 women in his pay. The women went with the army, but did not fight, but their lovers fought for them very vigorously. When the King, which occasionally happened, went in person to war, he camped at some distance from the city, and ordered all people to join him within a certain number of days. At the end of the days he gave orders to burn the whole city, except his palaces, and some of the nobles' palaces, that all might go to the war and die with him.

"Among his knights many had come from different parts to take service, and did not cease to live in their own creeds. In times of peace the city was filled with an innumerable crowd of all nations. There were very rich local Gentiles, many Moorish merchants and traders, and an infinite number of others from all parts. They dwelt freely and safely in what creed they chose, whether Moor, Christian, or Gentile. The governors observed strict justice, and there was an infinite trade. Great quantities of precious stones poured into Vijayanagar, jewels from Pegu, diamonds from the Deccan, and also from a Vijayanagar mine, and pearls from Ormuz and from Cael in South India."*

One passage in this extract is especially important, as it supplies a reason why the only ruins of this large city are temples and a few public buildings. If the homes of the common people were liable to be burnt whenever the King went to war, they must, of course, have been built of the most unsubstantial materials. When Vijayanagar finally fell after the battle of Tellicotta (1565) the Mahomedans probably found the city in such a half-ruined state. The King had strained every nerve to meet the allied Mahomedan kings, and had possibly burnt the greater part of the city. All that the * (Ibid).

Mahomedans found, therefore, were temples and public buildings, which they ruthlessly destroyed. In many of the temples it is still clearly visible how the pavement was torn up in order to search for hidden treasure. Of the public buildings, the most interesting ruins are: The elephant stables, very substantially built, and in a very good state of preservation and a grand stand where the King used to sit and watch the sports in the arena below. This stand is covered on all sides with excellent carvings in bas-relief of animals, sports, &c. On the north side the walls are hidden by débris; but a portion has been excavated, exposing some very delicate carving in an excellent state of preservation. Near the arena are the remains of an aqueduct, each section of which is built out of solid stone. The channel is a foot and a half wide by a foot deep. In communication with this aqueduct are the remains of a covered bath, evidently of Mahomedan architecture. This possibly is the bath which the King used to visit, as there are screened and latticed apartments like private boxes from which he could watch the bathers. Abd-er-Razzak speaks of the water flowing through the streets, and of the different handicrafts being located together. A very interesting example of this lies not far from the bath. There are the remains of a street, by the side of which is a stone channel, and on either side of the channel are a large number of square slabs of black stone with a round excavation like a plate in the middle, by the side of which are two, three, and sometimes five smaller excavations. These slabs were used for eating. The middle excavation was meant for rice, and the neighbouring ones for condiments. Here, probably, were the public eating houses. A traveller who wanted to dine came and sat down at a slab, and was served with his food, and he probably paid according to the kind of slab he selected. A five-condiment dinner cost more than one with only two. After eating he washed his hands in the channel, and then went away. These