Close of the First Dynasty (A.D.1449to 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.1449is the last date in any known inion 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.1444and 1449,but this remains to be proved.Two sons of Deva Raya II.,according to the inions,were named Mallikarjuna and Virupaksha I.respectively.There are inions of the former dated in A.D.1452--53and 1464--65,[149]and one of the latter in 1470.[150]Mallikarjuna appears to have had two sons,Rajasekhara,of whom we have inions in the years A.D.1479--80and 1486--87,and Virupaksha II.,mentioned in an inion 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 inion 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 inion 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 inion 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,several of whom appear to have met with violent deaths.The usurpation took place at some period between A.D.1487and 1490.
Leaving the Hindu and Portuguese records,we must turn to the Muhammadan historians in order to see what were the political relations existing at this time between Vijayanagar and its hereditary enemies to the north.Firishtah tells us of no event occurring between the year 1443and 1458A.D.to disturb the peaceful conditions then existing.Kulbarga was itself in too troubled a condition to venture on further national complications.Internal disputes and civil war raged in the Dakhan,and the country was divided against itself.The trouble had begun which ended only with the extinction of the Bahmani monarchy,and the establishment of five rival Muhammadan kingdoms in the place of one.
Ala-ud-din died February 13,A.D.1458,(?)[151]and was succeeded by his son Humayun,a prince of "cruel and sanguinary temper."In the following year Humayun waged war against the country of the Telugus and besieged Devarakonda,which made so stout a resistance that the Dakhani armies were baffled,and retired.He died on the 5th September 1461,[152]to the great relief of all his subjects.Mallikarjuna appears to have been then king of Vijayanagar.
Nizam Shah succeeded to the throne,being then only eight years old,but his reign was of short duration.He was succeeded by his brother Muhammad on July 30,A D.1463,[153]In the middle of the year 1469,while either Rajasekhara or Virupaksha I.was the king of Vijayanagar,Mahmud Gawan,Muhammad's minister,marched towards the west,and after a fairly successful campaign attacked Goa,then in the possession of the Raya of Vijayanagar,both by sea and land.He was completely victorious and captured the place.
