The Story of Barradas (1614)
Chandragiri in 1614--Death of King Venkata --Rebellion of Jaga Raya and murder of the royal family --Loyalty of Echama Naik --The Portuguese independent at San Thome --Actors in the drama --The affair at "Paleacate."--List of successors --Conclusion.
The following note of occurrences which took place at Chandragiri in 1614on the death of King Venkata I.will be found of singular interest,as it relates to events of which we in England have hitherto,I think,been in complete ignorance.In consists of an extract from a letter written at Cochin on December 12,A.D.1616,by Manuel Barradas,and recently found by Senhor Lopes amongst a quantity of letters preserved in the National Archives at Lisbon.[355]He copied it from the original,and kindly sent it to me.The translation is my own.
"I will now tell you ...about the death of the old King of Bisnaga,called Vencattapatti Rayalu,[356]and of his selection as his successor of a nephew by name Chica Rayalu;setting aside another who was commonly held to be his son,but who in reality was not so.The true fact was this.The King was married to a daughter of Jaga Raya by name Bayama,and though she eagerly longed for a son she had none in spite of the means,legitimate or illegitimate,that she employed for that purpose.A Brahman woman of the household of the Queen's father,knowing how strong was the Queen's desire to have a son,and seeing that God had not granted her one,told her that she herself was pregnant for a month;and she advised her to tell the King,and to publish it abroad,that she (the Queen)had been pregnant for a month,and to feign to be in that state,and said that after she (the Brahman woman)had been delivered she would secretly send the child to the palace by some confidant,upon which the Queen could announce that this boy was her own son.The advice seemed good to the Queen,and she pretended that she was pregnant,and no sooner was the Brahman woman delivered of a son than she sent it to the palace,and the news was spread abroad that Queen Bayama had brought forth a son.The King,knowing all this,yet for the love he bore the Queen,and so that the matter should not come to light,dissembled and made feasts,giving the name 'Chica Raya'to the boy,which is the name always given to the heir to the throne.[357]Yet he never treated him as a son,but on the contrary kept him always shut up in the palace of Chandigri,[358]nor ever allowed him to go out of it without his especial permission,which indeed he never granted except when in company of the Queen.Withal,the boy arriving at the age of fourteen years,he married him to a niece of his,doing him much honour so as to satisfy Obo Raya,his brother-in-law.[359]
"Three days before his death,the King,leaving aside,as I say,this putative son,called for his nephew Chica Raya,in presence of several of the nobles of the kingdom,and extended towards him his right hand on which was the ring of state,and put it close to him,so that he should take it and should become his successor in the kingdom.With this the nephew,bursting into tears,begged the King to give it to whom he would,and that for himself he did not desire to be king,and he bent low,weeping at the feet of the old man.The King made a sign to those around him that they should raise the prince up,and they did so;and they then placed him on the King's right hand,and the King extended his own hand so that he might take the ring.But the prince lifted his hands above his head,as if he already had divined how much ill fortune the ring would bring him,and begged the King to pardon him if he wished not to take it.The old man then took the ring and held it on the point of his finger offering it the second time to Chica Raya,who by the advice of the captains present took it,and placed it on his head and then on his finger,shedding many tears.Then the King sent for his robe,valued at 200,000cruzados,the great diamond which was in his ear,which was worth more than 500,000cruzados,his earrings,valued at more than 200,000,and his great pearls,which are of the highest price.All these royal insignia he gave to his nephew Chica Raya as being his successor,and as such he was at once proclaimed.While some rejoiced,others were displeased.
"Three days later the King died at the age of sixty-seven years.His body was burned in his own garden with sweet-scented woods,sandal,aloes,and such like;and immediately afterwards three queens burned themselves,one of whom was of the same age as the King,and the other two aged thirty-five years.They showed great courage.They went forth richly dressed with many jewels and gold ornaments and precious stones,and arriving at the funeral pyre they divided these,giving some to their relatives;some to the Brahmans to offer prayers for them,and throwing some to be scrambled for by the people.Then they took leave of all,mounted on to a lofty place,and threw themselves into the middle of the fire,which was very great.Thus they passed into eternity.
"Then the new King began to rule,compelling some of the captains to leave the fortress,but keeping others by his side;and all came to him to offer their allegiance except three.These were Jaga Raya,who has six hundred thousand cruzados of revenue and puts twenty thousand men into the field;Tima Naique,who has four hundred thousand cruzados of revenue and keeps up an army of twelve thousand men;and Maca Raya,who has a revenue of two hundred thousand cruzados and musters six thousand men.They swore never to do homage to the new King,but,on the contrary,to raise in his place the putative son of the dead King,the nephew of Jaga Raya,[360]who was the chief of this conspiracy.In a few days there occurred the following opportunity.
