For
Tyrants Always Die By The Hands Of Those In Whom They Repose Most Trust.
He Was Succeeded By A Child Who Was His Reputed Son; But The Nobility Of
The Kingdom, Offended By The Insolence Of Madrem-Al-Mulk Who Acted As
Governor Of The Kingdom, Rebelled In Several Places.
Abex Khan, who
commanded in the city of Diu, was one of these, and in consequence of
some disagreement
Between his soldiers and the Portuguese garrison, Don
Diego de Almeyda made an assault on the city with 500 men, in which many
of the Moors were slain and their houses plundered. Though late, Abex
Khan saw his error, and made proper concessions. Soon afterwards, when
Don Diego de Noronha succeeded Almeyda in the command of the castle of
Diu, fresh troubles broke out at Diu, which were not appeased, till a
good many men had been skin on both sides, chiefly owing to the rashness
and obstinacy of Diego de Noronha, for which he was afterwards excluded
from the appointment to the viceroyalty of India.
In 1554 Don Alfonso de Noronha was superseded in the government of
Portuguese India by Don Pedro de Mascarenhas, who was 70 years of age
when appointed viceroy. Soon after his arrival at Goa, some of the great
subjects of Adel Khan, king of Visiapour, made proposals for raising
Meale Khan, who had long resided at Goa, to the musnud, and offered to
cede the Concan to the crown of Portugal, in reward for assistance in
bringing about that revolution. That province, which produced a million
of yearly revenue, was so great a bait, that the enterprise was engaged
in without consideration of its difficulties. Meale Khan was immediately
proclaimed king of Visiapour, and a force of 3000 Portuguese infantry
with 200 horse and a body of Malabars and Canarins was immediately sent
to reduce the fort of Ponda; after which, leaving his family in Goa as
hostages for the faithful performance of the treaty, Meale Khan was
conducted thither by the viceroy and placed at the head of his new
subjects. Leaving Ponda under the charge of Don Antonio de Noronha, with
a garrison of 600 men, the viceroy returned to Goa, where he soon
afterwards died, having enjoyed the viceroyalty of India only ten
months.
On the death of Mascarenhas, which happened some time in 1555, Francisco
de Barreto succeeded to the government by virtue of a patent of
succession. He immediately proceeded to Ponda to support the cause of
Meale Khan, who was soon afterwards taken prisoner, and the Portuguese
were utterly disappointed in the hopes of profiting by this intended
revolution.
In the beginning of 1556, Juan Peixoto sailed with two gallies for the
Red Sea, to examine if the Turks were making any preparations at Suez
for attacking the Portuguese in India. Finding every thing quiet, he
landed unperceived during the night in the island of Swakem, whence he
carried off a considerable booty and many prisoners, and returned to Goa
with much honour.
About this time the king of Sinde sent an embassy to the governor
general, desiring assistance in a war against one of his neighbours, and
700 men were dispatched for that purpose in 28 vessels under the command
of Pedro Barreto, who arrived safe at Tatta in the delta of the Indus,
the residence of the king of Sinde. The prince immediately visited the
Portuguese commander, and sent notice of his arrival to the king his
father who was absent in the field against the enemy. As the king made
peace with his enemy, Barreto desired leave to depart, and required that
the Portuguese should be reimbursed for the expences of the expedition,
as had been agreed upon, by the ambassador who solicited it. Receiving
an unsatisfactory answer, Baretto landed his men and entered the city,
where he slew above 8000 persons, destroyed to the value of above eight
millions in gold[372], and loaded his vessels with the richest booty
that had ever been made in India, without losing a single man. He
afterwards spent eight days destroying every thing within reach on both
sides of the river. On this occasion one Gaspar de Monterroyo, going
accidentally into a wood, killed a monstrous serpent thirty feet in
length and of prodigious bigness, which had just devoured a bullock.
Thus victorious over men and monsters, Barreto returned to Chaul, whence
he and Antonio Pereyra Brandam went and destroyed Dabul in revenge for
the injury done by Adel Khan to the Portuguese possessions on the coast.
[Footnote 372: On many occasions, as here, De Faria, or his translator,
gives no intimation of the species of coin to which he alludes. - E.]
In the year 1557, Nazer-al-mulk, the general of Adel Khan, invaded the
districts of Salsete and Bardes with 2000 horse and 81,000 foot.
Francisco Barreto, the governor-general, went against him with 3000
Portuguese infantry, 1000 Canarins, and 200 horse, and defeated him in
the plain country near Ponda. In the district of Bardes, Juan Peixoto
was opposed to another general of the enemy named Murad Khan, and being
much incommoded by a Portuguese renegado who had fortified himself,
assaulted and routed him twice with considerable slaughter. As the
governor-general had retired to Goa after his late victory,
Nazer-al-mulk returned to the flat country and intrenched his army near
Ponda. About the same time an officer of Adel Khan waded the ford of
Zacorla into the island of Choram with 500 men, and did considerable
damage; but on the arrival of assistance from other parts was repulsed
with considerable loss, and Francisco de Mascarenhas was left for the
defence of the island with 300 men. Being desirous to secure the
promontory of Chaul, the governor asked leave to fortify that place from
Nizam Shah[373], who not only refused permission, but sent 30,000 of his
own men with orders to build there an impregnable fort. On this the
governor went there in person with 4000 Portuguese troops besides
natives, and a pacific arrangement was entered into, but without liberty
to build the fort.
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