The Rajah Of Pimienta Took The Field With
10,000 Nayres, And Was Opposed By The Rajah Of Cochin With His Men,
Assisted By 600 Portuguese Troops Under Francisco De Sylva, Who
Commanded In The Fort At Cochin.
Sylva pressed for an accommodation,
which was consented to by the rajah on reasonable terms; but the treaty
was broken off by the rash and violent conduct of Sylva.
The armies
engaged in battle, in which the rajah of Pimienta was mortally wounded
and carried off the field, upon which his troops fled and were pursued
into their city with great slaughter, and the royal palace set on fire.
This was considered as a heinous affront by the Nayres of Pimienta, who
rallied and fell with such fury on the victors that they were forced to
a disorderly retreat, in which Sylva and above fifty Portuguese were
slain. About 5000 of the Pimienta Nayres, who had taken an oath to
revenge the death of their rajah or to die in the attempt, made an
irruption into the territory of Cochin where they did much damage; and
while engaged with the Cochin troops, Henry de Sousa marched against
them with some Portuguese troops, and defeated them with great
slaughter. The joy occasioned by this victory was soon damped by the
approach of the zamorin at the head of 140,000 men. The zamorin
encamped with 100,000 of these at Chembe, while the tributary or
allied Malabar princes with the other 40,000 took post in the island of
Bardela.
Upon the first advice of this invasion, Cabral collected the armament
which had been destined against the Turks, consisting of above 100 sail
of different kinds, with 4000 soldiers. He sent on Emanuel de Sousa with
four ships, ordering him with these and the force already at Cochin to
use every effort to confine the Malabar princes to the island of
Bardela, till he should be able to get there with the main army, which
orders he effectually executed. Having destroyed Tiracole, Coulete,
and Paniane, Cabral landed at Cochin, where his army was increased to
6000 men, and where the Rajah, was ready with 40,000 of his subjects.
Being ready to attack the island, the Malabar princes hung out a white
flag for a parley, and even agreed to put themselves into the hands of
the governor on promise of their lives; but they delayed, and Cabral
resolved to attack them next day. When next day came, he was again
hindered by a violent flood. And the next day after, when on the point
of performing one of the most brilliant actions that had ever been done
in India, he was stopt by the sudden arrival at Cochin of Don Alfonso de
Noronha as viceroy of India; who would neither allow him to proceed, nor
would he execute what was so well begun, but allowed the Malabar princes
to escape with their whole army[370].
[Footnote 370: We only learn incidentally from De Faria that this
happened in the year 1550.
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