On Receiving Reinforcements, De Sousa Marched Out
Against The Moguls, Who Were Encamped About Three Leagues From Daman;
But They Fled Precipitately, Leaving Their Camp And Baggage, In Which
The Portuguese Found A Rich Booty.
During the year 1566, the trade of India was reduced to a very low ebb,
owing to a desolating war in the rich and extensive kingdom of Bisnagar,
which then reached from the frontiers of Bengal to that of Sinde.
The
kings of the Decan, Nizam al Mulk, Adel Khan, and Cuttub Shah, envious
of the power and grandeur of the king of Bisnagar, entered into a league
to partition his dominions among themselves, and took the field with
50,000 horse and 300,000 foot. To repel this formidable invasion, the
king of Bisnagar, who was then ninety-six years of age, met his enemies
with an army double their numbers. At first the confederates seemed to
have the worst of the war; but fortune favoured them in the end, and the
ancient king of Bisnagar was defeated and slain. The confederates spent
five months in plundering the capital of Bisnagar, although the natives
had previously carried off 1550 elephants loaded with money and jewels
to the value of above an hundred millions of gold, besides the royal
chair of state, which was of inestimable value. Among his share of the
plunder Adel Khan got a diamond as large as an ordinary egg, with
another of extraordinary size though smaller, and other jewels of
prodigious value. The dominions of the old king were partitioned by the
victors among his sons and nephews.
In the year 1567, the great poet Camoens being extremely poor though he
had served sixteen years in India, was prevailed upon to go to Sofala
along with Pedro Barreto, who was going there with the command, and
promised to do great things for him; but after waiting long and
receiving nothing, Camoens resolved to return to Portugal in a ship
which put in at Sofala, in which was Hector de Silveyra and other
gentlemen. Barreto, however, opposed his departure, having promised him
promotion without any intentions of doing so, but only to procure his
company for his own gratification, and now detained him under pretence
of a debt of two hundred ducats. Silveyra and the other Portuguese
gentlemen paid this money and brought Camoens away, so that it may be
said, that the person of Camoens and the honour of Barreto were both
sold for that money. Camoens arrived at Lisbon in 1569, at which time
the plague raged in that city; so that in flying from one plague our
great and famous poet fell into another.
In 1568, Don Antonio de Noronha was succeeded as viceroy of India by Don
Luis de Ataide, count of Atougaia, who arrived at Goa in the October of
that year. At this time Itimi Khan held the administration of the
Kingdom of Guzerat, having by great artifice persuaded the chiefs that
his own son was son of the former king; but the kingdom was in great
confusion.
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