FOUND AT VIJAYANAGAR. 



13 



Raja. AcHYUTA, however, returning resumed his right, and on his death 

 SadXsiva ascended under the tutelage of Rama. It is therefore pro- 

 bable that an attempt was made, in the first instance, to expel the elder 

 brother and place the younger upon the throne, but that this was 

 defeated and Achyuta retained, at least nominally, the possession of his 

 dominions. 



The transactions of the Gourt of Vijayanagar at this period afford a 

 curious illustration of the difficulty of obtaining precise accounts of occur- 

 rences in the East. The compiler of the pedigree could perhaps furnish, 

 if he chose, more satisfactory details, but it is not possible to gain a clear 

 view of the circumstances of the case from other authorities, although, in 

 addition to Hindu writers, we have the accounts of two persons who were 

 cotemporaries and almost eye-witnesses of what they detail. These are 

 Ferishta and Caesar Frederick, the former residing at the Court of 

 JBejapur, and the latter' a resident at Bisnagar for six months, about a year 

 after its having been plundered by the Muhammedans. The following are 

 their accounts : 



According to Ferishta, RXmarXya, the son-in-law of KrishnarXya, 

 succeeded to the supreme ministerial authority. On the death of the infant 

 Raja he placed another minor of the same family on the throne, and com- 

 mitted the charge of the Raja's person to the care of his maternal uncle 

 Hoji TrimalarXya, whilst he administered the affairs of the Government 

 himself. The Raja's uncle after a time conspired against Rama, and 

 compelled him to resign his post and retire to his estates. TrimalarXya next 

 murdered his nephew and made himself king, and with the aid of iBR^HfM 

 A'dil Shah maintained himself in his usurped authortiy . As soon, however, 

 as his Muhammedan allies withdrew, he was attacked by the hostile party, 

 who defeated him and besieged him in his palace in Vijayanagar, where, 

 finding his affairs desperate, he destroyed himself. 



