t93S.J 



Import on the Mackenzie Manuscripts* 



35S 



Tanjore was assaulted. Vijaya Raghava made preparations for the 

 combustion of the females of his palace, lest they should fall into the 

 possession of the adversary. That combustion took place j but not 

 •until tiie crowned queen had sent off a nurse with a young child four 

 years of age. Vijaya Raghava became reconciled to his son Manara • 

 and the latter fell in a personal contest, hand to hand, with the com-- 

 mander of Choka natha^s troops. The ruler Vijaya Raghava 

 personally engaged in the contest i and is stated to have request^ 

 cd that musketeers might not fire on him, as if he so died, 

 he could not obtain beatitude. He was killed (as he prefer- 

 red) by the sword. An apparition of himself fully attended, 

 as usual, came to the gates of Sri-ranghanty and demanded en- 

 trance, which was conceded, under an idea that he might have made 

 peace with the ruler of Trichinopoly. After the usual ceremonies had 

 taken place, nothing more was seen of him ; and the circumstance being 

 reported to Choka Natha the king, he observed that it was because of 

 his being a very great devotee of the god. He gave prompt orders^v 

 by post, for the performance of all funeral ceremonies to the bodies of 

 the deceased ; and then assumed the whole of the country. He con- 

 fided the charge of it to Alagtrt, the child of the nurse by whom he 

 himself had been reared, being his foster brother. Meantime the 

 nurse, that had fled with the child of Vijaya Raghava^ remained atNe- 

 gapatam, the child passing as her own till it was twelve years of age ; 

 when Vencana, a Niyogi Brahman^ a Rayasam, or secretary of /?a- 

 ghava, heard of the matter, and went thither to see the child. In the 

 course of twelve months he assembled about a hundred dependents of 

 the laie Vijaya Raghava; and taking the nurse and child proceeded, 

 with these, and those dependants, to the Visapur Padshah^ where they 

 met with a favourable reception, and a promise of aid; being, how- 

 ever, kept in waiting, for a short time. In the interval ^/«^m, to 

 whom the fort of Tanjore had been confided, affected airs of independ- 

 ence, by writing on terms of equality to Choka-natha ; and when re- 

 proved for doing so, he returned no answer. Choka-natha was deeply- 

 displeased y but restrained, for the time, any expression of anger, con- 

 sidering that ^/a^m had strengthened himself, and could not be as-- 

 saulted, without mature preparation. Under these circumstances the 

 Mahratta chief approached. He was sent by the Visapur Padshah, 

 with a small force to reduce Alagiri, which force he increased by auxi- 

 liaries, derived from his two brothers at Bangalore and Ginjee. Ala-- 

 girt went out to meet the invaders, and a pitched battle was fought, 

 with considerable numbers engaged, when 400 Mahrattas and 500 of 



