g82 



Stalisiical Report on the 



[No. 35, 



tify their joy, and a cradle was made for the child, of pure gold, 

 richly ornamented with precious stones. She died in Shal. 1187, 

 after a reign of 38 years. 



She was succeeded by her grandson Pertab Rudra, the Arthur of 

 Warungul, to whose glory and exploits, albeit he succumbed to the 

 Mussulman power at last, the people still refer with pride. The 

 Mussulmans certainly were foiled in their first attempt to possess 

 themselves of the capital, and hence the admiration that still clings 

 to his name. As to his exploits they are even more extravagant than 

 those of his ancestors. He is said to have had a mercantile navy, 

 which is probable enough, as the people of Telinganah were certainly 

 at one time a maritime nation. His fall, which they cannot conceal, 

 is attributed to treachery and destiny : a sirdar of Warungul, Boo- 

 choo Reddy, proved traitor and offered, for eighteen lacs of rupees, to 

 betray his sovereign into the hands of the Mahomedan chief Pooloo- 

 khan ; yet before his treachery was consummated, the poojarrees 

 came to the king to complain that the lingum had become pow- 

 erless to convert the iron placed near it into gold, and the king ris- 

 ing in affright and tribulation went to pay his devotion to the lingum 

 from whence he repaired to the shrine of Pudma Devi, and pla- 

 ced the sword and shield, she had given to his ancestor a thousand 

 years before, at her feet ; but in the midst of his devotions the goddess 

 swallowed the sword, and the shield springing np clung fast to her 

 chest. When his ministers and sirdars heard this they all agreed 

 that Pudma Devi had abandoned him, and that he had only to trust 

 to the god of battles. He went out and fought against Pooloo and 

 Shitab Khan who, by the aid of the traitor Boochoo Reddy, defeated 

 the king and made him prisoner, and sent him to Delhi. Thus far, 

 saving the miracles, there may be truth, although defeat often hap- 

 pens without treachery. 



But the finale of this veracious history is quite consistent with 

 its tenor throughout. Pertub Rudra was received with great res- 

 pect by the sovereign of Delhi, who was not a little surprised at dis- 

 covering three eyes in the forehead of the captive sovereign ; on see- 

 ing which his regard for him was much enhanced, so he asked par- 

 don of him, and desired to call him brother, entreating him at the 

 same time to return to Warungul and resume his sceptre ; but Per- 

 tab Rudra declined doing so, being wearied of the toils of govern- 

 ment, and requested permission to return to Benares, which the 



