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 Chap. VI I.]

NATIVE COMBINATION.

175

faithful ally of the Portuguese, with a crown of gold, set with jewels, which he had brought from Portugal for the purpose, he was astonished to find that he liad retired from the world, to spend the remainder uf his days as a solitary devotee. His nephew was reigning in his stead, and received the crown from the hands of Almeida during a pompous ceremonial. It is probable that he did not understand all that was meant by it, for from that day he was to be regarded, not as an independent sovereign, but a vassal holding his crown during the
 * )leasure of the Portuguese.

Before Almeida arrived, the zamorin had once more placed all his fortunes on a venture; and, as if fully aware that the struggle in which he was about to engage would prove decisive of his fate, left no means unemployed to insure .success. At this time a powerful dynasty was reigning in the Deccan over territories which included a considerable tract of sea-coast, from Goa northwards, while tiie kingdom of Gujerat or Cambaya had risen to be a great naval power. Both of these states had been wantonly attacked by the Portuguese, and their commerce had suffered severely before they were aware of having done anything to provoke hostility. Naturally exasperated, they entered with readiness into

A.D 1507

Native coin- tiiiiation .'igiiiiist tlii- Portuguesc.

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HiRDs EYE View ok Alexandria — Kroni Bnui et Uogenburg, 1&T4.

a combination intended to banisli the Portuguese for ever from the Et.

The Mameluke sultan at once responded to the call thus made upon him, Thcsiun and the more readily that his attention had previously been di-awn to the sub- S^t." ject from another quarter. The success of the Portuguese in the East was already telling powerfully against the lucrative trade which the Venetians had long been accustomed to regard as their special monopoly. Goods brought into the Levant, either overland or by way of Alexandria, had so heavy a burden of