Page:Gurujadalu English.djvu/8

 In a battle in which hundreds of thousands are engaged on both sides, Tirumala seeks out Ally Audil Shaw, and overpowers him. Several Musulman warriors come to his rescue. Venkatadri leaves his own command and appears suddenly on the scene, and attacks and kills the elephant of Ally Audil Shaw who jumps down from the elephant and flees for life. Tirumala overtakes and captures him and delivers a long speech of which I translate the first few sentences.

“Sirrah! Sinner! Mean dog! Until yesterday you were addressing my brother, “Father Father” To-day you join our enemies to fight. To-day your sins will receive their due reward. You are a traitor to your father and to your mother.

“Audil Shaw wept hot tears. He wept for fear of death. He did not know what to do. He thought of all his treacheries and wept!

“His army had deserted him by that time. But one Musalman warrior came opportunely to Audil Shaw’s rescue and cut off the lifted arm of Tirumala. But like a stricken tiger Tirumala transferred his sword to his left hand, attacked that warrior and slew him. In the meanwhile Audil Shaw effected his escape.

“Then Tirumala heard of the death of Ramarajah, maimed as he was, he hastened to the scene; but the Musulmans slew him by treachery.

“Venkatadri also hastened to see his “dead brother”. A Musulman warrior attacked him and broke his head into two pieces. Though Venkatadri’s life was ebbing away he slew that warrior. Despising death at the hands of the Musulman he stabbed himself.”

I have given only a few scraps from the novelist’s account of the battle.

The worst offence of the novelist is the portraiture of two of the greatest Musulman Kings of the Deccan as despicable cowards and traitors. He wanted to make out that Ramaraju was a dupe of their treacherous machinations. He therefore made of Ramaraju a simpleton, a character which misfits Ramaraju of history who emerged out of endless intrigues and civil wars as the de-facto ruler of the Empire of Vizianagaram with a nominal puppet sovereign on the throne. 1’ 958 My Own Thoughts