Book Title: Indian Antiquary Vol 14
Author(s): John Faithfull Fleet, Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications

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Page 336
________________ 298 THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY. [NOVEMBER, 1885.. Fourth verse. He sent on in front the foot. Then, sitting down, the Subhédâr wrote soldiers, carrying their drums and bugles and everything that had happened, and sent his long horns, and beating their excellent tabors. letter off to Dharwad. He made them fasten jingling ornaments to | Sixth verse.--Quickly the messenger took the charming long horns, and made them carry the letter, my brother! along the road to chauris and strings of bells, and chain-bracelets Dharwad. There the Kacheri was being held on their fore-arms. Setting their teeth in firm in a bungalow of (bricks and) mortar. Openresolve, stepping high with their feet, and ing the paper, they took it to the SAheb." drawing their swords, they leaped about in joy. When he had read it, the Saheb reflected, say Channabasaņņa of the drawn sword went ing, "Why should we recur to a matter that is on in front to Samsērgad, saying, "Come on, past and gone;" and, straightway he left his and we will strike a wondrous blow." And seat, and rose ; and then, throwing down his Gajavira says, “Great is the disturbance that hat, and biting his wrist, and gnasbing his we will make to-day, so that nothing shall teeth in wrath, he sat down and wrote a be left inside the town)." And Balanna of letter to Bombay. Kaddiguddi, and Bhîmanna of Doddakili, and Victoria, that mighty queen, saw it in person," Yellaņņa of the Woddase of Beļawadi, drew and took the whole matter into compretheir swords, saying, "O wakeful KAļavva" of hension; and at once she sent five hundred Sirsangi, and Kariyavva of Kakkeri, give (white) soldiers, and two hundred black your blessings upon our weapons." troops. So all the people, leaving not one behind, All this force came in company to the diswent on together to Samśêrgad, and, scaling tricts of Belgaum and Dharwad, to display it, began the siege. its bravery in war. And the Sabhêdêr took Fifth verse-Entering into the fort, they it with him, saying, “ Go, without any delay, created a great disturbance, my brother and to slay Raya by violence." cut to pieces all the people that they could Seventh verse.-In wrath the Subhédår descatch. Seizing them and striking them, slash- 1 patched this force, and then set out, and began ing them and beating them, sportively they seeking Raya, saying, "Where can all his forces created such confusion that no one was left in be ? " Searching the water-courses and streams, the fort. Nothing does (Ráyanna) fear; swift the hills and ravines, the woods and the forests, of foot, and carrying a sword, he goes about they set out and came to the hill of Halliha!. slaying them; and cannot be caught. Rayinâyika spied out from his place of hid. Hearing the news of this disturbance in the ing that the force had come. His men bad fort, the Subhodir rose in confusion and came eaten a meal of fruits, and were sitting there. there, (saying to himself)-"Here is Kasi, and Eagerly getting ready, (they rested their guns) round me are the seven oceans; never before against the trees and prepared the matches, did such people come into my territory." and then, coming far forward, they stood to Quickly they carried off all the property that await the attack), sounding their war-bugles. they had plundered, and left not the smallest "Look now, here is Rayinîyika"-50 saying, thing in the fort. They looked round to see the enemy) fired all round. Without any inthat no one was left anywhere. O my brother! termission they discharged their shells, and #dense darkness enveloped everything. bombs, and mortars, and guns, and match 15 Chaurt is the long bushy tail of the Bos Grunniens, used as a fly-flap or fan, and carried as a mark of distinction. » Wodds is a man of a caste the special occupation of which is the digging of tanks and wells, and other similar labour. See Panjib Notes and Queries, Vol. ). notes 362, 546,613, 614, 85, 876, and Vol. II. notes 50, 51, 52, 274, 916. * Kiva and Kuriyavva are local goddesso,-forms of Durga. Sfheb. for Sahib, means the English gentleman, 1.e. the Collector and Magistrate. * Thera is an annohronism here, as the events of the ballad took place in 1829, when George IV. was king. It is dus, of course, to tho ballad having been actually composed after 1959 (though by an eye-witness of the events, as stated at the end), when the East Indis Com. pany's administration was supersaded by the Queen's Government. H. M. Queen Victoria's name quickly became well-known throughout India, and is the only English Sovereiga's name that is known to the masses of the people. • 30 The original has aldara-mandi. 81dira is a gorraption of the English word 'soldier,' and is applied only to white troops. 11 Here the original has kariya-mandi, lit. black men. This term is applied only to nativo troops. * From the subsequent context, it appears that the first attacking force was composed of native troops only.

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