Indian Antiquary Vol 45

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 148

140
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
(AUGUST, 1916
usages and emblems, De Nobilis argued that the loudumi was simply a sign of caste and not *eligion ; that the cord was similarly a social and not sacerdotal term; that the sandalpaste was simply an adornment common to all sects and neither superstitious nor improper. Lastly he defended baths as having nothing in common with religion. He also appealed to the examples of the early church, of Peter and Paul, against excess of severity and fanatioism of feeling in the conversion of heathens. Arguments like these could not but persuade, and the result was the Bull of Jan. 1623.
(To be continued.)
MISCELLANEA.
AN EMBASSY FROM VIJAYANAGAR the Kishkinds of the Ramayana ... Anegundi TO CHINA.
means "elephant-pit", being the place where the
elephants of the Vijayanagar RajAs were kept.' Won reading Bretachneider, Mediaval Re.
Thus there cannot be any doubt concerning the searches (Vol. II, p. 211; Kogan Paul, ed., 1910).
kingdom referred to by the Chinese author. I came across the following passage briefly de.
Although Bretschneider was not in a position to soribing an omboway from the Rêya of Vijayanagar
identify the prince who sent the embassy, there is to the Emperor of China ; which does not nem
no difficulty in doing so. He was Bukka I, who to be in the recollection of Indian historians.
enjoyed a long reign as Raya from an uncertain *A-NAN-GUNG.DE, a kingdom in SI-TIEN.
date to A. D. 13761 and attained to great power. In 1374 Bu-ha-lu, the ruler of this country, sent
His history, so far as known, is related at longth by his "chief explainer" (kiang-chu), by namo Bi
Mr. Sowell (A Forgotten Empire, (1900), who did not ns-ai, with tribute to the Chinese court. He
apparently happen to notice the record of the brought among other things, a stone which had
mission to China. Although Bukka suffered severe the property of neutralizing poison. After this
defeats at the hands of the Sultans of Bijapur, and no embassy from that country was seen in China.
never ventured to assume the full imperial titles, That is all the Ming shi records with repect to
he is said by Nuniz, the Portuguese chronicler, this Indian kingdom.'
to have conquered many lands' and to have been Bretechneider points out that Si t'ien (Western
at the time of his death not less feared than Heaven) is a Chinese name applied to India in
esteemed, and obeyed by all in his kingdom.'! The some Chinese translations of Buddhist works.
reason for his sending an embassy to China is He also correctly identifies A-nan-gung-de with
not apparent, and I do not understand the mean. . Annagoondy', the Kanarese name sometimes
ing of the designation of his envoy As chief used as an equivalent of Vijayanagar.
explainer' (kiang-chu). Nor can I give the equi. A short article in the Imperial Gazetteer valent of his name Bi-ns-si. It may be some (1908) makes the identification more precise. name beginning with Vinaya. *ANEGUNDI.-old town and fortress in Raichur | Bretschneider notes that in 1443, Shahrukh, District, Hyderabad State, situated in 15° 21' N. and son of the mighty Timðr, sent an embassy to the 76° 30 E., on the left bank of the Tungabhadra. king of Vijayanagar, who was then Deva Raya II. Population (1901), 2,266. It is the seat of the The reference is to the well known mission of Râjâs of Anegundi, who are lineal descendants of the Abdur Razzák,3 kings of Vijayanagar. Anegundi and Vijayanagar on the opposite bank are popularly identified with
VINCENT A. SMITH.
1 Krishna Shastri in Ann. Rep. A. S. India, 1907-8, p. 242. Sewell (p. 47) placed the death of Bukka" about A. D. 1379,' but the earlier date, 1376, seems to be settled by epigraphic evidence.
? A Forgotten Empire, p. 300.
3 Se. Elliot and Dowson, Hist. of India, IV, 89. Sewell (op. cit.) also discusses the ambassador's narrative.