HISTORY OF HIS ACQUIRING THE SOVEREIGNTY OF VIJAYANAGAR AND OUSTING
THE OLDER DYNASTY."

Nothing has since transpired to throw light on this subject, and the
whole matter has remained up to the present in its primeval darkness;
but this newly-found chronicle of Nuniz gives us the entire story
in most interesting form though I can by no means vouch for its
accuracy. It is, nevertheless, a RESUME of the traditional history
of the early sixteenth century, written within fifty or sixty years
of the events with which it deals. He tells us that Virupaksha Raya
("Verupacarao") was a weak and unworthy sovereign, in whose days
large tracts of land were lost to the Muhammadans, including Goa,
Chaul, and Dabhol; and this statement, at least, is historically
accurate. Virupaksha was despotic, cruel, and sensuous, "caring for
nothing but women and to fuddle himself with drink," so that the whole
country was roused to indignation and rebellion. Eventually he was
murdered by his eldest son, who in his turn was slain by his brother
"Padearao," in whom the nation merely found repeated the crimes and
follies of his dead sire. Disgusted with this line of sovereigns,
the nobles rose, deposed their king, and placed on the throne one
of their own number, Narasimha -- "Narsymgua, WHO WAS IN SOME MANNER
AKIN TO HIM."

Nuniz gives us a graphic account of the last scenes; how Narasimha's
captain arrived at the city gates and found them undefended; how he
penetrated the palace and found no one to oppose him; how he even
went as far as the harem, "slaying some of the women;" and how at
last the craven king fled.

"After that, Narasymgua was raised to be king.... And as he had much