Thread by @shrikanth_krish

Domingo Paes visited Vijayanagara (Bisnaga) during the reign of Krishna Deva Raya roughly around 1520-22

His account of Vijayanagara is perhaps the only external account we have of Hampi during the reign of KDR, if I am not wrong

While the narrative is patchy in parts, his description of the King Krishna Deva Raya stands out for its vivid character and attention to detail

Here's how he describes Krishna Devaraya's physical appearance

Then he talks about KDR's constant rivalry with the king of Orya (a reference to the Gajapati dynasty based out of modern Orissa / Andhra)

The king is polygamous

Here's Paes again -

"The king has twelve lawful wives, of whom there are three principal ones, the sons of each of these three being heirs of the kingdom, but not those of others"

Interestingly one of these three "principal" wives is a courtesan

There are some hints to KDR's personal habits, which make interesting reading

A man of remarkable ritual discipline

Notice below his schedule after getting up early until daybreak!

Paes's description of the city is also worth recounting

Vijayanagar was estimated to have close to half a million inhabitants - the second largest city in the world in early 16th century after Beijing

Paes provides no numbers but says this -

Here's more on the city -

Interesting that he associates wheat consumption with "Moors" (presumably Muslims)

Paes also describes a festival, which is likely Navaratri / Dussehra

But given the reference to new year and the new moon, it might be Deepavali

Paes also describes the inhabitants, the brahmins in particular -

Here's a description of the temples (which go by the name - pagodas)

Below is a reference to what is obviously a Ganesha temple

But one is not sure where is this "Darcha" town located - a city that he mentions often

Here he is holding forth on this curious city that is called "Darcha"

The distance between "Darcha" and Vijayanagar is estimated by Paes to be eighteen leagues

Assuming one league to be roughly 5-6 kms, that works out to be a distance of close to 100 kms.

Could this be Dharwad?

The entire text of Paes's account can be found here -

archive.org/details/in.ern…

It is a rare account that describes the common routine and culture of the land - a contrast to the write-ups of some of the other travelers like Nuniz who focus more on political and military history