भारतीय इतिहास के ६ स्वर्णिम पृष्ठ (वीर सावरकर - विदेशी आक्रान्ताओं पर विजय गाथा)

882A. Round about A.D. 1460, there was a bitter struggle for power in the royal family of Vijaynagar in the reign of Virupaksha. Availing himself of this opportunity, a mighty Vijaynagar Chieftain, Shalva Narsingh by name, dethroned Virupaksha and thus ended the original Sangam dynasty by assuming sovereignty and establishing order throughout the kingdom. Advent of Western Nations in India 883. During this very period, the European, Portuguese discovered a sea route to India and entered the Indian political arena. Their first entry was not effected in Vijaynagar; it was the coastal Prince Samudrin (Zamorin), to the southern corner of India who was their first host. This seemingly insignificant event is recorded here merely for keeping up the time- sequence. The new locust-like aggression of the western powers that followed it, will have to be reviewed in a separate chapter. Maharaja Naresh 884. Following the thread of the history of Vijaynagar, it must be said that during one or two generations, this second royal dynasty of Shalva Narsingh was in its turn overthrown when another military commander, Naresh by name, assassinated the then ruling monarch, and established the third ruling dynasty of Vijaynagar in A.D. 1507. In all these three political revolutions, one remarkable thing is noticeable that even when the Muslim States were waiting most anxiously to destroy this Hindu Empire, and even when these Hindu-Muslim states were constantly at war, these political revolutions took place amongst the Hindus themselves. The surrounding Muslim states got no opportunity to lend a helping hand to one contending Hindu side against the other and thus force their grip on it, nor had they the courage to do it. The Break-up of the Bahamani Kingdom 885. Before the third political revolution in Vijaynagar was effected, the Bahamani Kingdom of the Muslim was broken up into five. The Bahamani Sultans first of all extended their boundaries from the Narmada to the Tungabhadra, but as its boundaries reached those of Vijaynagar, there was constant warfare between the Hindu-Muslim States. The many victories that the Vijaynagar kings won over the Muslims effected the annexation of Gomantak to the Hindu Kingdom and the extension of its boundaries right up to Orissa. As a natural consequence of these Hindu victories, the Bahamani power weakened considerably. Moreover, the last of its monarchs were absolutely worthless. Mohammed Gawan, the last Bahamani Vazir,