The Goldsmith’s Daughter Who Sparked a War
Introduction
The history of the Deccan Plateau is largely a history of conflicts between powerful kingdoms fighting for land, wealth, and influence. Simply put, it was a feud over one question: who gets to rule the Deccan? This kind of rivalry prevailed between the two powerful kingdoms of the South at that time. Among the most important of these rivalries was the long struggle between the Vijayanagara Empire and the Bahmani Sultanate.
But one episode from this period stands out for an unusual reason, though the story itself is largely debated. According to historical accounts, including the one recorded by Ferishta, the actions of a goldsmith’s daughter in the town of Mudgal became closely connected with a war between the two kingdoms.
The Two Powers of the Deccan: Vijayanagara and the Bahmani Sultanate
To understand how this conflict ignited, we first need to look at the two kingdoms involved. By the early 15th century, much of the Deccan was shaped by the long rivalry between the Vijayanagara Empire to the south and the Bahmani Sultanate to the north.
South of the Tungabhadra River was the Vijayanagara Empire. Founded in 1336, the kingdom had grown into a major political and military power in South India. Its capital, Vijayanagara (known today as Hampi), was known for its temples, markets, wealth, and large army. At the time of this story, the empire was ruled by Deva Raya I (1370–1423) of the Sangama dynasty. He was determined to protect his territory and maintain his position in the Deccan.
Across the Tungabhadra, to the north, was the Bahmani Sultanate. Founded in 1347, it had become one of the major powers of the Deccan. Its ruler at the time was Sultan Feroz Shah Bahmani, who was well-educated, had a strong interest in culture, and was considered a capable ruler.
The two kingdoms were powerful, ambitious, and shared a border, so conflict was bound to happen sooner or later. But their rivalry was not simply about religion or political influence. Land, wealth, forts, and control of strategic territories were all at stake.
The Raichur Doab: The Land Between Two Tigers
The border between these two kingdoms was far from peaceful. The Krishna and Tungabhadra rivers formed an important natural boundary between them, with the fertile land between the two rivers known as the Raichur Doab.
The Doab was valuable for several reasons. Its fertile soil supported agriculture and brought considerable wealth to whoever controlled it. The region was also known for its mineral resources, including iron and diamonds.
Because of this, both the Vijayanagara kingdom and the Bahmani Sultanate wanted control over the region. The forts of Raichur and Mudgal were particularly important, as they helped control the surrounding territory and the routes connecting the two kingdoms.
The rivalry over the Doab had already led to repeated conflicts between the Vijayanagara kings and the Bahmani Sultanate. Deva Raya I and Sultan Feroz Shah Bahmani were both aware of the importance of this region, and both were determined to hold on to their claim over the land.
But the conflict we are about to see did not begin with a battle over the Doab itself. The immediate trigger, according to the historical accounts, came from a much more personal matter — the beauty of a goldsmith's daughter from Mudgal, whose beauty caught the attention of a Brahmin returning from a pilgrimage to Varanasi.
The Peerless Maiden of Mudgal
In the fort town of Mudgal lived a farmer and goldsmith's daughter named Pertal. According to the accounts, a Brahmin returning from a pilgrimage to Varanasi noticed her beauty and was so impressed by her that he stayed at her home for about a year and a half, teaching her music and dance.
The Brahmin eventually made his way to Vijayanagara and told King Deva Raya I about the young woman he had met in Mudgal, describing her as a beauty unlike any he had seen.
The king was impressed by what he heard and sent the Brahmin back to Mudgal with jewels and a marriage proposal for Pertal.
But Pertal refused the proposal and returned the gifts. She reportedly told the Brahmin that she could not bear to leave her parents.
There may have been another reason behind her decision. She would have been aware of the customs of the Vijayanagara royal court. The Italian traveller Nicolo Conti, who travelled through India between 1420 and 1440, wrote about the large number of wives of the Vijayanagara king and also described the practice of Sati associated with some royal wives.
After the Brahmin left, Pertal is said to have told her parents that she had long believed that she would one day become the wife of a great Muslim prince. She asked them not to be angry with her for refusing the proposal from the Hindu king.
Whether every detail of this account can be established is hard to say. But this is where the story takes an unexpected turn — Deva Raya was not willing to simply accept her refusal.
A King's Pride and a Sultan's Wrath
By the time the Vijayanagara army reached Mudgal, Pertal and many of the people from the town had already fled, having learned that the army was approaching.
With Pertal no longer there, the Vijayanagara troops had little reason to remain in Mudgal. They withdrew towards their territory, but on the way back they are said to have burned and destroyed several villages and towns.
This changed the situation completely. What had begun with a king's attempt to bring back a woman who had rejected his proposal had now turned into a direct conflict between Vijayanagara and the Bahmani Sultanate.
The actions of the Vijayanagara army brought a response from Sultan Feroz Shah, who launched an attack on Vijayanagara. Deva Raya managed to defend his capital, and the Bahmani forces were pushed back. The Sultan himself was wounded during the fighting.
The Bahmani army then withdrew to the plains and took up a defensive position. Deva Raya was unable to dislodge them from there, and eventually sought the help of his allies in Malwa and Gujarat.
The Heavy Price of Peace and Pertal's Fate
In the meantime, another army of the Sultan, commanded by his brother Ahmed, was attacking the Vijayanagara territories. With his position becoming difficult and his allies in Malwa and Gujarat unable to provide immediate help, Deva Raya was eventually forced to agree to peace.
According to Ferishta, the terms of the settlement were heavy. Vijayanagara was required to pay an indemnity of 10 lakh pagodas and 5 maunds of pearls. Fifty elephants and 2,000 slaves were also demanded, along with the territory of Bankapur as part of the settlement.
The peace was further sealed through a marriage between Deva Raya's daughter and Sultan Feroz Shah.
Ferishta describes the occasion in considerable detail. He writes that the Sultan was received by Deva Raya with great ceremony when he arrived at Vijayanagara with the bride. The road from the city gate to the palace was decorated with expensive fabrics, and the Sultan was treated with royal hospitality for three days before leaving the city.
The wedding brought an end to the immediate conflict, but it did not end the tension between the two rulers. A perceived slight during the Sultan's departure is said to have added to the bitterness between them.
But what happened to Pertal?
According to the same tradition, Sultan Feroz Shah later sent people to bring Pertal and her family to his court. When she arrived, the Sultan was reportedly impressed by her beauty. However, as he was too old to marry her himself, he gave her in marriage to his son, Hassan Khan.
In this way, the story says, Pertal eventually married the Muslim prince she had once told her parents she believed she would marry. Her parents were also given gifts and grants of land.
Whether every detail of this story is historically accurate is difficult to establish. But it remains one of the more unusual stories connected with the rivalry between Vijayanagara and the Bahmani Sultanate, a story in which a personal dispute is said to have played a part in a much larger political conflict.
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