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MADHURAVIJAYAM
vijayam of Gangā Dēvi¹2 to get the details of the Muslim
policy towards the Hindus. Inscriptions too refer to the
terrible 'Mussalman days'. ¹⁹
13
42
The statements of Ibn Batuta must be of especial
importance to us as they are records of his own per-
sonal experiences and not based on heresay or previous
chronicles. Ibn Batuta had himself, though reluctantly,
to witness some of the most ghastly sights. Thus he
describes his experience when he went with Ghiyasud-d-
din in the latter's anti-Hindu campaigns: "The coun-
try we had to traverse was an impenetrable jungle of
trees and reeds .... All the infidels found in the jungle
were taken prisoners. Each was accompanied by his
wife and children and they were thus held to the camp.
It is practice here to surround the camp with a palisade
having four gates. There may be a second palisade
round the king's habitation. Outside the principal
enclosure they raise platforms three feet high and light
fires on them at night".
"Slaves and sentinels spend the night here, each
holding in his hand, a bundle of very thin reeds. When
the infidels approach for a night attack on the camp,
all the sentries light their faggots, and thanks to the
flames, the night becomes as bright as day and the
cavalry sets out in pursuit of the idolators. In the morn-
ing the Hindus who had been made prisoners the day
before were divided into four groups and each of these
was led to one of the four gates of the main enclosure.
There they were impaled on the posts they had them-
12. Madhurāvijayam,-Canto VIII.
13. Cf. A.R.E., 434 of 1903 (also S.I.I., Vol. VIII), A.R.E., for 1913,
page 128, No. 203 of 1913, a seventh year inscription of Rājanārāyaṇa
Sambuvaraya.
vijayam of Gangā Dēvi¹2 to get the details of the Muslim
policy towards the Hindus. Inscriptions too refer to the
terrible 'Mussalman days'. ¹⁹
13
42
The statements of Ibn Batuta must be of especial
importance to us as they are records of his own per-
sonal experiences and not based on heresay or previous
chronicles. Ibn Batuta had himself, though reluctantly,
to witness some of the most ghastly sights. Thus he
describes his experience when he went with Ghiyasud-d-
din in the latter's anti-Hindu campaigns: "The coun-
try we had to traverse was an impenetrable jungle of
trees and reeds .... All the infidels found in the jungle
were taken prisoners. Each was accompanied by his
wife and children and they were thus held to the camp.
It is practice here to surround the camp with a palisade
having four gates. There may be a second palisade
round the king's habitation. Outside the principal
enclosure they raise platforms three feet high and light
fires on them at night".
"Slaves and sentinels spend the night here, each
holding in his hand, a bundle of very thin reeds. When
the infidels approach for a night attack on the camp,
all the sentries light their faggots, and thanks to the
flames, the night becomes as bright as day and the
cavalry sets out in pursuit of the idolators. In the morn-
ing the Hindus who had been made prisoners the day
before were divided into four groups and each of these
was led to one of the four gates of the main enclosure.
There they were impaled on the posts they had them-
12. Madhurāvijayam,-Canto VIII.
13. Cf. A.R.E., 434 of 1903 (also S.I.I., Vol. VIII), A.R.E., for 1913,
page 128, No. 203 of 1913, a seventh year inscription of Rājanārāyaṇa
Sambuvaraya.