Chapter NARCONDAM to NARSINGA of N by The Hobson Jobson Dictionary

learned to apply to the kingdom from his name, continued to be applied to it for nearly two centuries.

1505.—“Hasse notizia delli maggiori Re che hanno nell’ India, che è el Re de Narsin, indiano zentil; confina in Estremadura con el regno de Comj (qu. regno Deconij ?), el qual Re si è Moro. El qual Re de Narsin tien grande regno; sarà (harà ?) ad ogni suo comando 10 mila elefanti, 30 mila cavalli, e infinito numero di genti.”—Lionardo Ca’ Masser, 35.

1510.—“The Governor…learning of the embassy which the King of Bisnega was sending to Cananore to the Viceroy, to offer firm friendship, he was most desirous to make alliance and secure peace…principally because the kingdom of Narsinga extends in the interior from above Calecut and from the Balagate as far as Cambaya, and thus if we had any wars in those countries by sea, we might by land have the most valuable aid from the King of Bisnega.”—Correa, ii. 30.

1513.—“Aderant tunc apud nostru praefectu a Narsingae rege legati.”—Emanuel. Reg. Epist. f. 3v.

1516.—“45 leagues from these mountains inland, there is a very large city which is called Bijanaguer, very populous.…The King of Narsinga always resides there.”—Barbosa, 85.

c. 1538.—“And she (the Queen of Onor) swore to him by the golden sandals of her pagod that she would rejoice as much should God give him the victory over them (the Turks) as if the King of Narsinga, whose slave she was, should place her at table with his wife.”—F. Mendez Pinto, ch. ix.; see also Cogan, p. 11.

1553.—“And they had learned besides from a Friar who had come from Narsinga to stay at Cananor, how that the King of Narsinga, who was as it were an Emperor of the Gentiles of India in state and riches, was appointing ambassadors to send him…”—Barros, I. viii. 9.

1572.—

“…O Reyno Narsinga poderoso
Mais de ouro e de pedras, que de forte gente.”

Camões, vii. 21.

By Burton:

“Narsinga’s Kingdom, with her rich display
Of gold and gems, but poor in martial vein…”

1580.—“In the Kingdom of Narsingua to this day, the wives of their priests are buried alive with the bodies of their husbands; all other wives are burnt at their husbands’ funerals.”—Montaigne, by Cotton, ch. xi. (What is here said about priests applies to Lingaits, q.v.).

1611.—“…the Dutch President on the coast of Choromandell, shewed us a Caul (see COWLE) from the King of Narsinga, Wencapati, Raia, wherein was granted that it should not be lawfull for any one that came out of Europe to trade there, but such as brought Prince Maurice his Patent, and therefore desired our departure.”—P. W. Floris, in Purchas, i. 320.

1681.—“Coromandel. Ciudadmuygrande, sugeta al Rey de Narsinga, el qual Reyno e llamado por otre nombre Bisnaga.”—Martinez de la Puente, Compendio, 16.

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