till night for four or five Leagues Some few days before the General 's death the King of Golconda finding that his provisions fail'd him in the Fortress was about to have deliver'd the Keys but as I said before Mirza-Mahomed his Son-in-Law snatch'd them out of his hand and threatn'd to kill him if he persever'd in that resolution Which was the reason that the King who lov'd him not before had ever after the greatest affection imaginable for him as long as he liv'd Aurengzeb being thus constrain'd to raise his Siege stay'd some days to rally his Troops and having receiv'd a recruit of fresh men return'd again to the Siege with new resolutions But Mirgimola who had still some kindness for the King remaining in his breast would not permit Aurengzeb to use the utmost of extremity but by his wit and good management gain'd a suspension of Arms. Cha-jehan the Father of Aurengzeb had formerly had great kindnesses shew'n him by the King of Golconda to whom he fled after he had lost the Battel together with his eldest Brother which he fought against Jehan-guir his Father with whom he made War The eldest Son was taken and Jehan-guir caus'd his eyes to be put out but Cha-jehan being more wary fled and was entertain'd by the King of Golconda with whom he enter'd into a particular and strict friendship Cha-jehan making an Oath to his Benefactor that he would never wage War against him upon any occasion whatever Mirgimola therefore knowing that it would be no difficult thing to bring two Kings that were Friends to an accommodation wrought underhand with both toward the conclusion of a Peace And he so brought his business about that the King of Golconda writ a Letter first to Cha-jehan wherein he submissively requested him to be an Arbitrator between Aurengzeb and him promising to submit wholly to him and to sign such Articles as he should propose By the same policy of Mirgimola Cha-jehan was advis'd in answer to the King of Golconda's Letter to propose a Match between his second Daughter and Sultan Mahomed the Son of Aurengzeb upon condition that after the death of the King her Father the Son-in-Law should inherit the Kingdom of Golconda This proposition being accepted the Peace was concluded and the Nuptials celebrated with an extraordinary Magnificence As for Mirgimola he quitted the service of the King of Golconda and went with Aurengzeb to Brampour Soon after Cha-jehan made him his Prime Minister of State and Generalissimo of his Armies and he it was that so potently assisted Aurengzeb to get the Crown by the defeat of Sultan-Sujah For Mirgimola was a person of great wit and no less understanding in Military than in State affairs I had occasion to speak with him several times and I have no less admir'd his justice than his dispatch to all people that had to do with him while he gave out several Orders and sign'd several Dispatches at the same time as if he had but one entire business in hand The other Princess of Golconda was promis'd to Sultan Sejed another Chek of Mecca and the Match went on so fairly that the day was appointed for the celebration of the Nuptials but Abdoul-Jaber-Beg General of the Army with six other Lords went to the King to divert him from his intention and they brought it so to pass that the Match was broken off and the Princess was given in Marriage to Mirza-Abdoul-Cofing the Kings Cousin by whom she has two Sons which have wholly annull'd the Pretentions of Aurengzeb's Son whose Father now keeps him in Prison in the Fort of Gavaleor for having taken his Uncle Sultan Sujah's part against him The Princess had been given before to Mirza-Abdoul-Cofing but for his debauchery which render'd him little regarded by the King But since his marriage he is very much reclaim'd Now the King of Golconda does not stand in so much fear of the Moguls for in imitation of them he keeps his Money in his own Country and has already hoarded up a Treasury sufficient to maintain his Wars Besides he is altogether addicted to the Sect of Haly so that he will not wear a Bonnet like the other Mahumetans because they say Haly wore none but another sort of attire for the head Which is the reason that the Persians that come into India to seek their fortune apply themselves rather to the King of Golconda then to the Great Mogul Such is the condition of the King of Visapour also whom the Queen Sister to the King of Golconda takes care to educate in the Sect of Haly which invites great numbers of Persians into her Service CHAP. XI The Road from Golconda to Maslipatan al. Masalipatan FRom Maslipatan they count it an hunder'd costes or leagues taking the right way But if you go by the Diamond-Mine which in the Persian Language is call'd Coulour in the Indian Gani they reckon it an hunder'd and twelve leagues and this is the Road which I generally took From Golconda to Tenara costes 4 Tenara is a sweet place where there are four very fair Houses to every one of which belongs a large Garden One of the four standing upon the left-hand along the High-way is much more beautiful then any of the other three It is built of Free-stone two stories high wherein there are several fair Galleries Halls Parlors and lodging-Chambers Before the front of the House is a large four-square Piazza little inferior to the Place Royale in Paris Upon every one of the other three fronts there is a great Portal on each side whereof there is a fair Platform rais'd from the earth above four or five-foot-high and well-Arch'd where Travellers of Quality are lodg'd On the top of each Portal there is a strong Baluster and a little Chamber for the Ladies When Persons of Quality care not to be in their Houses they set up Tents in their Gardens and you must take notice that there is no dwelling for any person but only in the three Houses for the fourth which is the fairest belongs only to the Queen When she is not there however any body may see it and take a walk in the Garden which is a very lovely place and well-stor'd with water The whole Piazza is encompast with several Chambers for the lodging of poor Travellers who every day toward the evening have an Alms bestow'd upon them of Rice or Pulse which they boil ready to their hands But for the Idolaters that eat nothing which is provided by other hands they give them flower to make Bread and a little Butter For when their Bread is bak'd like a broad thin Cake they dip it in the melted-Butter From Tenara to Jatenagar costes 12 From Jatenagar to Patengi costes 12 From Patengi to Pengeul costes 14 From Pengeul to Nagelpar costes 12 From Nagelpar to Lakabaron costes 11 From Lakabaron to Coulour or Gani of which I shall speak in my discourse of the Mines costes 11 The greatest part of the way from
to Asouf-Kan his Generalissimo and prime Minister of State who was Protector of the Empire He commanded also all the Officers of the Army to acknowledg him for King as being the lawful Heir declaring Sultan Komrom a Rebel and incapable of the Succession Moreover he made Asouf-Kan to swear in particular that he would never suffer Boulaki to be put to death which way soever affairs went which Asouf-Kan sware upon his Thigh and as religiously observ'd as to the Article of not putting him to death but not as to that of helping him to the Crown which he design'd for Cha-jehan who had married his eldest Daughter the Mother of four Princes and two Princesses The news of the Kings death being known at Court caus'd a general lamentation And presently all the Grandees of the Kingdom set themselves to execute the Kings Will and Testament acknowledging Sultan Boulaki for Emperor who was very young That Prince had two Cousin-Germans who were both of them by the Kings consent turn'd Christians and made publick profession thereof Those two young Princes being very apprehensive perceiv'd that Asouf-Kan Father-in-Law to Cha-jehan and Father of Cha-Est-Kan had no good intentions toward the young King and gave him notice of it which cost them their lives and the King the loss of his Dominions For the young King having no more with than was agreeable to his age openly declar'd to Asouf-Kan what his Cousins had reveal'd to him in private and ask'd the General whether it were true that he had a design to set up his Uncle against him or no. Asuof-Kan immediately accus'd the Reporters of salsity and impudence and protested his fidelity to his King and vow'd to spend the last drop of his blood to preserve him in the possession of the Empire However seeing his Conspiracy discover'd he resolv'd to prevent the punishment to which end having got the two Princes into his possession he put them both to death But before that in regard of his power in the Army and in the Empire he had already brought over to Cha-jehans party the greatest part of the Commanders and Lords of the Court and the better to play his game and deceive the young King he rais'd a report that Cha-jehan was dead and because he had desir'd to be buried near his Father Gehan-guir the body was to be brought to Agra This Stratagem being cunningly manag'd Asouf-Kan himself gave advice of the feign'd death to the King telling the King withall that it would be but a common civility for him to go and meet the Corps when it came within a League or two of the City being an Honour due to a Prince of the Blood of the Moguls All this while Cha-jehan kept himself incognito till coming within sight of the Army that lay about Agra he caus'd himself to be put into a Coffin wherein there was only a hole left for him to breath at This Coffin being carri'd under a moving Tent all the principal Officers who were of the plot with Asouf-Kan came to perform the usual Ceremonies of State to the body of the deceas'd Prince while the young King was upon the way to meet the body But then Asouf-Kan finding it seasonable to execute his design caus'd the Coffin to be open'd and Cha-jehan rising up and shewing himself to the eyes of all the Army was saluted Emperor by all the Generals and other principal Officers who had their Cue ready so that the name of Cha-jehan running in a moment from one mans mouth to another the Acclamation became publick and the Empire was setled upon him The young King hearing the news by the way was so surpriz'd that he thought of nothing but how to save himself by flight being upon a sudden forsaken by all his followers And Cha-jehan not believing it any way necessary to pursue him suffer'd him to wander a long time in India like a Fakir At length he retir'd into Persia where he was magnificently receiv'd by Cha-Sefi who allow'd him a pension fit for so great a Prince which he still enjoys Cha-jehan having thus usurp'd the Crown the better to secure himself and to stifle all Factions that might arise during the life of the lawful Prince whom he had so unjustly despoiled of his right by degrees put to death all those that had shew'n any kindness to his Nephew So that the first part of his Reign was noted for many acts of cruelty that blemish'd his reputation No less unfortunate was the end of his Reign For as he had unjustly depriv'd the lawful Heir of the Empire which belong'd to him he was himself while he yet liv'd depriv'd of his Crown by Aureng-zeb his own Son who kept him Prisoner in the Fortress of Agra For after Dara-Cha had lost the Battel against his two Brothers Aureng-zeb and Morat-Bakche in the Plain of Samonguir and was treacherously abandoned by the principal Officers of the Army he retir'd into the Kingdom of Lahor with all the Treasure which the confusion of his affairs would suffer him to get together In the King to resist the violence of his victorious Sons shut himself up in the Castle of Agra to the end he might not be surpriz'd but have time and leisure to observe how far the insolence of his children would transport them As for Aurengzeb who had Morat Bakche safe enough he enters Agra feigning to believe a report that Cha-jehan was dead that he might have liberty to get into the Fortress where he said one of the Omra's would make it out The more he reported the death of Cha-jehan the more did the King endeavour to let the people know he was alive But finding both Power and Fortune had taken Aureng-zeb's party and being also in great necessity for want of water he sent Fazel-Kan grand Master of his Houshold to assure his Son that he was alive and withal to tell him that it was the King's command that he should retire to his Vice-Roy-ship in Decan without putting him to any more vexation and that upon his obedience he would forgive whatever had past Aurengzeb firm in his resolution return'd for answer to Fazel-Kan that he was certain that the King his Father was dead and that upon that account he had only taken Arms to secure the Crown to himself which he thought he deserv'd as well as the rest of his Brothers That if his Father were living he had too great a respect for him to undertake the least enterprize that should displease him and therefore that he might be certain he was not dead he desir'd to see him and to kiss his feet and having so done he would retire to his Government and punctually obey his Commands Fazel-Kan return'd this answer to the King who declar'd that he should be glad to see his Son and sent back Fazel-Kan to tell him he should be welcome But Aureng-zeb more cunning than Cha-jehan assur'd Fazel-Kan that he would not set his foot in the Castle till the Garrison
ordinary Diet of the Persians 241 Chap. XVIII Of the Marriages of the Persians 243 Chap. XIX Of the Death and Burial of the Persians 244 Chap. XX. The Author departs from Ispahan to Ormus and describes the Road to Schiras 245 Chap. XXI Of the City of Schiras 247 Chap. XXII A Continuation of the Road from Ispahan to Ormus from Schiras to Bander-Abassi 251 Chap. XXIII Of the Island of Ormus and of Bander-Abassi 225 Chap. XXIV Of the Roads by Land from Casbin to Ispahan to the Frontiers of the Territories of the Great Mogul through Candahar 257 THE CONTENTS OF THE Indian Travels The Figures of the Pieces of Gold Silver and Copper and of the sorts of Shells and Almonds that pass for Money over all Asia THe Money of Arabia Pag. 1 The Money currant under the Dominions of the Great Mogul 2 The Money of a King and two Raja's all three Tributaries to the Great Mogul 3 Pieces of Gold call'd Pagods which are currant in the Territories of the King of Golconda the King of Visapour the Great Raja of Carnatica the Raja of Velouche and at the Diamond Mines 4 The Money which the English and Hollanders Coyn in the Indies 5 The Money of the King of Cheda and Pera. 6 The Money of Gold and Tin of the King of Achen with the Money in Gold Coyn'd by the King of Macassar and the Celebes And the Silver and Copper Money of the King of Camboya 7 The Money in Gold Silver and Copper of the King of Siam Ibid. The Gold and Silver Money of the King of Asem Tipoura Arakin and Pegu. 8 Lumps or Pieces of Gold and Silver which go for Money in the Kingdom of China and the Kingdom of Tunquin Ibid. The Gold and Silver Money of Japon 9 The Portraiture of the Silver Ingots of Japon which go for Money Ibid. Money that represents the Figures of the twelve Signs and which were Coyn'd during the twenty four hours that Jehan-Guir King of the Indies permitted Queen Nourmahall his Wife to Reign in his stead 10 The Gold Silver and Copper Money which the Portugals Coyn in the East-Indies 12 The Gold and Silver Money of Muscovy 13 The First BOOK of the INDIAN Travels What Roads to take in Travelling from Ispahan to Agra from Agra to Dehly and Gehanabat where the Great Mogul resides at present And how to Travel also to the Court of the King of Golconda to the King of Visapour and to many other places in the Indies Chap. I. THe Road from Ispahan to Agra through Gomron where is particularly describ'd the manner of Sailing from Ormus to Surat Pag. 15 Chap. II. Of the Customs Money Exchange Weight and Measures of the Indians 17 Chap. III. Of their Carriages and the manner of travelling in India 27 Chap. IV. The Road from Surat to Agra through Brampour and Seronge 30 Chap. V. The Road from Surat to Agra through Amadabat 36 Chap. VI. The Road from Ispahan to Agra through Candahar 43 Chap. VII The continuance of the same Road from Dehly to Agra 48 Chap. VIII The Road from Agra to Patna and Daca Cities in the Province of Bengala and of the quarrel which the Author had with Cha-Est-Kan the King's Uncle 51 Chap. IX The Road from Surat to Golconda 60 Chap. X. Of the Kingdom of Golconda and the Wars which it has maintain'd for some few years last past 63 Chap. XI The Road from Golconda to Maslipatan or Masalipatan 69 Chap. XII The Road from Surat to Goa and from Goa to Golconda through Visapour 71 Chap. XIII Observations upon the present State of the City of Goa 74 Chap. XIV What the Author did during his stay at Goa the last time he went thither in the year 1648. 78 Chap. XV. The Story of Father Ephraim and how he was put into the Inquisition at Goa by a surprisal 85 Chap. XVI The Road from Goa to Maslipatan through Cochin here describ'd in the Story of the taking of that City by the Hollanders 88 Chap. XVII The passage by Sea from Ormus to Maslipatan 90 Chap. XVIII The Road from Maslipatan to Gondicot a City and Garrison in the Province of Carnatica and of the dealings which the Author had with Mirgimola who commanded the King of Golconda's Army With a discourse at large concerning Elephants 91 Chap. XIX The Road from Gondicot to Golconda 100 Chap. XX. The Author's return from Surat to Ormus 105 The Second BOOK of the INDIAN Travels Containing an Historical and Political Description of the Empire of the Great Mogul Chap. I. A Relation of the last Wars of Indostan which gives an insight into the present Estate of the Empire and Court of the Moguls 106 Chap. II. Of the Sickness and supposed Death of Cha-Jehan King of India and the Rebellion of the Princes his Sons Pag. 108 Chap. III. Of the Imprisonment of Cha-Jehan and how he was punish'd by Aurenge-Zebe his third Son for the injustice he had done Prince Boulaki his Nephew the Grand child of Jehan-Guir to whom as to the Son of the Eldest Son the Empire of the Mogul belong'd 111 Chap. IV. Of the flight of Dara-Cha to the Kingdom of Scindi and Guzerat of the second battle which he fought against Aurenge-Zebe his being tak'n Prisoner and Death 114 Chap. V. How Aurenge-Zebe caus'd himself to be declar'd King and of the flight of Sultan-Sujah 116 Chap. VI. Of the Imprisonment of Sultan-Mahomed Aurenge-Zebe's Eldest Son and of Sultan Soliman-Chekour Eldest Son of Dara-Cha 117 Chap. VII Of the beginning of Aurenge-Zebe's Reign and the Death of Cha-Jehan his Father 120 Chap. VIII Of the preparations against the Feast of the Great Mogul when he is weigh'd solemnly every year Of the Richness of his Thrones and the magnificence of his Court 122 Chap. IX Some other observations upon the Court of the Great Mogul 124 Chap. X. Of the Commodities which are brought as well out of the Dominions of the Great Mogul as out of the Kingdoms of Golconda and Visapour and other Neighbouring Territories 126 Chap. XI Of Diamonds and the Mines and Rivers where they are found and first of the Author's Journey to the Mines of Raolconda 134 Chap. XII The Author's Journey to the other Mines and how they find the Diamonds there 137 Chap. XIII A Continuation of the Author's Travels to the Diamond Mines 139 Chap. XIV Of the diversity of Weights us'd at the Diamond Mines of the pieces of Gold and Silver there currant and the Rule which they observe to know the price of Diamonds 140 Chap. XV. The Rule to know the just price and value of a Diamond of what weight soever from three to a hundred and upwards a Secret known to very few people in Europe 142 Chap. XVI Of Colour'd Stones and the places where they are found 137 Chap. XVII Of Pearls and the places where they fish for them 145 Chap. XVIII How the Pearls are bred in the Oysters and how they fish for them and at what
gave him fifteen days Thereupon the King did go to the Treasury next morning according to Mahomet's desire and found all things in good order having heard before what became of the Scimitar From thence he went to Mahomet's House who made the King a mean Present For it is the custom that he whom the King honours with a Visit must make a Present to his Majesty After the King had receiv'd it he walk'd up and down and view'd the Chambers Halls Parlours and Rooms of State and wonder'd to see them so ill set out with plain Felts and course Carpets whereas in other Lords Houses a man could not set his Foot upon any thing but Cloth of Gold and Silk For the King as they had set the Nazar out expected to have found other things which made him admire at so great a Moderation in so high a degree of Honour Now at the end of a Gallery there was a Door lockt with three great Padlocks Of this the King took no notice whereupon the Meter who is the White Eunuch and chief of his Chamber as he came back shew'd the King the Door that was so strongly Padlock'd which made the King curious to have it open'd withal asking Mahomet what he had got there lock'd up with so much care Oh Sir said he it behoves me to keep that lockt for there is all the Estate I have in the World All that your Majesty has seen in this House is yours but all that is in that Chamber is mine and I dare assure my self your Majesty will be so gracious as never to take it from me Those words inflam'd the King's curiosity so that he commanded the Door to be open'd But he was strangely surpriz'd when he saw nothing more within than Mahomet's Sheep-hook that lay upon two Nails his Scrip wherein he us'd to put his Victuals his Bottle for his Water his Pipe and his Shepherd's Weeds all hanging against the Wall The Nazar beholding the King's astonishment at such a Sight Sir said he when the King Sha-Abas found me in the Mountain keeping Goats then that was all I had and he took nothing from me I beseech your Majesty that you would not deprive me of these things neither but rather if you please let me resume them again and fall to my old Calling The King touch'd at so high a piece of Virtuo caus'd himself to be disapparel'd and gave his Habit to the Nazar which is the greatest Honour that the King of Persia can bestow upon a Subject Thus Mahomet continu'd and dy'd honourably in his Employment This brave Person was the Protector of all the Franks in Persia and if any one had done them wrong upon complaint he did them Justice immediately One day as I was shooting Ducks upon the River of Ispahan near the Nazar's Gardens with two Servants some of the Nazar's people that did not know me set upon me and would have taken away my Gun which I would not let go till I had broke the Stock about the Shoulders of the one and flung the Barrel at the other 's Head Thereupon I took some of the Franks along with me and complain'd to the Nazar He testifi'd his sorrow for what had happen'd and gave us evident Proofs thereof by the blows which he caus'd to be laid upon those that had done me the injury Another time Sha-Sefi being upon his return from Guilan his Tents were set up near Zulfa in Armenia where the King staid to hunt two or three days Now among the rest of the Courtizans that follow'd the Court to divertise the King with Dancing and Mummery there was one who was perfectly handsom to whom the King had already sent Presents which could not be unknown to any Lord i' the Court. But the Nazar's Son for all that being in the heat of Youth got this Courtizan to his Tent and there lay with her which came to his Father's Ears next day The Nazar whether out of his zeal to the Ring or whether it were an effect of his prudence to prevent the King's anger which would have certainly been the death of his Son caus'd him to be drub'd after the manner of the Country and bastinado'd all over till the Nails of his Toes dropt off and that his Body was almost a perfect Gelly Which when the King understood together with the Young Man's Crime he said no more but that the Nazar had done wisely by punishing his Son himself to prevent his Justice But to return to the Road from Kerman to Ispahan The first day that I set out from Kerman at my Stage in the Evening I met with a rich Moullah who seeing I had Wine civilly offer'd me some of his Ice to cool it In retaliation I gave him some of my Bottle He invited me to his House which was well built with a handsom Garden with Water in it He entertain'd me with Spoon-meat according to the mode of the Country and when I took my leave he fill'd my Boracho with very good Wine The following days I saw nothing worthy observation the Country being as I have already describ'd it Yezd lyes in the Road almost in the mid-way between Kerman and Ispahan in 93 Deg. 15 Min. of Longitude and 13 Deg. 45 Min. of Latitude It is a great Town in the middle of the Sands that extend themselves for two Leagues round it so that when you leave Yezd you must take a Guide for upon the least Wind the Sand covers the Highway whereby a man may be apt to fall into Holes which seem to have been either old Cisterns or the Ruines of ancient Buildings Between the Town and the Sands there is a little good Soil which produces excellent Fruits but above all Melons of several sorts the Pulp of some is green of others yellow and vermilion and some there are the meat whereof is as hard as a Renneting There are also very good Grapes and good Wine but the Governour will not permit the Inhabitants to make Wine Some therefore they dry and of the rest they make a kind of Confection to cat with Bread There are also abundance of Figs which are large and well tasted They distil vast quantities of Rose-water and another sort of Water with which they dye their Hands and Nails red which they squeeze out of a certain Root call'd Hina There are three Inns i' th' City and several Bazars or Market-places cover'd and vaulted which are full of Merchants and Workmens Ware-houses They also make at Yezd several Stuffs of Silk intermix'd with Gold and Silver which they call Zerbaste and another sort of Stuff of all pure Silk call'd Daraï like our smooth strip'd Taffata's Other Stuffs they make half Silk half Cotton others all of Cotton like our Fustians They make also Serges of a particular Wool which is so fine and delicate that it looks handsomer and is much better than Silk Though I had nothing to do I staid in Yezd three days because I met with
King caus'd the Baker and the Cook to be apprehended and to be led quite thorough the City with two men going before them who cry'd to the people We are going to put the Baker into a red hot Oven made in the Piazza where he is to be bak'd alive for having utter'd Bread by false weights and the Cook is to be roasted alive for having sold meat by false weights Thus those two men serv'd for an example not only to Ispahan but to all the Kingdom where every one dreaded the severe justice of Sha-Abbas CHAP. III. Of what fell out most memorable in the Reign of Sha-Sefi the first and particularly of the death of Iman-Kouli-Kan and his three Sons I Man-Kouli-Kan was the last Kan of Schiras whose Government extended over the Province of Lar to the Golf of Persia under the Reign of Sha-Abbas these Kans being the most potent in all Persia. Iman-Kouli-Kan was he who in the Reign of Sha-Abbas conquer'd the greatest part of the Kingdom of Lar and the Kingdom of Ormus with all the Coast of the Persian Golf from Cape Jasques to Balsara This Iman-Kouli-Kan was prodigiously rich belov'd and respected by all the world besides he was wonderfully magnificent his expences almost equalling the Kings which occasion'd Sha-Abbas who discours'd with him one day particularly upon that Subject to tell him that he desir'd him to spend every day one Mamoudy less than he that there might be some difference between the expences of a King and a Kan The noble qualities of this Iman-Kouli-Kan had gain'd the affections of the people for he was magnificent and liberal highly recompenc'd brave Soldiers and Students he lov'd Strangers and had a particular care to cherish Arts and Sciences To which purpose he built a fair Colledg at Schiras for the instruction of Youth and several Inns as well in the City as upon the Road for the benefit of Travellers He caus'd Mountains to be cut thorough to shorten the way and join'd others by Bridges of such an adventurous Structure that it is hard to conjecture how such prodigious Arches could be made over such vast Precipices and Torrents Now in regard Iman-Kouli-Kan was strick'n in years he seldom went to Court chusing rather to continue in his Government where he was belov'd and respected by all men But the King being young and the Government of the Kingdom in the hands of the Queen-Mother and the Athemadoulet who were extreamly jealous of the Kan those two persons link'd together in interest for the maintenance of the Kings Authority and their own fretted to see the Kan's Court almost as splendid as the Kings and that nothing of the Revenue of Schiras Lar Ormus or any part of the Persian Golf came to the Kings Coffers as being solely at the disposal of the Kan but that on the contrary the King was oblig'd to send him Money to pay the Army But that which troubled the Queen-Mother most of all was the pretention of the Kan's eldest Son to the Crown whowas also a person of a daring and ambitious courage For the Kings of Persia esteem it a great Honour to bestow upon any Kan or great Lord one of their Wives out of their Royal Haram and Sha-Abbas had given to Iman-Kouli-Kan one of his own proper Wives whom he lov'd extreamly 'T is thought that when she left the Haram she was three months gone with Child by Sha-Abbas for somewhat above six months after she was bedded by the Kan she lay-in of a Son of which the King was the reputed Father and who being born before Sha-Sefi pretended a right before him to the Throne By vertue of this claim contrary to the will of Sha-Abbas in favour of Sha-Sefi this ambitious Lord who only pass'd for the Kan's eldest Son vehemently sollicited his Father to seize upon Sha-Sefi and to make himself King or at least to op'n a way for him to the Throne Now it happen'd that one day being a hunting with the young King near Schiras the impatient young Lord coming to his Father Sir said he see now the opportunity that offers you the Throne for I will go presently and bring you Sha-Sefi's head But the Kan holding his Son by the Arm told him that he would never consent to the death of his King protesting to him rather to dye a thousand deaths adding withall that it was the Kings will to appoint Sha-Sefi to succeed him as being the Son of his Son and consequently his lawful Heir that the young Prince was recommended to his care and in regard he had promis'd and sworn he was so far from falsifying his trust that he would maintain his possession to the last gasp This generous resolution of the Kan broke the young Lords design upon the Kings person However the Sultaness being not ignorant of the train that was laid for the young King and against the repose of the Kingdom thought it her wisest way to prevent the blow and to rid her self of such persons as had conspir'd the death of the King The Kan's two other Sons took part with him they call'd their elder Brother And as for the Kan himself though he were upright in his Loyalty yet his power his wealth his reputation among the Souldiery and the affection that the people bare him concurr'd together not only to render him suspected but guilty The Sultaness and the Athemadoulet took counsel together which way to divert the storm that threaten'd the Kings head to whom they represented that he was not safe in his own person so long as Iman-Kouli-Kan and his three eldest Sons liv'd The King easily believ'd them and resolv'd to be rid both of Father and Sons together but the difficulty was to get 'em to Court wherein opportunity it self assisted them For at that time Amurath the Great Turk at the head of a vast Army was already advanc'd within the Confines of Persia had tak'n Erivan and had ruin'd Tauris Upon the first news of this march the King sends for all the Kans and Governours to attend his person with all the Forces under their command Among the rest the Kan of Schiras receiv'd the same orders who thereupon assembl'd all his Troops both Horse and Foot who were not only the most numerous but the best disciplin'd and stoutest Souldiers of all Persia. As he was upon his march to Casbin with his three Sons the eldest having well consider'd of affairs Sir said he We are making hast to the King to the end our heads may the sooner fall at our feet Perhaps my Son reply'd the Kan thou maist speak the truth but to this day I never was a Rebel against the King I have done whatever he commanded and whatever may happ'n I will obey him till death The Kan arriving at Casbin was by the King welcom'd with great demonstrations of joy Some days after he took a general Muster and then made a great Feast which lasted three days to which all the great Lords and Kans
that were at Casbin were call'd The three Sons of Iman-Kouli-Kan were of the number but the Father excus'd himself as well by reason of his age as also representing to his Majesty that it better befitted him to employ his time in taking care of his affaires and in praying for his Majesty however if it were his Majesties express command he would not fail to obey to which the King return'd for answer that the Kan of Schiras was at his liberty to do as he thought fit The third day of the Feast the King rose from his Seat and going out of the Hall without speaking a word to any person went into a Room hard by Half an hour after three sturdy resolute Fellows with some other Ragamuffin attendants entring the Hall with their Scimeters drawn seiz'd upon the Kans three Sons and cut off their heads They were put into a Gold Bason and presented to the King who commanded the Fellows to carry them to their Father and as soon as he had seen them to take off his head to make the fourth The Assassinates found him at his prayers but being interrupted to see the heads of his three Sons he desir'd leave only to conclude which having done with a countenance undisturb'd and without any other words or expressions in his mouth than what is usually said among the Persians Let the Kings will be done he submitted to a death which he might have easily avoided The four heads were brought back to the King to be sent into the Haram to his Mother So soon as he had taken off the heads of the Father and the three Sons the King dispatch'd away certain Chappars or Courriers with order to the Lieutenant of the Kan to put to death all the rest of the Children The command was obey'd and they were all put to death but only two that were at Nurse whom their Nurses so well conceal'd that never any tidings could be heard either of the Nurses or of the Children After the death of Iman-Kouli-Kan the Province of Schiras with its dependances has been govern'd by a Vizir who agrees with the King what Rent to pay him yearly In the years 1665 and 1666 the Vizir gave him fifty thousand Tomans a year But in the year 1667 the King abated him eight thousand Tomans in regard he had taken from him a small part of his Government to pleasure a Favourite Besides what the Governour of Schiras pays to the King in ready Money he is oblig'd every year to send him a present of all the rarities that grow on are bred in the Province These Presents consist in Horses of which there is the best breed of any Province of Persia. In Granates Oranges and Lemons sweet Oils and Waters of several sorts especially Oil of Roses with which the women rub their bodies and heads and the water of a certain Flower that grows upon a tree not much unlike our Willows which water is call'd Arak-Bilmitshe which is a great refreshment to those that use it besides other Oils and Essences which the Governour is oblig'd to present Yet were he only oblig'd to present the King the expence might be born well enough but for fear of being displac'd by any other Favourite he is constrain'd to make Friends of all the other great Lords and Favourites at Court which there is no way to do but by continual presents Whereas the ancient Kans who were a kind of petty Soveraigns in their Governments were only wont to send a few Baskets of new Fruits in their season for the service of the Kings Table To defray this expence the Governours are forc'd to tyrannize over the people who when they come as many times they do two or three Villages together to complain to the King are forc'd after long waiting to return with empty Purses home again by reason that they who should give them admission are the only persons that debar them from it and patiently to submit to the Extortions of the Vizir which is a piece of policy practis'd likewise by all the other Kans and Governours of the Persian Provinces As for Sha-Sefi himself he was very severe and one whose punishments oft'n amounted to acts of cruelty One day being a hunting a poor Countryman appear'd from behind a Rock with a paper in his hand being deputed by the Village to make some complaint to the King But while the poor man cry'd for justice the King without making any answer shot two arrows into his body and slew him That which mov'd Sha-Sefi to this act of cruelty was because he had some of his Wives with him in company For then there is no mercy to those poor people that happ'n to be in the way where the King chances to pass by no not for them that are in the Country round about where the Eunuchs have order to kill all men they meet When the King gives notice of his intention to carry his Wives into the Country this is call'd Courouk and there is nothing more troublesome nor more inconvenient in the world to the poor people that live in the Villages through which these women are to pass for upon notice giv'n them they must leave their Houses for a League or two of either side When there is a Courouk at Ispahan let the weather be never so bad the people must leave their Houses and if they have no Friends in some distant quarter to retire to they have no way but to repair to the Mountains Such is the excess of the jealousie of the Kings of Persia which indeed derives it self to all his Subjects who will not permit their women to be seen by any but their own Husbands The Persians both men and women are so addicted to take Tobacco that to take their Tobacco from them is to take away their lives So that if the King should prohibit Tobacco for any time he would lose a good part of his revenue However Sha-Sefi in a humor having once forbidd'n Tobacco to be taken in any part of his Dominion his Spies that are in every City found in the Indian Inn two rich Merchants of that Nation smoaking their noses Immediately they were seiz'd bound and carry'd to the King who commanded forthwith that Justice should be done upon them in the Meidan which was that they should pour melted lead down their throates till they were dead The people thought the King had only intended to have scar'd them and would have repriev'd them upon the place Insomuch that four Banians went to the Athemadoulet and offer'd to pay two thousand Tomans into the Kings Treasury so that he would be pleas'd to spare the two Merchants lives The chief Minister made the proposal but the King falling into a passion and asking the Atbemadoulet whether those Indian Dogs thought that a King of Persia would sell justice sent a second order for the execution of the Merchants without delay The same Sha-Sefi having giv'n command that the Eyes of a young
sent him to Prison Eight days after the King who had a great love for him and therefore troubl'd that he must be constrain'd to put him to death unless he would turn Mahumetan sent for him again and offer'd him two thousand Tomans after a powerful perswasion by words but all signify'd nothing Upon that he sent him back again to Prison But yet remembring that he had once approv'd the fact he sent for Ralph a second time and offer'd him ten thousand Tomans and a Wise out of his Haram with all her Jewels all which Ralph refus'd with the same resolution as before The King incens'd at the fierceness of his resolution deliver'd him to the Brother of the party slain to execute the Law upon him The Holstein Embassadors were resolv'd to have beg'd his life but the Athemadoulet smelling their design would not permit them Audience However the King commanded all the Franks and all the Armenian Clergy to be present at the Execution to save all his blood and put him in a Coffin he commanded also that he should be buried at Zulpha in the Armenian Church-yard and have a Tomb made over him Thereupon Ralph was lead to the Meidan with that triangular Instrument of Wood which the Persians call a Palenk about his neck This Palenk was the cause that the Brother of the deceas'd who was to be the Executioner not only miss'd his first blow but wounded himself in the Leg while his Skain being born off by one of the sides of the triangular Instrument by the force of the blow lighted upon himself Whereupon the people making a great shout hinder'd farther execution for that time The King being advertis'd thereof remanded him to Prison and after a few days sent for him a third time into his presence but though the King offer'd him a thousand Tomans and that the Lords urg'd him to turn though it were but for a while and in outward appearance yet neither threats nor promises could move the Zurickian who was thereupon executed at the end of October 1637. All the Franks willingly contributed to raise him a Tomb which was cover'd with a small Duomo supported with four Pillars ten or twelve foot high The Armenians have made him a Saint so that when they are sick of a Feaver they come and make their devotions at this Tomb and every time they come they carry away a piece of a Stone so that the Tomb wants repairing every year The Athemadoulet to the end the King might be the less sensible of the want of him had told the King that his Majesty would find no great miss of him in regard he had a Servant who was almost as good as himself But some few days after the Kings Watch that he always carry'd about him being out of order and Ralphs Apprentice not being able to remedy the fault the King for madness that he had been the Watchmakers death threw the Watch at the Athemadoulets head There cry'd he Dog as thou art by thy advice I put Ralph to death the most skilful man of his Profession that ever will come into my Kingdom Thou deservest for thy counsel to have thy belly ript up But I swear by my Throne that from this time forward I will never put a a Christian to death for his Religion And I question whether any of you would have had the same courage to have dy'd for the Law of Haly. And indeed they have been very cautious ever since nor has any of the Franks been put to death though they have flown out before the King in words and actions rash enough CHAP. V. Of some particulars under the Reign of Sha-Abbas the second SHa-Abbas the second Son of Sha Sefi was no less cruel then his Father and would be no less punctually obey'd He had two Sisters which he marri'd to two of the richest Lords of his Kingdom though of a very mean extraction Some time after the King understanding that they were both with-Child order'd Physick to be given them to destroy the fruit of their Wombs About three months after he was told that they were big again then he suffer'd 'em to be brought to bed but commanded that they should not give the Children any nourishment but let 'em starve to death The same Sha Abbas caus'd the tongue of one that fill'd him Tobacco to be cut out for a word spok'n idly For the King calling for Tobacco one of the Pages ran hastily for it to him that had it in charge and bid him dispatch who answer'd him briskly Gehennemé sabreijlé that is to Hell have a little patience The King being inform'd of it commanded his tongue to be cut out The poor man desir'd him that was the Executioner to cut it as deep as he could in his throat and to leave it very short by which means he spoke some words muffling The people cry'd out against the Nazar who being a person of low extraction and advanc'd to that high dignity in a short time grew so proud that he contemn'd all the Lords of the Court. There was no dealing with him about any business unless he were first presented and he paid no body without making some advantage of it Every body had reason to complain yet no person knew how to come at the King to make their complaints At length they bethought themselves of making their application to two black Eunuchs who had the Kings ear in the night One was call'd Aga-Saron who was the Meter or Master of the Wardrobe and the other Aga-Kafour or high Treasurer These two Eunuchs seeing the King in a good humour one night let fall certain words concerning the Nazar and his management of affairs and thence slid into a discourse of His injustice that caus'd the people to cryout against him and speak evil of his Government Now it happen'd one morning that the King intending to go a hunting the Grand Master who had always a large train attending him coming to the Kings Tent the Meter deny'd him entrance About the same time the King came forth and seeing the Nazar commanded his Officers to take off the Bonnet from the head of that Dog that took Gifts from his people and that he should sit three days bareheaded in the heat of the Sun and as many nights in the Air. Afterwards he caus'd him to be chain'd about the neck and arms and condemn'd him to perpetual imprisonment with a Mamoudy a day for his maintenance but he dy'd for grief within eight days after he was put in prison Jafer-Kan being a generous Lord and one that kept a magnificent train was Governour of Asterabat At first he was very mild but at last he began to exact such sums from the people that his oppressions were very heavy nor were these violences of his conceal'd from the Kings ear who being one day drinking with some of his Lords and seeing the Master of his Musick in the Room who was a merry droll and had always some
receiv'd every one then labour'd to testifie their joy for his return They sent him Horses Mules Camels rich Carpets and every thing fit to furnish a Lords house But all this while he wanted money which because he could not meet with among the Persians he was forc'd to have recourse to the Armenians of whom he desir'd to borrow five or six hunder'd Tomans As for the Kalenter he would have had the sum lent but the rest would not Thereupon the King taking a walk to Zulpha Ali-Couli-Kan put it into his head to go and see the great Cathedral belonging to the Armenians where several Bishops with several Monks reside The King entring into the Church where the Bishop stood ready at the head of the Clergy to receive him and seeing all things new and strange as coming but lately out of the womens Haram ask'd his favourite what sort of people those were clad in such an extraordinary manner Ali-Couli-Kan told him they were Devils Devils said the King What! added he dost bring me into a house of Devils The King thus incens'd against the Armenians resolv'd to force 'em to turn Mahumetans But Ali-Couli-Kan being a Georgian repenting that he had rais'd the Kings indignation to so high a pitch and not believing it would be any advantage to him for the Armenians to turn Mahumetans contented himself only with frighting them which was enough to bring the Armenians upon their knees and to make them come and beg the Intercession of his authority Which favour as he order'd it cost the Armenians ten thousand Tomans to the King and four or five thousand Tomans to his Favourite The 23. of September 1677. the King made a Cavalcade then which there could be nothing imagin'd more magnificent All the richest Furniture was brought out of the Exchequer into the Meydan The golden buckets to water the Horses The golden Fat out of which they take the water together with the buckles harness and nails of gold to which the Horses are ty'd After the King had play'd at Mall as I have already describ'd and had also shot at the Goblet upon the top of the Mast in the middle of the Meydan he went and fate in the Divan which is over the Gate call'd Ali Capi where he had the pastime to see Lyons Bulls Bears Tygres and Rams fight But that which was most admirable was to see a man stand upright upon the Saddle while the horse ran full speed which he did three times the whole length of the Meydan The first time 't is true he fell but the two last times he stood firm On day the same Ali-Couli-Kan presented two handsom Youths to the King which had both delicate voices The King hearing them sing was very much troubl'd that he could not make use of them in his Haram which Ali-Couli-Kan observing sent for a French Chirurgeon and promis'd him a great reward if he could cut the youths and save their lives The Chirurgeon for lucre of a large recompence cut them both and cur'd 'em very well Which done Ali-Couli-Kan presented the two youths to the King who was surpriz'd to see them but was well pleas'd that he had got two such new attendants in his Haram But see the reward of such a wicked action Ali-Couli-Kan dy'd soon after The Chirurgeon never was pay'd and being advis'd to present a Petition to the King by the Meter the Meter ask'd him whither he would turn Mahometan which when the Chirurgeon deny'd to do the Meter bid him be gone like a Rascal telling him withall that he did not think the Religion of the Christians had permitted such acts of villany The two youths were born at Cashan and had both Fathers and Mothers and were promis'd in Marriage When their Parents heard of it they came to Ispahan to weep over their Children Which the King observing to appease their sorrow gave them a Pension during life CHAP. IX Of the Government of Persia. THE Government of Persia is purely Despotick or Tyrannical For the King has the sole powre of life and death over all his Subjects independent from his Council and without any Trials or Law-proceedings He can put to what death he pleases the chief Lords of the Kingdom no man daring to dispute the reason nor is there any Soveraign in the world more absolute then the King of Persia. The King deceasing and leaving Male Issue behind him the Eldest ascends the Throne while his Brothers are kept in the Haram and their eyes are put out and if there be the least suspicion of any contrivance against the King they are forthwith put to death without any farther examination And not only they but the Children also of the Kings Brothers and Sisters I remember when I first travell'd into Persia they were not so rigorous but were contented to move a red hot iron to and fro before their eyes But Sha-Sefi perceiving his command had bin negligently executed and that the poor unhappy Princes had some sight left them he order'd their eyes to be digg'd out of their heads Sha-Sefi's cruelty went yet farther for he spar'd not his Eldest Son Sha Abbas the lawful Heir to his Throne ordering one of his Eunuchs to move an Iron before his eyes no man being able to tell the reason But the Eunuch compassionating the young Prince did indeed move an Iron but not a red hot Iron before his Eyes and teaching him to counterfeit himself blind preserv'd his sight till his Father lay upon his death-bed at which time his Father was very penitent for having put out the eyes of his Eldest Son to whom the Throne of right belong'd The Eunuch seeing the King so sadly afflicted and ready to give up the ghost assur'd him that he would restore the Prince to his sight and to comfort him at his death brought the Prince with perfect eyes to the bed side The sight of which prolong'd the Kings life till next day and gave him time to command all the Grandees of the Court to obey Sha Abbas his Eldest Son as his lawful Successor and their King But to return to these blind Princes There were several at Ispahan when I was there and I knew one particularly who is still alive and is a person of excellent natural parts As blind as he is he is a great lover of Curiosities and has built him a House in Ispahan which is worthy a mans sight He is overjoy'd when any person brings him any rarities out of Europe feeling them in his hands and causing his Eunuchs which are very apprehensive to tell him the meaning of every thing He is a great admirer of Clock-work and Watches and can tell by his finger when a Watch is right in the Case To know what a Clock it is he has little points set up in the Dial-plate and a half hand to the end he may not be deceiv'd which part of the hand points to the hour By means of certain figures which he makes of
well paid and well look'd to and are many times advanc'd to the Supreme Dignities of the Kingdom They are generally call'd Kesel-Bashi or Red-heads because that formerly they wore red Bonnets It is said that the King has about 22000 of these Corchis in pay all good Souldiers that do wonders in Battel Sha-Abbas the first did what he could to abolish this Militia and to set up the Goulams in their stead His hatred against them was only because he thought them too powerful for he was wont to say to his Favourites that nothing but the Puissance of the Corchis could oppose the Royal Power Thereupon he took away some of their Priviledges and gave them to the Doulams but he could not bring about his design any farther The General of the Corchis is call'd Corschi-Bashi and ought to be one of their Body nor can the King impose another upon them The Mim-Bashi commands a thousand Men the Yux-Bashi commands a hundred and the Om-Bashi commands ten The Corschi-Bashi has 150 Tomans a year the Mim-Bashi sixty-two the Yuz-Bashi thirty and the Om-Bashi fifteen The pay of every Horse-man is from nine to fifteen Tomans a year Besides every year the King makes a general Muster and then he gives to the Corschis a third part more than their usual pay however to some more to others less either according to favour or merit When the King has resolv'd to put a great Man to death he commits the execution of his command to a Corschi The Gouler-Agasi is General of the Goulams or Slaves For indeed they are either Slaves or the Sons of Slaves of all sorts of Nations who do the King very good Service They are for the most part runnegade Georgians and there are about 18000 of these Goulams being all Horse-men whose pay is from five to eight Tomans a year The Corschis are very good Husbands but the Goulams as soon as they have receiv'd their pay fall a drinking and swaggering whereas the other if he has a Piaster to spare will buy a Sheep with it For in regard they live in Tents their Riches consists in Flocks The greatest part of the Court of Persia is made up of these two Bodies The Goulams have this peculiar to themselves that they are very rarely known to revolt For being all Slaves and of different Nations there are no ties of Affection or Kindred between them And if the King has an occasion to punish any of them the chief of their Body is to execute his orders The Goulams carry no other Arms besides a Bow and Arrows with a Skain Though some wear Coats of Mail and Head-pieces others Vambraces and Battel-Axes These Horse-men never entrench in the Field like ours in Europe nor have they any Field-Marshals to assign them quarters For after the chief have taken up the best places the rest set up their Tents as neer as they can to the Pavillion of the General The Tufenkgiler-Agasi is the General of the Tufenkgis who compose the third Body of the Militia This part of the Souldiery was but lately instituted being compos'd of men taken from the Plough as being most fit for labour They are Foot-men with only a Scimiter and a Musket But when they march they have a Horse or a Mule between three or four to carry their Baggage and Provisions Their pay is not above four or five Tomans a year And for their Officers their pay is more or less according to their Quality and Command They are in no great reputation being laugh'd at by the old Souldiers as being a company of poor Countrey-men that dare not look an enemy in the face Not but that the Infantry of Persia is able to do good service though as numerous as they are the King never makes use of them but in case of necessity When he marches in person he sends for eight or ten thousand which he sends for out of what Province best pleases him and they prove very useful to the Army as Sutlers This Infantry is compos'd of the Countrey-men that live in Tents abiding in the Mountains all the Summer and betaking themselves in the Winter to the hot Countrreys Every Tribe or Family knows how many men it ought to set out And there is not a Foot-man that has not his new-Suit in his Chest and his Musket and Scimiter in very good order They are well train'd and well disciplin'd for every three months the Governor of the Province takes a review of all the Souldiers in his Province and causes them to be exercis'd in his own presence They are order'd to shoot at a mark and they that hit it are sure to have some reward from the Governor When the King sends for any part of his Infantry they presently know who is to lead 'em and they are all lusty and well clad never putting on their best Clothes but when they muster or march into the Field They pay to the King little or nothing for of all their Cattel great and small they pay but one in the hundred to him and one Abassi or 18 Sous of our Money The Eshek-Agasi or chief of the Keshekshi's who are the King's Guards and carry a Musket with a very wide bore They were but lately instituted by the Athemat-doulet when he intended to destroy the Divan-begui This Officer has about 2000 men under him of which he disposes every night a certain number round about the Palace When the King sits in Council he stands there with a Battoon in his hand and throws himself to the ground when the King beckons to him to come and receive any command from his mouth The Topigi-Bashi is the Master of the Ordnance and ehief of the Sea-affairs but he has little to do in either employment For as for the Cannon there are only some two or three pittiful Guns in some of the Frontier-towns And for Ships there are none in Persia but what come from Europe or the Indies to Ormns or Balsara The Persians themselves have no other Ships than some few large Barks in the Persian-Gulph and in some parts of the Caspian-Sea where they keep a Fleet against the Usbeck Tartars the Kalmoukes and other people As for the Kaus or Governors of Provinces they are generally chosen out of the body of Corschi's and Goulams who are handsom persons and generally much more Valiant than the natural Persians For the natural complexion of the Persians is not good as may be seen by the Gaures the original Inhabitants of the Countrey who are for the most part tann'd and ill-shap'd So that there is hardly a Persian from the King to the meanest of his Subjects who is not a Georgian or sprung from the loins of Georgidns For they fetch a great number of Slaves out of Georgia by the frequent Marriages of whichwomen the Georgian Valour and Beauty are become Natives of Persia. The Kans or Governors of Provinces are as so many petty Kings fear'd and respected by all the people And
daring to trust the Chineses who have often deceiv'd them and none have been more cheated than the Hollanders For they have a way to stuff their Loaves of Gold insomuch that you shall sometimes find in the middle a third part of Copper or Silver In all sorts of Bargains the Chineses are so cunning that there are few strangers whom they do not over-reach especially in Batavia the Hollanders when they come first They carry their weights always along with them being like a Roman Beam or a Stelleer about eight Inches long with which they weigh all the Gold and Silver which they receive As for the small Money both in China and Tunquum it is of Copper It is made as in Fig. 4. They also thread these pieces there being a hole in the middle 12 25 50 and 300 upon a string because they will not put themselves to the trouble of telling them when the number exceeds a dozen The Gold and Silver Money of Japon ALL the Gold that comes from Japon is of the same goodness somewhat better than our Louis and is about that goodness for which we pay about 50 Franks the Ounce Fig. 1. This piece of Gold weighs one Ounce and six Drams at fifty Franks the Ounce comes to 87 Livres and 10 Sous Fig. 2 and 3. Every one of these pieces is of Gold and every one weighs a third part of the great one which is half an Ounce and 48 Grains and comes to 29 Livres 3 Sous and 4 Deneers Fig. 4. This as it is mark'd is the backside of the three pieces of Gold Fig. 5 and 6. are pieces of Silver of the same weight every one weighing 4 Grains less than our pieces of 30 Sous though it go nevertheless for the same value As for the Silver it is the same in goodness with our Money However in the Territories of the Great Mogul whither the Hollanders carry all their Silver their Bars and Japon pieces to coin them into Money sometimes they sell them to the Bankers where they have no convevenience of coinage as at Surat and Agra and these Bankers give them from two to three in the hundred more than they will give for our Crowns Rixdollars or Spanish Reals Fig. 7. is the backside of the two Silver pieces The Portraicture of the Silver Ingots of Japon which go for Money I Said before that all the Silver that comes out of Japon is equal in goodness to our Crowns Fig. 1. An Ingot of this form weighs seven ounces at three Livres ten Sous the ounce the whole comes to twenty four Livres and ten Sous Fig. 2. Weighs two ounces three drams and an half the whole comes to eight Livres ten Sous and seven Deneers Fig. 3. Weighs once ounce half a dram and twelve grains the whole comes to four Livres five Sous and five Deneers Fig. 4. Weighs one ounce eight grains the whole comes to three Livres ten Sous and an eleven Deneers Fig. 5. Weighs seven drams one quarter and seven grains the whole comes to three Livres eight Sous and eight Deneers Fig. 6. Weighs two drams and an half and twenty four grains the whole comes to one Livre five Sous and one Deneer Fig. 7. Weighs two drams twenty four Deneers the whole comes to one Livre nine Deneers Fig. 8. Weighs one dram and an half and twenty four grains the whole comes to sixteen Sous and four Deneers Fig. 9. Is the Copper-Money which they thread by fifteen thirty fifty to the number of 600. which is the value of a Tell in Silver Over all Japon they reckon by Tells and the Hollanders reckon that a Tell makes three Gelders and an half of their Money which comes to four Livres and five Sous of ours Fig. 10. Is the back-side of the Copper-piece Money that represents the Figures of the twelve Signs and which were Coined during the twenty four hours that Gehan-guir King of the Indians permitted Queen Nourmahall his Wife to Reign in his stead Silver Ingots of Iapan Money representing the 12 Signes Perhaps the Reader may be curious to know from whence this Illustrious Queen of the Indians descended and therefore for his satisfaction I will tell him in a few words Her Father a Persian by Nation a man naturally Ambitious and who in his own Country was no more than a bare Captain of Horse without any hopes of rising to any higher preferment travel'd into the Indies to serve the Great Mogul who was then Gehan-guir with an intention of raising his Fortune in a strange Country Gehan-guir had then many Enemies the Kings of Golconda and Visapour being in Rebellion against him and several Raja's having taken their part So soon as he came to kiss the Kings Hands the King took a liking to him and gave him immediately the Command of five hundred Horse And because he was very well skill'd in Astrology which is a Science to which the Asiaticks are very much addicted the King esteem'd him the more and in a short time made him General of his Army But afterwards forgetting his duty and the benefits he had received he join'd with Sultan Kosrou guir's eldest Son and having gain'd a great part of the Army they conspir'd together to depose the King and set up his Son in his stead There was at that time in the Court an Eunuch of great wit who did more mischief to the Army in his Closet than he could have done in the Field This Eunuch so soon as intelligence was brought of the Rebellion told the King that if his Majesty pleas'd he would deliver Kosrou and the Persian General into his hands in a short time without so much as striking one stroke or losing one man He was as good as his word in part for he so order'd his business by his politick contrivances that the General was brought to the King who would not presently put him to death Sultan Kosrou escap'd that bout and continu'd the War many years against his Father who at length took him in Fight and caus'd his eyes to be pull'd out The King detaining the General in custody his Wife and his Daughter found a way to save his life as you shall hear The Daughter of the Persian General who was his only Child was about fourteen years of Age the most accomplish'd Beauty at that time in all the Kingdom she was most rarely educated and could both write and read the Arabian Persian and Indian Languages The Mother and the Daughter went every day to Court to hear what would become of the General and understanding at length that the King intended either to put him to death or to banish him they came to the Haram and casting themselves at his Majesties feet they humbly begg'd pardon the one for her Husband the other for her Father which they easily obtain'd the King being surpriz'd at the Beauty of the Virgin to whom he afterwards surrender'd his Affections All the Court was astonish'd afterwards how the
opinion that Elephants do great matters in War which may be sometimes true but not alwaws for very often instead of doing mischief to the Enemy they turn upon those that lead them and rout their own party as Aureng-Zeb found by experience at the Siege of this City He was twenty days before Daman and resolv'd at length to Storm it upon a Sunday believing that the Christians were like the Jews and would not defend it upon that day He that commanded the Place was an old Souldier who had serv'd in France and had three Sons with him In the Town were eight hundred Gentlemen and other stout Souldiers who came from all parts to signalize their valour at that Siege For though the Mogul had in his Army above forty thousand men he could not hinder relief from being put into Daman by Sea in regard that he wanted Ships The Sunday that the Prince intended to Storm the Governour of Daman as had been order'd at the Councel of War caus'd Mass to be said presently after Midnight and then made a Sally with all his Cavalry and some part of his Infantry who were to fall on upon that quarter which was guarded by two hundred Elephants Among those Elephants they flung a great number of Fire-works which so affrighted them in the dark of the Night that knowing not whither they went nor being to be rul'd by their Governours they turn'd upon the Besiegers with so much fury that in less than two or three hours half the Army of Aureng-Zeb was cut in pieces and in three days the Siege was rais'd nor would the Prince after that have any more to do with the Christians I made two Voiages to Goa the one at the beginning of the year 1641. the second at the beginning of the year 1648. The first time I stay'd but five days and return'd by Land to Surat From Goa I went to Bicholly which is upon the main Land thence to Visapour thence to Golconda thence to Aureng-abat and so to Surat I could have gone to Surat without passing through Golconda but my business led me that way From Goa to Visapour costes 85 Which takes up generally eight days journey From Visapour to Golconda costes 100 Which I travel'd in nine days From Golconda to Aureng-abat the Stages are not so well order'd being sometimes sixteen sometime twenty five sometimes twenty Leagues asunder From Aureng-abat to Surat takes up sometimes twelve sometimes fifteen sometimes sixteen days journey Visapour is a great scambling City wherein there is nothing remarkable neither as to the publick Edifices nor as to Trade The Kings Palace is a vast one but ill built and the access to it is very dangerous in regard there are abundance of Crocodiles that lie in the Water which encompass it The King of Visapour has three good ports in his Dominions Rejapour Daboult and Crapaten The last is the best of all where the Sea beats upon the foot of the Mountain and you have fourteen or fifteen Fathom Water near the Land Upon the top of the Mountain there is a Fort with a Spring of Water in it Crapaten is not above five days journey from Goa to the North. And Rabaque where the King of Visapour sels his Pepper is as far distant from it to the East The King of Visapour and the King of Golconda have been formerly tributary to the Great Mogul but now they are absolute of themselves This Kingdom was for some time disquieted by the revolt of Nair-seva-gi Captain of the King of Visapour's Guards After which the young Seva-gi his Son conceiv'd so deadly a hatred against the King that he made himself the head of certain Banditi and as he was both wise and liberal he got together so many Horse and Foot as made a compleat Army the Souldiers flocking to to him from all parts for the reputation of his Liberality And he was just about to have led them to action when the King of Visapour happen'd to dye without Children so that with little or no trouble he got possession of one part of the Coast of Malavar taking Rejapour Rasigar Crapaten Daboul and other places They report that upon his demolishing the fortifications of Rasigar he found vast Treasures which help'd him to pay his Souldiers who were alwayes well paid Some years before the death of the King the Queen perceiving no probability of having any Children adopted a little Boy upon whom she bestow'd all her affections and caused him to be brought up in the Doctrine of Haly's Sect The King upon his Death-bed caus'd this Adopted Son to be Proclaim'd King but Seva-gi having a numerous Army continu'd the War and much disturb'd the Regency of the Queen At length he made the first propositions for Peace which was concluded upon conditions that he should quietly enjoy the Territories which he had subdu'd that he should become Tributary to the King and pay him the half of all his Revenue The young King being thus fix'd in his Throne the Queen Regent went in Pilgrimage to Mecca and I was at Ispahan when she pass'd through the Town in her return home When I made my second Voiage to Goa I embark'd in a Dutch Vessel call'd the Maestricht which carry'd me to Mingrela where I landed the eleventh day of January 1648. Mingrela is a large Town extended half a League in length upon the Sea in the Territories of Visapour It is one of the best Roads in all India where the Hollanders take in fresh Provisions every time they sail to block up Goa as also when they are bound upon Trade for many other parts of India For at Mingrela there is both excellent Water and excellent Rice This Town is also very famous for Cardamoms which the Eastern people esteem the best of Spices not being to be had in any other Countrey which makes that sort of Commodity very scarce and very dear There is also made great store of course Calecuts that are spent in the Countrey besides great quantities of course Matting that serves to pack up goods So that both in respect of Trade as also for the furnishing their Ships with fresh Provisions the Hollauders have a Factory in the Town For as I said before not only all Vessels that come from Batavia from Japon from Bengala Ceylan and other places and those that are bound for Surat the Red Sea Ormus Balsara c. both going and coming come to an Anchor in the Road of Mingrela but also while the Hollanders are at Wars with the Portugals and lye before the Bar of Goa where they have usually eight or ten Sail they send their small Barks to Mingrela for Provisions For the Hollanders lye eight Months in a year before the mouth of the Port of Goa so that there can nothing pass into Goa by Sea all that time You must also take notice that the Bar of Goa is also stopt up some part of the year by the Sands which the South and West-winds that precede
to give me my choice that I rather desir'd a young lively Horse rather than an old one Thereupon he sent me one that was so given to bounding and prancing that he threw a young Hollander out of the Saddle but upon my desire to have him chang'd he sent me another which I sold afterwards for four hundred Roupies From Amadabat I return'd to Surat from Surat I travel'd again to Golconda and thence to the Mine to buy Diamonds From whence returning back for Surat I resolv'd for Persia. CHAP. XX. My return from Surat to Ormus BEing upon my return to Surat from the Diamond Mine I understood that the War was proclaim'd between the English and the Hollanders and the latter would send no more Ships into Persia. The English also gave out the same resolutions for indeed they had sent four Ships into Persia which they expected back every hour While I was thus in fear of staying long in a place where I had no business there arriv'd at Surat five great Dutch Ships from Batavia three of which being rather Men of War than Merchant-Men were order'd to be unladen with all speed with an intention to look out for the four English Vessels that were expected out of Persia. The other two were appointed to follow two or three days after being in that time to take in provisions for the whole Fleet. In one of those two Vessels I embark'd and setting sayl the eighth of January we came before Diu the twelfth where we overtook the other three Ships There it was debated at a Council of War what course to steer to meet the English and it was resolv'd that we should steer away for Scindi where we arriv'd the twentieth of the same month and stay'd there till the twenty-eighth and then setting sail with a fair Wind we landed at Gomrom the seventh of March. The End of the First Book TRAVELS IN INDIA The Second Book Containing an Historical and Political Description of the Empire of the Great Mogul CHAP. I. A Relation of the last Wars of Indolstan which gives an insight into the present Estate of the Empire and Court of the Moguls IHave written this History in such manner as I knew things to be transacted during my stay in the Country leaving it to the Reader to make his own reflections as he pleases it being sufficient for me to make a faithful description of the Potent Empire of the Moguls according to the Observations I have taken upon the place This great and vast Empire which contains the greatest part of Indolstan and which extends from the Mountains on this side the River Indus to the Mountains on the other side of Ganges borders Eastward upon the Kingdoms of Aracan Tipra and Asia Toward the West upon Persia and the Usbeg Tartars Southward upon the Kingdoms of Golconda and Visapour Northward it runs up as far as the Mountain Caucasus North-Eastward the Kingdom of Bantam whence comes our Musk parts it North-Westward it borders upon the Country of Chegathay or the Usbegs They are call'd Moguls that is white of complexion for the last Conquerors of the Indies were Whites the Natives being all Brown or Olive-colour Aureng-zeg the present Emperor is the eleventh in a direct line of the Descendants from the great Temur-Leng commonly call'd Tamerlane the extent and renown of whose Conquests from China to Poland has exceeded all the actions of the greatest Captains of the former Ages His Successors compleated the Conquest of all India between the two Rivers with the destruction of several Kings So that Aureng-zeb has at this time under his Dominion the Territories of Gouzerat Decan-Dehly Multan Lahor Kashemire Bengala and many other Territories not to mention several Raja's or petty Kings who pay him Tribute and are his Vassals The Succession of the Kings of India is as follows 1. Termur-Leng that is to say the Lame because one of his Legs was shorter than the other lyes buried at Samarchand in the Country of Chegathay or the Usbeg Tartars being the place of his Nativity 2. Miram-Cha the Son of Temurleng 3. Sultan Mahomet the Son of Miram-Cha 4. Sultan Abousaid-Mirza the Son of Mahomet 5. Hameth-Sheck the Son of Sultan Abousaid 6. Sultan Babur that is the Valiant Prince the first Mogul thatwas of greatest power in India He dy'd in the year 1532. 7. Homajon that is the Happy the Son of Sultan Babur dy'd in the year 1552. 8. Abdul Feta Gelal-Eddin Mahomet commonly call'd Akabar that is the Great reign'd fifty four years and dy'd in the year 1605. 9. Sultan Selim otherwise call'd Jehan-guir Patsha that is the Victorious Emperor of the World succeeded Akabar his Father and dy'd 1627. He had four Sons the eldest nam'd Sultan Kosrou the second Sultan Kourom the third Sultan Perviz the fourth Cha-Daniel 10. Sultan Kourom the second of the four succeeded Jehan-guir his Father and was acknowledg'd by all the Nobility at the Castle of Agra by the Name of Cha-Bedin Mahomed but he would be call'd Cha-jehan that is King of the World 11. Aureng-zeb that is the Ornament of the Throne is the present Monarch The following Figure shews you what sorts of pieces the Kings cause to be thrown among the people when they come to the Throne They represent the Arms or Signets of the Kings which I have nam'd The biggest in the middle was Cha-jehan's the tenth King These pieces are most of them Silver there being very few of Gold And as for Aureng-zeb he never coln'd any particular pieces to throw away at his Coronation The Great Mogul is without all question the richest and most potent Monarch of Asia the Territories which he possesses being his own Hereditary Possession and being absolute Master of all the Territories whence he receives his Revenues For in the Territories of this Prince the great Lords are but the Royal Receivers who give an account of the King's Revenues to the Governours of the Provinces and they to the chief Treasurers and Controllers of the Exchequer CHAP. II. Of the Sickness and suppos'd Death of Cha-jehan King of India and the Rebellion of the Princes his Sons THis great King had reign'd above forty years not so much as a King over his Subjects but rather as a Father over his Family and Children Insomuch that during his Reign there was such a strictness in the Civil Government and particularly for the security of the High-ways that there was never any occasion to put any man to death for Robbery In his declining years he fanci'd a young Lady of an extraordinary Beauty that was not above thirteen years of age and because the strength of nature would not permit him to satisfie his passion he took certain provocative's which were so hot that he fell thereupon into a distemper that had almost kill'd him This oblig'd him to shut himself up in his Haram together with his Women for two or three months during which time he appear'd very rarely to the people and that
when he is weigh'd 122. G. GAnges pag. 51 an ordinary River ib. and bad water 52. Gani see Coulour Gate what manner of place 34. Gehanabad 45 the Mogul's Palace there 45 46 47. Gehanguir ninth King of the Indians He permits Nourmahal his Wise to Reign in his stead He put out his Eldest Son's eyes 111. He prefers his Grandchild to the Throne ib. Dies ib. Gion-Kan a Traytor his death 115. Goa the present State of it 74. Golconda describ'd 61. The Policy and Government of the City 64. Gold where found 156 c. Gomron Road heat excessive injures the Ships 90. Gondicot taken by Mirgimola 98. Describ'd ib. Govaleor 35. The Prison for the Indian Grandees ib. Guards how reliev'd at Golconda 64. H. HAlabas pag. 52. The Governor a great Person ib. The cruelty of his Physitian ib. Hameth-Sheck 107. I. JAva the King thereof pag. 202. Javaniers good Souldiers 203. Jessom-seing betrays Dara-Sha 114. Idolaters belief touching a Deity 164. Of the state of the Soul after death 167. Of their burning their dead 168. Their several customs 179. Idolatrous Princes of Asia 163. Indians cunninger then the Jews 23. Their manner of crossing Rivers 100 102. Their Superstition 97. The Penance of the Women ib. Their Alms ib. Their Pilgrimages 101. Their craftiness 102. Their Physick 102. Their honesty 136 137. Their manner of driving bargains ib. Their Penances 181. Indigo where made 36 37 43. Indolstan bounded 106. Iron of Golconda the best 65. Island of St. Helens describ'd Ivory the best 96. Justice in India quick 99 100. K. Kemerouf a City pag. 188. L. LAhor pag. 45. Letter-Carriers 110. Lions how tam'd 40. M. MAcassar a Kingdom describ'd 191. The King shoots an English Malefactor with a poison'd Arrow 191. His difference with the Hollanders 192. Maldives Islands 90. Malvares Indian Pyrats 71 182. Mascate 16. Maslipatan 70. Matura one of the chiefest Pagods of the Indians 48. Measures Indian 27. Mingrela 73. A Miracle done by a Bramin 101 102. Miram-Sha 107. Mirda 43. Mirgimola the King of Golconda's General 67. He is suspected by the King ib. He revolts 68. He joyns with Aurengzeb ib. besieges the King ib. and cunningly settles a new Peace ib. entertains the Author at Gondicot 98 99. How he dispatch'd business 99. He conquers Asem 187. Mirza-Abdoul-Cofing marries the King of Golconda's third Daughter 69. Mirza Mahomed 68. See Check of Mecca Moguls why so call'd 106. Money the force of it in India 19. What most proper to be carri'd into India 18 21. Monuments Indian their sumptuousness 49 50 52 61. Morad-Backshe 108 Vice-Roy of Guzerat ib. He rebels against his Father 109 besieges Surat ib. proclaims himself King ib. He gives credit to Aurengzeb's fallacies ib. joyns with him 110 and defeats Dara-Sha ib. wounded ib. He sees his error is betraid and sent to Govaleor ib. Mountebanks Indian 36. Multan 43. Musk 153. Its adulterations ib. N. NAder pag. 35. Nahab what it signifies 53. Navapoura 30 famous for Rice ib. Nava-Sevagi revolts from the King of Visapour 73. Nourmahal Queen of India her Extraction 11 12. O. OBservations particular upon the Mogul's Court pag. 124 125. Omrahs their duty 122. Ormus the manner of Sailing from Ormus to Surat 15. Outemeda 97. P. PAgods Indian describ'd 92 93 94 97 102. The most celebrated among the Indians 173 c. Palicat 93. Passage by Sea from Ormus to Maslipatan 90. Passes where requir'd 44 52. Patna 53. Peacocks plentiful 37. How caught ib. Pearls and where fish'd for 145. How bred how fish'd for and at what time 146 c. Perca a petty Indian King 89. Physitians none in India but such as attend Princes 102. Pilgrimages of the Indians 179. Ponte Galle 194. Portugals their power in Goa 74 75. Their excessive proneness to revenge ib. discover a strange Countrey 83 84. Priests Indian how maintain'd Presents given by the Author at the Great Mogul's Court 59. R. RAge-Mehide 54. Raolconda Diamond-Mine 134. Rauchenara-Begum 108 always a friend to Aurengzeb His kindness to her their falling out 121. Religion of the Mahumetans in the Indies 159 c. Of the Idolatrous Indians 161. Roads from Ispahan to Agra through Gomron 15 from Surat to Agra through Brampour and Seronge 30 through Amadabat 36. From Ispahan to Agra through Candahar 43. From Dehly to Agra 48. From Agra to Patna and Daca 51. From Surat to Golconda 60. From Golconda to Maslipatan 69. From Surat to Goa from Goa to Golconda through Visapour 71. From Goa to Maslipatan through Cochin 88. From Maslipatan to Gandicot 91. From Gandicot to Golconda 100 to the Mines 137 139 141. Rodas the Fortress 139. Roupies the difference of them 20. Rubies the forms of several 149 150. Rule to know the price of Diamonds 142 143. S. SAltpeter where refin'd 53. Samarin an Indian King 89. Saseron 53. Say-pieces Indian 25 26. Sepper chekour 115 sent to Govaleor 116. Sera the signification of the word 32. Seronge 33. Serpents their vast bulk and deadly venom 34. Seva-gi continues the revolt 73. He finds vast Treasures ib. Sha-Est-Kan 20 24 56 buys the Authors Jewels 104 his kindness to the Author ib. revolts to Aurengzeb 110. Sha-Jehan first call'd Sha-Bedin-Mahomet 107. His good Government 108. He marries a young Lady ib. His children ib. His love to his children ib. He rebels against his Father is disinherited 111. He is advanc'd to the Throne 112. His cruelty ib. He is kept Prisoner by Aurengzeb and dies 113. Siam a Kingdom the King of it 119 c. Siren 143. Sodomy abominated by the Indians 54. Solyman Chekour defeats his Unckle 109 Betraid by Raja Roup flies to Nactiran 114. Is deliver'd up by him 119. Sent Pris'ner to Govaleor Soumelpour 139. Stones colour'd where found 143. Stones medicinal and their effects 154 155. Stories of the man that lost his child in Swimming 38. Of the Merchant's Wife that desir'd a child 39. Of the Merchant that ne'r told lye ib. The Story of Monsieur Belloy 79. Of the rich Leaper in Goa ib. Of St. Amant and John de Rose and the Sieur Marests ib. 80 81 c. Of Father Ephraim 85 86 87. Sultan Abousaid-Mirza 107. Sultan Babur 107. Sultan Boulaki preferr'd by Sha-Jehan 111. Betraid by Asouf-Kan 112. Retires into Persia ib. Sultan Kourom 107. See Sha-Jehan Sultan Mahomed Mogul 107. Sultan Mahomed Aurengzeb s Son marries the second Daughter of the King of Golconda 69. He flies to his Unckle 117. Is betraid by Emir-Jemla and imprison'd 118 119. Sultan Selim alias Jehanguir Patska 107. Sultan Soujah 108. Rebels 109. He flies to the King of Arakan marries his Daughter 119. Plots against him ib. His death 120. Sumbaco King of Macassar 192. Surat 15. T. TAmurleng 106. Tari what 65. Tavernier abus'd at the Mogul's Court 57 58. Tenara a sweet place 69. Thrones the description of the Mogul's Thrones 122 c. Thunderbolts three at a time 91. Tipra a Kingdom 186. Travelling the manner in India 27 29.
Caravansera's and Government of the Caravans 45 Chap. XI Of the breeding nature and several sorts of camels 49 Chap. XII Of the Coyns and Money of Persia. 50 The Second BOOK of the Persian Travels of Monsieur TAVERNIER containing the several Roads from Paris to Ispahan the Capital City of Persia through the Southern Provinces of Turky and through the Deserts Chap. I. THe second Voyage of the Author from Paris to Ispahan and first of his Embarking at Marseilles for Alexandretta 53 Chap. II. The Description of Aleppo now the Capital City of Syria 57 Chap. III. Of the several Roads in general from Aleppo to Ispahan and particularly of the Road through the Great Desert Pag. 60 Chap. IV. Of the Road from Aleppo to Ispahan through Mesopotamia and Assyria which I travell'd in my third Voyage to the Indies 66 Chap. V. A Continuation of the Road from Nineveh to Ispahan together with the Story of an Ambassador call'd Dominico de Santis 72 Chap. VI. Of the Road which the Author kept when he travell'd the fourth time into Asia to go from Paris to Ormus And first of his Voyage from Marseilles to Alexandretta 78 Chap. VII A Continuation of the Road which the Author kept in the fourth Voyage into Asia and particularly of his passage upon the Tigris from Nineveh to Babylon 82 Chap. VIII A Continuation of the Road from Bagdat to Balsara and of the Religion of the Christians of St. John 87 Chap. IX A Continuation of the Road from Balsara to Ormus 94 Chap. X. Of the Author's first Voyage and the Adventures of the four French-men 95 The Third BOOK of the Persian Travels of Monsieur TAVERNIER containing the Author's Sixth and Last Voyages and the Roads through Turky into Persia through the Northern Provinces of Europe With a Description of several Countries lying upon the Black and Caspian Seas Chap. I. OF the Author's sixth and last Voyage from his setting out of Paris to his Landing at Smyrna 99 Chap. II. A Continuation of the Author's sixth Voyage as he travell'd from Smyrna to Ispahan 102 Chap. III. The Road from Aleppo to Tauris through Diarbequir and Van. 103 Chap. IV. Another Road from Aleppo to Tauris through Geziré and other places 108 Chap. V. The Road from Aleppo to Ispahan through the Small Desert and through Kengavar 109 Chap. VI. Another Road from Constantinople to Ispahan by the Euxine or Black Sea with some Remarks upon the principal Cities there abouts 113 Chap. VII The Road from Warsow to Ispahan over the Black Sea and from Ispahan to Mosco with the names of the principal Cities and Islands of Turky according to the vulgar pronunciation as they are call'd in the Language of the Turks 115 Chap. VIII Remarks upon the Trade of the Island of Candy and the principal Isles of the Archipelago as also upon some of the Cities of Greece adjoyning with a particular Relation of the present condition of the Grand Signor's Galleys belonging as well to the Isles as to the Continent 118 Chap. IX A Relation of the present State of Georgia 123 Chap. X. A Relation of the present State of Mengrelia 125 Chap. XI Of Comania Circassia and of certain people which they call Kalmouchs 126 Chap. XII Of the Ceremonies and Customs of the people of Comania and Circassia 129 Chap. XIII Of the lesser Tartars call'd Nogaies bord'ring upon Comania 132 The Fourth BOOK of the Travels of Monsieur TAVERNIER being a Description of Persia. Chap. I. OF the Extent of Persia and its Division into Provinces 141 Chap. II. Of the Flowers and Fruits of Persia of Turquoises and Pearls 144 Chap. III. Of the Beasts of Service of the Fish and Fowl of Persia. 145 Chap. IV. Of the manner of Building in Persia. 147 Chap. V. A Description of Ispahan the chief City of the Kingdom and Dominion of the King of Persia. 148 Chap. VI. Of Zulpha a City separated from Ispahan by the River Senderou 155 Chap. VII Of the Religion of the Persians of the great Feast of Hocen and Hussein and the Camel-Feast 160 Chap. VIII Of the Religion of the Gaurs the Relicks of the ancient Persians Adorers of Fire 163 Chap. IX Of the Religion of the Armenians and of their principal Ceremonies and how the Armenians Consecrate and Administer the Sacrament 169 Chap. X. Of the Ordination of their Priesthood and their Austerities 170 Chap. XI Of their Baptism 171 Chap. XII Of the Marriage of the Armenians 172 Chap. XIII How the Armenians Bury their Dead 173 Chap. XIV Examples of the Constancy of the Armenians in maintaining their Religion against the Persecutions of the Mahometans 174 Chap. XV. Of the Author's Reception at the Court of Persia in his sixth and last Voyage and what he did there during his stay at Ispahan 177 Chap. XVI Of the Honours and Presents which the Author receiv'd from the King of Persia. 179 Chap. XVII How the King was pleas'd to divertise himself in the Author's Company 181 The Fifth BOOK of the Persian Travels of Monsieur TAVERNIER being a Politick and Historical Description of Persia with the Roads from Ispahan to Ormus Chap. I. OF the Genealogy of the Kings of Persia of the last Race 195 Chap. II. Of certain particular Actions which denote the Virtues and Vices of the Kings of Persia from Sha-Abas the first to Sha-Soliman the present King And first of Sha-Abas the Great 202 Chap. III. Of what fell out most memorable in the Reign of Sha-Sefi the first and particularly of the Death of Iman-Kouli-Kan and his three Sons Pag. 198 Chap. IV. The Tragical and memorable Story of Ralph Sadler Native of Zurich in the Reign of Sha-Sefi who had retain'd him in his Service 207 Chap. V. Of some particulars under the Reign of Sha-Abas the second 199 Chap. VI. Of the misfortune of Mahomet-Beg in the Reign of Sha-Abas the second 212 Chap. VII Of the Rebellion of the Prince of Jasque a Vassal to the King of Persia in the Reigns of Sha-Sefi the first and Sha-Abas the second 217 Chap. VIII Observations upon the Reign of Sha-Solimon the present King 218 Chap. IX Of the Government of Persia. 219 Chap. X. Of the first of the three Orders or States of Persia which comprehends the King's Houshold the Kans or Governours of Provinces and the Souldiery 221 Chap. XI Of the second Order containing all those that belong to the Ecclesiastical Law and their Courts of Justice and in general of all the Gown-men such as are chiefly the Officers of the Chamber of Accounts 226 Chap. XII Of the third Estate of the Kingdom comprehending the Tradesmen and Merchants as also the Trades Manufactures and Commodities of Persia. 229 Chap. XIII Of the Justice and Policy of the Persians 232 Chap. XIV Of the Manners and Customs of the Persians 234 Chap. XV. Of the Diseases of Persia and the manner of Curing them 239 Chap. XVI Of the Division of Time among the Persians 240 Chap. XVII Of the Feasts and
all put on the Habit the same Moullah return'd to his Chair and made a Prayer for the health of the King and the prosperity of his Kingdom All these Ceremonies lasted from seven in the Morning 'till Noon at what time the King retir'd into his Haram As for the People they carry their Biers up and down the City and where-ever two Companies meet whether it be for the upper hand or to get formost they presently fall together by the Ears and knock one another down for they are not permitted to carry any other Arms than good big Clubs almost as big as Levers Some time after the Feast of Hussein and Hocen the Persians celebrate another Festival which they call the Feast of the Camel in remembrance of Abraham's Sacrifice They have a great reverence for this Festival saying that it was a Camel and not a Ram which God sent to reprieve Ishmael affirming that Ishmael was to have been sacrific'd and not Isaac They choose out for this Ceremony one of the fairest Camels they can meet withal and adorn and dress him up with several Plates of counterfeit Gold and Silver and then leäd him without the City to a place which is before a Mosquee on the other side of the River of Ispahan upon Zulpha side the Deroga or Provost accompanying the people The King was formerly wont to be at this Feast accompany'd with his Nobility and I have seen him there but of late years he never goes the Deroga supplying his place When the King went thither several Moullahs pray'd for half an hour after which the King took a kind of a Jav'lin and darted it against the Camel but now in the absence of the King the Deroga gives the first stroak At the same time they fling the Camel to the ground with Ropes ty'd to his legs and cutting off his head and neck together they divide the rest of the Body into eleven parts more to the end all the twelve Companies may have every one their share Every Company carries their share to the Master of the Companies House who is generally the ancientest among them Which part is kept and salted up 'till the next Feast and the piece the year before so 'till then preserv'd is then boyl'd with Rice and is the foundation of the Feast for the chief of the Company who take it for an honour to eat of it For the rest they boyl Rice with Mutton and Hens and besides that distribute large Alms to the Poor CHAP. VIII Of the Religion of the Gaurs the Relicks of the ancient Persians adorers of Fire THere are no men in the world so scrupulous of discovering the Mysteries of their Religion as the Gaurs so that I was forc'd to frequent their company very much in most of my Travels to pick out what I have here to deliver Of the present Condition of the Gaurs AFter the Persians began to persecute the Gaurs great numbers of them retir'd to Surat and others into the Province of Guzerat Now the King of Persia lets them live in quiet and there are now above 10000 in Kerman where I staid three Months in the year 1654. All that live in India are Tradesmen and for the most part Turners in Ivory those in Kerman deal in Wool Four days journey from whence stands their principal Temple where their Chief Priest resides whither they are once in their lives oblig'd to go in Pilgrimage There are some of these Gaurs live near Ispahan Of their Original and their Prophets THey say that the Father of their Prophet was a Frank by Nation whose Name was Azer and a Carver by Trade That he left his own Country to live in theirs which at that time was the City of Babylon where he took a Wife who call'd her self Doghdon That one night his Wife dreamt that God had sent an Angel from Paradise to visit her who brought her very rich Cloathes which she put on That a Celestial Light presently over-spread her Face and render'd her as beautiful as the Sun and that when she wak'd she found her self with Child which Child prov'd to be the Prophet Ebrahim-zer-Ateucht That the Astrologers of that time by their skill in the Stars knew of the Birth of that Infant sent by God who was to govern Men and reign in their Hearts That those Astrologers went and declar'd the same thing to the King telling him that there was a Child suddenly to be born that would one day deprive him of his Crown Whereupon the said King call'd Neubrout and a great Tyrant caus'd all the Women with Child to be put to death through the whole extent of his Dominions But by a Miracle the big Belly of the Mother of their Prophet not appearing she remain'd undiscover'd and brought forth a Son Her Husband who knew nothing of this Mystery fearing he should lose his head if he did not discover the business to the King before he found it out another way went and confess'd that he had a Child born but that he knew nothing of her being with Child Now you must know that contrary to the custom of other Children that cry so soon as they come out of the Mothers womb this Child laugh'd so soon as he was born For being to triumph over the Hearts of the people he was to shew signs of joy so that the people began already to rejoyce in their future felicities This being signifi'd to the King he call'd his Astrologers together to tell him the meaning of so extraordinary a thing and what would become of the Infant But the Astrologers not being able to satisfie him he sent for the Infant and would have slain him with a Sword with his own hand but God dry'd up his Arm immediately so that he could not However not terrifi'd with so great a punishment transported with Choler he caus'd a great Fire to be kindled and commanded the Infant to be thrown into it But by the power of God the Fire which he had prepar'd to consume the Infant turn'd into a Bed of Roses where the Child most sweetly repos'd They who from that hour began to honour the little Prophet took away some of that Fire which has been preserv'd to this time They keep it say they in honour of so great a Miracle and they have it in great veneration because it discover'd the merit of their Prophet Nevertheless the King stop'd not there but still obstinate in his impiety notwithstanding all these Miracles he prepar'd new torments for the little Infant but God chastis'd his incredulity and that of his people very severely by sending such an infinite number of Flies and that of such a pestiferous nature that who-ever were stung with them dy'd without remedy unless they immediately came and worship'd the Prophet and kiss'd his Feet in testimony of their repentance As for the King who still continu'd in his impenitency an exemplary fate befel him For one of those Flies stinging him in one of his Ears
about his having alighted at which time the Athemadoulet and other Lords remounting him the two Kings rode together upon the Silks the King of Persia giving the left hand to the Tartar The King of Persia very generously lent him a considerable assistance of 15000 Horse and 8000 Foot and sixty thousand Tomans in Money The Tartar in Exchange gave him one of his Provinces bordering upon Persia which yeilded him a very good Revenue in regard the Inhabitants were all Shepherds or Turcomans that breed an infinite number of Cattel wherein the wealth of that Province consists While he reign'd he had a present made him from the Governour of Schiras of a wild Ass whose Skin was as red as Scarlet having a Horn growing out of his forehead about a foot long Sha Abbas reign'd about twenty-four years and dy'd at Tehzon of an inflammation in his throat which came by excessive drinking His body by his own order was buri'd at Kour So soon as he was dead the Lords that were about him sent advice of his death to the Prince that now reigns by the Topigi-Basha who is General of the Musqueteers and Mirza Bayad the Cheif of the Astrologers So soon as they came to the door of the Haram they desir'd to speak with the Mother and the Son who believ'd them come upon some dismal design But they presently confirm'd them to the contrary For as soon as the Prince came forth of the Haram they fell at his feet and saluted him King declaring the death of his Father Whereupon the Prince immediately tore his Garment according to the custom And indeed they have another custom that as soon as the new Prince comes after much entreaty out of the Haram he throws himself to the ground at the door of the Haram and then rising and sitting upon his heels one of the Lords that are sent girds the Scimiter about his waste saying these words May it please your Majesty to remember your Slave that had the Honour to grid you with this Scimiter Which done he goes and sets the Trumpets a sounding and the Drums beating whereupon all the people in the morning come running to the Gate of the Palace crying out Patsha Salamalek I salute thee Emperor Which is all the Ceremony us'd when any King of Persia ascends the Throne For I never saw any Crown set upon the head either of Sha Abbas or Sha Sefi Only in Persia they gird on the Scimiter as in Turky they put on the Bonnet of the Sophi's which is very richly set with Jewels but has not the least resemblance of a Crown The same Ceremony of girding on the Scimiter is us'd to the Mogul the Kings of Visapour and Golconda and they also put the Bonnet upon their heads which is set with the richest Jewels in the possession of those great Monarchs Sha-Sefi the second some time after his coming to the Throne fell dangerously sick not having ever enjoy'd a perfect health before Now it is the custom in those Countries that upon such an occasion all the Lords of the Court and Governors of Provinces give a sum of money according to their willingness and liberality This sum is usually in Gold which they put into a Bason very richly set with pretious Stones and bear it three times over the Kings head pronouncing these words Patsha Bashena Olson This money is sacrific'd for the health of the Kings head If the King recover all that money is giv'n to the poor to which the King and his Haram add very liberally But if the King dies the money is put into the Treasury and the poor have nothing The twentieth of August 1667 was the critical day of his distemper and every one thought he would have dy'd Upon which all the Grandees of the Court seeing him in that condition went to the Mosquee call'd Babaron which is without the City to pray for his health and altogether gave near a thousand Tomans to the poor The next day they commanded the Christian Armenians to pray for the recovery of the King Whereupon as well the Ecclesiasticks as the Laity went to their prayers upon the side of the River which is between Ispahan and Zulpha They also sent their Kelonter with fifty Tomans in Gold to bear over the Kings head though the Armenians pronounce not the same words as the Persians saying only Berai te Sadduk destin'd for Alms. Thus the danger being over in a few days they made it their business to recover him to a perfect habit of health but in regard the King continu'd in a languishing condition and for that the Physicians could not discover the cause of the distemper the King began to beleive that it proceeded from the ignorance of the Physicians for which reason some of them had receiv'd none of the best entertainment already At length it came into the thoughts of some others of the Physicians who were afraid for themselves that in regard Persia was thus doubly afllicted with Famine and the Sickness of the King both at one time it must of necessity be the Astrologers fault that miss'd the favourable hour when the King should have ascended the Throne Thus being troubl'd at their disgrace pretending to have no less skill in future knowledg than the Astrologers who had not chos'n a true time for the King to ascend the Throne they concluded that for the perfect recovery of his health and the restoring of plenty to the Nation it was necessary to renew the Ceremony at a lucky hour and to change his name This proposition pleas'd the King and his Council The Physitians and Astrologers joining together observ'd the first unlucky day which would certainly be follow'd by another that would prove fortunate Now there being among the Gaures some that pretend themselves descended from the Rustans who were ancient Kings of Persia and Parthia that very morning one of those Gaures setting himself upon the Throne with his back against a wooden Figure which represented him to the life all the Grandees of the Court came and did him homage as their King as he had order'd them to do This action lasted till the favourable hour was come which happen'd a little before Sun-set Then it was that an Officer of the Court came behind and cut off the head of the wooden Figure while the Gaure immediately took his heels and fled Presently upon that the King appear'd in the Hall upon whose head when they had put the Bonnet of Sophi and re-girt him with the Scimitar he ascended the Throne and took the name of Soliman He was forc'd to act this Comedy to satisfie the Law which contriv'd that he should change his Name and take a new possession of his Throne by ejecting a Usurper that had wrongfully claim'd it For which reason the Gaure was set up as Pretender as laying claim to the ancient Lineage of the Persian Kings and being of a different Religion From that time the King recovering and the Famine
persists in her demand is many times so severely us'd by him that she is constrain'd to cry I' th Devils name let me go I demand nothing of thee Then they both repair to the Casi or Cheit-Lesloon who is a Doctor of the Law and in his presence they discharge one another This they may do by their Law three times After that the same woman can never return to her Husband again The Children derive their Nobility from the Father whither he be born of a Slave or an Amoutha or a Legitimate wife The Nobility of the Persians which is call'd Negabet is founded upon their being descended from Mahomet They who claim that extraction have the title of Mir or Prince and their Daughters carry the appellation of Mirza or Princess They are very numerous and very poor But the title of Mir without a good Estate or high Employment signifies little or nothing CHAP. XIX Of the Death and Burials of the Persians 'T Is the Custome among the Persians that when the Patient lyes very dangerously ill they light several fires upon the Terrass of the House to give the People notice to pray for him So soon as the breath is out of his body the whole house rings with cries and lamentations especially of the women who tear their hair and shew such antick postures that a man would think them possess'd In the midst of their tears they make long repetitions of the worthy actions of the deceas'd and every foot they set up a yelling Then they go and advertize the Casi that such a one is dead to whom the Casi answers Sarchoama Salamet-Bashet May your head be in safety In the mean while he seals a Licence to the Mourderchour to take the body and wash it in a house which is built on purpose near a running water After that come a great number of Moullah's with the Ensigns of the Mosquee which are long staffs like Pikes at the end whereof are thin plates of Iron and Latten so weak that they bend downward with the least motion the bodies of the staves being wrapt about with certain pieces of Taffata These Moullahs tear their throats crying out Alla Alla Alla repeating nothing else and dancing sometimes upon one foot and sometimes upon another and because they that baul loudest get the most money they put their thumbs in their ears with their fingers upon their cheeks and tear their throats with all the force they have The body being wash'd the cloaths of the deceas'd belong to the Mourderchour When they carry the Beire it is the custome that every one that meets it proffers their shoulders to help carry while the others ease themselves for which the Kindred of the deceas'd make some acknowledgment If he be a person of Quality all his Horses are bridl'd and saddl'd and others perhaps borrow'd One carries his Turban another his Scimitar another his Bow another his Arrows another his Buckler and whatever else is of any use to set forth his Quality and his Courage The biggest Church-yard that belongs to Ispahan is Calreston but there is not one handsome Tomb in it The Armenians lay a great stone over the grave and the rich set up an Arch with four Pillars under which they eat and drink in the shade when they visit the Tombs of their Ancestors Their graves are six foot long six foot deep and two foot wide wherein they lay the bodies with their faces turn'd toward Mecca and then they set up two tiles of each side his face to keep the earth from falling upon it If he be a rich man or have been a stout Souldier they bury with him his Turbant Scimitar Bow and Arrows and set Victuals by him which part of the hole being made up with brick the rest is fill'd up with earth The Moulla's alone return to the house of the deceas'd where they have meat set before 'em and are also farther pay'd for their singing and bawling A while after the Kindred coming to visit the Heir discourse him upon the contempt of the world tell him that it is but as a Caravan some of which arrive sooner at their journeys end then others Eight days after the Heir returns their visits As for the Grandees they order in their Wills that their bodies shall be either carry'd to Mecca or Meshed As well the Persians as the Turks believe that as soon as the grave is fill'd that the two Angels Neguir and Manguer revive the dead as far as his wast ask him the reason of Faith and which way he said his Prayers and that according to his merits they use him well or ill As for the torment of Souls before the Resurrection that only consists in a grief for not having arriv'd to those perfections and Sciences to which they might have attain'd and consequently for not having attain'd to that perfection which God requir'd of them Others hold that the Souls of the unfortunate are tormented with Dreams and Visions but that the Souls of the happy always enjoy the sight of pleasing objects till the Saheb-el-zaman or Master of time shall come to confirm the Law of Mahomet who shall kill Dedgar who is like our Antichrist with his own hand at which time all then alive shall dye in an instant and then shall happen the general Resurrection which they call Moavedet-hechre That the same Bodies and Souls shall unite to appear at the day of Judgment before the Throne of the great Judge of the world and that to go thither they must pass over a bridge call'd Polserat sharper then the edge of a razor which nevertheless the Mussulmen shall pass over without any danger with the swiftness of a bird But that misbelievers shall fall as soon as ever they set their feet upon it and shall fall into a torrent of fire among a thousand Devils arm'd with Cramp Irons Pincers and tenter-hooks So that it is a kind of a Proverb among the Persians if a man cannot obtain of another the Justice of his bargain or to yield to right Well says he before thou passest Polserat thou shalt restore it me double for I will take hold of thy Coat and hinder thee from getting over till thou hast given me satisfaction But the craftier sort laugh at this and make answer with a smile Well well we will venture stumbling as we pass over Polserat The Porter of Paradise whom they call Rusuen shall open them the gate There they shall sit upon the banks of the great Kausser which is a fountain where their Prophet shall give them of the water to drink out of a Ladle and that afterwards they shall have a great number of women created on purpose for them with all sorts of most delicious food And for fear of fouling this place of recreation and holiness with the excrements of eating and drinking they say that those things shall always evacuate in a persum'd sweat and that they themselves shall always remain in that
describ'd 3. Niniveh 71. Noah where he liv'd 16. His Wife where buried 20. Nogaies their Customs 132 c. O. OFficers of the King's Houshold 221. Military 223. Ecclisiastick and Judicial 226. Ormus 255. Ozeman 4. P. PAros Island 12. Passage of the Author from Niniveh to Babylon 82. From Bagdat to Balsara 87. From Balsara to Ormus 94. Passengers see Travellers Patras 121. Patriarch of the Armenians 11. Feasts the Caravan 12. Pearls of great beauty and value 95 144. Persia its extent and Provinces 141. The Flowers and Fruits thereof 144. The Beasts of service 145. Fish and Fowl there ib. Buildings 147. Persians their Superstition 24. Their manner of Entertainment 5. Their Civility 77. Their extravagancy in Apparel 238. Their Religion 160. Their Feasts and Diet 241. Artists wherein 230. Commodities of the Countreys ib. Their manners and customs 234. Philadelphia now Allachars 31. Places of priviledg 24. Plains of Salt 31 39. Polia or Polis 4. Policy of the Persians 232. Pointing at the King of Persia loss of the hand 207. Porter of the King of Persia belov'd by him for his whiskers 47. Printing not us'd and why 229. Proverb in Persia about living happy 44. Q. Quitros Haven 114. R. RAdars what 233. Rafedi's what 85. Severely chastiz'd for Superstitiou ib. Restoration for robbery how made 233. River that peutrifies 15. Relicks Armenian 17. Roads from France to Constan tinople 2. From Constantinople to Ispahan 3. From the borders of Persia to Erivan 10. From Erivan to Tauris 15. From Tauris to Ispahan through Tauris and Casbin 24. From Tauris to Ispahan through Zangan and Sultain 26. From Smyrna to Ispahan 32. From Kerman to Ispahan 41. From Paris to Ispahan another way 53. From Aleppo to Ispahan through the great Desert 60. Through Mesopotamia and Assyria 66. From Niniveh to Ispahan 72. From Smyrna to Ispahan 102. From Aleppo to Tauris through Diarbequir and Van 103. Through Gezire 108. From Aleppo to Ispahan through the small Desert and Kengavar 109. From Constantinople to Ispahan by the Euxin-Sea 113. From Warsaw to Ispahan over the black Sea and Ispahan to Mosco 115. From Ormus to Schiras 245. From Ispahan to Ormus from Schiras to Bandar-Abassi 251. From Casbon to Ispahan and so through Candahar to the Frontiers of the Mogul 257. Robbery committed upon the Author neer Tocat 40. Robbery how punish'd 233. Rock of a strange nature 107. S. SAdler Ralph his sad story 207. Salmastre 208. Samatra a place of Devotion among the Mahumetans 83. Santorini a remarkable Island 79. Sardis 37. Sava 28. Schiras 66. Describ'd 247. Seal of the King of Persia 179. Sedre his Office 226. Sefi-Kouli-Kan Governor of Babylon his death 84 85. Sem the Son of Noah 15. Sexava 28. Sha-Abas 158. Sends to Henry 4th of France ib. To Spain ib. His answer ib. He turns Merchant ib. Kind to the Capuchins 157. His madness in drink 172. He punishes the Baker and Cook 203. Sha-Abas the second 209. Shambe the Inhabitants mad at 18 years of age 17. Shappars what 233. Their priviledges ib. Sha-Sefi destroys the Turks Army 20. His madness in drink 198. His cruelty 206. Shaoux what they are 47. Sherazoul 73. Sidi Fatima 29. Sinopus 118. Smyrna largely describ'd 32 c. Sophiana 20. St. Simon 86. St. Stephens 17. Story of four French-men 95. Students Persian 227. Sultan Amurat makes his entry into Aleppo 6. Sultain describ'd 27. Superstation of the Persians 236. T. TAmerlane 195. Tartars eat raw Horse-flesh 7. Lesser Tartars 132. Tauris describ'd 20 21 c. And the places adjacent 23. Temple of Ephesus See Ephesus Teren 108. Thievery punish'd 233. Tigris 71. Time how divided by the Persians 240. Tocat 5. Tocia 4. Tower of Babel vid. Nemrod Travelling very secure in Persia 18 233. Travellers how to behave themselves 47. The treachery of a Janizary 35 c. Turkey bad travelling in Turkey 1. Turks their Superstition 9. Turquoises 144. V. VAn 106. Voyage The Authors Voyage from Marseilles to Alexandretta 78. The Authors first Voyage 95. From Paris to Smyrna 99. W. WAater bitter 61. Scarce in Persia 156. Women of Bagdat 86. Of Arabia ib. Of Persia 239. Wool of Persia very fine 40. Writing Persian 229. Y. YEsde describ'd 44. Yesdecas 66. Z. ZEa Island 120. Zulpha describ'd 19 155 157. c. THE FIGURES Of the PIECES of Gold Silver and Copper AND OF The Sorts of Shells and Almonds that pass for MONEY over all ASIA The Money of Arabia Larin Figure 1. Half-Larin Fig. 2. THIS Money Fig. 1. is call'd The Author not having given an account of the weight or fineness of the Coins he treats of but having only express'd their value in French Livres it is thought fit for the better reduction thereof into English Coin to advertise That Three French Livres make a French Crown which passes in Exchange from 54 pence to 58 pencel half-penny so that a French Livre may be in value as the Exchange goes from 18 pence to 19 pence half-penny And twenty Sous make a Livre Larin and signities the same with our Crowns The Five Pieces are as much in value as one of our Crowns and the Ten Half-Larins as much Only the Five Larins want in weight Eight Sous of our Crown This is that which the Emirs or Princes of Arabia take for the Coining of their Money and the profit which they make by the Merchants that travel through the Desart either into Persia or the Indies For then the Emirs come to the Caravans to take their Tolls and to change their Crowns Reals or Ducats of Gold for these Larins For they must of necessity pass that way And they must use very smooth words to boot for there is nothing to be got by rough Languages If they see the Merchants will not change their Money then will they refuse to take their Toll but making as if they had not time to cast up the accompt they go a hunting and leave the Merchants fifteen or twenty days without saying any thing more to them while they in the mean time spend their provisions not knowing where to get more If the Caravan goes on without paying their Tolls these Arabian Prince's will either cut them in pieces or take away their Camels or rob them of all they have as they have several times done In one Journey that I made one of these Princes kept us one and twenty days after which we thought our selves happy to be quit of him when we had given him whatever he demanded If these five Larins did but weigh as much as the Crown or Real of Spain the Merchants would never be much troubled But when they come to Persia or the Indies they must carry their Money to the Mint as I have said in another place and loose above eight Sous in a Crown which amounts to 14 per Cent. As for what remains the Larins are one of the ancient Coins of Asia and though at this day they are only currant
comes they set up a Candle or a lighted Lamp for a Signal Then it is also that they open all the Shops where they sell Tari which is a certain drink made of the juice of a Tree and is as sweet as our new Wines They fetch it some five or six leagues off upon Horses that carry two earthen-Bottles of each side and trot at a great rate of which there come every day to the City above five or six-hunder'd The King has a considerable Revenue by the Impost which he lays upon this Tari And for that reason he permits so many common Women in regard it is for their sake that so much Tari is consum'd those that sell it for that cause keeping their Shops by those Houses These sort of Women are so nimble and active that when the present King went to see Maslipatan nine of them undertook to represent the figure of an Elephant four making the four feet four the body and one the trunk upon which the King sitting in a kind of Throne made his entry into the City All the Men and Women of Golconda are well proportion'd and of comely statures and fair enough in their councenances only the Countrey-people are a little more swart The present King of Golconda bears the Name of Abdoul-Coutou-Sha and I will tell the Reader in a few words from whence he drew his Original In the Reign of Axbar King of India the Father of Jehan-Guir the Territories of the Great Moguls did not extend farther Southward then Narbider to that the River which runs by it and which coming from the South empties it self into Ganges separated their Dominions from the Territories of the Raja of Narsingue that stretch'd as far as Cape-Comorin the other Raja's being only his Subjects and depending upon him This Raja and his Successors have been always at Wars with them that succeeded to Tamerlane or Temur-leng in India and their Power was so great that the last Raja who was at War with Akbar brought into the Field four Armies under as many Generals The most considerable of his Armies lay in those Provinces which at this day are call'd the Kingdom of Golconda the second was quarter'd in the Provinces of Visapour the third in the Province of Dultabat and the fourth in the Territories of Brampour The Raja of Narsingue dying without Children the four Generals divided among themselves the Countreys which they possess'd with their Army and took upon them the title of Kings the one of Golconda the other of Visapour the other of Brampour and the fourth of Dultabat Though the Raja were an Idolater nevertheless his four Generals were Mahumetans and he of Golconda was of the Sect of Haly descended from an Ancient Family of the Turcomans which inhabit the Country of Hamadan in Persia. This General as I have said was more considerable than any of the rest and some few days after the death of the Raja they won a famous Victory from the Mogul so that he could not hinder them from assuming their several Sovereignties But after that Jehan-Guir the Son of Akbar conquer'd again the Kingdom of Brampour Cha-jehan the Son of Jehan-Guir recover'd the Kingdom of Dultabat and Aureng-zeb the Son of Cha-jehan recover'd some part of the Kingdom of Visapour As for the King of Golconda neither Cha-jehan nor Aureng-zeb disturb'd him but let him rest in peace upon condition that he should pay to the Mogul an annual tribute of 200000 Pagods At present the greatest Raja on this side Ganges is the Raja of Velou whose Territories extend to Cape-Comorin and who succeeded to some part of the Territories of the Raja of Narsingue But in regard there is no Trade in his Countrey and by consequence no concourse of strangers there is little notice taken of him The present King of Golconda has no Sons but three Daughters who are all married The Eldest Espous'd one of the Kinsmen of the Grand Chek of Mecca Nor must we forget some passages that fell out before this Marriage The Chek coming to Golconda in the habit of a Faquir for some Months lodg'd without the Gate of the Palace disdaining to give any answer to several Courtiers that demanded what his business was At length the thing being made known to the King he sent his chief Physitian who spoke good Arabick to know of the Chek what he had to request and the reason of his coming The Physitian and some other Lords of the Court that discours'd him also finding him to be a person of great Wit and Learning brought him to the King who was very well satisfi'd with his aspect and his presence But at length the Chek declaring to him that he came to Espouse the Princess that proposal very much surpriz'd the Prince and was look'd upon by the greatest part of the Court as made by a person not well in his wits At first the King only laugh'd at him But when he found him obstinately persevering in his demand in-so-much that he threaten'd the Countrey with some strange Calamity if the Princess were not given to him in Marriage he was committed to Prison where he lay a long time At length the King thinking it more to the purpose to send him back into his own Countrey caus'd him to be ship'd away at Mastipatan in a Vessel that carri'd Goods and Pilgrims to Mocca whence they travell by land to Mecca About two years after the same Chek return'd again to Golconda and order'd his affairs so well that he Espous'd the Princess and won an high reputation in the Kingdom which he governs at this day and is very Potent He it was that kept the King from surrendring the Fortress of Golconda whither he was retir'd when Aureng-zeb and his Son took Bagnabar as I shall tell you by and by threatning to kill him if he would not resolve to hold it out and not deliver the keys to the enemy This bold action wss the reason which made the King love him ever afterwards and that he takes his counsel in all weigty affairs not as he is the King's Son-in-Law but as he is a great Minister of State and the chiefest person next the King in all the Court He it was that has put a stop to the finishing the great Pagod in Bagnagar having threaten'd the whole Kingdom with some great Calamity if they went forward with the work This Prince is a passionate Lover of all those that profess the Mathematicks and understands them as well For which reason though he be a Mahumetan he is a great Favourer of all the Christians who are vers'd in that Science as he has particularly testifi'd to Father Ephrahim a Capuchin passing through Golconda for Pegu whither he was sent by his Superiors He did all he could to oblige him to stay in the Country and offer'd to build him a House and a Church at his own expences telling him he should neither want employment nor Hearers in regard there were several
at a great distance too which made them believe he was dead For they are oblig'd by Custom to shew themselves to the people three times in a week or in fifteen days at most Cha-Jehan had six Children four Sons and two Daughters The Name of the eldest was Dara-Cha the second was call'd Sultan Sujah the third Aureng-zeb and the fourth Morad-Bakche The eldest of his two Daughters was call'd Begum-Saheb and the name of the second was Rauchenara Begum Cha-jehan lov'd all his four Sons alike and had made them Governours or Vice-Roys of four of his principal Provinces or Kingdoms Dara-Cha who was the eldest stay'd with his Father in Dehly and had the Government of the Kingdom of Sandi into which he put a Deputy Sultan Sujah had for his share the Government of Bengala Aureng-zeb was Vice-Roy of the Kingdom of Decan and Morad-Bakche of the Kingdom of Guzerat But though Cha-jehan endeavour'd to give equal content to his four Sons their Ambition was not satisfi'd with this division but ruin'd all the good designs which so kind a Father had lay'd to preserve peace among his Children Cha-jehan being thus sick and retir'd into the Womens quarter without shewing himself for many days the report ran that he was dead and that Dara-Cha conceal'd his death to gain time to provide for himself and to secure the Empire True it is that the King believing he should dye commanded Dara-Cha to call together all the Omrahs or Lords and to seat himself upon the Throne which belong'd to him as the eldest of his Brothers He also testifi'd the desire he had to see him quietly setled in the peaceable possession of the Empire And this intention of his was look'd upon as the more just in regard the other three Brothers had been for some time observ'd to have less respect for their Father than Dara-Cha Dara-Cha who honour'd and respected the King with a real tenderness made answer to the King that he desir'd of Heaven nothing more than the preservation of his Majesties life and that so long as Heaven should continue that preservation he should take it to be a greater honour to continue himself a Subject than to ascend the Throne And indeed he was never absent from his Father that he might be the better able to serve him in his sickness and because he would be present upon all occasions he lay by his Fathers Bed-side upon a Tapestry spread upon the ground During the false report of the death of Cha-jehan his three other Sons immediately rebell'd every one laying claim to their Fathers Crown Morat-Bakche the youngest who had the Government of Guzerat sent away Forces immediately to besiege Surat the most considerable Port and most frequented of any other all over India The City made no resistance for the Walls are very weak and broken down in several places But they defended the Cittadel where the Treasure was very stoutly though the young Ambitious Prince did all he could to make himself Master of it Chabas-Kan one of his Eunuchs who was General of his Army an industrious and active person and who carri'd on the Siege with all the experience of an old Captain when he saw he could not carry the Castle by main force caus'd it to be undermin'd in two places by the assistance of an European Engineer which took effect so that upon the twenty-ninth of December 1659 he threw down a good part of the Walls and fill'd up the Moat which very much terrifi'd the besieg'd But they presently recover'd their courage and though they were but a small number they defended themselves for above forty days to the great dammage and slaughter of Morat-Bakche's Army Chabas-Kan provok'd at such a vigorous resistance sought for all the Wives and Children Parents and Kindred of the Canoneers that were within the Castle to place them at the head of his men when they made their approaches He also sent one of the Brothers of the Governor of the place to offer him advantageous conditions But the Governor being a very loyal person and uncertain of the Kings death rejected all his offers The Eunuch perceiving the Resolution of the Governour threaten'd the besieged to kill all their Wives and Children Parents and Kindred if they did not surrender the place the next day But neither did any of those considerations prevail till at length the breach being made wider and the number of defendants decreasing the Governor surrender'd upon honourable conditions which were punctually perform'd by Chabas-Kan who seiz'd upon all the Treasure and carried it to Amadabat where Morat-Bakche was busily employ'd in squeezing the people to get Money The news of the taking Surat being brought to this Prince he presently provided himself a Throne and sitting upon it on the day which was appointed for the Ceremony he caus'd himself to be declared King not only of Guzerat but of all the Dominions of Cha-jehan his Father At the same time he also coin'd Money and sent new Governors into all the Cities But his tottering Throne not being well fix'd fell soon to the Ground and the youngest of all the Brothers for having usurp'd a Scepter that no ways appertain'd to him was confin'd to a severe imprisonment Prince Dara-Cha fain would have reliev'd Surat but it was impossible For besides that he was busied in the assistance of his Father the King his second Brother Sultan-Sujah more powerful than Morat-Bakche found him far more work to do He was already advanc'd into the Kingdom of Lahor having absolutely reduc'd the Kingdom of Bengala All that Dara-Cha could do was to send Soliman Checour his eldest Son with an Army against Sultan Sujah The young Prince having defeated his Uncle and driven him back into Bengala the Frontiers whereof he secur'd with good Garrisons return'd to Dara-Cha his Father In the mean time Morat-Bakche acknowledg'd for King in the Kingdom of Guzerat bends all his Force and Counsels to make himself Emperor of the Indies to destroy his Brothers and to fix his Throne either in Agra or Jehanabat Whiles these things pass'd Aureng-zeb as ambitious but more crafty than his Brothers lets them alone to kindle the first Fires and conceals his own designs which afterwards appear'd so much to the damage of the rest At first he feign'd to lay no claim to the Empire but liv'd a private life like a Dervich or Religious Hermit And the better to act his part he declar'd to his younger Brother Morat-Bakche whom he saw to be so ambitious how willing he should be to assist him in his designs telling him that because he merited the Empire by his Valour he would aid him with his Money and his Forces to overthrow Dara-Cha who only stood in his way The young Prince blinded with the hopes of his good Fortune easily believ'd Aureng-zeb And so joining Forces together he advances towards Agra to make himself Master of that City Dara-Cha marches to meet them but the Battel was as imprudently manag'd
by him as fortunately fought by his Brothers For Dara-Cha confiding too much in the principal Officers of his Army against the advice of his General who was his chief Minister of State and faithful to him thought himself sure of the Victory by falling on before his Brothers had time to repose themselves The first onset was very rude and bloody where Morat-Bakche full of fire and courage fighting like a Lyon was shot with five Arrows into the body The Victory leaning to Dara-Cha Aureng-zeb retreated but soon turn'd head again when he saw those Traytors advancing to his aid who were in the Army of Dara-Cha and who had treacherously deserted him after he had lost his best Officers and his General With this assistance Aureng-zeb renews the fight against Dara-Cha who seeing himself betray'd and unable to maintain the fight with the small number of men which he had left retreats to Agra where the King his Father was who began to mend The King advis'd his Son to retire to the Fortress of Dehly and to carry the Treasure that was in Agra with him which he did without delay Thus the Victory fell intirely to Aureng-zeb and Morat-Bakche who before the end of the Battel being weaken'd with the loss of blood was forc'd to retire to his Tent to have his wounds drest Now it was an easie thing for Aureng-zeb to gain those Traytors as well by reason of the vast Treasures which he had as also for that the Indians are very inconstant and want generosity Besides the Commanders are generally Fugitive Persians persons of little worth who are altogether for them that give most Cha-Est-Kan who was Uncle to these four Princes whose Mother was the King's Sister went over to Aureng-zeb with the greatest part of the principal Commanders that had adher'd to Dara-Cha and Morat-Bakche and had forsaken their Masters Morat-Bakche then began to see his Error in having trusted Aureng-zeb who seeing himself favour'd by Fortune lost no time to accomplish his ends Thereupon Morat-Bakche sends to his Brother for the half of the Treasure that he had seiz'd that he might retire to Guzerat But Aureng-zeb for answer assur'd him that he had no other design than to advance him to the Throne to which purpose he desir'd to confer with him by word of mouth Morat-Bakche in order to that finding himself indifferently well recover'd of his wounds goes to visit his Brother who kindly welcom'd him extoll'd his courage and told him he deserv'd the best Empire of the world The young Prince was charm'd by the melody of such sweet language while his Eunuch Shabas-Kan did all he could to make him sensible of the snares that were laid for him But when Morat-Bakche should have taken the Eunuchs advice it was too late for Aureng-zeb had already laid his plot to destroy him He invites Morat-Bakche to a Feast and the more the one excuses himself the more the other presses him to come The young Prince perceiving he would take no denial resolv'd to go for fear of discovering the mistrust he had although he verily believ'd that that day would be the last of his life and that some deadly poyson was brew'd for him However he was deceiv'd in that particular for Aureng-zeb not aiming at his life then contented himself only to deprive him of his liberty and so instead of advancing him to the Throne sent him away to be safely kept in the Castle of Gavaleor CHAP. III. Of the Imprisonment of Cha-jehan and how he was punish'd by Aureng-zeb his third Son for the injustice he had done Prince Boulaki his Nephew the Grandchild of Gehan-guir to whom as to the Son of the Eldest Son the Empire of the Moguls belong'd GEhan-guir King of India Son of Achbar and Grandchild to Houmajon reign'd very peaceably during the space of twenty-three years equally belov'd both by his Subjects and Neighbours But his life seem'd too long to his two Sons who were both ambitious to reign The eldest rais'd a powerful Army near Lahor with an intention to have surpriz'd his Father and to have possess'd himself of the Throne by force The King incens'd at the insolence of his Son resolv'd to chastise him meets him with a considerable Army defeats him and takes him Prisoner with many of the most considerable Nobility that adher'd to him After which out of a natural affection to his Children he sav'd his life but put out his Eyes And when he was blind he always kept him about his person with an intention to have prefer'd his eldest Son Boulaki to the Crown whose Father had already many Sons but all very young But Sultan Courom his second Son believing it his right to be prefer'd before a Nephew resolv'd to leave no stone unturn'd to remove him from his hopes and to settle himself in possession before the death of his Father However he conceal'd his intentions from him appearing outwardly very obedient to his Father who always kept about him the Children of his eldest Son By that submission he more easily brought about his designs for having by that means gain'd the good will of his Father he obtain'd leave to carry along with him the blind Prince his eldest Brother to his Government of the Kingdom Decan He laid before his Father that it would be far better to remove from his sight an object that could not chuse but be so afflicting to him and that the Prince himself being blind would spend the rest of his days more comfortably in Decan where he might be more retir'd The King not penetrating into his design readily consented to his request Who when he had that poor Prince in his Clutches made him away with that secresie which was not to be discover'd and under the most plausible pretence imaginable to conceal him from the eyes of men After the death of the blind Prince Sultan Courom took upon him the name of Cha-jehan that is King of the World and to uphold his Title he rais'd an Army to finish what his Brother had begun which was to dethrone his Father and to take possession of the Empire The King incens'd as well at the death of his Son as at the attempt against his own person sent a considerable Army to chastise Courom for so bold an Enterprize But the rebellious Prince finding himself too weak to stand his Fathers force quitted the Kingdom of Decan and with certain Vagabonds that follow'd him wander'd from place to place till he came to Bengala where he rais'd an Army with an intention to give the King Battel To which purpose passing the Ganges he marches directly toward the Kingdom of Lahor whom the King in person met with an Army much more numerous and stronger than his But Gehan-guir being old and wearied with the troubles that his Sons had put him to dy'd by the way leaving Cha-jehan at liberty to pursue his own designs However before he expir'd the good King had time to recommend his Grandchild Boulaki
had been an Officer under the King his Father and who having been condemn'd for his crimes by the mouth of his Father and ready to be thrown under the Elephant's-feet had been pardon'd at the intercession of Dara-cha For an addition to his affliction before he came to Gion-Kan's House he receiv'd the news of the death of that particular Wife which he lov'd most entirely and which had always accompani'd him in his misfortunes He understood that she dy'd through heat and drowth not being able to get a drop of water in the Countrey to refresh her thirst The Prince was so mov'd at the news that he fell down like one that had been struck quite dead and when he came to himself he tore his clothes in the excess of his grief an ancient custom still continu'd in the East He had always shew'd himself insensible upon all other occasions of misfortune but this fatal stroke so deeply pierc'd him that he would receive no consolation from his friends After this he clad himself according to his misfortune and instead of a Turbant he only put about his head a piece of coarse Calicut In this miserable equipage he enter'd into the House of the Traytor Gion-Kan where being laid down to rest himself upon a Field-bed a new subject of sorrow awak'd him For Gion-Kan having a design to seize Sepper-Shekour Dara-cha's second Son the young Prince though but a Youth made a bold resistance and with his Bow and Arrows laid three men upon the ground but not being able to resist a multitude he was at length taken Dara-cha waken'd with the noise saw before his eyes his Son whom they were leading toward him with his hands ty'd behind him Then the miserable Father of the young Prince no longer misdoubting the horrid treason of Gion-Kan could not refrain from letting fall in his passion these expressions Finish said he ingrateful and infamous Villain as thou art finish the work thou hast begun we are become Victims to bad Fortune and Aureng-zeb 's unjust Ambition But remember that I only deserve death for having sav'd thy life for never Prince of the Royal Blood had his hands ty'd behind him before Gion-Kan in some measure mov'd at these words caus'd the little Prince to be unbound and only set guards upon Dara-oha and his Son At the same time he also sent expresses to Raja Jessomseing and to Abdulla-Kan to give them advice that he had selz'd upon Dara-cha and his Train Thereupon they made hast to share in the spoils of that poor Prince But they could not be so swift but that Gion-Kan had seiz'd upon all that Dara-cha had of most precious in the World using as inhumanly both his Wives and his Children The Raja and Abdulla being arriv'd provided Elephants for the Prince his Son and his Wives and carri'd them away immedlately to Jehanabat the people crowded to behold them every one being desirous to see the Prince whom they so earnestly desir'd to have had for their King Aureng-zeb caused them to be shewn in all the Streets and Market-places of Jehanabat that no man might question hereafter their being taken and as if he had glori'd in his treachery toward his Brother he presently condemn'd and sent him away to the Castle of Asser. But of all that crowded to behold not one would stir to assist or succour their lawful Prince Only some few generous Souldiers who had serv'd him and had receiv'd some kindnesses from him seeing themselves not able to deliver their Prince yet desirous to shew him some proofs of their acknowledgment fell with all their fury upon the Traitor Gion-Kan who though he were rescu'd from them at that time yet soon after met with the reward due to his crime for he was kill'd as he was crossing a Wood in his return home In the mean time Aureng-zeb like a good Polititian and an extraordinary Dissembler gave it out that it was by no order of his that Dara-cha was seiz'd only he desir'd him to retire out of the Kingdom which he refusing to do Gion-Kan unknown to him had unworthily seiz'd his person and without respect to the Royal-Blood had shamefully ty'd the hands of the young Sepper-Shekour behind him which being a crime and an indignity done to his Majesty had been punish'd by the death of Gion-Kan and his accomplices But this was only publish'd to abuse the people for had it been true Aureng-zeb would never have given order to have his Brother's head cut off For Dara-Cha being sent from Jehanabat with a Guard to the place of his imprisonment when he came to a fair place where he thought to repose him self they dress'd up the Tent where he was to leave his Head After he had eaten Seif-Kan came and brought him the sentence of his Death Dara-Cha seeing him enter told him he was very welcome and that he was glad to see one of his most faithful Servants Seif-Kan made answer that indeed he had formerly been one of his Servants but that now he was the Slave of Aureng-zeb who had commanded him to bring him his Head Must I dye then said Dara-Cha 'T is the Kings command reply'd Seif-Kan and I am entrusted to execute it Sepper-Chekour who lay in an anti-Chamber of the Tent waking upon this contest would have seiz'd upon certain weapons which had been taken from him with an intention to have assisted his Father but he was prevented by those that accompany'd Seif-Kan Dara-Cha would have made some resistance himself but seeing it was in vain he only desir'd time for his devotions which was granted him In the mean time Sepper-Chekour was taken from him and while they held him a story a Slave took off Dara-Cha's Head which was carried to Aureng-zeb by Seif-Kan This bloody Tragedy being thus acted Sepper-Chekour was sent to the Castle of Goualeor to keep his Uncle Morat-Bakche company As for the Wives and Daughters of Dara-Cha they were allotted an Apartment in Aureng-zeb's Haram CHAP. V. How Aureng-zeb caus'd himself to be declar'd King and of the Flight of Sultan Sujah AS it is the custom at the performance of that Ceremony for the new King to seat himself upon the Throne there was not much time requir'd to prepare one in regard that Cha-jehan before his imprisonment had finish'd that which the Great Tamerlane had begun which was the richest and most magnificent that ever was seen But as the Grand Cadi of the Empire and Chief of the Law was to Proclaim the new King Aureng-zeb found himself oppos'd by him For the Cadi told him that the Law of Mahomet and the Law of Nature equally forbad him to declare him King while his Father liv'd besides that he had put his elder Brother to death to whom the Empire belong'd after the death of Cha-fehan their Father This stout resistance of the Cadi did not a little perplex Aureng-zeb and therefore that he might not seem to appear irreligious he call'd all the Doctors of the Law
his Marriage to dispossess him of his Throne and to leave it to his own Son The Pagan King easily believ'd what they said Nor were these supitions ill-grounded for Sultan Sujah having good store of Gold and Jewels easily corrupted several Mahumetans that liv'd in the Kingdom of Arakan and with those and about two-hunder'd men more that had follow'd him after the rout of his Army he undertook a most bold enterprize which was yet a mark rather of despair than courage He appointed a day to those of his party to force the Palace and after they had put all the Royal Family to the Sword to proclaim him King of Arakan But this Plot being discover'd the day it should have been executed Sultan Sujah and Sultan Bangue his Son had no other way to save themselves but by flight into the Kingdom of Pegu. But their way lying over Mountains almost impassable and through thick Forrests full of Tigers and Lions and being also closely pursu'd their flight avail'd them little or nothing Sultan Bangue however being behind to keep the Pursuers in play while his Father and his Family gain'd ground stoutly defended himself against the first Assailants but at length being overpower'd by number he was taken together with his two little Brothers his Mother and his Sisters who were all put in Prison where they were very ill-us'd But some time after the King having a desire to marry the eldest Sister of Sultan Bangue they had a little more liberty allow'd them However they enjoy'd it not long for the young Prince being of a turbulent and ambitious spirit plotted new treasons against the King which being discover'd the King immediately caus'd the whole Family to be put to death not sparing the young Princess his Wife though she were big with Child As for Sultan Sujah who was formost among those that fled it is most generally thought that either he was slain by the Souldiers who were sent to apprehend him or that he was torn in pieces by the Tigers and Lions of which those Forrests are full CHAP. VII Of the beginning of Aureng-zeb's Reign and the Death of Cha-jehan his Father SOme days before he ascended the Throne he sent to his Father to send him some of his Jewels to the end he might appear before his people with the same magnificence as his Predecessors had done Cha-jehan taking this request of his Sons for an affront put upon him in Prison fell into such a rage that he continu'd mad for some days and had like to have dy'd upon it In the excess of his vexation he call'd several times for a Morter and a Pestle threatning to beat all his Jewels to powder before his Son should have them But Begum-Saheb his eldest Daughter never forsook him throwing her self at his feet and by vertue of that criminal power which she had over him as being both his Daughter and his Wife kept him from using that extremity more out of a design to preserve the Jewels for her self than for her Brother to whom she had always been a mortal enemy For this reason when Aureng-zeb ascended the Throne he had no more than one Jewel upon his Bonnet This Bonnet cannot be call'd a Crown and by consequence neither can the Ceremony be call'd a Coronation At the time that Aureng-zeb took possession of the Throne he would not eat any wheaten-bread nor meat nor fish but fed upon barly-bread herbs and sweet-meats which was a kind of Penance that he impos'd upon himself for so many crimes When Aureng-zeb was settl'd in the Empire several Embassadors came to Jehanabat to congratulate him on the behalf of the Kings their Masters as from the King of the Usbeck Tartars the Sheriff of Mecca the Prince of Balsara and the Kings of Arabia Felix and Ethiopia The Hollanders also sent Menheir Adrican chief of their Factory in Surat who was kindly receiv'd and first dispatch'd For 't is a piece of State to keep the Embassadors a good while at Court before they have Audience All these Embassadors presented Aureng-zeb with the rarities of their Countrey who to get himself a good name in Asia sent them away very well satisfi'd Some months before the death of Cha-jehan Aureng-zeb sent an Embassador into Persia who was magnificently receiv'd For a month together he was nothing but feasted and caress'd with all manner of divertisements The day that he was to make his Present from the Great Mogul the King of Persia sate upon his Throne in a most magnificent habit and having receiv'd the Embassador's Present he presently divided it in contempt among the Officers of his House only keeping for himself a Diamond that weigh'd sixty Carats Some few days after he call'd for the Embassador and after some discourse he ask'd him if he were of the Sect of the Turks To which the Embassador returning an answer and leting some words fall against Haly the King ask'd him what his name was He reply'd that Cha-jehan had given him the Name of Baubec-kan that is Lord of a free heart and had honour'd him with one of the chief employments at Court Then th' art a Villain reply'd the King of Persia with an angry countenance to desert thy Sovereign in his necessity having receiv'd so many favours from him and to serve a Tyrant that keeps his Father in Prison and has massacr'd all his Brothers How dares he pursu'd the King take upon him the arrogant Title of Alem-guir Aureng-sha or King of all the World who never conquer'd any thing but possesses all he has by treachery and parricide Hast thou been one of those that counsell'd him to shed so much blood to be the Executioner of his Brothers and to keep his Father in Prison Thou art not worthy to wear a Beard and with that immediately caus'd it to be shav'd off which is the greatest indignity that can be put upon a man in that Countrey Shortly after he commanded the Embassador to return home sending along with him for a Present to Aureng-zeb an hunder'd and fifty beautiful Horses with a great quantity of Gold and Silver-Carpets Cloath of Gold rich Shashes and other Stuffs to a vast value When Baubec-kan was come back to Agra where the King then was Aureng-zeb incens'd at the affront which the Sophi of Persia had giv'n him in the person of his Embassador he took the Horses and sent some of them into the great Piazza others to the corners of the Streets causing it to be proclaim'd that the followers of Haly could not ride those Horses without being Nigss that is to say unclean as coming from a King that did not obey the true Law After that he caus'd the Horses to be kill'd and all the rest of the Present to be burnt uttering many reproachful words against the King of Persia with whom he was mortally offended At length Cha-jehan happ'ning to dye toward the end of the year 1666. Aureng-zeb found himself rid of an object that every hour reproach'd
different Species of GOLD and SILVER-COINS now current in TURKEY The Principal Heads of the following Discourse THe Origine of the Grandees of the Port. The severe Discipline of the Seraglio The Authority of the four Principal Bassa's of dangerous consequence to the Grand Seignor and how he can take it off Observations upon Standarts Of the Plume of Herons Feathers which the Grand Seignor wears in his Turbant The Honours and Disadvantages attending the Charge of the Grand Visir. The particular Priviledge of the Caimacan The number of the real Janizaries The transcendent priviledge of their Aga or Colonel-General The happy condition of the Spahis and the Zaims The prodigious number of Eunuchs all over the Eastern parts Exquisite Observations upon that Subject The principal Charges of the Seraglio The noble advantages of the Capi-Aga The Repute and Riches of the Kislar-Agasi Intendant or Overseer of the Apartment of the Women That the Charge of Bostangi-Bachi is one of the most eminent of those belonging to the Port. The great Oeconomy of the Partizans The Policy of the Port to keep the Cham of the lesser Tartary in subjection The Principal Dignities of Persons relating to the Law The Species of Gold and Silver-Coins current in Turkey Whence and how the Gold coin'd at Cairo is brought thither The sincerity of the Abyssins The Story of the Commerce carried on in the disposal of the five Sols Pieces French Mony The jealousies of the Persons concern'd in that Trade Amischievous Fraud mildly punish'd The ancient sincerity of the Turks corrupted by the Commerce of the Europaeans THey who are advanc'd to Charges whether it be in the Seraglio or in the Empire excepting only the Eunuchs of whom I shall give an account anon are The Origine of the Grandees of the Port. generally rais'd out of the Children taken in War or sent by way of Presents by the Bassa's or out of the Tributary Children who about nine or ten years of Age are taken out of their Mothers arms through all the Provinces subdu'd by the Ottoman Princes They are all to be of Christian Parents and counting only the Slaves taken from the Enemy we find by the Registers of the Custom-house of Constantinople alone that of both Sexes there are brought thither every year near twenty thousand The Inhabitants of the lesser Tartary who make continual Incursions into all the Countries that are in hostility against the Ottoman Empire send up vast numbers of them and the Grand Seignor having the choice of all those young Children the best shap'd and such as have the most promising looks are distributed into several Seraglio's to be there instructed in the Law of Mahomet and all sorts of Exercises And afterwards out of the choice or cullings of these last is the Seraglio of Constantinople replenish'd and they are to be distinguish'd into two Orders The first and the most eminent is that of the Ichoglans design'd for the great Charges and Dignities of the Empire The second that of the Azamoglans employ'd in such Offices as require only strength of body The Ichoglans are those in whom besides the accomplishments of the Body they discover also a noble Genius fit for a high Education and such as may render them capable of serving their Prince some time or other These are accordingly instructed with great care and educated with the observance of a most severe Discipline They pass through four several Chambers call'd Oda's The severe Discipline of the Seraglio which are as it were four Forms where they learn in order whatever is convenient for young persons who are to be continually about a great Prince and are as it were his Pages or Gentlemen If they commit the least fault they are severely chastis'd and there is a great stock of patience requisite for any one to be advanc'd to the fourth Oda which when they have attain'd they begin to take a little breath But the hopes of being exalted to the greatest Honours and the most eminent Dignities makes them endure the barbarous treatments of the Eunuchs who are appointed to be their Masters and are very liberal of the Bastinado to them I shall give an account elsewhere of the manner of their Education and of those four Oda's or Chambers where they learn those things whereby they are qualifi'd for the Charges for which the Grand Seignor designs them Though it be appointed by the received Custom of the Empire that those Children should be all descended from Christian Parents of the best extraction and the best shap'd that can be found yet the Capi-Aga or Grand Master of the Seraglio the Principal of the white Eunuchs who hath the chief Command over the Ichoglans sticks not to admit into their number some natural Turks such as may be recommendable upon the score of their good qualities and endowments But that happens very seldom and that not without the particular permission of the Prince who would rather have all those Children to be Renegado-Christians And this is the Origine of the Great Persons belonging to the Grand Seignor and the Port. They are all Slaves and not having any knowledge of their Parents or Relations they wholly apply their affections to the Service of their Prince who has been pleas'd to advance them to such high Fortunes The Bassa's therefore are taken out of the Order of the Ichoglans and the name of The Authority of the four Principal Bassa's of dangerous consequence to the Grand Seignor and how he can take it off Bassa or Basha is only a Title of Honour and Dignity common to all the Grandees of the Port who are distinguishable according to the difference of their Charges The four Principal are these The Vizir-Azem or Grand Vizir the Caimacan the Bassa of the Sea and the Aga of the Janizaries The Authority of these four Bassa's is so great that sometimes they deprive their Sovereign of the Crown and bestow it on whom they please as it has happen'd in our Age to two Emperours immediately succeeding one the other Mustapha and Osman of whom the later dy'd in Prison by the infamous hand of a common Executioner But on the other side if these Bassa's know not how to take their measures rightly they lose their heads upon the least miscarriage the Grand Seignor seizing to himself all their Estates at their death and taking their Children into the Seraglio Nay these last are so far from succeeding their Fathers either as to wealth or imployments even though it were the Son of a Grand Vizir or of a Sister of the Emperour himself that the highest advancement they are admitted to is to be made Captains of Gallies the policy of the Turks not permitting that in any one House there should be a transferrence of power from Father to Son that so they may be prevented from taking any occasions to disturb the State It may be seen by this account of them that the fortune of the Bassa's which for a
Empire As also with his mention of a place on the West-side of the Volga where he sayes Astracan was formerly situated Concerning both which Cities I shall declare divers things I have Collected out of several European and Arabian Writers which either are not commonly known or little regarded But I must necessarily premise somewhat concerning the Antient Inhabitants of the Country wherein these Cities are situated The first Nation of whom I find any mention who made any fix'd habitation in these Quarters were the Chazari so named by the Latines and Greeks but by the Mahumetans Alchozar and Gorjani This Nation during the Reign of the Emperour Justine like a Torrent Overflowed all that Vast Continent which lies between China and the Boristhenes Conquered part of India All Bactria Sogdiana and made the Persians Tributary by whom they are always called Turks and their Prince Chacan a Title formerly common unto all great Turkish Emperours This Mighty Monarch having conquered the Igors or Jugurs Avares Chuni or Huns Abtelites or White Huns and all other Tribes of Turks and Tartars together with the Alani whose Dominion then extended as appears by Marcellinus from the Boristhenes far beyond the most North-East part of the Caspian Sea entred into a League with Justine and styles himself in his Letters Lord of the Seven Climates of the World His Acts may be read at large in Theophilactus Simocatta Excerptis de Legationibus and divers others of the Bizantine Historians This Nation Assisted the Emperour Heraclius in his Wars against the great Cosroes whom by their Assistance he overcame These Chazari were also possessed of all that part of Taurica Chersonesus which is plain and fit for feeding Cattle they being addicted after the manner of all other Scythian Nomades unto a Pastoral life which Peninsula from them was untill the Famous Irruption of the Tartars in the Thirteenth Century called Cassaria or Cazaria and afterwards more corruptly by the Genoeses Venetians and other Latines Gazaria I find mention of these Chazari or Chozars in divers Persian and Arabian Historians and Geographers Abulpharagius acquaints us with an Expedition they made into Persia the 183. Year of the Hegira which was after our Account in 799 from whence they returned with great Spoile and above 100000 Captives and afterwards in the 514 th Year of the Mahumetan Epocha being A. C. 1120. they made another Inroad accompanied by the Comanians whom the Arabians call Kaphjaks Frequent mention is made of them by that Deservedly Celebrated Arabian Geographer Al Edrisi who flourished in the 548 th year of the Hegira of Christ 1153. He always calls the Caspian Sea Mare Chozar And all that Country on the North and to the West of the Caspian Sea Terra Chozar He acquaints us that the Residence of the Prince of Chozar was not far above the Mouth of the Volga which the Tartars call Athel which name I suppose it derived from Attila that Renowned King of the Hunns being so called in the Relation of the Ambassadors who were sent by the Emperour Justine unto the Great Chacan of the Turks residing in the East Al Edrisi and his Epitomizer commonly known by the Name of Geographus Nubiensis intimate That these Chozars inhabited divers other Cities but that this was the Metropolis he suppresses the Name styling it only from the River the City of Athel and declares it was divided by the River the chief and greatest part being on the West-side and that the other less considerable on the East-side was inhabited only by the meaner sort of People and Merchants it being a place of great Trade that which made it more considerable was the liberty allowed unto all of the Publike Profession and Exercise of their respective Religious Perswasions Jews Christians Mahumetans and Idolaters being there equally countenanced which I suppose might occasion that Dialogue published out of an Ancient Hebrew Manuscript by L'Empereur between the Author a Jewish Rabbi and the King of Chozar This City is said to have been extended along the River three miles in length and it's breadth proportionable the Western part well fortified adorned with the Emperours Palace and several other eminent Structures Nassir Eddin who wrote at the latter end of the 13th Century calls this City in his Geographical Tables Balanjar and from him Abulfeda they place it in 46 degrees 30 minutes of Northern Latitude where within six or eight minutes our best Geographers seat Astracan And questionless this was that City which our Author and Olearius call Old Astracan These Chazari did I suppose conserve their vast Dominion without any great Interruption at least until A. C. 900. For Alferganus who lived about that Time places no other Nation in his Table of Climes between China and the Boristhenes And Eutichius who wrote about 30 or 40 years after makes mention of them as a mighty Nation and many amongst them converted unto the Christian Belief About the middle of the 10th Century these Chazari gave place unto the Cumanians or Comanians who were also a Turkish Nation known unto the Turks Persians and Arabians under the Name of Kaphjack whether they expelled the Chazari or that the former becoming the more Eminent Tribe gave Law and Name unto these latter as hath since frequently happened among the Tartars I will not here undertake to determine but this is certain that suddenly the Name of Chazari was extinct and all that Tract of Land from the Nepper unto Turkestan 1500 miles beyond the Volga was inhabited by these Cumanians who were often troublesome unto the Russes Lithuanians Hungarians and other Neighbour-Nations But this People was almost totally destroyed by the Tartars in that great Inundation which happened at the beginning of the 12th Century soon after the death of Jingiz Chan whose Son Hocota being chosen Emperour sent his Nephew Batu or Bathy the Son of Tussy Jingiz Chan his Eldest Son with 400000 Men to invade the Northem Parts of Asia The Cumani for divers years valiantly resisted and made the greatest opposition the Tartars met with in all their Conquests repuls'd them in two pitch'd Battels but then growing secure and dispersing upon the Tartars retreat they were unexpectedly surprized the whole Countrey over-run above 200000 killed their King Kuthen hardly escaping with 40000 into Hungary where he met with a kind reception had land allotted him and his Company which Region is called Campus Cumanus unto this day This Countrey was so miserably wasted by the Tartars that in the Years 1253 and 1254 when Rubriquis passed through it going unto and returning from his Ambassage to Mangu Chan there was no fixed habitation excepting a few Cottages in the Island where Astracan is now situated But Bathy having destroyed the Comanians ruinated their Cities and established his own Dominion began to think of a fix'd abode which after long observation he chose near the River Volga on the East-side and immediately beneath the River Actabon a great Arm of the Volga and