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A06357
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A display of two forraigne sects in the East Indies vizt: the sect of the Banians the ancient natiues of India and the sect of the Persees the ancient inhabitants of Persia· together with the religion and maners of each sect collected into two bookes by Henry Lord sometimes resident in East India and preacher to the Hoble Company of Merchants trading thether
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Lord, Henry, b. 1563.
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1630
(1630)
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STC 16825; ESTC S108886
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68,332
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182
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a place called Sythepolalpore which being finished with great curiositie of Art and cost correspondent to that curiosity being pleased with the worke and desiring to keepe his Fathers memory and his owne lasting by that Monument hee consulted with the Bramanes to know whether that Temple should long abide or if that pile of goodly workemanshipâ—e shâ—uld suffer ruine by whom it should be defaced It was diuined to him by one Madewnauger one famous in the discipline of the Bramanes that one Sultan Alaudin a Patan King of Delee should deface the same as also gaine some great conquest in Guzzarat Syderaijsaldee hopefull to preuent the defacement of this Temple by some timely composition dispeeded his Bramane Madewnauger and his Pardon to Delee to inquire out the said Alaudin and by a summe of money to procure the peace of his Fathers bones and the sparing of the Temple But comming thither they could finde no such man of any eminency but another in the gouernment onely by strict inquisition they met with a wood-gatherer there who had a sonne so calleâ— thither they repaire to the amazement of Alaudins poore parents They make knowne the reason of their comming and finde the boy administring food to a young Kid in his Fathers backeside The Bramane proposing to him the high fortunes that should betyde him in being King of Delee and in the conquest of Guzzarat as also the end of their Message that Syderaijsaldee did greet him and did desire him that when those things should happen and he should inuaâ—e Guzzarat that hee would forbeaâ—e to deface the Temple and Monument of his Father erected at Sythepolalpore as a motiue to which fauour Syderaijsaldee did freely present him with a summe of money which summe they tendered to Alaudin Alaudin boldly answered that hee was not in appearance capable of any such fortunes but if the heauens had so set it downe in their great volume he could not alter it but must lay waste the Temple and in the Maiesty of his nature refused the gift and treasure brought him His Parents better instructed by their owne necessitie what was meete for him to doe then his heroicke disposition would be taught importuned him to take the treasure vrging their owne needes and how conuenient a helpe it might bee to raise him to those fortunes that were to him diuined So apprehending the counsell to bee but reasonable hee tooke the treasure and gaue an Escript or writing that albeit the heauens had decreed that he should scatter some stones of that building yet hee would picke them out of the Corners thereof in such manner as should fulfill his fortune and make good his promised fauour to Syderaijsaldee in the sparing of that Temple and Tombe of his Father By this money of composition Alaudin gathered Souldiers and betooke himselfe to Armes wherein he prooued himselfe so resolute that hee gained great fame whereunto his diuining fortunes became such a Sparre that he was made King of Delee and after that made inuasiue conquests on Guzzarat fulfilled his promise to Syderaijsaldee in treatie on the fore mentioned businesse In which conquest hee ouerthrew many Raiahs to the great ruine and decline of the Banian State But growing weary of this long warre and many Raiahs flying to places inaccessible led with a desire to returne to Delee his natiue place hee committed the further managing of these warres to one Futtercon that was his Cupbearer in this manner For Alaudin considering how great he was grown from nothing and that accidentally he determined as accidentally to heape this fortune vpon another purposing ouer night with himselfe that whosoeuer did first present him the next morning with any gift on him to confirme the gouernment of that part of Guzzarat hee had conquered It so fell out that whilst this secret was lodged vp in the Kings brest that the fore mentioned Futtercon the Kings wine keeper by the rising Sunne tendered a Cuppe of wine to the Kings hand who smiled and looked fauourably vpon him and in the presence of his Army comfirmed him his Successor in the Gouernment of that he had wonne inioyning them all so to acknowledge him and to doe whatsoeuer he should command in the further prosecution of that conquest so Sultan Alaudin departed to Delee and the said Futtercon did further inuade Guzzarat and so did the rest of the Mahoometans that succeeded him to the decline of the Banian State and Regiment Now for their present estate some of the Raiahs yeelded others flying to retyrements impregnable lay in the Mawe of the Countrey and could not be conquered euen to this day but making outroades prey on the Cassaloes passing by the way and sometimes come to the skirts of their strongest and most populous townes hauing many resolute Souldiers to goe on in these attempts of rapine called Rashpootes which implyeth as much as the sonnes of Kings for being of the Cast of the Cutteries it is like they were nobly descended and some of the Progeny of those that were ouerrunne in the Guzzarat conquest Of those that liue vnconquered at this day such a one is Raiah Surmulgee liuing at Raspeeplaw Raiah Berumshaw at Molere Raiah Ramnagar Raiah Barmulgee and the great Rannah who hath fought many set battels with the Moguls forces This may be obseruable concerning the Cast of the Cutteryes CHAP. XII Of the third Tribe or Cast called the Shudderyes of the meaning of the name Banian of their Casts and the forme of their Contracts in buying and selling THE third sonne of Pourous being called Shuddery and the Profession appointed him to follow being Merchandize all such as liue in the nature of Merchants are comprized vnder this name and belong to this Cast that which the booke deliuered to Bremaw contained concerning this Tribe was no other then a summary of religious aduerâ—isements prâ—per to the carriage of this Profession enioyning them tâ— truth in their words and dealings and to auoyd all practises of circumuention in buying and selling What may be further worthy of note concerning this Tribe being those that are most properly called Banians at present is either concerning the name Banian the number of their Casts or the forme of their contracts of buying and selling First vnder the name of Banians is comprized either such as are Merchants onely or Brokers for the Merchant for nothing is bought but by the mediation of these who are called Banians which importeth as much in the Bramanes language wherein their Law is written as a people innocent and harmelesse because they will not indure to see a Fly or Worme or any thing liuing iniuryed and being strucken beare it patiently without resisting againe Next for the number of their Casts they are equall to the Bramanes being the selfe same Casts chusing either to be vnder their discipline that are Visalnagranaugers or Vulnagranaugers from the peculiar instruction of which Bramanes they are guided in matters belonging to religious worshippe for being most like
they must neuer reade of the booke deliuered to Bremaw but it must be by a kinde of singing and quauering of the voyce which they say was not onely practised by Bremaw when it was published but was also inioyned by God that they might make his Law as the matter of their reioycing The Bramanes are likewise the Seminaries of discipline amongst the younger sort of that Cast whose orders both in their initiation and entrance into that manner of learning is obseruable as also no lesse in their confirmation and ordination to the Priesthood for first about the seuenth yeere of their age they are receiued to discipline being cleane washed to intimate the purity of that Cast then they are receiued naked to shew that they haue stript off all other cares to apply themselues to study then their heads are shauen a long locke being onely left on the hinder part of the head to shew that they must not forsake their study if they doe by that locke they shall be drawne backe againe They are bound to a Pythagorean silence and attention prohibited haulking spitting or coughing wearing about their loynes a girdle of an Antilops skinne and another thong of the same about their necke descending vnder the left arme About the foureteenth yeere of their age if they be capable they are admitted to be Bramanes exchanging those leather thongs for foure sealing threds that come ouer the right shoulder and vnder the right arme which they sleepe withall and neuer put off but weare them in honour of God and the three persons Bremaw Vystney and Ruddery and as the badge of their profession in which ordination they are enioyned First not to alter their Cast or Tribe Next to obserue all things enioyned in the Bramanes Law Lastly not to communicate the mysteries of their Lawes to any of a different Religion These bee the most of the principall things obserued by these Bramanes Now for the more speciall Bramane by them called the Vertea he is some man of the Cast of the Shudderyes or Merchant men who for deuotion taketh this condition on him hee is one that for his habit weareth a woollen garment of white descended to the middle of his thigh leauing the lower parts naked his head is alwayes vncouered as a witnesse of his perpetuall reuerence of God aboue they doe not shaue but plucke off all the hayre on their heads saue some small remainder on the crowne the like they do from their chinne also Of this sort of Bramane there be seuerall Casts likewise one is called the Soncaes and these goe not to Church but performe diuine Rites at home Another is of the Tuppaes these goe to Church to pray A third is of the Curthurs and these pray by themselues without society A fourth called the Onkeleaus and these indure not Images A fift called the Pushaleaus the most strict of them all These kinde of Bramanes haue a Festiuall called Putcheson which is kept once euery Month by fiue dayes solemnization but betwixt each day of the fiue they keepe a fast this feast is kept at the ablest mens houses and commonly at those times a pension is giuen to restraine the death of cattell or other liuing creatures More strict they seeme to be in many things then the common Bramanes for the other are not forbidden marriage these are more abstinent they are in dyet for out of the former Feasts they eate nothing but what is giuen them and reserue nothing for another meale More cautelous they are for the preseruation of things animate for they will drinke no water but boyld that so the vapour which they suppose the life of the water may goe out They disperse their very dung and ordure with a beasome least it should generate wormes that bee subiect to destruction and they keep an hospital of lame maimed flying fowle redeemed by a price which they seeke to restore They haue all things common but place no faith in outward washings but rather embrace a carelesse and sordid nastinesse And this is sufficient to note concerning this kinde of Bramane CHAP. XI Concerning the second Tribe or Cast called the Cutteryes presenting them in their flourishing estate their declining estate and their present estate THe second Cast or Tribe being the Cutteryes had their denomination from Cuttery the 2 sonne of Pourous who because Domination Rule was committed vnto him therefore all Souldiers and Kings are said to be of this Tribe That particular of Bremawes booke that concerned this Cast or Tribe contained certaine precepts of gouernment and policie the knowledge of which being but of common import I rather chuse to omit and proceede to shew some other things notable concerning this Tribe touching their state or condition These Cutteryes may then be considered either according as they were in their flourishing estate or else in their declining estate or in their present estate As they were in their flourishing estate they were the Ancient Kings and Rulers of India especially of that part called Guzzarat and were called by the name of Raiahs which signifieth a King whereof some were of greater dominion than other according as they were of greater force These Raiahs had principally foure men about them of eminency The first of which were the Bramanes who by Southsaying and Augury did shew the Kings what time was most meete to beginne their designes to prosecute them with successe The second was one called the Pardon which was a man of policy in the carriage of State businesse and dispatched all matters of Iudicature hauing reference to the King for Iustice. The third was one that was called the Moldar or the Kings Chamberlaine who was most commonly present with the King as the companion of his conuersation The fourth was the Generall of the Kings Armies in the field called Disnacke who was sent abroad about all expeditions of warre These were the foure that had chiefe eminency about the King Furthermore these Raiahs are said to haue thirty sixe Tribes as the noble families whence they were descended some were of the Cast or Tribe of Chaurah some of the Solenkees some of the Tribe of Vaggela some of the Dodepuchaes some of the Paramars that so no man of obscure birth might presse to dignity but being descended from some of the thirty six families thus the Raiahs liued in their flourishing estate Now touching their declining state It is recorded in their History that one Rannedeuill a vertuous woman did at her death prophecy the decline of the Banian State in the time of Rauisaldee chiefe Raiah the beginning of which decline should be in his next Successors daies which they say accordingly happened as shall appeare by the Story following It is then deliuered in their History that there was a Raiah called Rauisaldee who had a sonne called Syderaijsaldee Rauisaldee suffering the common change of Mortalitie his sonne was careful to expresse his duty to his deceased father in a costly Monument at