Seelt/'s JVonders of Elora. 



5S7 



tlicre js iiolhing to remind us of an 

 Indian city, — no pomp, no cn^wdcd 

 slfeets, no horsemen, or cavalcades; 

 none of the bustling motions or noisy 

 sounds that proclaim industry, occupa- 

 tion, and prosperity. Partly deserted 

 and partly in ruins, Aurungabad pre- 

 sents a cheerless view to a slranfjcr. 



After wandering abont some time, a 

 Mussulman very politely explained to 

 me the way to a duirnmsalla (caravan- 

 sera) erected for the accommodation of 

 travellers, that is to say, a place vvlit-re 

 Jou are protected from the sun and rain, 

 and may spread your mat and go to 

 sleep. I had had a fatiguing and hot 

 ride, and did not expfct my baggage 

 for some time, so that I had nothing to 

 do but to sit upon the edge of the 

 elevated floor of my lodging, my legs 

 dangling down outside the wall of the 

 terrace (as if tliey were tired of belong- 

 ing to me), and to look about and cogi- 

 tate on the fallen grandeur of Aurun- 

 gabad, or, as the natives term it, " to 

 look and think together :" this promised 

 to be my occupation for three hours to 

 come. Do not imagine, reader, that 

 because you have money in your pocket, 

 and are teased with a craving appetite, 

 that you may lay out the one and satisfy 

 the other, by proceeding to a house and 

 enjoying an exquisite banquet, consist- 

 ing of a fine rump-steak, a cup of ale, 

 land a roasted potafoc: — nothing of the 

 kind in Indian travelling; jou must 

 carry every thing with you, to liie salt 

 that savours your meat, and must your- 

 self look after the packing, despatch, 

 and arrangement of your marching and 

 household affairs, or your servants will 

 forget or neglect one half of what they 

 ought to do. Fruit may be procured 

 in large towns; but in the heat of the 

 day, altera long ride, it is not advisable 

 to eat any. The parched grain and 

 sweetmeats sold in the streets arc both 

 cloying and unpalatable, so that your 

 only resource is patience; and, il you 

 wish to practise that virtue in ptrlec- 

 tion, make a journey of two or three 

 Inindred miles in India, and you will 

 find yourself quite an adept in the ob- 

 servance of it in all its beaiings. 



'J'he following day was devoted to 

 viewing the city, which consisted in 

 seeing one or two objects of curiosity, 

 that either the nuiiiifiirence or vanity of 

 some former prince has raised in the 

 shape of a tomb, a mosque, or |>agoda. 

 A native city possesses few charms or 

 attract Ions to l']uropeans accustomed to 

 tbc variety, arrnn^craetit, and beauties 



of a British city, where at every turning 

 there is some object deserving of notice, 

 to excite admiration or to interest his 

 feelings. On the contrary, there is so 

 much confusion, dirt, and wretchedness, 

 in those cities under the native govern- 

 ments, that a stranger is rather willing 

 to quit it, than, by exploring, only meet 

 willi objects that excite in his mind 

 feelings of sorrow and disappointment. 

 The Hindoo, devoted to gain and 

 superstition, cares but little as long as 

 he increases his hoard and propitiates 

 his gods; while the Mussulman leads a 

 listless and sensual life, lolling on car- 

 |)ets, eternally smoking, and for the 

 most part of the day locked up in his 

 haram with his women: his days pass 

 on in one unvaried round; there is no 

 society, no public institutions, places of 

 public resort or amusement ; lie, like 

 tlie Hindoo, goes through with zeal and 

 earnestness the formularies of his reli- 

 gion, and, like the Hindoo, he knows 

 no one and cares for no one beyond the 

 waits of his own barricadoed mansion. 

 With such an exanqjle, and in such a 

 state of society, it may be supposed in 

 what an abject state the lower orders 

 remain ; they are but mere slaves to the 

 higher ranks. In this state of degrada- 

 tion it is not to be wondered at that 

 their cities present an uniform appear- 

 ance of meanness, poverty, and ruin. 

 Tiiere are but two olijects at Aurunga- 

 bad that deserve a s|)ecific notice — the 

 gardens and the tomb, or mausoleum 

 of Rahea Duorannj, reported to have 

 been the favourite wife of the Emperor 

 Aurungzebe. 



NATIVE IDEAS OF THE EAST INDIA 



COMPANY. 



Of the East India company the ma- 

 jority of this assemblage could form no 

 just conception, cither as to tiieir origin 

 or power at home. This 1 have often 

 observed in cities remote from the sea- 

 coast, and far in tlic interior. A notion 

 is prevalent among the uninformed that 

 the Coompanee is tiie begum mother of 

 the King of England, or dowager queen, 

 and that India is her dower. Then they 

 will ask you again why the viceroy is 

 not one of her sons. This idea is, how- 

 ever, at once satisfied,, by referring to 

 each other that the sons and brothers of 

 kings in India have always been a 

 rebellious and uudutiful race of varlcts. 

 Sometimes they will term the Company, 

 Boodec Ma, or the old mother; but, 

 with the nu)re enlightened, the term is 

 Koonqirincc Ki I>ahauder, which may 

 be rendered — the lordly Company, or 

 5 the 



