246 MOONLIGHT GARDENS 



adding : " Its tree is not very tall, and indeed 

 is not entitled to the appellation of tree ; it is 

 something between a tree and a vegetable." 

 His list of the flowers new to him in India is 

 short : jasun {Antiaris toxicaria), asoka tree, 

 kanir {oleander), keuri {Pandanus odoratissimus), 

 and last, " the white jasmine which they call 

 chambeli. It is larger than our jasmine and its 

 perfume is stronger." 



The new Mughal style of gardening developed 

 quickly on being transplanted to India, It began 

 to take on fresh features even in the few years 

 of Babar's reign in the country. The water, as 

 we have seen, became more and more the central 

 motive, and many new flowering shrubs, fruits, 

 and vegetables were introduced. But when 

 Babar's grandson, the Emperor Akbar, set a 

 precedent by his marriage with a Rajputni, 

 Mariam uz Zamani, Princess of Jaipur, Hindu in- 

 fluence at Court increased rapidly. At Fatehpur 

 Sikri the Rajput Queen's Golden House and its 

 little garden can still be seen. This Princess was 

 the mother of the Emperor Jahangir, whose first 

 wife was also a Rajput Princess, so that Shah 

 Jahan, the great builder, was by descent more 

 Rajput than Moslem. 



