124 Travels in India. Part. II. 



CHAP. IX. 



Some other Observations u$on the Court of the Great Mogul. 



AFter Aurcng-z.eb had fetled himfelf in the Empire, which he ufurp'd from 

 his Father and his Brothers, he impos'd upon himfelf a very fevere penance 

 eating nothing but Pulfe and Sweet-meats, which has made him very meagre 

 and lean. All the time the Comet lafted in the year 1665 , which appear'd 

 very great in the Indies, where I then was, Aureng-z.eb drank nothing but Wa- 

 ter, and eat nothing but Bread made of Millet 3 which (b impair'd his health 

 that it had like to have coft him his life. Befides, he always lay upon the 

 ground, only with a Tigers Skin under him j fince which time he has never been 

 -perfectly well. 



I law him drink three feveral times, while he fate upon his Throne 5 to which 

 purpofe he had brought him a large Cup of Chriital of the Rock, round and all 

 of a piece, with a Gold Cover, enrich'd with Diamonds, Rubies, and Emraulds 

 the foot thereof being of the fame. But no perfon ices the King eat, only his 

 Wives and his Eunuchs. And it is but very rarely that he goes to Dine or 

 Sup with any of his Subjects. When I was laft in India, Giafer-Kan, who was 

 his Grand Vijier, and his Uncle by marriage of his Wife, invited the King to 

 fee a new Palace which he was building, who went accordingly, and it was the 

 greateft Honour his Majefty could do him ; in retaliation whereof, Giafer-Kan 

 and his Wife prefented him with Jewel?, Elephants, Camels, Horfes, and other 

 things, to the value of a Million and fifty thoufand Livres of our Money. For 

 Giafer-Kans Wife is the moft magnificent and liberal Woman in all India, and 

 fpends more her felf than all the Kings Wives and Daughters, which makes 

 her Husband in debt, though he be almoft Lord of all the Empire. 



When the King is carried in his Vaiteki to the Mofquee , one of his Sons 

 follows him a Horfeback, and all his Omrabs and Officers of his Houfhold come 

 behind him a foot. Thofe that are Mabumctans itay for him at the top of 

 the afcent to the Mofquee, and when he is ready to come out, they march 

 before him to the Gate of his Palace. Eight Elephants always go before the 

 King, to every one of which belong two men j one to lead the Elephant, and 

 the other, who fits upon his back, carries a Standard fix'd to a Half-Pike. The 

 other four carry Seats or Thrones upon their backs, the one fquare, the other 

 round 5 one cover'd, the other inclos'd with Glafs of feveral fafhions. When 

 the King goes abroad, v he has ufually five or fix hundred men to attend him 

 for his Guard, arm'd every one with a kind of an Half-Pike. To the heads of 

 their Pikes they tye two Squibs crofs-wife, about a foot long, and as big as 

 a mans Arm, which will carry the Half-Pike five hundred paces. The King 

 is alfo attended by three or four hundred Mulquateers j but they are very 

 Cowards, and hardly know how to (hoot off their pieces. He has alfo a cer- 

 tain number of. Cavalry, which are Soldiers much alike. A hundred Europeans 

 might well beat a thoufand Indians ; but they would hardly accuftom them- 

 felves to l\v& fuch fober lives. For as well the Horfe as the Infantry will live 

 upon MeaMineaded with Water and brown Sugar; but in the evening, when 

 they have convenience, they make ^uichery, which is Rice boil'd in Water and 

 Salt, with a Grain fo call'd. When they eat it, they ftir it with the 

 ends cf their Fingers in melted Butter, which is the ufual food of the Sol- 

 diers and poor people. Befide, the heat would kill our Souldiers, who would 

 never be able to endure the Sun all the day long, as the Indians do. By the 

 way, give me leave to tell you, that the Country people have no other cloath- 

 ing than a piece of Linnen to hide their fecret parts, being miferably poor j 

 for if their Governours know they have any thing about them, they feize it 

 either as their right, or by force. There are fome Provinces in India that 

 lye wafte, the Natives being fore'd to fly, by reafon of the cruelty of their 

 Governours. Under the pretence of being Mabttmttans they perfecute the poor 



Ido- 



