Chap. VI of Monfïeur Tavernier. 



ihould make an exacl: lift of what the Commiifioners of the Deroga had robb'd 

 i hem of. Mahomet Beg loft no time, but by vertue of his Authority and the 

 Kings command, lent his Officers into all the Villages to take the Oath of eve- 

 ry Countryman to the end they fhould declare the truth, under the penalty of a 

 Fine and Corporal punifhment, -of what had been exacted from them to the ut- 

 moft Shayet. This Oath was to be put in Paper, fign'd by every one that made it, 

 in thefè words. Let my head be conpfcated to the King, and my goods to his Divan, 

 if I obey not punctually the Order of his Mujefiy. The accompt being made of all 

 the money for which they had compounded with the Deroga, it was prefènted by 

 Mahomet Beg,xvho aggravated the Tyranny of the Deroga, and reprelènted to his 

 Majefty that for thirty years he had thus devour'd the Territories of Ifpahan. 

 Thereupon by the command of the King,who was then at Ifpahan, the Deroga was 

 to be carry'd into the Msydan, and being ty'd up by the heels to receive a certain 

 number of Baftinado's upon the feet for 16 many Fridays one after another ; and 

 moreover the nerves of his heels were to be cut, and his ankles to be boar'd tho- 

 rough. The Kings command being thus feafd, Mahomet Beg committed the ex- 

 ecution thereof to his trufty Inftrument Negcf-Couli-Beg, who coming to Ifpahan 

 alfembl'd the chief of the City, together with the VitJr or Governour, and the 

 Deroga or Provoft, who thought of nothing ; being met, before they broak open 

 the Kings Seal they made a publick Prayer for the profperity of the King; which 

 being ended, the f^iz.ir open'd the Letter and read it with a loud voice. When 

 the Viz~ir came to read the Sentence againft xheDeroga, he was feiz'd with aftonifh- 

 ment^at what t'mieNegef-Couli-Beg coming to the Deroga find (hiking him upon the 

 Neck with his fift, threw him down under his Horles feet, and caus'd him to be 

 bound according to cuftom. Immediately he was hurri'd to the Pia^a, whre 

 he receiv'd fo many Baftinado's upon the foles of his feet that his nayls fell off. 

 The next Friday they brought him to the fame place, where they repeated the 

 fame Execution, andboar'd his ankles. The Deroga. being very ancient, his pains 

 put him into fuch a condition as mov'd Ncgef-CouL-B.g himfelf to compaffion,who 

 wrote prefently to Court, that the continuance of fo much torment, would infal- 

 libly be the death of the old man. Upon that the King order'd that there mould 

 no more be done to him ; only that he mould be fhut up in the inner part of his 

 Houfe with his Wives, depriving him of his employment, but leaving him his 

 Eftate. 



But Mahomet Beg y r\ot having yet compleated the revenge he fought, was re- 

 folv'd after he had thus tormented him, to deprive him alfo of his Eftate. To 

 which purpofe he advane'd to the Office of Deroga, a Georgian Renegado who 

 was call'd Padada-Beg, whom he taught all the tricks imaginable to pick the 

 peoples pockets. The defign of Mahomet Beg in this, was to let the King under- 

 Itand, that if the new Deroga could heap up fuch a fum of money in five or fix 

 months., what a prodigious fum muft Mir-Kaffembcg have heap'd up in fo many 

 years. In fhort, the new Deroga inftructed and encourag'd by Mahomet Beg, \e- 

 vy'd unjuitly fuch a vaft number of fines, committed fo many extortions and ra- 

 pines upon the people, that at the end of fix months the people began to tumult 

 at the Palace gate. The Divan Beqm,w\\o is the firft Minifter of Juftice, took the 

 peoples part j whereupon Mahomet Beg perceiving he had been too hafty in his 

 defign to be reveng'd upon the Divan Bequi, who had crofs'd his defigns, one 

 morning caus'd lèverai files of Mufqueteers to be drawn up at the Kings H or ara. 

 The King furpriz'd at the fight, Mahomet Beg told him that his Majefty was not 

 fafe fo long as the Divan Bequi ftirr'd up the people to Rebellion: which fo in- 

 cens'd the King, that he caus'd the Groom Porter to go immediately and pull out 

 the Divan Beam's eyes, which was immediately done ; nor did the old man lay 

 any more, but with his face all befmear'd with his own goar,defir'd the fervant 

 upon whofe arms he lean'd, to turn him toward Mecca that he might pray for the 

 profperity of the King. All his goods were confifcated and brought into theTrea- 

 fnvy-,b\itAIirKaf em-beg ftill enjoyed his,though he was fore'd to fpend the remain- 

 der of his days in his own houle. 



Thus Mahomet Beg preferv'd himfelf ftill in the Kings favour, and had remov'd 

 all thofe perfons from the Court that had no kindnefs for him, and was indifferently 

 fafe, till Mir-Tchekar-Bajhi another favourite, whom the King highly lov'd, began 



ro 



