636 The F OT AGES and? RAVELS Book I. 
He was foon obliged to quit the Field, and to ftiut him- ing difficult to drive them From their Haunts, and the Go- 
felf up in the Fortrefs of Chit or , feated on the Top of an vernment is fo fevere upon this fort of People to this Day- 
high 'Mountain, and furrounded by a River. The Siege that if a Peafant be found in Arms, he lofes his Head! 
of this Place colt the Mogul two Years, though at the Nothing is more common than to fee the Heads of thefe 
Head of the moil numerous and beft furniffied Army that Wretches hanging on the Road Sides in terror em. 
had ever been feen in that Country, and was endangered While Akehar was engaged in this War with the Pea- 
by the fouled Piece of Treachery that perhaps was ever fants, his eldefl Son Jehan Guire broke out in Rebellion 
-committed k . Akehar pretended to raife the Siege, and againft him, but his Party was foon defeated, and the 
defired of Rana to have the Liberty only of entering the Prince made a Prifoner. However, fuch was his Father’s 
Place with fifty Attendants, which was granted him by the Tendernefs towards him, that he did not keep him lono- 
honefi: Indian without the lead Sufpicion ; but after he had confined ; but, to deter him from fuch Practices for the 
been very kindly entertained, and conduced to the Gates future, upon his Enlargement, he made the Prince follow 
of the Fortrefs by the Rajah himfelf, he threw over his him into a Fored, where he fhewed him the Heads of the 
Neck a Chain of Pearl, drung upon Mohair for that Pur- principal Confpirators hanging upon the Branches of the 
pofe, and pulled him without the Place, where a Body of Trees. The Prince being taught, by fo tragical a ProfpeCt, 
the Mogul’s Troops made him Prifoner. He afterwards the Danger that attended fuch Enterprizes, or moved by a 
made his Efcape, and the Mogul having renewed the Siege, Senfe of the Emperor’s Indulgence to him, ever after con- 
he was killed on the Walls, and fothe Place was forced to tinued unfhaken in his Loyalty and Duty to his Father, 
capitulate, and thereby all the Dominions of that once This XnfurreCtion was no fooner fuppreffed, but the Pat - 
powerful Rajah were annexed to the Empire of Akehar , and tans, who had been driven up into the Mountains by 
proved a very confiderable Acquifition. Amayum , began to make Incurfions into the open Country, 
The Conclufion of this War could not but be very agree- and threatened to affume their ancient Sovereignty in that 
able to the Emperor, who found his troops fufficiently har- Kingdom of Dehly. Againft thefe Akehar fent an Army of 
raffed by a War of fuch Continuance, and in which at eighty-thoufand Men, who entered the Pat tan Country, 
the Beginning fo many Indian Princes were engaged, who, but were all cut in Pieces, or periffied in the Defarts, 
notwithftandmg, retired into their refpeftive Territories as This Misfortune obliged the Emperor to lay afide all 
loon as they faw Chit or invefted •, whereas if they had kept Thoughts of fubduing thefe People, at leaft for the prefent, 
the Field, and harraffed the Army of the Mogul, it is and perceiving that the chief Caufe of his Mifcarriage was, 
highly probable they might have preferved the City of that his Artillery had not been fo well played as it might 
Chitor , and the Country of Rajah Rana , from being have been, he refolved to take fome Europeans into his 
thus fwallowed up by him, who meant to bring them all Service, and with this View he fent for fome Englifh Gun- 
under his Subjection. But whether it proceeds from Reli- ners from on Board their Ships that came to trade upon his 
gion. Humour, or Cuftom, certain it js, that the Banians Coafts ; and of one of thefe Gunners we have a very whim- 
have an eftabliftied Principle amongft them, that defenfive fical Story, which, as it has nothing in it improbable, I 
Wars againft Foreigners are only lawful, and that they will venture, for the Reader’s Amufement, to relate. This 
ought not to march out of their own Dominions, in order Man was particularly fkilful in his Profeffion, but withal 
even to attack an Enemy that has often attempted their had a great AffeCtion for his Bottle, and found himfelf 
DeftruCtion. This weak Notion has always given the much at a Lofs in a Mohammedan Country, where Wine 
Moguls great Advantages over them, and particularly this was prohibited. He at laft contrived a very fingular Me- 
politick, as well as enterprizing Prince, who, when he had thod for procuring in this refpeCt a Difpenfation for him- 
torn from them a Part of their Dominions, fuddenly laid felf. The Emperor being defirous to fee a Proof of his 
down his Arms, and thereby put an End to the War, till Dexterity, ordered a large Carpet to be hung up at a rea- 
another favourable Opportunity offered. fonable Diftance, and directed him to fire at it, which the 
Akehar therefore, after he had fubdued this Province, Fellow did, but pointed his Gun in fuch a manner, that 
employed himfelf for fome time in cultivating the Arts of the Shot flew extreamly wide. The Emperor called him. 
Peace, in enlarging the City of Agra , and beautifying his and gave him a pretty brilk Reproof, telling him, that it 
Palaces ; and among other great Works, he planted the Road was a Shame for a Man to take upon him that Office, who 
from Agra to Labor , and made it one continued Walk of knew fo little of the Matter. The Gunner anfwered with 
ftiady Trees, though it be not lefs than four hundred and great Humility, that fince he had been debarred the Ufe 
fifty Englijh Miles from one City to the other. This ftill of Wine, his Eyes were grown dim, but that if his Majefty 
remains as a Monument of this Emperor’s Grandeur, and would order him a chirruping Cup, he durft engage to hit 
is an inconceiveable Refrefhment to Travellers in fo hot a a fmaller Mark. Akehar immediately commaiided that 
Climate. He was a great Admirer of all robuft Exercifes, they fhould give him a Quart, of which the Gunner made 
and took a Pleaiure in the moft hazardous Ufes thereof, but one Draught, and then applying himfelf to the Talk he 
breaking unruly Horfes, and managing the War-Elephants had undertaken, he performed it with univerfal Applaufe. 
when they fought ; an Employment fo very dangerous, The Emperor upon this ordered it to be entered in the An- 
that the Wives of thofe who are obliged to do it by their nals of his Reign, Chat Wine is as natural to Europeans, 
Office, tear off their Cloaths, and the Pendants from their as Water to Fijh , and that to deprive them of it , was to rob 
Ears, when their Hufbands are thus expofed. Nay, it is them of the great ejl Comfort of their Lives. 
reported of him, that in the War he had with the Peafants It was from this Accident that a Law was made, giving 
of the Country, the moft obftinate he ever engaged in, Leave to fuch Foreigners as fettled in the Empire to culti- 
when fome of them had fhut themfelves up in a Town, and vate Vineyards, which they have fince done with great 
the Conductors of the Elephants were ordered to break Succefs and Profit. He from this Time forward had a 
open the Gates; upon their expreffing fome ReluCtance to great Kindnefs for the Europeans , and took all imaginable 
hazard themfelves in fo defperate an Undertaking, the Pains to engage them, as well as all other Strangers, to 
Emperor commanded one of them to difmount, and fettle in his Dominions, that they might enlarge the Trade, 
cloathed in a common Soldier’s Coat, mounted the Ele- and perfeCt the Manufactures ©f his Subjects. By this 
phant himfelf, and managed him with that Dexterity, that means his Empire became every Day more and more flou- 
he forced open the Gate in the midft of a Shower of Ar- riffiing, and the Inhabitants of it more and more induftri- 
rows which the befieged poured upon him, and had the ous ; yet with all thefe great Properties, and notwithftand- 
good Fortune to come off unhurt. This War with the ing he was certainly one of the ableft Politicians in the 
Peafants, which begun in Akehar* s Reign, lafted a con- Eaft, Akehar had fomething very extravagant, which dif- 
fiderable time ; for being acquainted w r ith all the Defiles covered itfelf particularly in his Notions about Religion, 
and inacceffible Parts of the Forefts, it was found exceed- His own good Senfe, aflifted by the Lights he received 
k The Siege of Chitor is almoft as famous among the modern Indians , as the Siege of Troy among the ancient Greeks ; and an infinite Number of fa- 
bulous Stories have been thruft into this Hiftory. Thus it is faid to have had its Beginning from the Character which Akehar had received of the beau- 
tiful Padmani , the Wife of Rana , and the moft lovely Woman in the Indies. All thefe Embellifhments I thought requillte to leave out, that we 
might keep the more within Bounds, and report as near as poffible nothing but Matters of Fact to the Reader. 
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