It Is Said By The Author, That He
Had Partly Seen These Things, And Partly Learnt Them By Information,
From The Chief Officers And Overseers Of The Court.
- E]
[Footnote 199: The rupee, or rupia, as it is called in the original,
is stated by Purchas, in a side-note, at 2s. each; while, he adds, some
call it 2s. 3d. and others 2s. 6d. In fact, the rupee varies materially
in its value according to circumstances, which will be fully explained
in the sequel. - E.]
The entire compass of the dominions of the Great Mogul is two years
travel for caravans; reaching from Agra, which is in a manner in the
heart of all his kingdoms, in various directions, to Candahar, to
Soughtare[200] in Bengal, to Cabul, Deccan, Surat, and Tatta in Sinde.
His empire is divided into five great kingdoms: Punjab, of which
Lahore is the capital; Bengal, of which Sonargham[201] is the chief
place; Malwa, of which Ugam [Ougein] is the capital; Deccan, with
its capital Bramport [Burhanpoor]; and Guzerat, having Amadavar
[Ahmedabad] as its capital. Delhi is reckoned the chief or royal city
of the great kingdom of the Mogul in India, where all the ceremonials of
his coronation are performed. There are six principal fortresses or
castles, Agra, Gualiar, Nerwer, Ratamboor, Hassier, and Roughtaz; in
which castles his treasures are securely kept.[202]
[Footnote 200: This name is so completely corrupted as to be
inexplicable. - E.]
[Footnote 201: This name is nearly in the same predicament with
Soughtare, unless Chunarghur be meant, including Oude Allahabad and
Bahar in Bengal. - E.]
[Footnote 202: The three last names are inexplicable, unless Ruttampoor
be meant for one of them. But this slight sketch of the Mogul empire is
so exceedingly imperfect and unsatisfactory, as not to merit any
commentary. - E.]
In all this great empire there are three arch enemies, which all his
power has been unable to subdue; these are, Amberry Chapu in the
Deccan, Baadur, the son of Muzafer, who was formerly king of
Guzerat, and Rajah Rahana in Malwa. The present Great Mogul[203] has
five sons, Sultan Cussero, Sultan Parvis, Sultan Chorem, Sultan Shariar,
and Sultan Bath. He has two young daughters, and 300 wives, four of
whom, being the chief, are reckoned queens; Padisha Bann, the daughter
of Kaime Khan; Nour Mahal, the daughter of Gaih Beg; the third is the
daughter of Sein Khan; and the fourth is the daughter of Hakim Hamaun,
who was brother to his own father the Padisha Akbar.[204]
[Footnote 203: His name is no where given by Hawkins; but in the journal
of Sir Thomas Rae, who went a few years afterwards ambassador to the
same king, he is called Jehan-Guire. - E.]
[Footnote 204: We have here omitted a long account of the Mogul
treasures in gold, silver, and jewels, and an immense store of rich
ornaments in gold, silver, and jewellery, together with the enumeration
of horses, elephants, camels, oxen, mules, deer, dogs, lions, ounces,
hawks, pigeons, and singing birds, extremely tedious and
uninteresting.
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