Being Thus
Satisfied, I Was In Some Hope Of Success, Especially As This Man Is No
Taker Of Bribes, And Is Reputed Honest, And Pledged His Credit That We
Should Sustain No Loss Or Injury, Every Thing Being Referred To Him By
The Prince.
So I accepted the firmaun, which, on having it translated, I
found very effectual and satisfactory.
The 16th, I went to visit the prince, intending to seem entirely
dependent upon him, till I heard what entertainment our ships were
likely to meet with. But I found him in much perplexity, fearing the
coming of Sultan Parvis to court, he being only at the distance of eight
coss, anxiously desiring leave to kiss his father's hands. The king had
even granted his desire, but by the influence of Nourmahal, the
favourite queen, he had revoked the permission, and Sultan Parvis was
ordered away directly to Bengal.[205] The resolution of the king to
remove the court from Agimere still continued, but no one knew certainly
where he intended to go.
[Footnote 205: At this place there is an expression in the Pilgrims,
coupled with this sentence, which is quite inexplicable. "Yea, although
the king had fallen down, and taken his mother by the feet, to obtain
her leave to see her son." We are not sufficiently conversant in the
secret history of the Zenana of Shah Jehan-guire to explain this; yet
strongly suspect that this sentence ought to have run thus: Although the
prince's mother fell at the king's feet to obtain leave to see her
son. - E.]
Sec.4. Broils about Abdala Khan and Khan-Khannan: Ambitious projects of
Sultan Churrum to subvert his eldest Brother: Sea Fight with a
Portuguese Carrack; and various other Occurrences.
Several days now passed in soliciting the king and great men, and paying
my court to them, without any remarkable occurrence; till on the 9th
October, I had letters from Surat, giving me an account that four
English ships had arrived there. On the 10th, Abdala Khan, the great
governor of Ahmedabad, being sent for to court in disgrace, to answer
for many insolent and contemptuous neglects of the king's commands,
thought to stand upon his defence and to refuse compliance. But Sultan
Churrum, whose ambitious views sought to turn every thing to his
advantage, being desirous to oblige so great a man, who was reckoned one
of the chiefest captains in the empire, prevailed upon him to submit, on
his word to protect him. Abdala came therefore, in pretended humility,
habited as a pilgrim, attended by forty servants on foot, until he
arrived within a day's journey of the court, having 2000 horse attending
him at some distance behind. He was this day brought to the Jarruco,
the place where the king sits in public to see sports and hear
complaints, and advanced towards the king, between two noblemen, having
chains on his legs, and holding his turban over his eyes, that he might
see no one till he had the happiness to behold the king.
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