At the foot of this fortress are scattered numerous ruins, which, I
was told, were the remains of a very important town; nothing is left
of it now except the fortified walls, three or four feet deep, which
must be passed to reach the peak of rock itself.
In the same plain, but near to the range of mountains, standing on a
separate elevation, is a considerably larger fortress than
Dowlutabad, but of far inferior strength.
The numerous fortresses, as well as the fortified towns, were, as I
here learned, the remnants of past times, when Hindostan was divided
into a great number of states, continually at war with each other.
The inhabitants of the towns and villages never went out unarmed;
they had spies continually on the watch; and to secure themselves
from sudden attacks, drove their herds inside the walls every night,
and lived in a continual state of siege. In consequence of the
unceasing warfare which prevailed, bands of mounted robbers were
formed, frequently consisting of as many as ten or twelve thousand
men, who too often starved out and overcame the inhabitants of the
smaller towns, and completely destroyed their young crops. These
people were then compelled to enter into a contract with these wild
hordes, and to buy themselves off by a yearly tribute.
Since the English have conquered India, peace and order have been
everywhere established; the walls decay and are not repaired; the
people indeed frequently wear arms, but more from habit than
necessity.
The distance from Dowlutabad to Auranjabad was eight miles. I was
already much fatigued, for I had visited the temples, ridden eight
miles over the mountain pass, and mounted to the top of the fortress
during the greatest heat; but I looked forward to the night, which I
preferred passing in a house and a comfortable bed, rather than
under an open verandah; and, seating myself in my waggon, desired
the driver to quicken the pace of his weary oxen as much as
possible.
CHAPTER XVI. CONTINUATION OF JOURNEY AND SOJOURN.
AURANJABAD - PUNA - EAST INDIAN MARRIAGES - THE FOOLISH WAGGONER -
BOMBAY - THE PARSEES, OR FIRE-WORSHIPPERS - INDIAN BURIAL CEREMONIES -
THE ISLAND OF ELEPHANTA - THE ISLAND OF SALSETTE.
On the 7th of March, late in the evening, I reached Auranjabad.
Captain Stewart, who lived outside the town, received me with the
same cordiality as the other residents had done.
8th March. Captain Stewart and his wife accompanied me this morning
to the town to show me its objects of interest, which consisted of a
monument and a sacred pool. Auranjabad is the capital of the
Deccan, has 60,000 inhabitants, and is partly in ruins.
The monument, which is immediately outside the town, was built more
than two hundred years since by the Sultan Aurung-zeb-Alemgir, in
memory of his daughter. It by no means deserves to be compared to
the great Tadsch at Agra. It is a mosque, with a lofty arched dome
and four minarets. The building is covered all round - the lower
part of the outside with a coating of white marble five feet high;
the upper portion is cased with fine white cement, which is worked
over with ornamental flowers and arabesques. The entrance doors are
beautifully inlaid with metal, on which flowers and ornamental
designs are engraved in a highly artistic manner. Unfortunately,
the monument is already much decayed; one of the minarets is half
fallen in ruins. In the mosque stands a plain sarcophagus,
surrounded by a marble trellis-work. Both have nothing in common
with the great Tadsch beyond the white marble of which they are
constructed; in richness and artistic execution, they are so much
inferior, that I could not understand how any one could be led to
make so incredible a comparison.
Near the mosque lies a pretty marble hall, surrounded by a neglected
garden.
The reigning king would have removed the marble from this monument
for use in some building in which he was to be interred! He
requested permission to do so from the English government. The
answer was to the effect, that he could do so if he wished, but he
should remember, that if he had so little respect for the monuments
of his predecessors, his own might experience a similar fate. This
answer induced him to relinquish his intentions.
The pool considered sacred by the Mahomedans is a large basin,
constructed of square stones. It is full of large pikes, none of
which, however, are allowed to be taken; in fact, there is an
attendant appointed to supply them with food. The fish are
consequently so tame and familiar, that they will eat turnips,
bread, etc., out of the hand. The rainy season causes the death of
many of them: were it not for this fortunate circumstance, the pool
would before long contain more fish than water. Since the English
have come here, the attendants are said not to be so conscientious,
and very often smuggle fish out of the pool into the English
kitchens, for the sake of a little ready money.
After spending a very agreeable day, I took a hearty farewell of my
friendly hostess, and continued my journey in a fresh waggon towards
Puna, 136 miles distant.
9th March. Toka. The roads here began to be better, and there were
bungalows to be had on payment of the ordinary fees.
10th March. Emanpoor, a small village situated on the summit of a
chain of hills. I found here the handsomest bungalow I had seen
during the whole journey from Benares to Bombay.
11th March. We passed the whole day in travelling through a barren
country, over naked hills and mountains: the majestic solitary
trees with the wells had already ceased at Auranjabad.
Towards noon we passed the very flourishing town of Ahmednugger, in
the neighbourhood of which a large English military station is
established.
