Travels in the Mogul Empire (Bernier) 19.5.8

19.5.8

Some few years since there existed great dissensions in the royal family of Little Tibet, a country bordering on Kachemire. One of the pretenders to the crown having applied secretly to the Governor of this kingdom for assistance, the latter was commanded by Chah-Jehan to afford all the succour he might need. The Governor accordingly invaded Little Tibet, slew or put to flight the other competitors, and left this prince in undisputed possession of the throne, subject to an annual tribute of crystal, musk, and wool. Thus circumstanced, this petty King has not well been able to avoid paying his personal obeisance to Aureng-Zebe, bringing with him some of these articles as presents; but he is come with so wretched a retinue that I should never have taken him for a person of distinguished rank. My Navaab invited this personage to dinner, hoping to obtain some information concerning those mountainous regions. He informed us that his kingdom was bounded on the east by Great Tibet; that it was thirty or forty leagues in breadth; that he was very poor, notwithstanding the crystal, musk, and wool, which he had in small quantities; and that the opinion generally entertained of his possessing gold mines was quite erroneous.