Travels in the Mogul Empire (Bernier) 5.7
Travels in the Mogul Empire (Constable) 5.7
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- English
5.7.1
Chah-Jehan was fond of the sex and introduced fairs at every festival, though not always to the satisfaction of some of the Omrahs. He certainly transgressed the bounds of decency in admitting at those times into the seraglio singing and dancing girls called Kenchens (the gilded, the blooming), and in keeping them there for that purpose the whole night; they were not indeed the prostitutes seen in bazaars, but those of a more private and respectable class, who attend the grand weddings of Omrahs and Mansebdars, for the purpose of singing and dancing. Most of these Kenchens are handsome and well dressed, and sing to perfection; and their limbs being extremely supple, they dance with wonderful agility, and are always correct in regard to time; after all, however, they were but common women. It was not enough for Chah-Jehan that the Kenchens visited the fairs; when they came to him on the Wednesdays to pay their reverence at the Am-Kas, according to an ancient custom, he often detained them the whole night, and amused himself with their antics and follies. Aureng-Zebe is more serious than his father; he forbids the Kenchens to enter the seraglio; but, complying with long established usage, does not object to their coming every Wednesday to the Am-Kas, where they make the salam from a certain distance, and then immediately retire. While on the subject of festivals, fairs, and Kenchens, or Kenchemys, I am tempted to relate an anecdote of one of our countrymen, named Bernard.
5.7.2
I agree with Plutarch, that trifling incidents ought not to be concealed, and that they often enable us to form more accurate opinions of the manners and genius of a people than events of great importance. Viewed in this light, the story, ridiculous as it is in itself, may be acceptable. Bernard resided at the court of Jehan-Guyre, during the latter years of that King's reign, and was reputed, with apparent justice, to be an excellent physician and a skilful surgeon. He enjoyed the favour of the Mogol, and became his companion at table, where they often drank together to excess. The King and his physician possessed congenial tastes; the former thought only of his pleasures, and left the management of public affairs to his wife, the celebrated Nour-Mahal, or Nour-Jehan-Begum, a woman, he used to say, whose transcendent abilities rendered her competent to govern the Empire without the interference of her husband. Bernard's daily and regular pay was ten crowns [écus]; but this was greatly increased by his attendance on the high ladies of the Seraglio and on all the Omrahs, who seemed to vie with each other in making him the most liberal presents, not only because of the cures he effected, but on account of his influence at court. This man, however, disregarded the value of money; what he received with one hand he gave with the other; so that he was much beloved by everybody, especially by the Kenchens, on whom he lavished vast sums.
5.7.3
Among the females of this description who nightly filled his house, was a young and beautiful damsel, remarkable for the elegance of her dancing, with whom our countryman fell violently in love; but the mother, apprehending that the girl would lose her health and bodily vigour with her virginity, never for a moment lost sight of her, and she resisted all the overtures and incessant solicitations of the court physician. While in despair of obtaining the object of his affections, Jehan-Guyre, at the Am-Kas, once offered him a present before all the Omrahs by way of remuneration for an extraordinary cure which he had effected in the seraglio. 'Your Majesty,' said Bernard, 'will not be offended if I refuse the gift so munificently offered, and implore that in lieu thereof your Majesty would bestow on me the young Kencheny now waiting with others of her company to make the customary salam.' The whole assembly smiled at this refusal of the present, and at a request so little likely to be granted, he being a Christian and the girl a Mahometan and a Kencheny; but Jehan-Guyre, who never felt any religious scruples, was thrown into a violent fit of laughter, and commanded the girl to be given to him, 'Lift her on the physician's shoulders,' he said, 'and let him carry the Kefidien away.' No sooner said than done. In the midst of a crowded assembly the girl was placed on Bernard's back, who withdrew triumphantly with his prize and took her to his house.
5.7.4
The festivals generally conclude with an amusement unknown in Europe—a combat between two elephants; which takes place in the presence of all the people on the sandy space near the river: the King, the principal ladies of the court, and the Omrahs viewing the spectacle from different apartments in the fortress. A wall of earth is raised three or four feet wide and five or six high. The two ponderous beasts meet one another face to face, on opposite sides of the wall, each having a couple of riders, that the place of the man who sits on the shoulders, for the purpose of guiding the elephant with a large iron hook, may immediately be supplied if he should be thrown down. The riders animate the elephants either by soothing words, or by chiding them as cowards, and urge them on with their heels, until the poor creatures approach the wall and are brought to the attack. The shock is tremendous, and it appears surprising that they ever survive the dreadful wounds and blows inflicted with their teeth, their heads, and their trunks. There are frequent pauses during the fight ; it is suspended and renewed ; and the mud wall being at length thrown down, the stronger or more courageous elephant passes on and attacks his opponent, and, putting him to flight, pursues and fastens upon him with so much obstinacy, that the animals can be separated only by means of cherkys, or fireworks, which are made to explode between them ;
5.7.5
for they are naturally timid, and have a particular dread of fire, which is the reason why elephants have been used with so very little advantage in armies since the use of fire-arms. The boldest come from Ceylon, but none are employed in war which have not been regularly trained, and accustomed for years to the discharge of muskets close to their heads, and the bursting of crackers between their legs.
5.7.6
The fight of these noble creatures is attended with much cruelty. It frequently happens that some of the riders are trodden underfoot, and killed on the spot, the elephant having always cunning enough to feel the importance of dismounting the rider of his adversary, whom he therefore endeavours to strike down with his trunk. So imminent is the danger considered, that on the day of combat the unhappy men take the same formal leave of their wives and children as if condemned to death. They are somewhat consoled by the reflection that if their lives should be preserved, and the King be pleased with their conduct, not only will their pay be augmented, but a sack of Peyssas (equal to fifty francs) will be presented to them the moment they alight from the elephant. They have also the satisfaction of knowing that in the event of their death the pay will be continued to their widows, and that their sons will be appointed to the same situation. The mischief with which this amusement is attended does not always terminate with the death of the rider: it often happens that some of the spectators are knocked down and trampled upon by the elephants, or by the crowd; for the rush is terrible when, to avoid the infuriated combatants, men and horses in confusion take to flight. The second time I witnessed this exhibition I owed my safety entirely to the goodness of my horse and the exertions of my two servants.
5.7.7
But it is time we should quit the fortress, and return to the city, where I omitted to describe two edifices worthy of notice. The first is the principal Mosque, which is conspicuous at a great distance, being situated on the top of a rock in the centre of the town. The surface of the rock was previously levelled, and around it a space is cleared sufficiently large to form a handsome square, where four fine long streets terminate, opposite to the four sides of the Mosque; one, opposite to the principal entrance, in front of the building; a second, at the back of the building; and the two others, to the gates that are in the middle of the two sides. The ascent to the three gates is by means of five-and-twenty or thirty steps of beautiful and large stones, which are continued the whole length of the front and sides. The back part is cased over, to the height of the rock, with large and handsome hewn stone, which hides its inequalities, and tends to give a noble appearance to the building. The three entrances, composed of marble, are magnificent, and their large doors are overlaid with finely wrought plates of copper. Above the principal gate, which greatly exceeds the others in grandeur of appearance, there are several small turrets of white marble that produce a fine effect; and at the back part of the Mosque are seen three large domes, built also of white marble, within and without. The middle dome is much larger and loftier than the other two.
5.7.8
The end of the Mosque alone is covered: the space between the three domes and the principal entrance is without any roof; the extreme heat of the climate rendering such an opening absolutely necessary. The whole is paved with large slabs of marble. I grant that this building is not constructed according to those rules of architecture which we seem to think ought to be implicitly followed; yet I can perceive no fault that offends the taste; every part appears well contrived, properly executed, and correctly proportioned. I am satisfied that even in Paris a church erected after the model of this temple would be admired, were it only for its singular style of architecture, and its extraordinary appearance. With the exception of the three great domes, and the numerous turrets, which are all of white marble, the Mosque is of a red colour, as if built with large slabs of red marble: although it consists of a species of stone, cut with great facility, but apt to peel off in flakes after a certain time. The natives pretend that the quarries from which it is taken reproduce the stone by degrees : this, if true, is very remarkable ; but whether or not they rightly attribute it to the water which fills the quarries every year, I cannot decide.