Storia do Mogor 111: The Ethiopian Ambassador.
Storia do Mogor (Irvine) 111
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The Ethiopian Ambassador.
111.1
During Aurangzeb's journey from Kashmir, before he had reached Dihli, there arrived ambassadors from Ethiopia, from Mecca, and from Basrah, to congratulate him on his accession. Of all of these embassies I will say something, but as a preliminary I am obliged to warn the reader that I write for love of truth, and thus, although Monsieur Bernier was my great friend, and we carried on a pleasant correspondence, I cannot approve what he has written. For the Armenian Morad, one of the two men who came as ambassadors from the King of Ethiopia to the Mogul, confided to me one day, when he was a little elevated, what was the truth about the embassy. If there is any truth in the saying In vino Veritas, we must believe more in a confidence made from friend to friend than in the pomposities recited to Danishmand Khan. It is not uncommon that one who poses as an ambassador should, in the company of the great, give himself importance, and having to speak of kingdoms and lands afar off, and of unknown kings, should say the thing that will the most profit him. But when his talk is with a friend, who can do him no harm, such a person may allow himself more scope in letting out the truth. What was recounted by him who gave himself out as an Ethiopian ambassador is not simply a story told me by a man who had been drinking, but he has since confirmed it at a time when he was quite sober. The matter runs as follows :
111.2
Morad the Armenian had already some acquaintance with India, and on the accession of a [82] new king, he thought the time had come for him to practise some deception. For this he joined with a Mahomedan merchant, an Arab by birth, a very trustworthy man, who had a number of correspondents ; and these two traded jointly from Ethiopia to Arabia and Hindustan, and from Hindustan to Ethiopia. It is necessary to know that the King of Ethiopia calls himself the king of musical instruments, and claims that no king can possess such instruments without his permission. Confiding in this his belief, he orders his music to play after he has dined, thereby permitting other kings and princes to sound their drums and set their music playing. These cunning merchants made use of this mad idea of the Ethiopian to put their plot into execution. They made a pretence of upholding the glory of their king, and going to him said that in the Mogul country was a new king, who had excellent instruments at his court, without having applied for leave to possess such royal insignia. The king told them they must visit the Mogul land and demand surrender of those instruments, and produce them before him.
111.3
These words were enough for the merchants to equip themselves for that embassy, buying slaves, male and female, for sale. As presents for the king they carried with them horses, and a mule striped naturally in various colours, so beautiful that a tiger could not be striped in a more lovely manner. I saw the skin of this mule, which died in Arabia near Mecca; and of a truth it was a wondrous thing, fit to be presented to any great ruler. Furthermore, they provided two elephant tusks, very handsome, to lift one of which four men had as much as they could do. Also they had some horns of oxen, full of civet. They forged letters wherein the King of Ethiopia demanded from the Mogul the instruments, a few books on the Mahomedan faith, and some contribution towards the restoration of a mosque founded in honour of a Darvesh, who had died in Ethiopia after coming from Mecca to preach Mahomedanism. The mosque had been destroyed by the Portuguese when they were in Ethiopia assisting the king in the suppression of a Mahomedan rebellion. The plotters then left Ethiopia on their fictitious embassy. I suppose that everyone of sober judgment will decide that this embassy was fictitious, simply from the requests entered in the letter. It is unheard of that a great king like that of Ethiopia should send to ask money to build a mosque. I am willing to admit that the King of Ethiopia might have desired books on the Mahomedan faith, and for that reason might send a request to the Mogul king.
111.4
Although, had such been his purpose, he could have sent to the Grand Seignior for them, who could more easily have given them, having under his rule the holy men of Mecca. These use the Arabic language, called the Sacred Tongue because Muhammad spoke it, and in it is written the Quran. It must not be translated into any other language, and from Mecca could be obtained the most exquisite exemplars. But to send a request for contributions to repair a mosque, that is a thing incredible! I do not say here that the King of Ethiopia wanted to become a Mahomedan, but I will admit the first part in order to show that the second has no substance. Thus it does not appear to me that Monsieur Bernier had any reason, in his second book, so greatly to decry the King of Ethiopia on account of this embassy. He knew not how clever were the inventions of these ambassadors. Aware that Aurangzeb was a strong Mahomedan, and anxious to propagate this accursed faith, as can be seen in my history, they selected this bridge to arrive at Aurangzeb's favour. He made it his glory to use such openings, and to pose as a spreader of the Mahomedan religion. Nor did he leave them without reward on finding that the King of Ethiopia was said to look on him as a zealous Mahomedan.
111.5
These feigned ambassadors reached Mecca (? Mokah), where they sold some men and women slaves and some horses to procure funds for continuing their journey. In a short time they reached Surat. There they sold one hornful of civet, retaining the empty horn. At this time Shiva Ji came to Surat, and in seven days sacked the city, took from the ambassadors the elephant's tusks, the horses, the other horn full of civet, and all the merchandise they had. With them was left nothing but the empty horn, the mule's hide, the letters, and some slaves. In this state they were forced to ask the governor of Surat for some help in money, in order to continue their route as far as the court. The governor, looking on them as genuine ambassadors, gave them assistance in money, and thus they arrived at Dihli at the time that I was there.
111.6
Aurangzeb received the letter of the governor of Surat, in which was given an account of these ambassadors [84] and their misfortunes at Surat. To tell the truth this — that is, being plundered by Shiva Ji — was the best thing that could have happened to secure them a reception at, and a favourable dispatch from, the court. On other conditions, seeing the few presents they brought, it would have been exceedingly difficult to obtain a royal audience. Often it is of profit to be in misery, and frequently do mishaps lead to good-fortune! These ambassadors, despoiled and almost naked, were very dirty and drinkers of jágra. This last is a kind of black sugar given to horses and elephants. It was chiefly the Armenian who was a great amateur of this beverage. They had no money to hire a house, but put up in the public saráe; and walked the streets, having no palanquin. When the Armenian met an acquaintance, he would draw from him some present to equip himself; and through dysentery caused by jágra, of which they drank so liberally, they lost several slaves.
111.7
Monsieur Bernier favoured them in various matters, principally by speaking to Dānishmand Khān, his disciple. This man was advocate in the cause of all the ambassadors who came to the Mogul country. Thus they obtained an audience. There the king conferred on each a sarāpā (robes) of brocade, and directed that the sums necessary for their subsistence while at court should be disbursed. A short time afterwards they were allowed to depart, again receiving sarāpā (robes), and six thousand rupees—two thousand to the Armenian, and four thousand to the Arab. By this division Aurangzeb wished to favour more the latter, being of his own religion, although he had a very ugly face and was very short. If the King of Ethiopia had really sent an embassy, it is certain that he would never have selected such an ugly being.
111.8
In addition he gave them a rich sarāpā (robes) for the King of Ethiopia, and two trumpets of silver-gilt, with two kettledrums and a canja (khanjar), which is a poignard, covered with rubies. Here be it noted how diverse are the intentions of man! The King of Ethiopia sent to claim these instruments as the would-be lord thereof, and because the Mogul possessed them without his previous consent; while Aurangzeb sent them in quite another spirit, declaring by this action that this king was his vassal. For it is the practice, when the Mogul king gives nobility to any of his subjects, for him to confer robes, trumpets, and drums. In addition, he gave them twenty thousand gold coins and rupees, and told them that he sent this money to their king because he was told there were not any such coins in Ethiopia.
111.9
It was thoroughly understood that this money was not meant to reach Ethiopia, but was to be expended in the purchase of merchandise, as was really done. They bought different cloth-pieces and woollens for export to Ethiopia, some lengths of cotton decorated in gold and silver, also some pieces of silk ornamented with flowers, stuffs very rare in their country. He also gave them a considerable sum to be spent on the mosque, which money was also expended on goods; and he added a Quran and other books, those most esteemed among Mahomedans. Thus did the feigned ambassadors succeed in their enterprise. They came to the Mogul country poor and despoiled, and now turned their faces towards Ethiopia with considerable wealth; mocking at two powerful kings—at one because they sacrificed his honour through the petitions they laid before the Mogul; at the other, because with lies and impostures they extracted from him a large amount of cash.