[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Dark Ages](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages) › [Travellers (1500–1858)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel) › [Storia do Mogor](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci) › [Storia do Mogor (Irvine)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine) › 202 # Storia do Mogor 202: Customs of the Royal Household, and the Way of dealing with the people living in the palace, commonly called the mahal, or seraglio. Storia do Mogor (Irvine) 202 - **Language:** English ### Customs of the Royal Household, and the Way of dealing with the people living in the palace, commonly called the mahal, or seraglio. ### [202.1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.202.1) Ordinarily there are within the mahal two thousand women of different races. Each has her office or special duties, either in attendance on the king, his wives, his daughters, or his concubines. To rule and maintain order among this last class, each one is assigned her own set of rooms, and matrons are placed over them. In addition, each has usually attached to her ten or twelve women servants, who are selected from the above-named women. The matrons have generally three, four, or five hundred rupees a month as pay, according to the dignity of the post they occupy. The servants under their orders have from fifty up to two hundred rupees a month. In addition to these matrons, there are the female superintendents of music and their women players; these have about the same pay more or less, besides the presents they receive from the princes and princesses, whose names I will record lower down, in order to divert the reader by a little variety. Among them are some who teach reading and writing to the princesses, and usually what they dictate to them are amorous verses. Or the ladies obtain relaxation in reading books called 'Gulistan' and 'Bostan,' written by an author called Sec Sadi Chiragi (Shekh Sa'di, Shirazi), and other books treating of love, very much the same as our romances, only they are still more shameless. ### [202.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.202.2) The way in which these kings are waited on by these women in their mahal deserves mention. For, just as the king has his officers outside, he has the same among the fair sex within the mahal. Among these ladies are some who occupy the same offices that are held by grandees outside; and it is by the mouth of these illustrious persons, when the king does not come forth, that the officials outside receive the orders sent them from within. All the persons employed in these offices are carefully selected; they have much wit and judgment, and know all that is passing in the empire. For the officials outside are required to send written reports into the mahal of all that the king ought to know. To these reports the women officials reply as directed by that prince. And to carry this out there are eunuchs who take out and bring back the sealed letters written from one side to the other on these matters. ### [202.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.202.3) It is also a fixed rule of the Moguls that the vaquianavis (waqi'ah-navis) and the cofianavis (khufiyah-navis), or the public and secret news-writers of the empire, must once a week enter what is passing in a vaquia (waqi'ah)—that is to say, a sort of gazette or Mercury, containing the events of most importance. These news-letters are commonly read in the king's presence by women of the mahal at about nine o'clock in the evening, so that by this means he knows what is going on in his kingdom. There are, in addition, spies, who are also obliged to send in reports weekly about other important business, chiefly what the princes are doing, and this duty they perform through written statements. ### [202.4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.202.4) The king sits up till midnight, and is unceasingly occupied with the above sort of business. He sleeps for three hours only, and on awakening offers up his usual prayers, which occupy an hour and a half. Every year he goes into penitential retirement for forty days, during which he sleeps on the ground, he fasts, he gives alms — the whole to secure from God continuance of victory and the accomplishment of his designs. But, nowadays, being old and his enemies hindering him from undertaking anything, he must perforce remain at rest. Notwithstanding, he never fails every morning to consider and give orders as to what should be done. Thus in the twenty-four hours his rule is to eat once and sleep three hours. During sleep he is guarded by women slaves, very brave, and highly skilled in the management of the bow and other arms. ### [202.5](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.202.5) Every day one thousand rupees are disbursed for the expenses of the king's kitchen, and the officials are required to furnish therefrom all that is necessary. They have to lay before the prince a fixed number of ragouts and different dishes in vessels of China porcelain placed on gold stands. As a great favour the king sends of these, or of what is left over, to the queens and princesses and the captains of the guard. This honour is always dearly paid for, since the eunuchs who convey the food never fail to get themselves well rewarded. When the king is in an enemy's country, where provisions are dear, the total expense is disregarded. There must always be produced a certain fixed number of ragouts; so much is this the case that on the march there is no control over the expenditure. But in the mahal the queens, the princesses, and all the other women have their separate allowances. Since I have promised to give a list of the various names, and their different meanings, of the titles that the Mogul kings give to the queens and princesses, to their concubines, to the chief matrons, to the dancing-women, to the singing-women, and to the slaves of the mahal, I think it advisable to begin at this point. The principal names given by the kings to the queens and the princesses, with their meanings, are : ### [202.6](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.202.6) Taige Mahal Taj Mahal Crown of the Mahal Nur Mahal Nur Mahal Aurora of the Mahal Nur Jahan Nur Jahan Aurora of the World Farsana Begom Farzanah Begam Liberality of Good Things Akabarabady Akbarabadi Sovereign in Prosperity Orangbady Begom Aurangabadi Begam Prosperity of the Throne Nawab Bahigi Nawab Bae The Great Udepury Udepuri Full of Joy Guescuor Kesar ? Shadow of Riches Chater Matz Chattar-wati Glorious in her Designs Jany Begom Jani Begam Loved or Cherished One Maha Canon Mah Khanum Light of the House, which is a high title. It is as if one said, 'The Light of France,' for by ' house ' is understood the empire, or the royal or imperial house Cha Canon Shah Khanum King of the House Fiar Conda Canon Farkhundah Khanum Bounty of the House Pur onor Begom Pur-anwar Begam Filled with Industry Acla Begom 'Aqilah Begam The Instructed or Discreet Fasela Canon Fazilah Khanum Wisdom of the Court Cha adma Canon Shadman Khanum Mirth of the House Nur nechan Canon Nur-un-nissa, Khanum Aurora of the Women of the House Jefea Canon Jafa Khanum (?) Prosperity of the House Nafesa Canon Nafisah Khanum The Most Exquisite of the House Dur Dan Begom Durr-i-durran Begam The Pearl among Princesses Nadera Begom Nadirah Begam The Excellent Princess Jahanara Begom Jahan-ara Begam Princess Renowned in the World Begom Saheb Begam Sahib Lady among Princesses Roxanara Begom Roshan-ara Begam The Light among Princesses ### [202.7](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.202.7) These queens and princesses have \[4\] the title of Begam, which signifies that they are void of care, while others have the title of Canon (Khanum), signifying that they are of the royal household ; the word also means ' a noble.' When they travel on elephants they are made to enter a tent near the palace gate, and the elephant-driver covers his head with a coarse cloth so that he may not see them. The names of the mistresses, or concubines, with the meanings, are: Ranadel Ra'nah-dil That is, Clear or Faithful Heart Badam Cheshm Badam Chashm Bold-eyed Nazac Badam Nazuk-badan Pretty Body Mat Lub Matlub Given by Destiny Sue Den Sukh-dain Repose Catol Kutuhal Joyous Sangar Singar Adorned Piar Piyar Loving Mahan Mahan Proud ### [202.8](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.202.8) All the names given are either Persian or Hindu; for the king takes into his house several daughters of Hindu princes, and gives them Hindu names, as the fancy takes him, and also in the same way to those who are Mahomedans. It is also the practice of these kings and the Mogul princes to entertain matrons as spies, and eunuchs who give \[blank; ? information\] to these old ladies of the loveliest young women in the empire. Afterwards these matrons, by promises and deceit, lead them astray, and have them carried off into whatever palace the king or a prince requires. There they are detained among the number of mistresses or concubines, as I have recorded in the first part of this history, when speaking of the King Jahangir (? Shahjahan) and the Prince Dara (I. 131, 152). When it happens that he does not wish to keep them, the king sends them back with some great present. I say this because I have had a special acquaintance with all these secrets and of many others, which it is not in place for me to state. The names of the matrons, with the meanings, are: ### [202.9](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.202.9) Nias Bibi Banu Niyaz Bibi Bano The Present Lady Faima Banu Fahimah Bano The Philosopher Lady Falica Banu Falaki Bano The Fortunate Lady Cader Bibi Banu Qadir Bibi Bano The Powerful Lady Noschaba Banu Noshabah Bano The Lady Presenting Liquor Gol Sultan Banu Gul Sultan Bano The Lady of the Royal Flower Dil jo Banu Dil-ju Bano The Lady Heart Repose Sin tan Banu Sim-tan Bano The Lady Golden Body Mer niguer Banu Mihr-nigar Bano The Lady of Pitying Glance Nevel Bay Banu Naval Bae Bano The New Lady Chater Bay Banu Chatarai Bano The Discreet Lady Lai Bay Banu La'l Bae Bano The Ruby Lady Ira Bay Banu Hira Bae Bano The Diamond Lady Manse Banu Manik Bano The Pearl Lady Maha Biquer Mah-i-bikr The Full Moon The matrons are very much more numerous, but not to weary, I give the names of only a few principal ones, who are set over the whole mahal, and I shall adopt the same course in regard to the singing-women, dancing-women, and others. In spite of Aurangzeb's having forbidden all music, he nevertheless continued always to entertain in his palaces, for the diversion of the queens and his daughters, several dancing and singing women; and even conferred special names on their mistresses or superintendents. Those names are as follows: --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.202](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.202) · Pramāṇa