Storia do Mogor 203.1
Storia do Mogor (Irvine) 203.1
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203.1.1
Sondar Bay Sundar Bae Superintendent of Music Soroc Bay Surosh Bae The Good Voice Chalol Bay Chulohla Bae The Happy [5] Merg nen Mirg-nain Gazelle-eyed Lai Bay La'l Bae Ruby Ira Bay Hira Bae Diamond Manca Bay Manasa Bae Pearl Chalian Bay Jaliya Bae The Net Ras Bay Ras Bae Liquor Nen jot Bay Nain-jot Bae Light of the Eyes Merg mala Bay Mirg mala Bae Flowery, or she who is covered with flowers Gol ro Bay Gul-ru Bae Rose-visaged Chanchel Bay Chanchal Bae The Bold Sanchel Bay Chanchal Bae The Subtile Dian Bay Dhyan Bae The Well-informed Gian Bay Gyan Bae The Inventive Ar Bay Har Bae Flower-adorned Morad Bay Murad Bae The Desired Mathalab Bay Matlab Bae The Foreseeing Akas Bay Akas Bae The Celestial Abshera Bay Apsara Bae The Seraphic Caldar Bay Khaldar Bae The Freckled Becond Bay Baikunth Bae Paradise Coshal Bay Khushhal Bae The Happy Nial Bay Nihal Bae The Abundant Ferae Bay Farah Bae (?) The Healthy Golal Bay Gulal Bae The Rose Castury Bay Kasturi Bae Musk or Musk-perfumed Carsewad Bay Kar-i-sawab Bae Taste Bessina Bay Basna Bae The Pleasant-scented Ader Bay Udar Bae (?) The Replete Sanchel Bay Chanchal Bae (?) The Sufficient Guecer Bay Kesar Bae Saffron
203.1.2
All the above names are Hindu, and ordinarily these overseers of the music are Hindus by race, who have been carried off in infancy from various villages or the houses of different rebel Hindu princes. In spite of their Hindu names, they are, however, Mahomedans. Each has under her orders about ten apprentices; and along with these apprentices they attend the queens, the princesses, and the concubines. Each one has her special rank according to her standing. The queens and the other ladies pass their time in their rooms, each with her own set of musicians. None of these musicians are allowed to sing elsewhere than in the rooms of the person to whom they are attached, except at some great festival. Then they are all assembled and ordered to sing together some piece or other in praise of, or to the honour of, the festival. All these women are pretty, have a good style and much grace in their gait, are very free in their talk and exceedingly lascivious, their only occupation, outside the duties of their office, being lewdness. 'Bae' in the Hindu language means 'madam' or 'lady.'
The names of the principal slaves or women servants in the mahal are:
Golal Gulal The Rose Chambely Chambeli The Jasmine Flower Narguis Nargis The Tulip Flower Guecer Kesar Saffron Gaal badam Gul-i-badam Almond Flower
Sosen Sosan The Lily Flower
Hyassaman Yasmin The Festival [i.e., Jashan]
Castury Kasturi Musk
Continuation of the names of the principal slaves in the mahal:
203.1.3
Chumpa Champa. Name of an Indian flower
Rubel Bel Name of another such flower [? jasmine]
Sentz Sainti Another flower name
Senovor Nainufar (?) The Tuberose
Gola Basoy Gul-i-'abbasi The Head of Flowers
Gol Frang Gul-i-farang The Girofle
Ranagol Ra'na-gul The Good Flower
Gole Andam Gul-andam The Shape of a Flower
Golonour Gul-anar Pomegranate Flower
Anar caly Anar-kali Pomegranate Blossom
Salony Saloni The Holy Sweetened with Sugar
Sobaty Suhbati The Pleasing
Neguy Neki The Good-natured
Jasgar Khas-kar (?) The Well-placed
Doulany Daulati Riches
Madraotty Madhumati The Terrible
Sogundara Sugandhara. The Scented
Geony Gyani The Lively or Expert
Choel Koil A bird in India
Lambac Lambuka (?) Lily Flower
Benofchu Banafshah The Violet
Gol rang Gul-rang Flower-coloured
Mendy Mendhi Red Colour [henna]
Sud barg Sad-barg Hundred-leaved
Cosh negu Khush-nigah The Courteous
Sandal Sandal Sandal
Dila Feros Dil-afroz Heart-delighting
Ginda del Zindah-dil Life of the Heart
Guet qui Ketaki Name of an Indian flower [keora]
[6] Nias bo Niyaz-bu Pleasant-smelling
Much naz Machh-naz (?) Smart and Agile
Moty Moti The Pearl
Nee Cadam Nek-qadam The Well-footed Beauty
203.1.4
Achanec Achanak The Unexpected Nas bo Naz-bue Balm, Basilicum Morgnen Mirg-nain Gazelle-eyed Nen sue Nain-sukh Repose of the Eyes Calval nen Kamal-nain Lotus-eyed Dil pasant Dil-pasand Flattering the Heart Dil alam Dil-aram Repose of the Heart Rang mala Rang-mala Crowned with Flowers Bassenty Basanti The Day of Festival Gombary Kamwari (?) Full of Industry Ira Hira The Diamond Coch-andam Khush-andam Perfect in Bearing Sareo gol Sarv-gul A Flower among Cypresses Quis mix Kishmish The ' Escuse ' (?) Pesta Pistah The Pistachio
All these names, and those which preceded, are more Indian than Persian. The kings are very choice about giving names to suit the persons receiving them. So much is this the case that they call these principal slaves by names having some connection either with their walk or their gestures, or their speech or their acts. They are all very well clad, and adorned with valuable jewels. They receive the same pay as the other slaves, and are under their orders ; and each has under her about ten women, over whom she rules.
203.1.5
The expenses of the mahal are extraordinary, for they never amount to less than a carol (karor) of rupees— that is, ten millions of rupees — which makes about fifteen millions of livres of Touraine. But out of this the king draws the money required for the sardpds, or robes, which he presents to generals and officers, as I have said (I. 54). The above expenditure will not appear incredible when we consider that all persons in India being extremely choice about, and fond of, scents and flowers, they disburse a great deal for essences of many kinds, for rose-water, and for scented oils distilled from different flowers. Besides all that expense, there is the betel, which is always in their mouths. It must also be noted that these are the daily expenses, to which must be added the continual purchases made of precious stones. From this cause the goldsmiths are almost continuously busy with the making of ornaments. The best and the most costly of their productions are for the king's person, the queens, and the princesses.
203.1.6
The latter make it one of their diversions to examine and show to others their jewellery. But they have their reasons for this ; for I have noticed several times myself when introduced into the rooms of these ladies, they having asserted that they had some reason for consulting me, that they often caused their ornaments and jewels to be brought, solely as an opening for a conversation. The things are brought in great trays of gold. They would inquire from me their virtues and properties, and make other similar remarks. During this time I had sufficient leisure to examine them, and I may say I have seen every sort of stone, some of an extraordinary size, and strings of pearls very equal in size, which at the first start I often took for various kinds of fruit. I say various kinds of fruit, for there were strings of rubies pierced and strung together just like the pearls, and about the size of a nut. These, by their red colour, diversified that of the pearls, and I took the whole for fruit.
203.1.7
These ladies keep their rubies in this condition in order not to diminish their size and weight, for they know quite well that no one but themselves would be able to wear them, and, on the other hand, they have no need to sell them. Thus they do not mind their being pierced. They wear these necklaces of jewels like scarves, on both shoulders, added to three strings of pearls on each side. Usually they have also three to five rows of pearls hanging from their neck, coming down as far as the lower part of the stomach. Upon the middle of the head is a bunch of pearls which hangs down as far as the centre of the forehead, with a valuable ornament of costly stones formed into the shape of the sun, or moon, or some star, or at times imitating different flowers. This suits them exceedingly well. On the right side they have a little round ornament (boucle), in which is a small ruby inserted between two pearls. In their ears are valuable stones, round the neck large pearls or strings of precious stones, and over these a valuable ornament having in its centre a big diamond, or ruby, or emerald, or sapphire, and round it huge pearls.
203.1.8
They wear on their arms, above the elbow, rich armlets two inches wide, enriched on the surface with stones, and having small bunches of pearls depending from them. At their wrists are very rich bracelets, or bands of pearls, which usually go round nine or twelve times. In this way they often have the place for feeling the pulse so covered up that I found it difficult to put my hand upon it. On their fingers are rich rings, and on the right thumb there is always a ring, where, in place of a stone, there is mounted a little round mirror, having pearls around it. This mirror they use to look at themselves, an act of which they are very fond, at any and every moment. In addition, they are girded with a sort of waistbelt of gold two fingers wide, covered all over with great stones; at the ends of the strings which tie up their drawers there are bunches of pearls made up of fifteen strings five fingers in length. Round the bottom of their legs are valuable metal rings or strings of costly pearls.