Storia do Mogor 210: Ce Bisti (Sih-bisti) — that is, 'Three Twenties.'
Storia do Mogor (Irvine) 210
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Ce Bisti (Sih-bisti) — that is, 'Three Twenties.'
210.1.1
When a man gets sixty rupees a month in the first class, he receives annually two thousand two hundred and fifty rupees; in the second, one thousand one hundred and twenty-five; and in the third, seven hundred and fifty. Charbisti (Chahar Bisti) — that is to say, ' Four Twenties.' When a man has eighty rupees a month in the first class, he receives annually three thousand rupees ; in the second, one thousand five hundred ; and in the third, one thousand. Hi Hec Sadi (Yak-sadi) — that is, ' One Hundred.' When a man has one hundred rupees a month in the first class, he receives annually three thousand seven hundred and fifty rupees ; in the second, one thousand eight hundred and seventy-five ; and in the third, twelve hundred and fifty. Do Sadi (Du-sadi) — that is, ' Two Hundred.' When a man has two hundred rupees a month in the first class, he receives seven thousand five hundred rupees a year ; in the second, three thousand seven hundred and fifty ; and in the third, two thousand five hundred. Sih Sadi (Sih-sadi) — that is, ' Three Hundred.' When a man has three hundred rupees a month in the first class, he receives annually eleven thousand two hundred and fifty rupees ; in the second, five thousand six hundred and twenty-five ; and in the third, three thousand seven hundred and fifty.
210.1.2
Char Sadi (Chahar-sadi) — that is, ' Four Hundred.' When a man has four hundred rupees a month in the first class, he receives annually fifteen thousand rupees ; in the second, seven thousand five hundred ; and in the third, five thousand. Pange Sadi (Panj-sadi) — that is, ' Five Hundred.' When a man has five hundred rupees a month in the first class, he receives eight thousand seven hundred and fifty rupees ; and in the third, six thousand two hundred and fifty. Chech Sadi (Shash-sadi) — that is, ' Six Hundred.' When a man has six hundred rupees a month in the first class, he receives annually twenty-two thousand five hundred rupees ; in the second, eleven thousand two hundred and fifty ; and in the third, seven thousand five hundred. Aff Sadi (Haft-sadi) — that is, ' Seven Hundred.' When a man has seven hundred rupees a month in the first class, he receives annually twenty-six thousand two hundred and fifty rupees ; in the second, thirteen thousand one hundred and twenty-five ; and in the third, eight thousand seven hundred and fifty. Ast Sadi (Hasht-sadi) — that is, ' Eight Hundred.' When a man has eight hundred rupees a month in the first class, he receives annually thirty thousand rupees ; in the second, fifteen thousand ; and in the third, ten thousand. Nou Sadi (Nuh-sadi) — that is, ' Nine Hundred.'
210.1.3
When a man has nine hundred rupees a month in the first class, he receives annually three thousand seven hundred and fifty rupees ; in the second, sixteen thousand eight hundred and seventy-five ; and in the third, eleven thousand two hundred and fifty. All the rates of pay given above, from twenty up to nine hundred rupees a month, are those the king gives to the mancebdars (mansabdar) — that is, ' nobles of the royal court.' To get the hazari or the pay of one thousand, it is necessary to wait a long time and work hard. For the kings only grant it sparingly, and only to those who by their services or their skill in affairs have arrived at the stage of deserving it. In having this rate of pay accorded to you, they give you also the title of omera (umara) — that is, ' noble.' Hi Hec Azary, Omarao (Yak Hazari, Umara) — that is, 'One Thousand ' and the title of Umara.
210.1.4
When you hold a hazari (one thousand) per month in the first class, you receive annually fifty thousand rupees ; in the second, twenty-five thousand ; and in the third, sixteen thousand six hundred and sixty-six and two-thirds. Men who have once risen to this rate of pay and the title of hazari are obliged to maintain at the court one elephant and six horses for the king's service. Those who are absent are required to leave orders with their representative to see after this duty, otherwise a deduction is made from your pay to meet the upkeep of an equal number of these animals. Men who hold the two hazari must maintain two elephants and twenty horses, and thus with each rise in pay a man is obliged to increase the number of these animals and their keep, in proportion to the number of hazaris that he holds. Do Azary Omarao (Du-hazari, Umara) — that is, 'Two Thousand' and the title of Umara. When a man has two hazari (thousand) a month in the first class, he receives annually a hundred thousand rupees; in the second, fifty thousand; and in the third, thirty-three thousand three hundred and thirty-three. Sih Azary, Omarao, Saeb Nobat (Sih-hazari, Umara, Sahib-i-Naubat) — that is, 'Lord of Musical Instruments.'
210.1.5
When a man has three thousand in the first class, he receives annually one hundred and fifty thousand rupees; in the second, seventy-five thousand; and in the third, fifty thousand. When you have reached this rate of pay and this height of honour, the king allows you to have a retinue of drums, flutes, and trumpets, which is almost the retinue of a prince. Char Azary, Omarao, Saeb Nobat (Chahar-hazari, Umara, Sahib-i-Naubat) — that is, 'Lord of Musical Instruments.' When a man has four hazaris a month in the first class, he receives annually two hundred thousand rupees; in the second, one hundred; and in the third, sixty-six thousand six hundred and sixty-six. Panje Azary, Omarao, Saeb Nobat (Panj-hazari, Umara, Sahib-i-Naubat)— that is, 'Lord of Musical Instruments.'
210.1.6
When a man has five hazaris in the first class, he receives two million fifty thousand rupees a year; in the second, one million twenty-five thousand rupees ; in the third, six hundred and eighty-three thousand six hundred and thirty-three [26]. Ordinarily persons who attain this rate of pay and this grade are already advanced in age, men of understanding and experience. When they hold it in the first class, they are viceroys or generals leading armies, and at court occupy all the most important positions ; but of these there are very few. Those holding this rank in the second class fill offices of the same kind as the first class, only of less importance ; these are more numerous. Finally, those of the third class have also charges similar to the others, and are also employed throughout the empire, each one according to his capacity and his birth. Of this last class there are still more than of the second class. Chech Azary, Omarao, and Cavany (Shash-hazari, Umara, and Khawanin) — that is, ' Gentleman of the Royal Household,' ' Lord of the State and Instruments.' These men are required to maintain soldiers of Do-aspa (Du-aspah) and of Ce-aspa (Sih-aspah) — that is, ' Soldiers with two and with three horses.'
210.1.7
Those persons who have six hazaris a month receive annually three millions of rupees ; those who have seven, three million five hundred thousand rupees, coupled with leave to keep a larger and more splendid retinue than others. But they are obliged to do the same duties as the rest, as already described. In the empire there are not usually at one time more than five or six persons who have reached this pre-eminent honour. These are the highest lords, and no subject who is not a prince can rise any higher. Their retinue is as large and as superb as a prince's. The only difference is that the allowances of the latter are much greater than those of the former. Nevertheless, over and above their fixed income, the king rewards them at times, and causes various amounts to be paid to them, under pretext that it is for their betel-leaf, their fruit, or their sweetmeats, and so forth. When the king fixes, or gives orders about, the allowances of a mansabdar or an umara, he does not talk of ' rupees,' but of dams, which is a money of account, of which they make forty go to the rupee. When he fixes the rate of pay of these gentlemen, or he makes any gift, he says they are to give to So-and-so so many thousands, so many lakhs, or so many karors of dams.
210.1.8
The foremost of those noblemen of whom I have just spoken is the Secretary of State; the next is the Viceroy of the province of Kabul; the third the Viceroy of the Dakhin; the fourth the Viceroy of Bengal; the fifth the Viceroy of Ujjain (= Malwah). Ordinarily these five lords may seat themselves in the presence of princes of the blood when these give them permission. Officers and soldiers on small pay are usually paid from the royal treasury; ten per cent. is deducted from their pay under the regulations made by King Akbar.
210.2.1
The queens and princesses are paid half from the royal treasury and half in land or in rents, which always yield more than the amount in exchange for which they have been granted. All the other women of the royal household are paid in ready money. Some of the chief physicians and some men of learning are also paid as the queens and princesses are, in proportion to their allowances. For paying the great multitude of people in the prince's service four places [of payment] are fixed, where all is carried out with much order. The persons who have three sadis of pay and higher rates, as far as seven hazaris, are required to maintain horses according to their pay. For this purpose they have assignments which produce a good revenue. A man getting the pay of a hazari in the first class is obliged to keep two hundred and fifty horsemen of different races—that is to say, sixty-four Pathans, sixty-four Mughals, sixty-four Rajputs; the remainder are Saiyids, Shekhzadahs, and so forth. The regulation still observed up to this day was made by King Akbar.
210.2.2
Those with the same rate in the second class are obliged to keep one hundred and twenty-five horsemen of the above races, and the same with all the other classes. So much so that all these lords are obliged to have cavalry, but proportionally, according to the rate of pay and the class they hold. In addition to their pay the king gives them, for the upkeep of this cavalry, lands and a special income, which ought to produce thirty rupees a day for each horseman. But usually these assignments bring in more than is set down in the king's registers as the sum for which they are allotted. A man, then, who has a hazari in the first class receives altogether every year — that is to say, in cash for his own pay and what is fixed for his soldiers — the sum of one hundred and forty thousand rupees. Those who have lower pay, such as four, five, and seven sadis and the rest, who are also under an obligation of maintaining cavalry, conduct themselves by the same regulation and in the same order. This governs all ranks up to seven hazaris.
210.2.3
Troopers in the king's service who have the pay of a bisti (twenty), are required to keep each one horse ; those who have two bisti must keep two ; and those who have the sad panjai (sad-panjahi) — that is, one hundred and fifty rupees — ought to keep three horses ; those with a sadi, two ; those with two sadis, four. Although in the course of time a man may get advanced as far as seven hazari (thousand), he remains always under the same obligation of maintaining four horses bearing the king's brand. All the horsemen who are mansabdars under the king must have impressed on the right flank of their horses a mark made like this y*), which is the royal brand. From the day that they get this mark made their pay begins. The generals also cause a brand to be placed on the horses of their troopers, but it is made on the left flank. Their brand is usually the first letter of their name, and their men's pay begins also on the day that the brand is imprinted. Every horseman in the king's service must have a Turkish horse, and not one reared in India. The latter are timid and restive. They must also equip themselves with armes blanches and a coat of mail. The princes of the blood royal administer their households in the same manner, but from the pay of their soldiers there is a deduction of twenty per cent.
210.2.4
In spite of all that is said above, I must give warning that the king does not generally pay everyone by the rules that I have inserted. For since there are in his service an innumerable crowd of men with varying employments and duties, he on his side makes many differing rates of pay, giving from a bistī (twenty) and a bistī and a half to some, up to a sadī (hundred) and a sadī and a half to others, going on increasing, to some more to some less, till one hazārī (thousand) is reached. At that point the title of umarā (noble) is given, and from hazārī (thousand) a man rises from rank to rank by gradations. There is still another mode of payment called ruzindar (rozīnah-dār) — that is, pay by the day given to infantry and cavalry. Yet, although they have this name, they are not thus paid: several months are allowed to elapse. Usually in the mahal, or the apartments in which are secluded the women of the king's household, as I have described several times (III. 3-10), all allowances are of this sort, excepting, however, those of the queens and princesses. Of these [allowances], the lowest are of half a rupee; the rest are of one, two, four, seven, ten, and up to twenty and thirty; in this the quality of the person and his merits are regarded. Christians — that is to say, the gunners and the surgeons — are also paid after this manner.
210.2.5
All soldiers, high and low, generals and captains, are forced to give surety, and without it they cannot obtain employment. This practice is so common and so general that even the princes find it necessary to conform to the custom. Whenever the king, or some commander in his name, wants to raise soldiers, infantry or cavalry, it is not necessary to make any great stir. For a thousand at a time will attend to take service, and of these the best are chosen. This applies as much to the cavalry as to the infantry; still, there are more who present themselves for the latter service than the former. When the horse of a trooper dies, he must on the same day bring the hide with the brand and the other marks on it for inspection of the officer in charge of that duty. He is given seven days to buy another, otherwise his pay is reduced. Twice a year the bachi (bakhshī), the chief commander of cavalry, holds a review of all the cavalry present at court, examines all the horses, and sees whether any of them are old and unfit for service. In the latter case he makes the owners get rid of them and buy others. Throughout the empire there are similar officers bearing the same name, and these are required each in his locality to perform the same duty. When the king dispatches any officer, it is necessary for him to appear at the head of his troops and show them in review order on the river-bank below the royal palace, and three days after that he is bound to start.
210.2.6
If the troopers are not good men and do not make a good appearance they are turned out, or their pay is deducted from that disbursed to the generals or captains. These gentlemen (the generals) have generally each in his stable fifty, a hundred, and up to two hundred horses for show or service. On the day of the review they equip their servitors and mount them on these horses, and pass them off as soldiers, putting to the account of profit the pay these men draw. In every quarter of the empire there are officials who keep an eye on everything, or, at least, ought to do so; for, being at a distance from the court, they do not acquit themselves of their duty as loyal subjects ought. But they are negligent by reason of the presents given them to that intent by the persons interested. Owing to these considerations they practise concealment, and never dream of enforcing the performance of duties. Many a time have I witnessed this. Those who ought to keep fifty horses, more or less, very frequently have no more than six to eight, and entertain no soldiers, although there are men ready to enlist with branded horses, such as I have described. To all these regulations they pay little or no heed, thinking solely of their own enjoyments, without troubling about anything else.
210.2.7
The generals and officers keep to no fixed rules in paying their soldiers, for to some they will give twenty or thirty rupees, to others forty, fifty, or a hundred. Usually they make great promises, but not even a half is received, each one paying according to his caprice and the reputation that he is emulous of acquiring for his efficient retinue or establishments. The wretched soldiers naturally agree to anything, all the more readily since they have no other means of livelihood. All this contributes much to the bad payment of everyone that is so common; for the money they get comes to them only in driblets, and when all is said and done it does not come to a great deal. For in respect of one year's service they receive six or eight months' pay. Even that is not all in coin; they are always foisted off as respects two months' pay with clothes and old raiment from the household. Over and above this, there is almost always due to them the pay for two or three years' service. The soldiers are obliged to borrow money at interest from the sarráfs, or money-changers. These men lend to them, it is true, but it is hardly ever without a command from the general or officer; and these latter have an understanding with them about the profit from interest, which they share between them.
210.3.1
Sometimes the soldiers sell their papers to these money-changers, who for a note of hand for one hundred rupees will give them twenty or twenty-five. It is by these and such-like extortions that these generals ruin the wretched soldier, who, unable to find other means of gaining his bread, is forced to remain on in his service. Speaking generally, it is impossible for them to escape such extortions, for these disorders reign throughout all the princes' establishments. If anyone resigns service at his own request, they deduct two months' pay. Actually, as I am writing on this subject, an affair has arisen at St. Thomé which proves the truth of what I say. One thousand soldiers from the fortress of Gingy (Jinjī), which is in the Carnate (Karnātik), have come to the aforesaid St. Thomé to pray the dīwān to give them enough to meet their expenses, not only for themselves, but for seven thousand others who had remained behind in the fortress. They ask this as a sum on account in respect of three years of pay owed to them by the king. At first he refused, but in spite of that they have so pressed him that at last he has given them five months' pay, half in money and half in old clothes, reckoned by him at a good deal above their value.
210.3.2
In these days many similar disputes occur, owing to the want of order in the government, and everybody's only thought is to steal. But whatever happens, it rarely reaches the king's ears, for he being old — some eighty-five years of age — and also taken up with this war against the Shiva Ji (the Mahrattahs), his empire, too, being of such a vast extent, he is unable to put a stop to all this injustice and misrule, which his ministers carry on with impunity. They tell him what they please, and having their friends and agents at court, they cause presents to be made to this man and that, by which means they obtain what they want, joined with impunity for everything. There are even some officers who, being far away from headquarters, do not obey the orders coming to them from the king; and when they are [30] commanded to relieve any place or assist any person, they invent excuses on the ground that they have not the requisite funds. Thereupon the king makes payment to them of some money out of his treasury, to be deducted thereafter from their pay. But in the interval it often happens that the enemy invade the country and carry off all they can find. These officers think only of their own interests, and they occasion great loss to private individuals recommended to them. This I have seen happen many times, and here is an instance which is quite recent.
210.3.3
It consists in what happened to the Chevalier Nouris (Sir William Norris), ambassador of England, this gentleman being on the point of starting from the port of Machhlipatnam on his way to court with four halberdiers with silver maces, men sent to him by the king to accompany him, and also a asbelocum (hasb-ul-hukm)—that is, a special order to all the viceroys, governors, and deputies to allow him passage, and to escort him to the frontier of each man's province. He made a start, but from the very first stage he was stopped by the faujdar, or king's deputy, who asserted that he must pay customs duty on what he was carrying. The man said the king's orders were worth nothing in this matter; the halberdiers wanted to intervene, but their protestations were equally without effect. The result was that the ambassador was forced to retrace his steps and sell all the animals he had, such as horses, camels, bullocks, etc., his carts, and other requisites for such journeys. This has caused him considerable loss through the great expense incurred, the whole of which was thrown away.
210.3.4
This ambassador afterwards embarked for the port of Surat in the month of August of the year 1700, meaning to travel thence to the court, and there renew his efforts for the establishment of the new English company's trade within the Mogul empire. Those gentlemen wrote me several letters, principally Jean Pitt, consul of the new company, praying me to help them in their business at the court, which I was unable to perform for many reasons.
210.3.5
By all that I have stated above it can be seen that the government of the Mogul empire is nothing but one vast disorder. Upon this it will not be, I think, inappropriate to recount another adventure concerning an old woman. This old woman complained to the king that the officials had taken her land ; and in reference thereto at six different times did the king give her his asbelocums (hasb-ul-hukm), or his written order, to get her back her property. In spite of all this, nothing came of it. When she came with a seventh rescript, the officials lost their temper, and had her thrust out with the words that, if she came again with orders like that, they would throw her into a place which they named plainly enough, but decency requires me to leave unsaid. Back went the good lady to complain to the king while he was seated giving audience ; she shouted out to him the answer she had got from his officials. Without getting angry, the prince replied that as they would not obey, he could do nothing, and she must lay her plaints before God. Yet it is by similar neglect that the kingdom has now been brought to ruin, for if Aurangzeb followed the course of his father, there would not be seen so much disorder as is to be found nowadays. For any such disobedience he (Shahjahan) had the man's head cut off, or took his life by means of venomous snakes.
210.3.6
In addition to all this, it is not alone the Mogul's officials who cause the maladministration, but the prince himself many a time does not keep his word. For he may make, be it to a prince or to a subject, the present of a province or of some allowance from it, or some other thing of considerable extent ; and he may confirm it by the royal farmdn usually issued in such cases (I will give a delineation of one further on). Nevertheless, it often happens that the present Mogul has no hesitation in falsifying his word and that of others, and making a mock of his own farmans. As an example of what I say, Shahjahan had given a village to 'All Mardan Khan, quite near the river Chenon (Chinab); it was called Nicader (Nikodar). It was given in perpetuity, for himself and his descendants. Aurangzeb, disregarding the word of his father and his king, and without the commission of any fault by 'All Mardan Khan, took possession of the place and ousted the possessor. He did just the same to Rajah Jai Singh, and occupied the lands conquered by that noble from the rebel Mewatls and those in the province of Saomber (Sambhar). This is just the way he behaved to Shiva jT, as I have related (II. 17). The Hindu king, the Rana, and many others that I do not mention, have suffered from the same sort of deception, not to call it anything more.
210.3.7
He also broke faith with the Dutch. On different occasions they sent embassies to the court to ask for a farmdn according them some privileges that they had long asked for without ever being able to obtain. At last, in the year 1688, they sent a person called Mr. Bald as their ambassador, with a superb and magnificent retinue, as a means of demonstrating their power. They also sent a considerable present for the King, which had cost more than two hundred thousand pieces of eight, this without counting all the expenses he incurred during the year's time he was made to wait before he got his letters answered. Nevertheless, during his stay the king gave him many marks of favour, honoured him with the title of Golzar can (Gulzar Khan)—that is, 'Great and Flourishing'—and at length sent him away with a properly-executed farman, which granted to his nation the privileges they asked for.
210.3.8
When the ambassador had returned to Masulipatam, the Dutch, relying on the king's word and on the farman they had obtained from him, sent some bullocks and carts loaded with merchandise, such as spices, broadcloth, copper, and other things, to be sold at various spots in the empire. But at the very start the whole was stopped by the king's officers, who demanded payment to them of customs' duty, saying that the farman did not deal with that question. This affair raised some amount of dispute between the two parties, and the officers wrote to court that the farman obtained by the Dutch had raised their pride and haughtiness to such a degree that, abandoning all respect for His Majesty's officers, they had raised their hands against them. They aggravated still more the offence [32] they pretended to have received by several additional details. Thereupon the king, without having heard the Dutch story, set aside the farman he had issued to them, and declared it of no effect.