Storia do Mogor 238.4
Storia do Mogor (Irvine) 238.4
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238.4.1
If any of these soldiers are in any degree well served, it is because they are accompanied by a wife and some negro women, with whom the servants have intrigues, and through this attraction follow him. They are otherwise reluctant to accompany a master on a campaign, because they undergo hunger on the road, and are interfered with by the enemy. Many a time food is worth three to four, or even eight to ten rupees a cera (ser), which is a current weight, and is of twenty-eight ounces. In the campaigns against Bijapur, Gulkandah, and Shiva Ji, one ser weight sold at eighteen rupees, but this did not last many days. Meanwhile the soldiers are obliged to give the servant his food, and during the actual time of the king's campaign against Shiva Ji one bullock's load of grass was worth ten rupees; and during all the wars of Aurangzeb there were high prices and plague.
238.4.2
In the empire is another Hindu race called Kaet (Kayath), who are great scribes and arithmeticians, and through these arts they rule all the courts. Though they receive no high pay, they are still much cherished by the great for their good advice. These men are fond of alcohol, and make sacrifice with it to their idols. In the early morning they bathe their bodies, and almost naked, begin their prayers before the idol, near which they place their pen-and-ink box, with a bottle of the best liquor they can procure. During the ceremony, which usually lasts about an hour, they pour into the inkstand some drops of liquor with the right hand, and taking a little in the same hand, throw it upon the idol, and offer the pen-box to it, petitioning for the god's aid through it. Such-like idols are small, and generally made of metal.
238.4.3
In Shahjahan's time a soldier went to draw his pay, and the official, who was a kayath, could not attend to him at once, as he was busy. The angry soldier threatened him, saying he should have to smash his teeth with his sword. The official said nothing, and paid him; then, jesting, said that with his pen he could do more than he with his sword. The sharp-witted scribe, to get his revenge for the menace, wrote in the book where was entered the soldier's descriptive-roll that he had lost [71] two of his front teeth. For it is the practice in the Mogul country to write the names and personal marks of those who are employed. Some months elapsed, and the soldier appeared again for his pay. The clerk opened the book, and found by the description that he was not the man entitled to that pay, for he had two front teeth more than were recorded in the register of descriptive-rolls. The soldier was put to confusion; his protests and arguments were unavailing; and seeing no other course if he would not lose his pay and his place, he was obliged to have two front teeth extracted to agree with the record, and in that way got his pay. Throughout the empire the king is obliged to maintain fosdars (faujdars)—that is, 'lords of an army'—for if he had no such officers no one would pay him either revenue or tribute.
238.4.4
For the people of India never pay without being forced, and to collect half the total quantity of supplies that they are under obligation to pay to the crown, it is necessary to tie up the principal husbandmen. These latter collect with equally severe measures from the peasants. To obtain satisfaction of the demands made, when they find soft words and reasoning are of no use, they bind the men and give them a good beating. It is the peasants' habit to go on refusing payment, asserting that they have no money. The chastisements and the instruments are very severe. They are also made to endure hunger and thirst. From time to time they pay a trifling instalment, and the punishments being renewed again and again, they begin to pay little by little, finding they are unable to endure so much torment. Many of them carry on their persons the sum that they owe, bound in various parts. When against their will they find they have to pay, they draw forth a trifle, and declare they have no more. The punishment recommences; then they feign death (as sometimes really happens), fall on the ground, turn up their eyes, and quiver with their hands and feet. But this trick secures them no compassion, for it is well known. They are bound to some tree, and once more are showered on them blows and corolados. The latter are applied with a well-twisted rope, in shape like an ox-tail, an inch in thickness and a fathom in length.
238.4.5
With this instrument they flog on the ribs with all their strength, and it encircles the whole body, making wheals an inch wide and breaking the skin. In this way, little by little, the peasants pay what they owe. This habit is much honoured among husbandmen — that is, never to pay readily; and to undergo these torments and this disgrace is among them an honour. He who gets most blows and suffers the most is the most esteemed. If, perchance, the soil does not produce a crop, by reason of the rain failing, they sell their sons and their cattle to meet what they are obliged to pay. For the king takes one moiety and leaves them the other. These faujdārs have to supervise the roads, and should any merchant or traveller be robbed in daylight, they are obliged to pay compensation. If robbed at night, it is the traveller's fault for not having halted earlier, and he loses all, without his complaint being heard. In the days of Shāhjahān there was at court an ambassador of the Grand Turk, who, on seeing this great harshness, said to the king that it seemed to him that much cruelty was thus inflicted on his subjects. The king replied: 'Do not imagine that these people are like those of Turkey. If I did not deal with them thus, they would never leave me a moment's peace.'
238.4.6
It is quite true that if the common people here have four rupees, they are quite high and mighty and decline service. It is only when they have nothing to eat that they take service. They have no skill unless it is enforced on them by harsh treatment. It is for this reason that the Moguls call this population zolom parest (zulm-parast) — that is, 'tyranny adorers.' Sometimes these faujdārs commit excessive acts of oppression, which cause rebellion and bring on battles. If the villagers are defeated, everyone is killed that is met with, and their wives, sons, daughters, and cattle are carried off. The best-looking of these girls are presented to the king under the designation of rebels. Others they keep for themselves, and the rest are sold. At this time, when Aurangzeb is reigning, they do worse still. As the aged and wealthy officers and officials die off, he has sent, and still sends, younger leaders. These, in their eagerness to become rich, plunder and act wrongfully. They bribe the waqi'ah-navis (official reporter) and the khufiyah-navis (secret intelligencer), so that the king may never hear.
238.4.7
In this way the people suffer, and those who are the most distant from the court suffer the most. Besides all these inflictions they have other losses, for when the soldiery passes through they plunder everything they can lay hands on — cattle, food-supplies, grass, straw; they destroy houses to get firewood, and on the villagers' heads they load their baggage, and by dint of blows force them to carry it. To me it seems that this is God's chastisement, merited by their evil deeds. Never are they ready to listen to reason; they are all very troublesome, high and low, without shame, neither having the fear of God. The Hindus who turn Mahomedans are the worst of all; these are ordinarily the most insolent, the greatest talkers, and held in no consideration. As for Europeans who come to India, they must arm themselves with great patience and prudence, for not a soul will speak the truth to them, this being the general habit of India. Although they are deceivers, selfish, contumacious, and unworthy of belief [themselves], we are abhorred by the lower classes, who hold us to be impure, being themselves worse than pigs.
238.4.8
It is now forty-eight years that I have been in India, yet never have I seen a Mahomedan become a Christian. But I can say that many a Christian has pretended to be a Mahomedan, some to get pay and allowances at the court, and others in connection with women or other unruliness. I noticed that no person of seriousness fell into such an error, as is shown by what happened to a Portuguese married in the city of Dihli.