Storia do Mogor 238.5.2

238.5.2

These [the Pathans] for the greater part serve as soldiers ; others are merchants ; and they resort to no other occupations. They are very avaricious and foolhardy. When they come to court they are well-clad and well-armed, caracolling on fine horses richly caparisoned, posing as persons of some consideration, and followed by several servants borrowed or hired for the day. On reaching their house they divest themselves of all this finery, and, tying a scanty cloth round their loins and wrapping a rag round their head, they take their seat on a mat, and live on quichire (kichrl) — i.e., rice and lentils — or badly-cooked cow's flesh of low quality, which is very abundant in the Mogul country and very cheap. In this manner they put by money and grow into merchants. They are very jealous about their women, are not very literate, fond of the chase and of dogs, dextrous with bows. They hate the Moguls so much that they will not intermarry with them ; they are extremely pretentious, each one thinking himself greater than the rest, and decline to concede to others any superiority.