Storia do Mogor 238.7.7

238.7.7

In addition to the robes of honour, the elephants, horses, arms, et cetera, which the Mogul confers as gifts on his vassals, as I have already said, he has also other favours for the greater men at his court or in the empire. Once every year he confers a bardni — that is, 'protection from the rain'; it is a cape of very fine broadcloth. The greatest honour that the king can do to one of these nobles is to marry him to some relation of the queens and princesses. Similarly, as a proof that he holds any person in high estimation, he takes off from his body his upper coat and makes the man put it on in his presence, to signify that he loves him as he does his own person. In spite of all these condescensions, Aurangzeb never hesitated to take the life of Rajah Jai Singh and the others, as I have seen ; and through this policy of affection he continues to destroy.