Storia do Mogor 281.9
Storia do Mogor (Irvine) 281.9
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281.9.1
I will not insert here what happened to Monsieur de la Haye, for it can all be seen in the writings of several other inquirers. But I cannot refrain from saying that the French during their stay in India always bear themselves so boldly and valiantly that they gain the respect of everybody, and hold pre-eminence over all the other nations of Europe. Nevertheless, the King of Gulkandah, through pressure from the Dutch Council, caused that town (San Thome) to be razed to the ground for fear the French might retake it. Not one stone was left upon another. The Portuguese removed thence to Madras, where they lived up to [16]86, when they obtained from the king, Abul Hasan, who had succeeded to Qutb Shah [i.e., 'Abdullah], fresh permission to take up their residence in that town. Since then they have erected buildings and established a sort of government. They hold the land at a rent and pay so much a year. It was there that the affair happened to me of which I have spoken in my Third Part (III. 187, year 1688).
281.9.2
After some time there arrived at the town (San Thomé) the most illustrious Lord Dom Gaspar Alfonco, Bishop of Meliapur (Mailapur) and other places. This prelate held in his hands both civil and ecclesiastical jurisdiction. Yet he did not meddle much in the former branch. However, as I noticed that he did me the honour to like and esteem me, I begged him to see me righted in the injustice that had been done me. After I had told him my story a few days elapsed. He then gave me his reply, telling me I was in the wrong, that the judges owed me no redress, that it was the Chief Captain who had done the wrong, and it was he who ought to do me amends. ' But,' he added, ' he is no longer in this world, and has left nothing. That is a misfortune for you, but you must bear it, as one must the other ills of this life.' I resented acutely the inequity of this answer; however, I did not show this for several years. All that time I was reflecting on how I could bring him to feel the injustice of his finding. Finally I determined to take as my model what the prophet Nathan said to David to bring home to him his sin. Full of this thought, off I went to visit the said bishop, putting on a vexed and melancholy air. When we had exchanged compliments I told him I had come to ask him for advice on a thing that had happened to me. To this he replied that with all his heart he would render me such service in all matters as was within his power.
281.9.3
' Monsignor,' said I, ' when I lived with my fellow-countryman, Hortense Bromsoune (Ortenzio Bronzoni), we were both very well known, had good credit, and everybody esteemed us. This induced Juan Dias d'Almeda and Diogo Mendez Botelho to confide to us a chest which contained a quantity of money. My comrade, driven by I know not what necessity, or perhaps by envy, had a false key made, and withdrew one thousand rupees from the chest. This he did in the face of all that I could say to prevent him. Some months afterwards the two Portuguese came and removed their chest. It was not long before they noticed that one thousand rupees were deficient from the total sum. They complained, but as we were well supported we rejected their demand in sharp terms, and ejected them from our house, protesting that they were forgers and rogues.
281.9.4
' Some time afterwards my comrade died, and left me as his testamentary executor. However, as a long time had passed, the affair was no longer spoken of. Now they wish to revive it, and a few days ago I received a letter from the aforesaid Portuguese in which they set forth the distress they are in, that they have a daughter to be married, that I should reflect whether in conscience I do not owe them for that deficiency of one thousand rupees which occurred within my house.' I added some words praying the bishop to tell me as a matter of conscience whether I was under an obligation to pay that money, with the interest accrued since that time. It was to be remembered that I had not consented to the theft. He answered that I was under an obligation to pay. I took my leave of the prelate and went to see the Jesuits and other regulars and priests, men learned in the law. I told them the same story, and all replied to me in the same terms, but had no idea of the inference I intended to deduce from their answer. It was my object to make them admit out of their own mouth that what they had decided in my case was unjust, for my case was absolutely identical, changing only the persons. I had been robbed, the inhabitants of San Thome were consenting parties to the theft, and Manoel Texeira was the Ortenzio Bronzoni who had taken my property.
281.9.5
Some of those religious persons read the riddle after I had left, and they told me afterwards I was very clever. But all that was no more than compliments, for that did not hinder the greater number of them from giving certificates in the very teeth of the equity of my demand, clear and evident as that was. Although this business has no interest for the public, I have thought it might serve as a warning to those who travel in these distant parts. It will teach them not to allow their property to be taken from them, for once it has gone, the best arguments in the world will be useless in procuring them redress.
281.9.6
As soon as the Portuguese heard that the Mogul had occupied the kingdom of Gulkandah, they dispatched an embassy to the prince asking for a confirmation of the privileges that the previous (Qutb Shahi) king had granted them. This demand was conceded to them on condition of paying dues in the way the Dutch paid them at Masulipatam. At the end of August, 1702, there arrived at San Thome the deputy-governor of the whole Karnatik. His name was Mahamud Sahid (Muhammad Sa'id). This noble was very ill, and came to me at San Thome in the hope of my treating him for his complaint. I carried this out with such success that in a short time, with God's help, he was restored to his original health. At this he was so satisfied that he paid me largely for my trouble. He gave me two hundred patacas, a horse of the same value, some lengths of silk, and the income of two villages and their hamlets, to be held during the whole time he governed the province.
281.9.7
Before he departed for the war he caused an earthen wall to be made all round San Thomé, including not only the quarter of the Mahomedans, but that in which the Portuguese dwell. He wrote afterwards to his king that it was good for his interests and an advantage to the crown to make of these places one single village. He added that he had two hundred thousand patacas already in hand for the purpose. He awaited only the orders of his majesty to carry out the plan. Just when the walls had been begun an Augustinian friar stepped over them, was taken prisoner, and led ignominiously before the magistrate, and only obtained release by the payment of money.
281.9.8
It was during the years 1678 and 1679 that Aurangzeb decided to impose a new tribute upon all the Hindus. All the high-placed and important men at the court opposed themselves to this measure. They besought the king most humbly to refrain ; they represented to him that it would be too heavy a burden upon the people, not only from the novelty [29] of such a tribute, but because the means of his subjects did not suffice for paying such severe demands every year. Of all the other kings, both Pathan and Mogul, not one had engaged in the oppression of his subjects by similar impositions. But all was in vain, and the king stood firm, still more so because it was his purpose to spread the Mahomedan religion among those people (the Hindus). He was of the opinion that he had found in this tax an excellent means of succeeding in converting them, besides thereby replenishing his treasuries greatly, which were daily becoming depleted. The cause of this falling off was either that the revenue was not collected, or that he had been obliged to remit several demands. Therefore he replied to those nobles: 'Think not I am like my grandfather, Jahangir, who spent his time listening to the poet Birbal and his music, or in looking on at plays and other games. No! no! It will never be like that with me. All my thoughts are turned towards the welfare and the development of my kingdom, and towards the propagation of the religion of the great Muhammad.'