Storia do Mogor 292.1
Storia do Mogor (Irvine) 292.1
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292.1.1
having heard what was passing, made use of the occasion to send him a present and congratulate him on his auspicious arrival. With this object they prayed me to render this service to their Company, and they associated with me in the task a Brahman clerk long in the service of the Company, whose name was Ramapa. At that time he was not in their service. I started and carried with me a fine present, consisting of two cannon, several lengths of broad-cloth in scarlet and other colours, other pieces of gold cloth of Europe and China, and several rareties such as mirrors of all sizes, different kinds of crystal vases, and some weapons such as fusils, pistols, and sabres; also different kinds of wine; added to all of which was a sum of five thousand rupees. As soon as Da,ud Khan heard that I was coming, he desired to honour me so far as to send a captain with thirty horsemen and fifty musketeers to receive me at a distance of five leagues from his camp. On the following day I gave myself the honour of going to visit him, when he displayed much tenderness and friendliness. Next I conveyed to him compliments on behalf of our governor; but he let me understand that he felt much resentment, and complained that they had not already paid him a visit. They had not taken the same trouble as the Portuguese to pay him the usual compliments.
292.1.2
My answer was [89] that when other governors had come to occupy the position he held, it was the custom to visit them at this very place where he now was. I could not run the risk of going any farther, on account of the great forests there were, filled with robbers, where I might possibly receive some injury and lose much of what I was bringing. The Portuguese could run a greater risk, for they brought nothing with them, and came only to demand favours. He seemed satisfied with these reasons and others that I gave him on the subject, and after much discourse on divers matters, I laid before him a letter, and said to him that I had a present to offer on behalf of the governor and of the company; and I prayed most humbly that he would deign to accept it. His reply was that I need then only retire for repose to a tent which he had had erected for me close to his mansion. He would send word to me of the hour at which I could appear, as is the custom among the Mahomedans. Thereupon I took my leave of the general and retired to the tent, and it was impossible for me to get away from it to pay my respects to the first minister, Mahamad Sayd (Muhammad Sa'id, the diwan), and all the other officers. For I expected from one moment to another to be called, nor did I wish to allow any opening for the complaint that I was not found in my lodgings.
292.1.3
With this thought in my mind I wanted to send the above-mentioned Brahman to visit the chief minister, but he objected that it was late, and he wanted to bathe his body according to their custom, which is to bathe every day. Although he deceived me, I believed him all the same. However, not to neglect entirely my duty, according to the customs of the court, I sent a very honest youth, that I had brought with me from Madras, to make my compliments to the chief minister and intimate to him my arrival in the army. I sent him word that as it was late I was unable to acquit myself of what was due from me to him, but that in the morning I would do so without fail.
292.1.4
About half-past seven o'clock at night, Da,ud Khan sent me word that I might bring the present before him. This I did to a great extent, only keeping back in my custody the money and some of the trifling things. The reason for my so acting was that I could not then give him the money secretly, by reason of his being accompanied by many officers and other persons of consideration. Moreover, they look on it as a distinction and an honour to receive presents in public, but as regards money they never take it but in secret. I was thus obliged to beg him in a low voice to give me instructions to whom it should be delivered. He replied in the same way that I must keep it, that afterwards he would dispose of it as he judged most fitting. The Brahman, Ramapa, did not fail to notice the good reception given me, and all the honours showered on me, as also the friendliness displayed more and more by Da,ud Khan. Besides, the Nawab had fed me splendidly that evening, and had directed his major-domo to supply my table all the time I was with him just as if it were his own. For these reasons he (Ramapa), like a fool, proceeded to imagine that this would suffice, that the present had done all that was required, and thus it was of no use to give him (Da,ud Khan) anything more. It was advisable, Ramapa thought, to keep the money; and on this he imparted to me his idea.
292.1.5
He suggested that we should all the same enter it without fail in our account, and tell the governor that we had paid it over. To speak the truth, I was surprised at such a proposal, and to start with fell into such a violent rage with this Brahman that, in opposition to my nature, I spoke several sharp and harsh words to him, and went so far as to style him a thief and a traitor. For he knew very well that with the Mahomedans no present was better or more esteemed than money. The following day Da,ud Khan sent one of his servants to spy out the land, and discover from the Brahman how much money he had with him, and bring back a faithful report. He (Ramapa) quite forgot that the day before he had reported to another servant of this same Da,ud Khan that, in addition to the presents, we had brought some money, and this he had let out without first speaking to me. He told the second messenger that we had brought no money at all. At this information the general was so irritated that he sent back the present he had already accepted, and displayed extraordinary indignation against the Company. Yet with regard to me, he showed me still the same esteem, and did me always the same honour as before, in my quality of his sincere friend. As for the Brahman, he declined to see him again, and ordered the door of the house to be shut against him.
292.1.6
However, as soon as I saw the present come back, I went off to see Da,ud Khan, to whom in the sweetest and most flattering language I pointed out the injury that might be inflicted on me. I prayed him most humbly, even if he had no concern for the Company, at least to call to mind our ancient friendship. I was rather esteemed and liked by the English and the gentlemen of the Company. As they had heard of the friendship and respect that he (Da,ud Khan) had for me, that fact had induced them to send me to him to carry through their business with him. Furthermore, they knew my honesty and loyalty. His reply was that, as for me, he would do anything I wanted, but that the English, settled within the country of the king, his master, possessed a strong place most useful and highly suitable for all sorts of merchandise and traffic. They had always been left undisturbed, and yet, without regard to the past, they now treated him in the most cavalier spirit, and gave him next to nothing. They failed to reflect that they had enriched themselves in his country to a most extraordinary degree. He believed they must have forgotten that he was general over the province of the Karnatik, and that since the fall of the Gulkandah kingdom they had rendered no account of their administration, good or bad, commencing with 1686. Nor had they accounted for the revenues from tobacco, betel, wine, et cetera, which reached a considerable sum every year.
292.1.7
In his capacity of governor-general of the province he was forced to work for the progress and benefit of the king's interests. The English were very much mistaken if they thought by two thousand four hundred patacas [Rs. 4,800] to discharge the whole of their debt, and enjoy [91] freely all the revenues appertaining to the crown of his prince. All this he said with the greatest imaginable fury and passion, which were increased by his hatred of the English for having killed his brother-in-law, who was slain in the fight at Cuddalore, as I have stated (IV. 85), while serving in the army of Sulaiman Khan, the general's brother. After his rage had cooled a little, he made me sit down beside him, and caused Ramapa to be sent for. To him he said in harsh words that he did not mean to accept the present; he might carry it back to his governor; for his part he did not accept presents of that sort. He would come himself with all promptitude possible to take what he anticipated would suit him better. As regards Manouchy, he would not allow of his return to Madras; he meant to retain him for himself, and still more so because he happened to want him for the treatment of some ailments. At these words the Brahman withdrew and repaired to the tent and waited for me, so that we might concert what ought to be done at this conjuncture. But at the same moment the general called a captain known to me, named Mirmoin (?
292.1.8
Mir Mu'in), an Uzbak by race, and ordered him to take two hundred horse and two thousand infantry, and proceed to Madras with all the haste he could. He was to invest that place, and prevent anything going into or coming out of it. He meant to follow in person very shortly. But the coming on of night hindered the execution of these orders with all the haste that he desired, for they are very slow in making a start. Thus after supper I had the time to hold a conversation with Da,ud Khan at great length; and still more easy was it to do so that he was in high spirits, having drunk copiously of the European wines that I had brought for him. I began this talk by remarking to him that if he was so kind as to hold me in such great esteem, I must humbly supplicate him not to send either the captain or the soldiers. The matter was of the utmost importance for my reputation, which I placed entirely in his hands. If these soldiers proceeded to Madras, all the European nations, as well as the English, would attribute the fault to me; I should pass among them for a man void of either faith or fealty in any business confided to me.