Storia do Mogor 334: ATTESTATIONS TO CERTIFICATE
Storia do Mogor (Irvine) 334
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ATTESTATIONS TO CERTIFICATE
334.1
We, the undersigned, Friar Anthoine de Santiago and Friar Martin de St. Jean, professed religious in the Province of Mere de Dieu of the reformed discalced order of the Capuchins of Our Father St. Francis in the East Indies, the one Guardian of the Convent of the Mere de Dieu at Goa, and the other Assistant Commissary to the Reverend Father Provincial, Friar Hyacinthe de Dieu, Hereby certify that the present certificate above written of the Reverend Father Friar Manuel de St. Joseph, preacher, who has been very frequently Superior of the Province of the Apostle St. Thomas, and Definitor in that of the Mother of God, is written and signed by his own hand, for we know thoroughly well his handwriting and signature ; and we therefore certify and swear to the above each by his religious profession and in verbo sacerdotis, and in attestation thereof have both of us signed these presents with our sign manual. I, Friar Anthoine de Santiago, have written the present attestation with my hand, and jointly with me has signed Friar Martin de St. Jean, Provincial Commissary, and we have appended the seal of our Convent of the Mere de Dieu. Done at Goa this 19th October, 1650. (Signed) Fr. Anthoine de Santiago, ut supra. (Signed) Fr. Martin de St. Jean, ut supra. [Folio 148 is blank.]
334.2
[149] When the Great Mogul placed the government of the Karnatik in the hands of Da,ud Khan, he gave him secret orders to put to death certain powerful princes. These orders the other generals, his predecessors, had found impossible of execution ; but this one, aware that his strength was not sufficient to execute his purpose, had recourse to stratagem. He made abundant promises to these princes, and thereby induced them to pay him a visit. However, they did not put much trust in him, more especially as they knew Mahomedan ways; they usually promise a great deal, and afterwards perform the very least they can. Therefore those princes came to visit him at the head of an army of one hundred thousand soldiers. But Da,ud Khan feared neither them nor their army. He did not forego his design. When they came to bid him good-bye, he engaged them in conversation. He was seated in the middle. Seizing a poignard, he killed one on the spot, and with the other hand grasped the second one's beard. This man was made a prisoner, and a few hours afterwards his life was taken. When this event reached the ears of the army of these two unfortunate princes, this immense multitude, instead of avenging their masters, took to flight, for it is the ordinary custom of this country that on the death of a commander his soldiers forthwith take to flight. The name of the leader killed with the poignard was Mattalava, and that of the other Sevagy (Shiva Ji).
334.3
There can be no doubt that this Da,ud Khan is valiant and bold, but sometimes cruel, as I know from experience. His legitimate wife having at two different times brought forth daughters, when report of their birth was made to him he entered his seraglio, or mahal, took the infants and tyrannically cut them into pieces. He said that those men should not be praised who were proud of having offspring. However, the wife, cast down at finding herself in the hands of such a tyrant, left him and went to live with her parents.
334.4
In the year 1702 it chanced that one of this general's concubines became pregnant, and, to conceal the fact from him, she gave out that she was ill. She was delivered secretly of a boy, at which she was extremely rejoiced, imagining that Da,ud Khan would not be so cruel to this child as he had been to the others, more especially as it was his only heir. However, fearing that this tyrant might do some cruel deed to this innocent creature, she told his brother Bedercan (Bahadur Khan) about it, with the object that he should speak to Da,ud Khan, and so arrange matters that he should not deal with this child as he had done with his daughters by taking their lives. For this purpose Bahadur Khan presented the cruel wretch with a tray filled with gold coins. Da,ud Khan asked him what this novel act meant. He replied : ' My lord, it is to congratulate you upon the new heir that Heaven has given you. As it is [150] a male child, I pray you to give it the name of our father.'
334.5
Without listening to any arguments, Da,ud Khan rose up in a state of fury, gave a kick to the tray, and pursued his brother with torrents of abuse, then, turning angrily, went to the door of the seraglio. He found it shut. He wanted to open it with force by axes and hammers. Unable to manage this, he had it taken from its hinges. Entering, he sought on all sides for the infant, which had been hidden. At length he found it held to her bosom by one of his female relations. Showing neither compassion nor remorse, he wrenched it from her, threw it on the ground, took its life, and spurned it with his feet. No one had the hardihood to interfere. At once he came forth somewhat pacified, and began to give audience to his captains, who had hurried there in the hope of stopping this outrage. They had arrived too late, but there they stood in dejection, their heads sunk on their chests. He asked what their silence betokened, and their sadness. They answered that it was from seeing the tyranny he had displayed to his own flesh and blood, and how little they had expected such a manner of acting. He retorted that the mother was low born and not of his race, that such offspring could never be courageous, and would only have lived on to disgrace him.
334.6
In the year 1703 I received a letter from this Da,ud Khan, and another from the diwan Chaadetulacan (Sa'adatullah Khan), and several others from other lords. By these letters they entreated me to visit them, especially as they had much need of me. I began my journey on February 27 of the same year (1703), and found the said general at the town of Carpa (Cuddapah, Kayapa), distant one hundred and twenty leagues from Madras. I was very well received by these gentlemen according to their customs. They asked me to be so good as to treat a captain named Mohamed Jafar (Muhammad Ja'far), a Persian by race. I would not undertake the case, for he was already moribund; in fact, he died a few days afterwards. During the short time I was with their army I got no time to rest, for everybody pestered me, as their way is, for medicines, even those who had no need of them. They would say as a reason, 'I have no appetite; give me some medicine to make me eat like an elephant, or like a camel, or at any rate like a horse.' And all these brute-like demands simply to have strength to slake their sensuality! For their minds are filled with, and they have no other diversion than, the desire to steal all they can, for no other object than the accomplishment of their carnal desires.
334.7
At the end of fifteen days they gave me leave to go, in an honourable manner, conferring on me a sarapa (set of robes) and enough money to pay the cost of my journey. These gentlemen gave me a letter for the governor of this place (Madras) conveying many thanks for having sent me, and they told him other details of my journey. Verbally they directed me to say to the said governor that he must give back three villages, those that Zu,lfiqar Khan had presented to the Honorable Company of England in the days of his being governor; since then fresh orders had been received to take possession of them again. I arrived at Madras and carried out the orders that had been given to me. But the governor, Thomas Pitt, paid no heed to the message; for, having much experience, he knows perfectly the manners and customs of this kind of people. They seek continually fresh methods of capturing some money. His reply to them was that he was the owner of the three villages, and that he meant to keep them, so much so that to this day he remains in possession. On this reply there came certain menaces, but in the end the thing blew over without further disturbance.
334.8
The said diwan gave me another letter for the Governor of Pondicherry, Francois Martin, which contained nothing but some compliments and friendly expressions. But the said diwan or governor directed me verbally to say to the said Sieur Martin that he had received orders from the king (Aurangzeb) to obtain the lands controlled by Pondicherry. The answer given [by the French] was that they had been bought from the hands of Roma Raja (Ram Raja), son of Shiva Ji; that afterwards they had received them back at the hands of the Dutch; that the lands were in their possession, and they meant to keep them to all eternity. After this reply they sent him a few presents, and since then nothing more has been said about the matter. It is the fashion of these Moguls to make a display of power [in this way], and proclaim themselves all-powerful and masters of everything. Subsequently, when they discover that they cannot overcome either by force or artifice, they dissemble; but if at a future time an occasion presents itself, they keep neither their word nor the friendship that they had promised.
334.9
I noticed in this little journey that the country is full of hills, and that the roads are very narrow. Thus, had the inhabitants displayed any courage or valour, it would never have been possible for the Moguls, with all the forces at their command, to make themselves masters of it. I also beheld several ancient fortresses built by the Hindu princes of the Karnatik; for those who are nowadays in command on behalf of the Mogul had been warned of my approach, and invited me to visit them. Each one made me a present, such as some pieces of silk, some shawls, et cetera, and treated me most splendidly according to their fashion. It is true that they did not present these things to me for nothing, for in return I gave them such medicines as they wanted.
334.10
I noticed that these fortresses had not been designed by good architects or engineers. The works are [? weak] in spite of their walls being built of great hewn stones fixed in cement, and their being provided with hollows or ditches right round them. In some ditches there is a water-supply, in others none. The forts have also some pieces of artillery twenty to twenty-five feet long, of which the calibre is so extremely large that a big [152] fat man can easily get inside. The greater number of these guns lie on the ground outside the fort gates. There are, in addition, a few inside in different positions. I also noticed some small pieces on the walls and bastions, carrying a ball of from one half pound to three pounds' weight. They were mounted on heavy blocks of wood, without carriages or wheels, and their muzzles pointed into the air. Their only use is to make a noise and smoke on the days when a new moon appears, or when it is intended to frighten someone ; for to go through any drill with them, or to teach how to aim them in one direction or another, that is an impossible thing. Nevertheless, the Mogul never omits to sanction the money necessary for efficiently providing all these fortresses, and sees that there are faithful officers in charge, such as Darroges (dāroghah), Ammy (amīn), and Morseg (mushrif) — that is to say [blank in original]. In addition there is a commandant at each fortified place. But the whole lot are thieves, and the places are kept like cowsheds.
334.11
During this journey I also received an invitation from Gulla Maly Can (Ghulām 'Alī Khān), governor of the fortress of Velours (Velur, Vellore), my ancient friend who gave himself up to Da,ud Khan, as I have related (IV. 117). This lord received me with great joy, the more so that at the moment they were in the midst of feasts and banquets in honour of the birth of some grandson of his. This event he had looked forward to for several years past, and now attributed to the virtues of my medicine the appearance in the world of this new heir to his wealth. For this reason he gave me several things and uttered many expressions of gratitude ; in addition, he sent with me as an escort twenty-five horsemen and five matchlockmen.
334.12
The fortress of Vellore is large and well built. It has lateral supporting walls, and the ditch is large, about fifty cubits in width, and filled by springs rising in it. The water is full of crocodiles, and if by misfortune anyone falls in, he is at once torn to pieces and eaten up by them. Out of curiosity I went quite close to the ditch ; these animals, seeing on the water the shadow of human beings, opened their jaws. I threw them a goat, which they tore to pieces at once and ate, snatching the pieces out of each other's jaws. I observed that at the noise these made other crocodiles rushed from different parts of the ditch. They were in such great numbers, and there was such great confusion, that they could not be counted. They kept their heads out of the water and their jaws wide open. As a pastime I threw them several goats in pieces ; they fell upon the pieces, and without any chewing swallowed them at one mouthful. At another place I made the men throw in some heads of goats with large horns. But no sooner had they been thrown in than the crocodiles with a toss of the head had at once swallowed them, for these animals are monstrous. It can also be said that they render the fortress stronger, and defend it from any assault that might be delivered. But what protection [153] are they against the high hills surrounding the place, from the summit of which the walls could be knocked down by pieces of artillery ?
334.13
According to the custom of the country there come at times strange men who, as a sacrifice for their sins, throw themselves into this ditch. The Mahomedans often sacrifice buffaloes, cows, goats, et cetera, and all this forms the food of the crocodiles. Da,ud Khan, when he mastered this fortress, had all the thieves caught in the army thrown to these crocodiles. This he did by way of a thanksgiving sacrifice for the reduction of a place of such fame. This is what they ordinarily do to secure good success in their designs. In the year 1703 it happened that a Mogul ship coming from Mecca, full of pious Muslims returning home after a pilgrimage to the tomb of their false prophet, was taken by pirates off the port of Surat. In it there was more than a million of rupees' worth of patacas and sequins in addition to the merchandise. On seeing this vessel the pirates boarded it in silence, sword in hand. But they did not succeed in surprising it as they had hoped, for some Pures came forward to resist along with some Persians, Pathans, and Arabs armed with scimitars. The pirates lost more than twenty men, and thus the captain of the corsair was forced into a prompt recourse to firearms. By these he made himself master of the ship, carried off the richest of the passengers, and released the rest.
334.14
The governor of the place (Surat), being informed of what had taken place, ordered the arrest of the English and Dutch presidents then at Surat, threw them into prison, and subjected them to severities. He obtained from the Dutch five hundred thousand rupees and from the English another sum of money, and in addition they were subjected to great hardships in the matter of food and drink. The Dutch governor of Colhin, (Cochin) having heard of the occurrence, sent at once seven ships of war to blockade the port of Surat, and the English governor of Bombay also sent three. Upon the arrival of all these men-of-war they seized all the Mahomedan vessels found there. They dealt out the same rigour to the Mahomedan crews as had been shown to the Europeans on land. They demanded a return of the sum of money that had been forcibly taken, and, in addition, another amount that had been taken some years before in a most unjust manner. They claimed also the interest on this second sum. In addition to the release of the prisoners, it was intended that the Moguls should be forced to make peace and restore the conditions prevailing in the time of Shahjahan. Seeing the resolution of the Europeans, and the great loss they would cause to his seaport, the king dismissed the governor and all the principal officers, and issued fresh orders that the European demands must be satisfied. In this way peace was made.