Storia do Mogor 63.2
Storia do Mogor (Irvine) 63.2
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63.2.1
Nur Jahan succeeded in making the king drink less than he had done formerly, and after many entreaties he agreed that he would not drink more than nine cupfuls. Every time he drank it must be offered by her hand. If on any account he should ask for more, he was to be satisfied to allow her to put him off by excuses. Many days had not passed when the king, being engaged in listening to the singing of his musicians, began to drink joyously. In a short time he had come to the end of his nine cupfuls. As the music went on he asked for more, but the queen would not give it, saying that he had already had his nine cupfuls, and she did not mean to give him any more. Jahangir went on asking for just one cup more. When he saw that the queen would not give ear to his words, he fell into a passion, laid hold of the queen and scratched her, she doing the same on her side, grappling with the king, biting and scratching him, and no one dared to separate them. The musicians, hearing the noise going on in the room, began to call out and weep, tearing their garments, and beating with their hands and feet, as if someone were doing them an injury. Thereupon out came the king and queen, who had been struggling together, to find out the reason of all these cries. Seeing that it was a feigned plot of the musicians, they fell a-laughing, and the fight ended. The king was highly delighted with the trick played by the musicians, to whom he gave a handsome reward.
63.2.2
But the queen, after the custom of petted women, showed herself more angry and offended than before. She would neither take his gifts, nor listen to the excuses he made to her. In the end, through a third person, she gave Jahangir to understand that the only way of being pardoned for the affront was to throw himself at her feet. The king, who could not live without Nur Jahan, was willing to carry out her wishes, but he feared to be blamed for such an act, which would give rise to a great deal of talk among his people; therefore he took counsel with an old woman. At once she got him out of his difficulty by advising him that, when the queen was walking in the garden, and the sun was shining on her, he should place himself before her in such a way that the shadow of his body should reach the queen's feet; then he could beseech his loved one as if he were at her feet. The old woman got the queen into the garden by beguilements, and thus the king approached until his shadow was at the feet of the queen. Then he said to her, 'Behold, my soul is at your feet!' and thus peace was made. The queen, to show that her heart was won by so much love, invited the king to a sumptuous banquet, lasting eight days. She ordered all the reservoirs, both in the garden and in the palace, to be filled with rose-water, prohibiting anyone from washing his hands in these reservoirs. It happened that she went to sleep near one of the tanks.
63.2.3
At early dawn she rose, and as she was anxious that no one should foul the water in these tanks, she went at once to see if there had been any defilement. She noticed on the top of the water a film of oil. At this she flew into a passion, suspecting someone had thrown fat into this tank. She was curious to know what it could be that had dirtied the water, so she ordered someone to pass a hand over the oil referred to. Smelling it, she found it had a very sweet smell. Two or three times she smelt it, and each time was aware of the same smell; hence she concluded that the said oil had formed from the rose-water like dew. Very much pleased at having acquired such an excellent perfume ; she quickly rubbed some on her clothes, and went off to embrace the king. He was asleep, but on being roused he was lost in admiration at such a fine perfume, while Nur Jahan recounted to him the story. It was thus that the secret of essence of roses was discovered in Hindustan ; and in those days a hundred rupees were paid for one rupee's weight of the said essence. Nowadays it is to be got for fifteen rupees, owing to the great quantity of roses grown in the empire.
63.2.4
I was anxious to find out the descent of this queen, and I came to know for a certainty that she was the daughter of a Persian who arrived from Persia as a camel-driver in the service of some Armenian merchants. He brought with him his wife, who was enceinte. On the way, near the fortress of Candar (Qandahar), she was delivered of a child, and one of the merchants lent him an ass on which to convey the woman in that state of distress. The child that was born in this miserable plight came to be this most famous queen (Nur Jahan). Through her influence the court of the Great Mogul was filled with great nobles from Persia [108]. This king was very fond of carrying out works for the benefit of the public and the adornment of his kingdom. To this intent he issued orders to have trees planted on the royal highways from one end of the country to the other, commencing at the city of Moltan (Multan), and going as far as the city of Ilavas (Allahabad) — that is, for five hundred and thirteen leagues. At the distance of one league apart are to be seen something like pyramids, and by these the traveller can reckon the distance he has traversed. Near to every such pillar there is a village for the refreshment of those passing by. On these roads are found saraes, reservoirs, gardens, and villages.
63.2.5
The king came out to inspect this work of his, and went from Lahor as far as Agrah. One night, being in his tent drinking his liquor, he heard the jackals call. These are a breed of small wolves which exist also in Persia, and in India there are a great number. The king asked why these animals were not quiet. The courtiers answered that, knowing of the arrival of His Majesty, they craved some protection against the cold. Jahangir there and then ordered that they should be presented with ' serpaos ' (sarāpā, or complete suits) and shawls to wear. The order was carried out. No one failed to approve this regal generosity. The night following, once more the king heard the cry of the jackals. He inquired if his order had been carried out. On receiving an affirmative reply, he wanted to know why they repeated their calls. The courtiers answered that this time they had not come to complain, but to render thanks to His Majesty for the alms given them by him on the preceding night. The king was highly pleased at this answer, for the Moguls are very avid of praise. So much is this the case that flattery, which to European princes would appear mere mockery, would by the Mogul king and grandees be accepted as sincere laudation. Though they are quite aware of their falseness, they are pleased nevertheless to hear such words, and swallow them at their superficial valuation.
63.2.6
I will recount here some ridiculous instances, and I am telling the truth without the least exaggeration. If a Mogul king or prince sees an elephant or a horse not of very much account, and should say that it is a fine elephant or a powerful horse, then the courtiers begin to praise the elephant, saying that there is not in the world another as large or its equal in strength and staunchness ; that once it fought against five or six other elephants clad in armour while it was unprotected, yet it routed them all ; that, being present in such and such a war, it threw the enemy's army into confusion and disarray ; that its trunk could carry more than would go on the backs of five or six other elephants, and other things like this, which, if I were to state, the reader would think me fooling him. In the case of a horse, they would at once say that it is of such mettle that it would pass through hills of fire. If they discharged a whole battery of artillery at once in front of it, it would not, owing to its high courage and temper, stir more than if it were made of brass; of such cleverness that you need only move the rein a little to get it to carry out the order that the rider had in his head ; and that on the occasion of a battle it could jump at one leap a river as wide as the length of a musket-shot.