[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Dark Ages](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages) › [Travellers (1500–1858)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel) › [Storia do Mogor](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci) › [Storia do Mogor (Irvine)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine) › 65.5 # Storia do Mogor 65.5 Storia do Mogor (Irvine) 65.5 - **Language:** English ### [65.5.1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.65.5.1) If perchance any commander fled from battle, or did not do his duty, he was severely punished, both in his own person and that of his wives and daughters, the king directing rats to be placed in the latter's trousers, simply to disgrace and frighten them, and as a warning to other officials to do their duty with care. Before Shahjahan sent his son Moradbux (Murad Bakhsh) to be Viceroy of Guzurate (Gujarat), the previous governor was Nacir Can (Nasir Khan). This man tyrannized over the people greatly, collecting extraordinary contributions and behaving harshly. As the merchants of that region were unable to obtain access to the king's audience to make their complaints, they bribed secretly some actors to represent their grievances in \[134\] detail before the king. Among the actors were mingled also some of the traders, who were to appear in the play and make petition to the court to be given redress, on showing that they had brought sufficient money. They reported to the king that some strange actors had arrived, and wished to give a representation of a novel kind. ### [65.5.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.65.5.2) Being a lover of such amusements, he gave permission for their entry. Then they played a piece which showed the misgovernment existing in the kingdom of Gujarat. The king was in astonishment at the wrongs represented, and said : ' Can there be a man in the world to do such wrongful acts ?' All the veritable merchants, but pretended actors, prostrated themselves on the ground before the king, and said to him : ' Let it be known to your majesty that everything we represented for your amusement is actually done by the governor. Disbursing our money, we tried in vain to lay before your majesty our complaints, therefore we have invented this device.' The king made inquiries, and finding that everything was true, he issued orders that the governor should be carried a prisoner to the fortress called Rotasgar (Ruhtas-garh), which is near Patana (Patnah), in the region of Bemgalla (Bengal), there to remain for the rest of his life. It is a rule that he who enters the said fortress ends his life there in misery on insufficient food. The king ordered all the governor's goods to be confiscated, whereby he was deprived of much ill-gotten wealth. ### [65.5.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.65.5.3) But still more terrible was the penalty inflicted on two forgers in the year one thousand six hundred and fifty-four (correctly 1656), I being then at the court of Dara. It happened that a youth wanted to marry a certain woman. She refused ; whereupon he had recourse to a lawsuit. He said that after the woman had promised to marry him, and he had consumed with her all that he had, she refused to keep her word. The judge ordered inquiry to be made from the woman. She replied that the whole was false ; neither had she given him her word, nor did she wish to marry. The judge asked the youth if he had any witnesses to the promise. He answered that his witnesses were the marks she bore on her body, the whole of which he described. He had learnt these marks from an old woman who was on familiar terms with the defendant, braiding her hair and bathing her body. Eunuchs and women were sent in order to examine the body of the woman, and the conclusion was that the youth had detailed the marks with accuracy. Thereupon the judge decreed that the woman must marry the complainant. ### [65.5.4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.65.5.4) The woman petitioned the judge for a delay of several months, after which she would marry the youth; and the latter agreed to this proposal. The woman knew that no one except the old woman could give information of the marks on her body, for she was a chaste woman, living a retired life. After the lapse of a month, more or less, she issued from her house, followed by two sturdy slave-girls, and made for the dwelling of the youth. The latter was then ill. Entering the house, she seized him by the throat and shouted that now she had caught the thief who had robbed her. Thus saying, she carried him off by force to the judge and accused him of theft. Her story was that the night before, when sleeping with her, he had stolen a valuable bracelet like the one then on her arm. The youth swore it was not true, never had he known such a woman; and it being a total falsehood, he demanded justice for the false accusation. ### [65.5.5](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.65.5.5) Then the woman asked for justice to be done her in respect of the false claim the man had made a month before. At that time, expressing a desire to marry her, he had sworn that he had lived a long time in her house, and that she had promised to marry him. As a proof of his truthfulness he had called in eunuchs and women to examine her body, and had thus dishonoured her. The eunuchs and the women were summoned, and they testified that she was the very woman to whom they had gone to examine the marks on her body. She appeared before the king and made her complaint. The youth was asked by what channel he had learnt the marks on this woman's body. He then gave the name of the old woman, who had suggested to him this method of effecting his purpose. Shahjahan praised the astuteness of the woman, and gave orders for the old woman and the youth to be buried in the ground up to the waist, after which they were shot to death by arrows, and their dead bodies left lying there for twenty-four hours. ### [65.5.6](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.65.5.6) Another case occurred in the kingdom of Kabul, when Mahabat Khan was governor. It was that of a woman of that kingdom called Dariacatu (Daryae Khatun), who dwelt in the city, and had slave-women who solicited the travelling merchants of Osbeque (Uzbak) race. As Mahomedans are very facile about entering into marriage, and seeing this woman was very rich and had much goods, they would agree to marry her. There were nineteen men who had thus become her husbands. After a little time had passed, she used to take the new husband to her villages to collect the rents. The man, delighted at the thought of acquiring more wealth, left the city with a light heart. She took them all into the lands of the Pathans, where she sold them to her acquaintances. The muscles near the heel were severed, so that they could not run away. She then returned to the city. When they reported \[136\] the matter to the governor, she was seized. The governor, when fully informed of the facts, thought the case such an extraordinary one that he submitted it to the king. He ordered the woman to be torn to pieces by the dogs, which in that region are very handsome and savage. The Pathans keep them to protect their herds from wolves. ### [65.5.7](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.65.5.7) Not only did Shahjahan do justice against those guilty of great crimes : he also dealt with the nobles whenever he found an opportunity, in order to terrorize the rest. His object was to make the governing of his kingdom easier, so that he might pass his time with his women and be free of vexations. Thus it happened that one day, going out to hunt, there came before him a servant complaining that for months his master had not paid him, and he was in great distress. On hearing the complaint, the king, without advancing a single step, ordered the man's master to be brought, whereupon he presented himself. He acknowledged the wrong done to the servant. The king ordered the gentleman to dismount, and the servant to get upon the horse of his master, while the master should remain running in front, in the servant's place, where he (Shahjahan) could see him. This continued until the master, unable to run any longer, fell to the ground, whereupon the king said to him : 'I do not fail to pay you, because you serve me ; it is equally just that you should pay those who serve you.' ### [65.5.8](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.65.5.8) Equally terrifying was the sentence passed on one of his slaves. For just as he was liberal in giving rewards, he was equally exacting of obedience. Shahjahan had among his slaves one that he was very fond of, called Saadet Can (Sa'adat Khan) — that is to say, 'Efficacious.' He had an income of fifty thousand rupees, and was lord over two thousand horse. He was in charge of the betel consumed by the king, and to him was given one of the Portuguese women who had been taken prisoners at Ugulim (Hugli). The king saw several times that Sa'adat Khan gave away betel to the nobles at court. Shahjahan enjoined him not to give betel to anyone, and to remember this order. Sa'adat Khan, paying little heed to such an order, and relying on the love the king bore him, distributed the betel secretly. One day it so happened, unluckily for him, that the king saw him give betel to a noble \[137\] of the court. But he dissembled. At the end of the audience Shahjahan went into the garden, and without compunction ordered him to be beaten to death in his own presence. He said: 'This is what those deserve who do not obey the king's orders,' whereat the nobles trembled, and served him in fear. --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.65.5](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.65.5) · Pramāṇa