[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) › 88.2 # Storia do Mogor 88.2 Storia do Mogor (Irvine) 88.2 - **Language:** English ### [88.2.1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.88.2.1) Although against my will, I went on with my treatment of the sick man; and I found out, by questioning, the kind of food eaten by the sick man when at home. He told me that, being a shepherd, he lived on camel's milk and ate much cheese and curds made when the milk turns sour. I discovered in this way that the odour of his perspiration and of his urine arose from this kind of diet, the heat of India having drawn out the smell. Thus I ordered him to eat what he ate in his own country. Continuing with some tonic extract of coral, I restored him to health in five days, and the envoy was so pleased that he made me a present of nine melons and a quantity of dried fruit. He entreated me to continue in his house, and did all he could think of to persuade me to go with him, promising to procure for me from the King of Balkh lands and herds of horses and camels and flocks of sheep. He said I should be highly esteemed by the king and all the court. ### [88.2.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.88.2.2) I was very anxious to join his suite as a means of seeing more of the world, but, as their habits did not please me, I made excuses many times that I should never get accustomed to their way of life. Above all, I had seen once one of their Uzbak soldiers lay hold of a small knife and bleed his horse on the neck with great dexterity. Having drawn forty ounces of blood, he closed the wound with one finger, and drank the blood with great gusto. After he was satisfied he shared the rest with his companions, who came hurriedly, each trying to be first, like so many famished wolves. Afterwards the wound was tied up with a cloth, and the horse was left to get well of itself. I asked him why he drank his horse's blood. He replied that they were accustomed to it, because in their country, when plundering within an enemy's boundary, if provisions failed, their soldiers sustained life with the blood of their horses ; nor from this blood-letting did the horses lose their vigour. In addition to this, he told me it was their habit, when they captured any camel, horse, or sheep in an enemy's country, if they were unable to carry it off, to decapitate it, cut it into pieces, and place some pieces between their saddle and their horse's back, for consumption on the march whenever they were hungry. ### [88.2.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.88.2.3) The envoys brought several Tartar and Uzbak women with them for sale. They are employed \[in harems\] either to carry palanquins or to stand on sentry at night, when the king or the princes are with their wives. They are chosen because they are warlike, and skilful in the use of lance, arrow, and sword. Among them was one called Jacsi (Yakhsh'i) — that is, in the Turkish language, ' Good,' who was very skilful with bow and arrow, of good stature, and strong, with a broad face and little eyes. This woman was bought by Aftecar can (Iftikhar Khan), and by him presented to the king. Aurangzeb ordered her to be placed upon the list of the numerous Kashghar, Qalmaq, 'Partaras' (? Pathani), and Abyssinian women, who acted as sentinels round the king at night. ### [88.2.4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.88.2.4) After some months had passed, the chief of these amazons informed the king of Yakhshi's pregnancy. Aurangzeb's answer was that, should it be a boy, he would rear him as a son; if a girl, as a daughter. The Tartar woman brought forth a male child, whereupon the king adopted him as a son, and gave him the title of Alantox Bahader (Alamtosh Bahadur)—that is to say, 'Valorous of the World.' When he grew up he was granted the establishment of a prince. But owing to the undisciplined conduct of the youth, Aurangzeb was forced to thrust him out and take away from him his rank as a prince, leaving him very small \[30\] pay. Here it is appropriate to remark that in India it is the custom to bring up such children as if they were true sons. Experience teaches that such children rarely turn out well, and are like a conflagration in a house. The four months were drawing to a close, and the envoys from Balkh began to talk of a return to their own country. Aurangzeb, at their leave-taking, ordered them to receive two sets of robes of rich stuff for each man, and eight thousand rupees. For the King of Balkh he sent as a remembrance many pieces of costly brocade, a quantity of very fine white cloth to make veils (beatilhas), many pieces of striped gold and silver cloth, five pairs of very large carpets, two daggers, adorned with precious stones, five flasks of essence of roses, and nine costly and beautiful sets of robes, with the whole of which the envoys were much satisfied. ### [88.2.5](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.88.2.5) Ignorance made them thus satisfied, for they were not aware that the King of the Moguls sends sarapas (sets of robes) to subjects only. To send a sarapa to anyone is to declare him to be a subject. If he submit to this, no further present need be added. The reader should understand that the Kings of Bijapur and Gulkandah, and the Rana, when the Mogul king sent them sarapas, were under obligation to come out one league from their capital to be invested with the robes, after making obeisance three times, as usual in Hindustan, with their face turned in the direction of the court and the letters placed on the top of their head. But the king Rana \[of Udepur ?\] would never consent to put on the sarapa of the Mogul, in order not to admit himself to be a subject, although every year he pays for seven thousand cavalry, who are kept continuously in the service of the Mogul king. ### [88.2.6](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.88.2.6) After the royal audience of leave-taking, the envoys sent their baggage out of the city, while they stayed behind with fifty horsemen in order to take leave of the greater nobles. The first to whom they went was Ja'far Khan, chief secretary (i.e., wazir), and he produced, as is the custom, a box full of betel, of which they ate as they came away. The box was of gold, and its salver covered with precious stones, the whole worth more than one hundred thousand rupees. Feigning the innocent, the envoy made believe that the whole was made over to him as a gift. He took the box and the salver and placed them inside his clothes, which are long, wide, and flowing, then hurriedly made his adieu with a few complimentary words. Off went the eunuch at once to inform the secretary of the low conduct of these rustics. The wazir, aware of the avaricious character of the people, gave orders that, without the least delay, all the umaras (nobles) should be warned of what the Balkh envoys had done. The nobles, warned at the cost of others, when the envoys appeared, sent them betel-leaf in silver boxes of small value. Thus did Muhammad Amin Khan, and after him Multafat Khan ; whence, recognising that no one else could be cheated like Ja'far Khan, they took the betel, made no more visits, and, quitting the city, started for their country, being thus filled with grease, inside and out. --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.88.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.88.2) · Pramāṇa