[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 # Storia do Mogor 88: Ambassadors of Balkh. Storia do Mogor (Irvine) 88 - **Language:** English ## Contents - [88.1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.88.1) — 8 parts - [88.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.88.2) — 6 parts ### Ambassadors of Balkh. ### [88.1.1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.88.1.1) When the news reached Balkh how Aurangzeb, having destroyed his brothers, had crowned himself King of Hindustan, the King of Balkh brought to mind the bravery of the new monarch in his youth, when Shahjahan sent him as prince to fight him. He dreaded that, having now become king, with so much wealth and so many valiant and victorious soldiers, he might take the route of Balkh, and renew the former wars. He therefore sent ambassadors to offer him presents, and establish a firm friendship and a sincere peace. ### [88.1.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.88.1.2) Aurangzeb was well aware of the reasons for which the King of Balkh had decided to send this embassy, and although he still treasured in his mind the design of conquering that land, he feared that the said king might ally himself to others and cause him trouble thus early in his reign. He knew, also, that it was almost impossible to send an army to conquer a kingdom lying amid such lofty mountains, in a climate so cold that the soldiers of Hindustan could not endure it. He therefore received the ambassadors with affection and goodwill, on condition that they made obeisance, as usual in India, by putting the hand on the head and lowering it three times almost to the ground. The ambassadors agreed to the condition, and on entering into the royal presence they made obeisance as agreed upon, and when they wished to draw near, the second secretary, XIII. Sultan Muhammad, Eldest Son of Aurangzeb. called Molfed can (Multafat Khan), stopped them, and, taking the letters from their hands, presented them to the king, by whose orders they were made over to Jafar can (Ja'far Khan), the chief secretary, and he should, in due course, prepare a reply. Meanwhile, he ordered each man to be invested with sarapa (robes of honour), and directed that their offerings should be produced. ### [88.1.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.88.1.3) The first of these consisted of nine boxes of lapis-lazuli, a marvellous thing, all full of musk, and of a kind of tuber of violet colour, which Arabs and Persians call zeduar. It is a rare article, and most medicinal. In others was a certain kind of fish that physicians call instinco \[26\] of Mecca, which are found in a certain stream of the said kingdom of Balkh. The preparation made from these is so pungent that one ounce of it is equal to four ounces of Mecca instinco. Mahomedans make great use of these fish as a remedy for impotence, and to increase sexual desire. The second present consisted in some eighty camels with long hair and of great strength, and one small horse, well made and lively, of such singular activity that it could travel eighty leagues in twenty-four hours without any difficulty. There were other eighty fine horses, such as are called Turki. The third present consisted in one hundred camels loaded with fresh fruit — melons, apples, pears, pomegranates, and grapes without seeds; and other hundred camels loaded with dried fruit — Bukhara plums, the best in the world, apricots, quismis (= kishmish, or raisins), which are a white, seedless grape of great sweetness, and other three kinds of dried grapes, one large and white, which looks candied and the Italians call zebibo, and the other two kinds purple — one large, the other small, both very sweet — and nuts, filberts, pine-nuts, almonds, and pistachios. ### [88.1.4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.88.1.4) Aurangzeb showed pleasure at the presents, and replied that the envoys would be speedily sent on their return journey. Meanwhile, they might come to the court whenever they wished. They were contented and satisfied at the honours paid them by the king, not having hoped for so much. But throughout the interview they stood, following the custom set up by King Akbar. When the ambassadors had gone out, Aurangzeb ordered the little horse to be brought, to try its paces. He wondered at the activity of the little creature, and as a further trial ordered it to be ridden to Agrah, a distance of seventy-six leagues from Dihli. It was to start at sunrise, bearing a letter to the eunuch I'tibar Khan, who was to report the hour of arrival. Before the sun had set it arrived at the gate of Agrah Fort, as reported by I'tibar Khan to the king. It was ordered to be placed in the royal stable in the principal rank, and the name of Bad-raftar was given to it — that is to say, ' Swift as the Wind.' It was delightful to see this horse, a pigmy among giants, chief over them all, and more esteemed and liked by Aurangzeb than the choicest horses from Persia and Arabia. ### [88.1.5](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.88.1.5) The ambassadors stayed four months in Dihli, at the house of Lutfula can (Lutfullah Khan), assigned by the king as their dwelling. They were all men of dirty and rustic habits, of green and black complexion, tall, with scanty beards and diminutive eyes, active horsemen and dextrous archers, their bows and arrows being large and powerful. This people fight their enemies most vigorously with arrows, but if they meet with resistance they take to flight at a great pace, though continuing to shoot their arrows, as I have \[27\] seen in several battles. While they were at Dihli the envoy's people sold different articles of merchandise brought by them, such as horses, camels, musk, beaver (castor), and skins. I bought several things from them. They soon prayed the king to give them their leave to depart, for they did not find themselves comfortable in that climate, through the great heats that had come on. They were accustomed to cold ; thus several of them died. But the chief cause of mortality was their avarice, and in order not to disburse what the king allowed them for expenses, they consumed the flesh of sick horses and camels. ### [88.1.6](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.88.1.6) It happened that a relation of the envoy fell ill, and imagining that I was a physician, as they suppose all Europeans to be, they called me to their house. I knew a few secrets, but I did not give myself out as a physician, nor was I bold enough to teach myself medicine at the expense of others' lives. But seeing that these savages had sent for me to their house, I was anxious to see how they lived. I proceeded with great solemnity to the spot. When I had gone in I found the patient on a very dirty bed in a fetid sweat with the odour of very rotten cheese. I ordered his urine to be shown, and it, too, smelt the same. I felt his pulse, but my thoughts were not given to the pulse, but to finding something I could seize on in the difficulty to effect a good recovery. Nevertheless, I ascertained that he was in a high fever, and placing my hand upon his head, bathed in malodorous perspiration, I found it was burning hot, like a pot placed upon the fire. To induce him to believe that I was a great physician, I asked the patient's age, and then for a time I assumed a pensive attitude, as if I were seeking for the cause of the illness. Next, as is the fashion with doctors, I said some words making out the attack to be very grave. This was done in order not to lose my reputation and credit if he came to die. ### [88.1.7](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.88.1.7) All of them were in a state of admiration, saying among themselves that I was a great physician, and that the Franks had received from heaven the gift of being accomplished doctors. The principal envoy prayed me earnestly to put forth all my powers to cure this relation of his. I held out to him good hope of a cure, and, being unable to stay any more in the place owing to the smell, I told them I was going home to prepare medicine, and that in the evening I would return once more. I came out and repaired to a friend of mine called Joao de Souza, a Portuguese, who was under an obligation to me, and recounted to him all that had passed. As he had considerable acquaintance with medicine, he was much astonished at such a report, and did not know what to prescribe for the patient. Still, he delivered to me some pills. For three days I went on with these, giving them to the sick man, who did not seem to me to be improving. But all the men asserted to me that already he was recovering, whereat I rejoiced much. I seized the opening to still more cry up the medicine and dwell on the danger of the disease. Twice a day I visited the patient, once in the morning and once in the evening. Each time four horsemen arrived to escort me. Almost every day that I went there I was obliged to dine with the envoy, and I thus had the chance of observing their mode of eating. Over fifty persons seated themselves together round the cloth. ### [88.1.8](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.88.1.8) The food was flesh of camels and of horses cooked with salt in water, and some dishes of pulao of goat's flesh. The cloth, spread upon a carpet, was very dirty. To wait on us were two men with bare feet, who, walking upon the cloth, distributed the food, each with a big spoon in his hand. It was disgusting to see how these Uzbak nobles ate, smearing their hands, lips, and faces with grease while eating, they having neither forks nor spoons. The only implements each had on him were three or four knives, large and small, which they usually carry hanging from their waistbelt. Mahomedans are accustomed after eating to wash their hands with pea-flour to remove grease, and most carefully clean their moustaches. But the Uzbak nobles do not stand on such ceremony. When they have done eating, they lick their fingers, so as not to lose a grain of rice; they rub one hand against the other to warm the fat, and then pass both hands over face, moustaches, and beard. He is most lovely who is the most greasy. They render thanks to God with 'Alaham dilaha' (Al-hamdu-l'illahi). Each man then begins to take tobacco, and remains for a time talking. The conversation hardly gets beyond talk of fat, with complaints that in the Mogul territory they cannot get anything fat to eat, and that the pulāos are deficient in butter. As a salute to their repletion, they emit loud eructations, just like the bellowing of bulls. ### [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](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.88) · Pramāṇa