The Embassy of Sir Thomas Roe to the Court of the Great Mogul 1.5
The Embassy of Sir Thomas Roe (Foster) 1.5
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1.5.1
Soon Roe's prospects grew still more gloomy. The Mogul, finding that no more presents were forthcoming, had lost interest in the demands of his foreign visitor; the Prince, already irritated by the relentless way in which his favourite was being pursued, was still more angered by some scenes at Court over an English runaway, in which he had been entirely discomfited; and, to crown all, some Portuguese merchants, who had arrived "with many rarietyes to sell the king and with rich Presents from the Vizeroy of Goa," had made handsome gifts to Asaf Khán and other influential persons, and were consequently in high favour. The English "were for a tyme eclipsed," and the general attitude of the courtiers towards the new-comers gave Roe food for deep reflection. On June 1 he was informed by a message from Asaf Khán that, upon the complaint of the Prince, the King had forbidden him to present himself at Court; and hints were not wanting that some of the Prince's turbulent soldiery might take occasion to revenge his open braving of their chief. Nothing daunted, Roe assumed a careless attitude. The threat of violence he treated with scorn;
1.5.2
while to Asaf Khán's offers of help, provided he would compound with Zülfikár Khán, he replied that he would not "giue away the Companyes Monny for good lookes: The world was wyde enough: we gott not soe much by this trade as wee would buy it with too much Iniurye," he would await the king's answer a few days longer, "and accordingly eyther resolue of longer residence or prepare to retyre myselfe and my Nation toward our Port to seeke better entertaynment." Roe was, in fact, seriously considering the advisability of thus bringing matters to a decisive issue, when the solution of the deadlock came from an unexpected quarter. Mukarrab Khán, hitherto an enemy of the English, thinking he saw a chance of currying favour with them "in hope of the first sight of raretyes from England," took an opportunity of telling the Mogul the reason why the English envoy came no more to Court. Jahángír promptly denied having issued any order for his exclusion, and desired Mukarrab Khán to inform him to that effect. Roe's new friend was most anxious that he should rely upon him rather than upon Asaf Khán; but the ambassador, knowing the power of the latter, judged it unwise to break with him, and accordingly accepted with seeming cordiality the assurances of friendship which Asaf Khan made to him on hearing of Mukarrab Khan's overtures.
1.5.3
The mourning caused by the death of a favourite granddaughter of the Mogul delayed Roe's audience, but on June 25 he presented himself at Court, and "was receiued by the King after the ould manner, no difference, without taking any Notice of my absence." Negotiations were resumed, all the more urgently because Zulfikar Khan was soon to depart with the Prince for the Deccan war. By July 9 an agreement had been reached; but this was followed by fresh evasions and delays, and it was not until August 5 that Roe was able to record that "this long and troublesome busines is finished." The full amount demanded had not been obtained, but the loss was trifling; and to have forced the favourite of the all-powerful Prince to disgorge his exactions was a notable success for English diplomacy, and a salutary warning to other Governors. The Prince seemed to have forgotten his resentment, and treated the ambassador with reasonable civility. Even the "propositions for priuiledges" were said to have been acceded to; and a fresh proposal from Roe that the English should pay a yearly sum of Rs. 12,000 in satisfaction of all customs due from them at Surat (p. 210) was courteously debated, though in the end it was allowed to drop. From the King himself he "neuer receiued so much grace and fauour ... as at this tyme, which all men tooke notice off and accordingly altered their fashions toward" him (p. 212); and Asaf Khan was full of "complements of frendship and loue."
1.5.4
A characteristic incident lightens the pages of the Journal at this point. Roe had presented to Jahangir a choice miniature, painted by Isaac Oliver, which gave him "extreame content," and, "confident that noe man in India could equall yt," the ambassador had agreed to a wager that he would be able to distinguish it from any copies the Court painters could produce. When, however, the matter came to the test, he found that the native artists had succeeded beyond expectation, and it was only with difficulty that he was able "to discerne which was which." The King was "very merry and loyfull and craked like a Northern man" (p. 225). He insisted on the ambassador presenting the painter with a suitable reward; gave Roe his choice of the copies that had been made, "to showe in England wee are not so vnskillfull as you esteeme vs;" and, as a further mark of favour, presented him with his portrait.
1.5.5
August brought fresh matter for the exercise of Roe's diplomacy, for news came that a Dutch ship had arrived at Surat, and that her crew spoke of a further fleet expected from Holland. It was clearly to the interest of the English to get rid of these troublesome competitors, "who would both out-present, out-bribe, and out-buy vs in all things" (p. 228); yet Roe was unwilling, for many reasons, to show open hostility, more especially as the arguments he had used against the Portuguese monopoly would then be turned against himself. Ingeniously, if somewhat disingenuously, he endeavoured to compass his object by instilling into the minds of Asaf Khan and the Prince a suspicion that the real object of the Dutch was to plunder native shipping in revenge for injuries previously sustained at Surat and Burhánpur: that in any case they would be disorderly and unruly, "so that if his highnes could be quiettly ridd of them, it were a happines and ease to him" (p. 236). The intrigue was not entirely successful. The fear that, if repulsed, the Dutch would retaliate by capturing the ships then due from the Red Sea induced the native authorities to permit them to leave a few factors, with a stock of merchandise, at Surat "vntill the Princes answere and resolution were knowne;" and the footing thus obtained was made good in January, 1618, when a deputation waited upon Jahángír and the Prince at Ahmadábád, and obtained a grant of privileges "vpon as good tearmes almost as wee" (pp. 459, 469).
1.5.6
Five months had now passed since Roe had presented for consideration the details of his proposed treaty. He had made every effort to obtain its ratification, yet no answer—either yea or nay—had been returned. Urged to action by the approach of the new fleet from England, he resolved to wait no longer for this general concession, but to secure at least a temporary grant from the Prince, "whose Port wee were att, and with whom was our greatest busines." His overtures were well received. Stipulating only that "whatsoeuer toyes came to bee sould might be first showed to him," the Prince agreed to all the privileges demanded, and a farmán embodying these was ordered to be drawn and sealed without delay. Thus the immediate necessities of the English were provided for, and the incoming fleet might safely land their goods and drive their trade without fear of the hindrances and abuses which their predecessors had suffered. Meanwhile, renewed tokens of the Mogul's esteem had roused fresh hopes in Roe's breast. At the beginning of September, Jahángír celebrated his birthday with great pomp. With his usual considerateness he had ordered that the English envoy should be invited to witness the ceremony of weighing the monarch against gold and other things; but, owing to a mistake of the messenger, Roe attended at the wrong time, "and soe missed the sight." In the evening, however, after he had retired to rest, he was sent for in great haste.
1.5.7
A few days previously, he had incautiously shown the King's painter, "for the arts sake," a miniature he had, depicting—if we guess rightly—the lady whom he had espoused prior to his departure from England. The news had reached the Mogul's ears, and he was all agog to see the miniature, thinking, probably, that it had been purposely kept from his sight lest he should expect to be presented with it. Roe found him "sitting crosse leggd on a little throne, all cladd in diamondes, Pearles and rubyes .... his Nobilitye about him in their best equipage, whom hee Commanded to drinck froliquely, seuerall wynes standing by in great flagons." The miniature was no sooner seen than coveted, and the ambassador, after a faint resistance, was forced to present it. He was then asked to join in celebrating the anniversary, and, after he had pledged the monarch in some wine, was invited to accept the gold cup, with cover and stand, in which it had been served. Jahángír's gracious demeanour on this occasion (he "sent me woord hee more esteemed mee than euer any Francke .... which his Publique and many graces I found presently in the fashion of all his Nobilitye") encouraged Roe to press Ásaf Khán for the signature of the desired "articles," "assuring him his Maiestie could giue mee no present so acceptable;" and Ásaf Khán promised to meet his wishes without delay.