The Embassy of Sir Thomas Roe to the Court of the Great Mogul 7: To Lord Carew.
The Embassy of Sir Thomas Roe (Foster) 7
- Language
- English
To Lord Carew.
7.1
Asniere, the Court of the Mogull, January 17, 1615 [-16]. My Lord, Only for promise, which is an honest debt, I send your Lordship a Iournall till my arriuall at Brampore, a Citie of houses made of mudde, where one of the Kings sonnes keepeth his Court. He is called Perueys. I had need to write an Apologie for it, there being nothing of worth, nothing memorable, and yet not my fault; but I had rather trust your Noblenesse, then trouble you with excuses; and so descend to a more vniuersall description of the state and customes of the Land. They haue no written Law. The King by his owne word ruleth, and his Gouernours of Prouinces by that authoritie. Once a week he sitteth in iudgement patiently, and giueth sentence for crimes Capitall and Ciuill. He is euery mans heire when he dyeth, which maketh him rich, and the Countrey so euill builded. The great men about him are not borne Noble, but Fauourites raised; to whom hee giueth (if it be true) wonderfull meanes. They are reckoned by Horses; that is to say; Coronels of twelue thousand Horses, which is the greatest (whereof are foure, besides his sonnes and wife): so descending to twentie Horses. Not that any of these are bound to keepe or raise any at all;
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but the King assigneth them so much land as is bound to maintaine so many Horses as a rent, each horse at fiue and twentie pounds sterling by the yeere, which is an incredible Reuenue giuen away, so many (that is, almost all but the Ploughmen, Artificers, and Tradesmen in Townes) liuing vpon it. But as they die, and must needs gather, so it returneth to the King like Riuers to the sea, both of those he gave to, and of those that haue gained by their owne industry. But for the most part he leaueth the widowes and children their horses, stuffe, and some other stocke, and then putteth them into a Signiory, if the fathers were of sixe or seuen thousand horses, perhaps of a thousand or fiue hundred; and so setteth them to begin the world anew, and aduanceth them as they deserue of him. They all rise by presenting him, which they striue to doe both richly and rarely, some giuing a hundred thousand pounds in iewels at a time.
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He hath one beloued wife among foure, that wholly gouerneth him. He receiued lately a Present from the King of Bisampore, to obtaine peace (whose Ambassadour knocked his head three times against the ground) of six and thirtie Elephants, of two whereof the chaines and all tackles were of beaten Gold, to the weight of foure hundred pounds, two of siluer, of the same fashion, the rest of copper; fiftie Horses richly furnished, and ten Leckes of Rupias in Iewels, great Pearles, and Balasse Rubies. Euerie Lecke is an hundred thousand Rupias, euery Rupia two shillings sixe pence sterling; so tenne Leckes is a Million of Rupias. His Territorie is farre greater then the Persians, and almost equall, if not as great as, the Turkes. His meanes of money, by reuenue, custome of Presents, and inheriting all mens goods, aboue both. His Countrey lyeth West to Sinde, and so stretcheth to Candahar, and to the Mountaines of Taurus North; to the East as farre as the vtmost parts of Bengala, and the borders of Ganges; and South to Decan. It is two thousand miles square at the least, but hath many pettie Kings within, that are Tributaries.
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The true descended heire of Porus, that was ouercome by Alexander, called Ranna, is lately conquered, more by composition then force; the King hauing rather bought him then wonne him, and hereby no way augmented his Reuenue, but giuen a great Pension to him. His Countrey I crossed, betweene this Towne of Asmere and Brampore, Cetor hauing beene anciently the chiefe Towne, and surely standing on an hill, steepe as a Rocke, some fifteene miles about, that is all walled; the Citie within but with one ascent, and fiue admirable gates in the ascent, all ruined and no person dwelling. But there stand an hundred Muschees, many Lanternes, and such reuerend and braue Reliques of Imagerie and carued workes, that few or hardly any where can be equalled. In generall, all the old Cities are beaten downe, by what policie I vnderstand not; but the King seeketh the ruine of any thing not begunne by his Ancestors, so that all the Land hath not an house fit for a Cottager, but in such Cities as hee fauoureth. Surat is best builded of any ; and in old time they in these parts made mightie workes, which euery day decay. At Surat there is a Tanke for water of free-stone, in a polygon forme, of aboue an hundred sides, euery side eight and twenty yards ; it hath staires on euery side for men to descend, and many stopes [slopes ?] for horses. It is a wonderous worke, both for the hugeness and for the braue building.
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I haue now on the Court to touch, and mine entertainment. The King neuer vsed any Ambassadour with so much respect ; without any dispute giuing mee leaue to vse mine owne customes, not requiring that of me, which he vseth of the Persian. He presented [preuented ?] me with a welcome before I spake, and said the King and he were brothers, with many other courteous words. I hauing bin sicke, he offered me Physitians. He tooke the Presents in good part, and was so fond of the Coach, that at night in his Court he got into it, and made two or three of my men draw him a little in it. He is very affable, and of a cheerefull countenance, without pride. Three times a day hee sitteth out in three places : once, to see his Elephants and beasts fight, about noone ; after, from foure to fiue or sixe, to entertaine all that visit him ; at night, from nine till mid-night, with all his great men, but none else, where he is below with them, in all familiaritie. I visited him in the second of these, where I found him in a Court, set aboue like a King in a Play, and all his Nobles and my selfe below on a stage couered with carpets — a iust Theater ; with no great state, but the Canopies ouer his head, and two standing on the heads of two wooden Elephants, to beat away flies. They weare nothing but Calicoes, but are euer attendant.
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The great men ride in Traines, some two hundred, some fiue hundred. Foot-men following them, and foure or fiue Banners carried before them, and an hundred or two hundred Horses after them. This is all their pride. They keepe their Horses most delicately, fed with Butter and Sugar ; and though they be not very great, yet they are of delicate shape, both of Persia, Arabs, and of this Land.
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I haue one Obseruation more to make of the falsenesse of our maps, both of Mercator and all others, and their ignorance in this Countrey. First, the famous Riuer Indus doth not emptie himselfe into the Sea at Cambaya as his chiefe mouth, but at Sinde. My reason is : Lahor stands vpon Indus, from whence to Sinde it is nauigable, to Cambaya not so. Lahor in the maps is also falsely set downe, it lying North from Surat aboue a thousand miles. The Citie where the Kings ordinarie residence is, Agra, not described at all ; but it standeth North North-east from Surat on a Riuer that fals into Ganges. But the King now resideth in a base old Citie, wherein is no house but of mudde, not so great as a Cottage on Hownslo-heath ; only himselfe hath one of stone. His Lords liue in Tents, and I haue suddenly built to my mudde wals, vpon canes, a doozen thatched roomes. This Towne is short of Agra ten daies iourney, two hundred miles, which standeth from hence North North-east. This place is from Bramport North foure hundred and fiftie miles ; Bramport from Surat East aboue two hundred miles. The latitude neere fiue and twentie degrees. Thus, my Lord, I haue said some-what, but to little purpose. I forget not some Bookes for you ; but Load-stones heere are none. They are in the farre East Countries. Neither is there any correspondence with China. To Persia, and so to Aleppo, there goe carauans ; to Cathaya none.
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Heere is no newes but of Persia. The King hath taken away water and reliefe from Ormus, and banished the Portugals his Territories. He hath lately ouer-runne the poore Georgians with fire and sword ; and, being of an vnquiet nature, intendeth the conquest of the Vzbiques, a Nation between Samarchand and him, which he aymes at. He lately strucke off his sonnes head with his owne hand. Hee is fauoured and feared of the Mogoll, as being Lord of the more warlike Nation ; for these are more then halfe Bramanes whose Religion is not to kill a Louse byting them, and the Mogolls are an effeminate people. So that the Turke the last yeere sending an Ambassage to entreate him not to assist the Persian, hee gaue him very harsh entertainment ; made him Salem to the ground ; and, as soone as he was dismissed, sent the Persian ten Leckes of Rupias. I shall be glad to doe your Lordship seruice in England ; for this is the dullest, basest place that euer I saw, and maketh me weary of speaking of it. Therefore if you be also weary of reading, I am glad. I shall desire your Lordship to let Master Hackwell reade the Iournall ; for I promised him one, but I had not leasure to write it.
7.9
And so, with all respect and little Ceremonie, I hope to returne to doe you better seruices. In the meane time to liue a miserable life, though with abundance and state enough ; yet I want the conuersation and presence of those friends I loue and honour. In which number your Lordship hath made me presume to esteeme you, and to account my selfe Your Lordships humble friend, to doe you seruice, Thomas Roe. January 22. — I visited the Prince, who at 9 in the Morning sitts out in the same manner as his father, to dispatch his busines and to be seene of his followers. He is Proud Naturally, and I feard my entertaynment. But on some occasion he not resoluing to come out, when he heard of my arriuall, sent a Principall Officer to meete mee, who conducted mee into a good Roome (neuer before done to any), and entertayning me with discourse of our own bussines halfe an hower vntill the Prince was ready ; who came abroad on purpose and vsed me better then his promise. I deliuered him a Present, such as I had, but not in the name of his Majestie, it beeing too meane ; but excused it that the king could not take knowledge of his beeing lord of Suratt so lately conferred on him, but hereafter I doubted not his Majestie would send to him according to his woorth : this was the respect of the Merchants, who humbly recommended themselues to his fauour and protection. He receiued all in very good part ;
7.10
and after opening of some greauances and Iniuries suffered at Suratt by vs from his Gouernors, of which, for respect to him, I had forborne to Complayne to the king off, He promised mee speedy and effectuall Justice, and to confirme our securytye by any propositions I should Selim Shah the Cruel offer; professing to be ignorant of anything past, but what hee had receiued by Asaph Chan deliuered by mee; especially of any Command to dismisse us, which the Gouernor had falsly Coyned and for which he should dearly answer. Soe he dismissed mee full of hope to rectifye the decayed estate of our reputation, with promise of difirmaen for Suratt effectually. January 24. — I went to the Durbar to visitt the King, who, seeing mee afarr off, beckned with his hand, giuing signe I should not staye the Cerimony of Asking leaue but Come vp to him; where hee appoynted me a place aboue all other men, which I after thought fitt to mayntayne. I gaue him a small present, it beeing the Custome when any body hath busines to giue somewhat, and those that cannot come neare to speake send in or hould up their guift, which hee eccepts, bee it but a rupie, and demands their bussines. The same course hee held with mee. Having looked Curiously and asked many questions of my present, he demanded what I required of him.
7.11
I answered : Justice : That, on the assurance of his Majesties Firmaen sent into England, the king my Master had not only giuen leaue to many of his subjects to come a dangerous voyadge with their goodes, but had sent mee to Congratulate the amytye so happely begunne betweene two soe mighty Nations, and to Confirme the same : But that I found the English seated at Amadauas enjured by the Gouernor in their Persons and goodes, fined, exacted upon, & kept as prisoners : that at euerie Towne new Customes were taken of our goodes passing to the Port, contrarie to all Justice and the former Articles of trade. To which hee answered hee was sorry : it should be amended ; and presently gaue order for two firmanes very effectually according to my desire to be signed, one to the Gouernor of Amadavaz to restore mony exacted from Master Kerridge, and to vse the English with all fauour. The Other to release all Customes required on any pretence on the way, or if any had beene taken to repay it; of his owne accord wishing mee that, if these gaue not speedy remedy, I should renew my Complaynt against the disobeyour, and hee should be sent for to answere there. And soe hee dismissed mee. January 25-30. — I Made my dispatches for England, and wrote earnestly to the factory at Suratt for a Particular of the Gouernors debts, exactions and Iniuryes;
7.12
and solicited the firmaens Promised, of which the Prince sent by his officers one for Suratt, but withall Articles for mee to signe very dishonorable, wherin among others it was required that I should firme a Peace and safe Conduct to the Portugalles shippes and frigotts to Come safely to Suratt, without any accord, promise or Counter securytye of Peace on their Partes; which I vtterly refused, but made offer that for the Princes sake I was Content to giue the Viceroy of Goa 6 Monthes liberty to enter into leauge, and to open the Portes. But the present writing was required to be sealed; wherby, besydes the folly and dishonor, they might vnder coullor of Frendship haue rode amonge our fleete with boates laden with fire woorkes to haue taken aduantage. So, as I absolutely rejected the Motion, I was answered I should then haue no firmaen for Suratt. Soe it rested two dayes. I, supposinge the fault only in the Princes officers, sent to Asaph Chan, to complayne of the vnequalle demandes of Sultan Carronne and that the firmaen promised beeing sealed was deteyned from mee, Contrarye to all the Prinnces faire woordes and his owne assurances of the Justice; but insteed of releefe I found Asaph Chan the author of this deuice and an earnest disputer for the reasonablenes therof; and soe returned me a round answer, that vnlesse I would signe the one I should not haue the other. This awaked me. I saw now the faction, but was irresolute what to doe. Asaph Chan was a broken reede;
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the Prince gouerned by him; the King was my only refuge, from whom I was sure of Justice if I Complaynd, but I feard I should drawe vpon me the hate of Normall the beloued queene, Ante to Sultan corrons wife, sister of Asaph Chan, whose daughter the Prince married, and all that Powerfull faction, against whom, though I might once preuayle, yet the aduantage of tyme, language, and oportunitye, the Power of a wife, a Sonne, and a fauorite, would produce reuenge. Soe that I resolued to temporize, and to see if I could remoue Asaph Chan from his opinion, and then all would follow; if not, to take a desperate remedy, when I saw all other wayes were desperat.