[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) › [Les six voyages de Jean-Baptiste Tavernier](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.tavernier) › [Travels in India (Ball)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.tavernier~en-ball) › 17.2 # Travels in India (Tavernier) 17.2 Travels in India (Ball) 17.2 - **Language:** English ### [17.2.1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.tavernier~en-ball.17.2.1) Jahánábád, like Delhi, is a great straggling town, and a simple wall separates them. All the houses of private persons are large enclosures, in the middle of which is the dwelling, so that no one can approach the place where the women are shut up. The greater part of the nobles do not live in the town, but have their houses outside, so as to be near the water. When entering Jahānābād from the Delhi side, a long and wide street is to be seen, where, on both sides, there are arches under which the merchants carry on their business, and overhead there is a kind of platform. This street leads to the great square, where the King’s palace is; and there is another very straight and wide one, which leads to the same square near another gate of the palace, in which there are the houses of the principal merchants who keep no shops. The King’s palace is a good half league in circuit. The walls are of fine cut stone, with battlements, and at every tenth battlement there is a tower. The fosses are full of water and are lined with cut stone. The principal gate of the palace has nothing magnificent about it, nor has the first court, where the nobles are permitted to enter on their elephants. ### [17.2.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.tavernier~en-ball.17.2.2) From this court one enters a long and wide passage which has on both sides handsome porticoes, under which there are many small chambers where some of the horse-guards lodge. These porticoes are elevated about two feet from the ground, and the horses, which are fastened to rings outside, take their feed on the edge. In certain places there are large doors which lead to different apartments, as to that of the women, and to the quarter where justice is administered. In the middle of this passage there is a channel full of water, which leaves a good roadway on either side, and forms little basins at equal distances. This long passage leads to a large court where the Omrahs, i.e. the great nobles of the kingdom, like the Bachas in Turkey, and the Kháns in Persia, constitute the bodyguard. There are low chambers around this court for their use, and their horses are tethered outside their doors. ### [17.2.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.tavernier~en-ball.17.2.3) From this second court a third is entered by a large gate, by the side of which there is, as it were, a small room raised two or three feet from the ground. It is where the royal wardrobe is kept, and from whence the khil'at is obtained whenever the King wishes to honour a stranger or one of his subjects. A little further on, over the same gate, is the place where the drums, trumpets, and hautboys are kept, which are heard some moments before the King enters his throne of justice, to give notice to the Omrahs, and again when the King is about to rise. When entering this third court you face the divan where the King gives audience. It is a grand hall elevated some four feet above the ground floor, and open on three sides. Thirty-two marble columns sustain as many arches, and these columns are about four feet square with their pedestals and some mouldings. When Sháh Jahán commenced the building of this hall he intended that it should be enriched throughout by wonderful works in mosaic, like those in the chapel of the Grand Duke in Italy; but having made a trial upon two or three pillars to the height of two or three feet, he considered that it would be impossible to find enough stones for so considerable a design, and that moreover it would cost an enormous sum of money; this compelled him to stop the work, contenting himself with a representation of different flowers. ### [17.2.4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.tavernier~en-ball.17.2.4) In the middle of this hall, and near the side overlooking the court, as in a theatre, they place the throne when the King comes to give audience and to render justice. It is a small bed of the size of our camp beds, with its four columns, the canopy, the back, a bolster, and counterpane; all of which are covered with diamonds. When the King takes his seat, however, they spread on the bed a cover of gold brocade, or of some other rich quilted stuff, and he ascends it by three small steps of two feet in length. On one side of the bed there is a parasol elevated on a handle of the length of a short pike, and to each column of the bed is attached one of the King’s weapons, to one his shield, to another his sword, next his bow, his quiver, and his arrows, and other things of that nature. There is in the court below the throne a space twenty feet square, surrounded by balustrades, which at certain times are covered with plates of silver, and at others with plates of gold. It is at the four corners of this space that the four Secretaries of State are seated, who for civil as well as criminal matters also fulfil the roles of advocates. Several nobles place themselves around the balustrade, and here also the music is located, which is heard while the King is in the divan. This music is sweet and pleasant, and makes so little noise that it does not disturb the thoughts from the serious occupations with which they are engaged. ### [17.2.5](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.tavernier~en-ball.17.2.5) When the King is seated on his throne, some great noble stands by him, most frequently his own children. Between eleven o’clock and noon the Nawáb, who is the first Minister of State, like the Grand Vizir in Turkey, comes to make a report of whatever has passed in the chamber where he presides, which is at the entry of the first court, and when he has finished speaking, the King rises. But it must be remarked that from the time the King seats himself on his throne till he rises, no one, whosoever he may be, is allowed to leave the palace; though I am bound to say that the King was pleased to exempt me from this rule, which is general for every one — and here, in a few words, is how it occurred. ### [17.2.6](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.tavernier~en-ball.17.2.6) Wishing one day, while the King was in the divan, to leave the palace on urgent business, which could not by any means be deferred, the Captain of the guard caught me by the arm, and told me roughly that I should not pass out. I argued with him some time, but at length, seeing that he would treat me with violence, I put my hand to my canjare, and would have struck him in the rage I was in if three or four guards, who saw my action, had not restrained me. Happily for me the Nawáb, who was uncle of the King, passed at the moment, and being informed of the subject of our quarrel, ordered the Captain of the guards to let me go out. He reported to the King in due course how the matter had occurred, and in the evening the Nawáb sent one of his people to tell me that his majesty had notified that I might enter and leave the palace as I pleased while he was in the divan, for which I went on the following day to thank the Nawab. ### [17.2.7](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.tavernier~en-ball.17.2.7) Towards the middle of the same court there is a small channel which is about six inches wide, where, while the King is on his seat of justice, all strangers who come to the audience must stop. They are not allowed to pass it without being called, and even ambassadors themselves are not exempted from this rule. When an ambassador has arrived at the channel, the officer in charge of the introductions calls out towards the divan, where the King is seated, that such an ambassador wishes to speak to his majesty. Then a Secretary of State repeats it to the King, who very often does not appear to hear, but some time after he lifts his eyes, and throwing them upon the ambassador, makes through the same Secretary a sign that he may approach. From the hall of the divan you pass on the left to a terrace from whence you see the river, and from thence the King enters a small chamber from which he passes into his harem. It was in this little chamber where I had my first audience with his majesty, as I shall elsewhere relate. ### [17.2.8](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.tavernier~en-ball.17.2.8) To the left of this same court where the divan is, there is a small well-built mosque, the dome of which is entirely covered by lead, and so thoroughly well gilt that some indeed believe that the whole is of massive gold. This is where the King goes daily to pray, save on Friday, when he goes to the Grand Mosque, which is very magnificent, and is situate on a lofty platform higher than the houses of the town, and it is ascended by many grand flights of stairs. On the day upon which the King goes to the mosque, a large net of five or six feet in height is stretched round these stairs from fear lest the elephants might approach them, and out of the respect with which the mosque is regarded. The right side of the court is occupied by porticoes which form a long gallery, elevated about half a foot above the ground, and it is the whole extent of these porticoes which constitute the King’s stables, which one may enter by several doors. They are always full of very fine horses, the least valuable of which has cost 3000 écus, and there are some which are worth up to 10,000 écus. In front of each door of the stables there is hung a kind of screen made of bamboos split like our osiers ; but, unlike the way in which we weave our little twigs of osier with osier itself, the bamboo is woven with twisted silk which represents flowers, and the work is very tedious and requires much patience. ### [17.2.9](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.tavernier~en-ball.17.2.9) These screens serve to prevent the flies from tormenting the horses, but that is not considered sufficient, for two grooms are appointed to each horse, one of whom is generally occupied in fanning it. There are also screens stretched before the porticoes, as before the doors of the stables, and they are lowered and elevated according to necessity ; and the floor of the gallery is covered with beautiful carpets, which are taken up in the evening in order to spread the bedding of the horses. This bedding is made of the horse’s own droppings dried in the sun, and afterwards somewhat crushed. The horses imported into India, whether from Persia or Arabia, or the country of the Usbeks, have a complete change of food, for in India they are given neither hay nor oats. Each horse receives for its portion in the morning two or three balls made of wheaten flour and butter, of the size of our penny rolls. There is much difficulty in accustoming them to this kind of food, and often four or five months pass before it can be accomplished. The groom is obliged to hold the horse’s tongue in one hand, and with the other he has to force the ball down the throat. In the sugar-cane or millet season they are given some of them at mid-day; and in the evening, an hour or two before sunset, they receive a measure of chick-peas which the groom has crushed between two stones and steeped in water. It is these which take the place of hay and oats. ### [17.2.10](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.tavernier~en-ball.17.2.10) As for the other stables of the King, where he has also some fine horses, they are poor places, badly built, and do not deserve to be mentioned. The Jumna is a fine river which has large boats upon it, and, after having passed Agra, it loses its name in the Ganges at Allahabad. The King keeps many small brigantines at Jahanabad for pleasure, and they are highly decorated after the manner of the country. --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.tavernier~en-ball.17.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.tavernier~en-ball.17.2) · Pramāṇa