[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) › 24.3 # Travels in India (Tavernier) 24.3 Travels in India (Ball) 24.3 - **Language:** English ### [24.3.1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.tavernier~en-ball.24.3.1) This Prince passionately loves all those who are proficient in mathematics, and he understands them fairly well; it is the reason why, although a Muhammadan, he favours all Christians who are learned in this science, as he particularly showed with regard to the Rev. Father Ephraim, a Capuchin, when he was passing through Golconda to go to Pegu, whither he was sent by his Superiors. He did all he could to induce him to remain in his country, and offered to build for him, at his own cost, a house and a church, representing to him that he would lack neither occupation nor parishioners, since there were then some Christian Portuguese and many Armenians who came every year for trade. But Father Ephraim, who had his orders to proceed onwards to Pegu, was unable to accept his offer, and when he went to take leave of the Sheikh he bestowed upon him a khil'at of the most honourable kind possible, since it included the whole suit, namely, the cap, the cabaye or grand robe, the arcalou or cassock, two pairs of drawers, two shirts, and two girdles, with a scarf to be worn round the neck and upon the head for protection against the heat of the sun. The Reverend Father was astonished at this present, and made known to the Sheikh that he could not wear it, the latter nevertheless desired that he should take it, and told him that he might bestow it on one of his friends. ### [24.3.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.tavernier~en-ball.24.3.2) Two months afterwards I received this present from Father Ephraim when I was at Surat, and I thanked him for it on the occasion of our first meeting. The Sheikh, seeing that he could not detain the “Father,” and not wishing to allow him to travel on foot from Golconda to Masulipatam, as he intended, compelled him to accept an ox which he gave him, with two attendants to conduct him ; and not being able to force him to accept 30 pagodas in addition, he directed the two attendants that on arrival at Masulipatam they should leave with the Capuchin Father both the ox and the pagodas. This order they did not fail to carry out in every particular, for otherwise on their return to Golconda it would have cost them their lives. I shall complete the history of Father Ephraim, who afterwards experienced many misfortunes, when I describe Goa, which is the principal place which the Portuguese have in India. The second daughter of the King of Golconda was espoused to Sultan Muhammad, eldest son of Aurangzeb. What led to the marriage was this — Mir Jumla, Commander-in-Chief of the army of the King of Golconda, who had received from him much good service towards the establishment of his throne, on going in the direction of Bengal to regulate some Raja's affairs, left in hostage with the King, according to custom, his wife and children as pledge of his fidelity. He had many daughters, but only one son, who had a considerable following and made a great figure at Court. ### [24.3.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.tavernier~en-ball.24.3.3) The credit and the wealth which Mir Jumla had acquired made him enemies, who, jealous of such good fortune, sought to destroy it in his absence, and to injure him in the esteem of the King. They told him that the power of Mir Jumla should cause him to be suspected ; that all his actions tended towards dethroning him and securing the kingdom of Golconda for his son ; that he ought not to wait till the evil was without remedy ; and that in order to rid himself of an enemy — the more dangerous because he concealed himself — the shortest way was to poison him. The king, being easily persuaded, gave these same persons an order to accomplish the deed ; but having taken their measures clumsily three or four times in succession without being able to accomplish their object, the son of Mir Jumla at length heard of it, and at once gave notice of it to his father. It is not known exactly what command he got from his father ; but after he had received his reply he went to the King, to whom he spoke out with boldness, taxing him with the services which his father had rendered him, and with the fact that without his aid he would never have come to the throne. This was true ; but there was a court intrigue which would take too long to describe. ### [24.3.4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.tavernier~en-ball.24.3.4) This young noble, somewhat carried away from his ordinary demeanour, used such sharpness of expression to the King that his Majesty, offended by his insolence, rose in a rage, whilst the nobles of the Court, who were present, threw themselves on him and handled him roughly. At the same time, by order of the King, he was arrested and put in prison, with his mother and sisters; and this affair, which made a great commotion at Court, so much enraged Mīr Jumlā, who soon had news of it, that, having forces at hand, and being beloved by the soldiers, he at once resolved to make use of these advantages to revenge himself for the injury. He was then, as I have said, in the direction of Bengal, for the purpose of bringing to their allegiance some Rajas possessing territories on the Ganges; and Sultān Shujā, the second son of Shāh Jahān, who was then Governor of Bengal, was the one whom he considered it to be most suitable to address as the wisest Prince with whom he might join forces against the King of Golconda, whom he no longer regarded as his master, but as the greatest of his enemies. He accordingly wrote to this Prince that if he was willing to join him he would afford him the means of taking possession of the whole of the kingdom of Golconda, and that he ought not to lose so good an opportunity of increasing the Mogul Empire, the succession to which affected him as well as the other Princes, his brothers. ### [24.3.5](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.tavernier~en-ball.24.3.5) But he did not receive a favourable reply from Sultān Shujā, who let him know that he did not trust the word of a man who, being capable of betraying his King, might readily betray a strange Prince whom he had attracted to his interests in order to accomplish his own revenge, and consequently he need not expect him. On receipt of this refusal of Sultān Shujā, Mīr Jumlā wrote to Aurangzeb, who was then in his government of BurhAnpur, who, not being so scrupulous as his brother, accepted the offer which was made to him. Whilst Mir Jumla advanced his troops towards BhAgnagar, Aurangzeb marched with his by long stages towards the Deccan, and the two armies being conjoined, they reached the gates of BhAgnagar before the King had had time to put his affairs in order. He only had time to take refuge in the fortress of Golconda, where Aurangzeb, after he had pillaged the town of BhAgnagar and removed all that was of much value from the palace, came at once to lay siege. The King, seeing himself so hard pressed, believed that he would soon have to yield; and in order to seek to turn this hurricane, which threatened his complete ruin, sent to Mir Jumla both his wife and children with every honour. There is both virtue and generosity in India as in Europe; and I shall give a noteworthy example of it in the person of the King of Golconda. ### [24.3.6](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.tavernier~en-ball.24.3.6) Some days after the enemy had laid siege to the fortress, a gunner perceiving Aurangzeb upon his elephant visiting the outworks, whilst the King was on the bastion, he said to the latter that if his Majesty wished he could destroy the Prince with a shot of the cannon, and at the same moment he put himself in position to fire. But the King, seizing him by the arm, told him to do nothing of the sort, and that the lives of Princes should be respected. The gunner, who was skilful, obeyed the King, and instead of firing at Aurangzeb, he killed the General of his army, who was farther in advance, with a cannon shot. This stopped the attack which he was about to deliver, the whole camp being alarmed by his death. Abdul Zabar Beg, general of the army of the King of Golconda, who was close by with a flying camp of 4000 horse, having heard that the enemy were somewhat disordered by the loss of their General which they had sustained, at once took advantage of so favourable an opportunity, and going at them full tilt, succeeded in overcoming them; and having put them to flight he followed them vigorously for 4 or 5 leagues, till nightfall. A few days before the death of this General, the King of Golconda, who had been surprised, seeing himself pressed, and supplies being short in the fortress, was on the point of giving up the keys; ### [24.3.7](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.tavernier~en-ball.24.3.7) but, as I have above related, Mirza Muhammad, his son-in-law, tore them from his hands, and threatened to slay him if he persisted any longer in such a resolution; and this was the reason why the King, who previously had but little liking for him, thenceforward conceived a great affection for him, of which he daily gave him proofs. Aurangzeb having then been obliged to raise the siege, halted some days to rally his troops and receive reinforcements, with which he set himself to besiege Golconda. The fortress was as vigorously attacked as it was vigorously defended; but Mir Jumla, who still retained some regard for the King, and had it, as some persons say with good reason, without proclaiming it openly, did not wish to allow Aurangzeb to proceed to extremities, and by his diplomacy secured a suspension of hostilities for some weeks. Sháh Jahán, father of Aurangzeb, had formerly received kind treatment from the King of Golconda, with whom he had taken refuge when he had lost the battle with his elder brother against the King Jahángir, their father, with whom they had gone to war. Jahangir, having got the elder brother into his power, caused his eyes to be put out; but Shah Jahan, the younger brother, being better advised, took to flight, and the King of Golconda having received him with kindness, they bound themselves together in close friendship—Shah Jahan swearing to his host that he would never fight with him whatever cause might arise. ### [24.3.8](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.tavernier~en-ball.24.3.8) Mir Jumla, who knew that it would not be difficult to bring to an understanding two Kings who were friends, little as Aurangzeb was inclined to give way, and wishing, moreover, that that Prince should find it advantageous to himself, communicated underhand to both one and the other what he planned in order to secure a lasting peace. He managed that the King of Golconda first wrote to Shah Jahan in very civil terms, praying him to become arbitrator between himself and Aurangzeb, placing his interests entirely in his hands, and promising to sign a treaty in whatever terms he pleased to frame it. By the same address of Mir Jumla, Shah Jahan, on his side, was advised, by way of reply to the letter of the King of Golconda, to propose to him the marriage of his second daughter with Sultan Muhammad, son of Aurangzeb, on condition that after the death of the King, the father of the Princess, his son-in-law should inherit the kingdom of Golconda. This proposition having been accepted and the articles signed by the two Kings, both the peace and the marriage were celebrated at the same time with much magnificence. As for Mir Jumla, he quitted the service of the King of Golconda, and went to Burhanpur with Aurangzeb. ### [24.3.9](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.tavernier~en-ball.24.3.9) Soon afterwards Shah Jahan made him first Minister of State and Commander-in-Chief of his armies, and it was he who so powerfully aided Aurangzeb to ascend the throne by defeating Sultan Shuja. For Mir Jumla was a man of great intelligence, who understood equally well both war and the affairs of State. I have had occasion to speak to him several times, and I have admired the firmness and the promptitude with which he responded to requests presented to him, giving his orders in every direction, and signing several despatches as if he had but one sole matter to attend to. The third Princess of Golconda was promised to Sultan Said, another Sheikh of Mecca, and the matter had so far advanced that the day was named for the marriage. But Abdul Zabar Beg, general of the army, went to the King of Golconda, with six other nobles, to turn him from his design; and they so managed it that the marriage was broken off, and the Princess was given to Mirza Abdul Hasan, a cousin of the King, by which marriage there are two sons. This has entirely destroyed the claims of the son of Aurangzeb, whom the father now keeps in prison in the fortress of Gwalior, for having betrayed his side in favour of Sultan Shuja, his uncle. This Princess would have been given at first and with no difficulty to Mirza Abdul Hasan if he had not been a debauchee, the King not having then any regard for him, and making no account of him ; but since the marriage he has reformed. ### [24.3.10](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.tavernier~en-ball.24.3.10) At the present time the King of Golconda does not so much fear the Moguls, because, following their example, money does not leave his country, and he has amassed much to carry on war. Besides, he is greatly attached to the sect of Ali, to the extent of not wearing a cap (or turban?) like the other Muhammadans, because they say that Ali did not wear one, but another kind of head-dress ; and it is this fact which causes the Persians, who arrive in India in great numbers to seek their fortunes, to go by preference to the King of Golconda rather than to the Mogul. It is the same with the King of Bijapur, whom the Queen, sister of the King of Golconda, has been careful to bring up in the same sect of Ali, which also attracts many Persians to his service. --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.tavernier~en-ball.24.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.tavernier~en-ball.24.3) · Pramāṇa