Pramāṇa · Search · About · API

Travels in India (Tavernier) 56: CHAPTER VIII

Travels in India (Ball) 56

Language
English

CHAPTER VIII

56.1

Concerning the preparations which are made for the festival of the Great Mogul, when he is solemnly weighed every year. Of the splendour of his thrones and the magnificence of his Court. After having completed all my business with the King, as I have related in the first Book, and on going to take leave of his Majesty on the first of November 1665, he told me that he was unwilling that I should depart without having witnessed his fete, which was then at hand, and that afterwards he would give orders for me to be shown all his jewels. I accepted, as in duty bound, the honour he did me ; and thus I was a spectator of this grand festival, which commenced on the fourth of November and lasted five days. It is on the anniversary of the King’s birthday that they are in the habit of weighing him, and if he should weigh more than in the preceding year, the rejoicing is much greater on that account. When he has been weighed, he seats himself on the richest of the thrones, of which I shall speak presently, and then all the nobility of the kingdom come to salute him and make him presents. The ladies of the court send some also, and he receives others from all the Governors of Provinces and other exalted personages. In diamonds, rubies, emeralds, pearls, gold and silver, as well as rich carpets, brocades of gold and silver, and other stuffs, elephants, camels, and horses, the King receives in presents on this day to the value of more than 30,000,000 livres.

56.2

Preparations for this festival are commenced on the 7th of September, about two months before the five days which it lasts ; and the reader should remember here the description which I have given of the palace of Jahanabad in the sixth chapter of Book I. The first thing done is to cover in two grand courts of the palace from the middle of each court up to the hall, which is open on three sides. The awnings covering this great space are of red velvet embroidered with gold, and so heavy that the poles which are erected to support them are of the size of a ship’s mast, and some of them are 35 to 40 feet in height ; there are thirty-eight for the tent of the first court, and those near the hall are covered with plates of gold of the thickness of a ducat. The others are covered with silver of the same thickness, and the cords which sustain these poles are of cotton of different colours, and some of them of the thickness of a good cable.

56.3

The first court is, as I have elsewhere said, surrounded by porticoes with small rooms connected with them, and here it is that the Omrahs dwell while they are on guard. For it should be remarked that one of the Omrahs mounts guard every week. He disposes, both in the court as also about the palace or the tent of the King, when he is in the field, the cavalry under his command, besides many elephants. During this week the Omrah on guard receives his food from the King’s kitchen, and when he sees the food which is being brought to him afar off, he makes three obeisances in succession, which consist in placing the hand three times on the ground, and as often on the head, at the same time asking God to preserve the King’s health, and that He will give him long life and power to vanquish his enemies. All these Omrahs, who are the nobility of the kingdom and Princes of the blood, regard it as a great honour to guard the King; and when they mount guard, or when they leave it, they don their best clothes, their horses, elephants, and camels being also richly clad, and some of these camels carry a swivel-gun with a man seated behind to fire it. The least of these Omrahs commands 2000 horse, but, when a Prince of the blood is on guard, he commands up to 6000. It should be stated that the Great Mogul has seven magnificent thrones, one wholly covered with diamonds, the others with rubies, emeralds, or pearls.

56.4

The principal throne, which is placed in the hall of the first court, is nearly of the form and size of our camp beds; that is to say, it is about 6 feet long and 4 wide. Upon the four feet, which are very massive, and from 20 to 25 inches high, are fixed the four bars which support the base of the throne, and upon these bars are ranged twelve columns, which sustain the canopy on three sides, there not being any on that which faces the court. Both the feet and the bars, which are more than 18 inches long, are covered with gold inlaid and enriched with numerous diamonds, rubies, and emeralds. In the middle of each bar there is a large balass ruby, cut en cabuchon, with four emeralds round it, which form a square cross. Next in succession, from one side to the other along the length of the bars there are similar crosses, arranged so that in one the ruby is in the middle of four emeralds, and in another the emerald is in the middle and four balass rubies surround it. The emeralds are table-cut, and the intervals between the rubies and emeralds are covered with diamonds, the largest of which do not exceed 10 to 12 carats in weight, all being showy stones, but very flat. There are also in some parts pearls set in gold, and upon one of the longer sides of the throne there are four steps to ascend it.

56.5

Of the three cushions or pillows which are upon the throne, that which is placed behind the King’s back is large and round like one of our bolsters, and the two others that are placed at his sides are flat. There is to be seen, moreover, a sword suspended from this throne, a mace, a round shield, a bow and quiver with arrows; and all these weapons, as also the cushions and steps, both of this throne and the other six, are covered over with stones which match those with which each of the thrones is respectively enriched. I counted the large balass rubies on the great throne, and there are about 108, all cabuchons, the least of which weighs 100 carats, but there are some which weigh apparently 200 and more. As for the emeralds, there are plenty of good colour, but they have many flaws; the largest may weigh 60 carats, and the least 30 carats. I counted about one hundred and sixteen (116); thus there are more emeralds than rubies.

56.6

The underside of the canopy is covered with diamonds and pearls, with a fringe of pearls all round, and above the canopy, which is a quadrangular-shaped dome, there is to be seen a peacock with elevated tail made of blue sapphires and other coloured stones, the body being of gold inlaid with precious stones, having a large ruby in front of the breast, from whence hangs a pear-shaped pearl of 50 carats or thereabouts, and of a somewhat yellow water. On both sides of the peacock there is a large bouquet of the same height as the bird, and consisting of many kinds of flowers made of gold inlaid with precious stones. On the side of the throne which is opposite the court there is to be seen a jewel consisting of a diamond of from 80 to 90 carats weight, with rubies and emeralds round it, and when the King is seated he has this jewel in full view. But that which in my opinion is the most costly thing about this magnificent throne is that the twelve columns supporting the canopy are surrounded with beautiful rows of pearls, which are round and of fine water, and weigh from 6 to 10 carats each. At 4 feet distance from the throne there are fixed, on either side, two umbrellas, the sticks of which for 7 or 8 feet in height are covered with diamonds, rubies, and pearls. These umbrellas are of red velvet, and are embroidered and fringed all round with pearls.

56.7

This is what I have been able to observe regarding this famous throne, commenced by Tamerlane and completed by Shah Jahan; and those who keep the accounts of the King’s jewels, and of what this great work has cost, have assured me that it amounts to one hundred and seven thousand lakhs of rupees, sic. (i.e. 10,700,000,000) which amount to one hundred and sixty millions five hundred thousand livres of our money (i.e. 160,500,000). Behind this grand and magnificent throne there is placed a smaller one, which has the form of a bathing-tub. It is of an oval shape of about 7 feet in length and 5 in breadth, and the outside is covered over with diamonds and pearls, but it has no canopy. When in the first court you see, on the right hand, a special tent under which, during the King’s festival, the principal baladines of the town are obliged to be present in order to sing and dance while the King is on his throne. To the left there is another place, also covered by a tent, where the principal officers of the army and other officers of the guard and of the King’s household are in attendance.

56.8

In the same quarter, during the time that the King remains seated on his throne, there are thirty horses, all bridled, fifteen on one side and fifteen on the other, each held by two men. The bridles are very narrow, and for the most part enriched with diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and pearls, some having only small gold coins. Each horse has upon its head, between the ears, a bunch of beautiful feathers, and a small cushion on the back with the surcingle, the whole embroidered with gold; and suspended from the neck there is a fine jewel, either a diamond, a ruby, or an emerald. The least valuable of these horses costs from 3000 to 5000 écus, and there are some worth 20,000 rupees, i.e. 10,000 écus. The young Prince, who was then only seven or eight years old, rode a small horse, the height of which did not exceed that of a large greyhound, but it was a very well-made animal. Half an hour, or, at the most, one hour after the King is seated on his throne, seven of the bravest elephants, which are trained to war, are brought for inspection. One of the seven has its howdah ready on its back, in case the King wishes to mount; the others are covered with housings of brocade, with chains of gold and silver about their necks, and there are four which carry the King’s standard upon their backs; it is attached to a hand pike which a man holds erect.

56.9

They are brought, one after the other, to within forty or fifty paces of the King, and when the elephant is opposite the throne it salutes his Majesty by placing its trunk on the ground and then elevating it above its head three times. On each occasion it trumpets aloud, and then, turning its back towards the King, one of the men who is riding upon it raises the housing in order that the King may see if the animal is in good condition, and has been well fed. Each has its own silken cord, which is stretched round its body in order to show whether it has increased since the previous year. The principal of these elephants, which the King is very fond of, is a large and fierce animal which has 500 rupees per mensem for its expenses. It is fed with the best food and quantities of sugar, and is given spirits to drink. I have spoken elsewhere of the number of elephants kept by the King, to which I add here that when he rides out on his elephant the Omrahs follow him on horseback, and when he rides a horse the Omrahs follow on foot. After the King has inspected his elephants he rises, and accompanied by three or four of his eunuchs enters his harem by a small door which is behind the oval-shaped throne.

56.10

The other five thrones are arranged in a superb hall in another court, and are covered over with diamonds, without any coloured stones. I shall not give a minute description of them for fear of wearying the reader, not forgetting that one becomes disgusted with the most beautiful things when they are too often before the eyes. These five thrones are disposed in such a manner that they form a cross, four making a square, the fifth being in the middle, but somewhat nearer to the two which are furthest from the people. After the King has remained about half an hour in his harem, he comes out with three or four eunuchs in order to seat himself in that one of the five thrones which is in the middle, and during the five days that the festival lasts, sometimes his elephants are brought, sometimes his camels, and all the nobles of his Court come to make their accustomed presents. All this is not done without much magnificence, and with surroundings worthy of the greatest monarch in the East, the Great Mogul being in power and wealth in Asia, what the King of France is in Europe, but having nothing comparable with him in might if he waged war with a valiant and clever people like our Europeans.