The Legacy of Muslim Rule in India c9.s2: Luxurious Life
The Legacy of Muslim Rule in India c9.s2
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Luxurious Life
c9.s2.1
Their high salaries and emoluments introduced into the lives of the Umara all the uses and abuses of luxury. They lived with such ostentation that it was not to be seen elsewhere in the world, and the most sumptuous of European courts cannot compare in richness and magnificence with the lustre beheld in Indian courts.¹⁴ Their splendid life-style may be studied in its two aspects - private inside the harem and public outside of it. They lived in magnificent mansions some costing four to six thousand gold *tankahs* (*dinars*) and provided with all amenities.¹⁵ By the seventeenth century the Mahals of the nobles had gained in architectural excellence and constructional designs. At Agra, on the banks of the Jumna, many persons have erected buildings of three or four storeys, writes emperor Jahangir¹⁶ Asaf Khans palace had a fair Diwan Khana which was flanked by diverse lodgings for his women neatly contrived with galleries and walks.¹⁷ Asaf Khans palace was exceedingly handsome and costly,¹⁸ but the others were equally elegant.¹⁹ The basic pattern of the mansions of the nobles was the same. One portion of the building was the Diwan Khana or the mens quarters but the greater portion was occupied by their ladies and was called Zenan Khana.²⁰ In the houses of the nobles the womens apartments are in the centre, and it is generally necessary to traverse two or three large courts and a garden or two before reaching there.²¹ Berniers observations about the houses of nobles of Delhi are similar to those of Pelsaert at Agra. They were spacious and along with courtyards, gardens, trees, basins of water, small *jets deau* in the hall or at the entrance, and handsome subterraneous apartments which are furnished with large fans.²² While encamping, their tents were made equally magnificient. All the arcades and galleries were covered from top to bottom with brocade, and (even) the pavement with rich carpets.²³
c9.s2.2
The nobles ladies were numerous and spendthrift. Pelsaert says that as a rule they have three or four wives All live together surrounded by high walls called the *mahal*, having tanks and gardens inside. Each wife has separate apartments for herself and her slaves, of whom there may be 10, or 20, or 100, according to her fortune. Each has a monthly allowance for her (expenditure). Jewels and clothes are provided by the husband according to the extent of his affection²⁴ Their Mahals were adorned with superfluous pomp and ornamental dainties. The ladies made extensive use of gold and silver, for ornaments and jewellery, as well for their utensils and table service.²⁵ Even their bedsteads were lavishly ornamented with gold and silver.²⁶ During the earlier period, there is also mention of gold bath-tubs and gold horse-shoes.²⁷
c9.s2.3
For the security and supervision of these hundreds of ladies, dozens and dozens of maids and eunuchs were required. The harem paraphernalia cost tons of money. Furthermore, it was a fashion for the Umara to visit the houses of dancing girls, take them or call them to their own mansions and pay them handsomely.²⁸ Throughout the medieval times the nobility indulged in the expensive hobbies of women, wine, song and drugs. Chess and *chausar* they played at home; big game shooting, taming and flying birds, playing chaugan and practicing with swords were their outdoor recreations. Dozens of falconers, pigeon-boys and attendants were employed to keep their birds and horses in trim.²⁹ The nobles, their ladies, and even their slave-girls dressed in the best of cotton fineries and richest embroidered silks. Their food was rich and full of delicacies.³⁰ Their boon companions partook of it freely.³¹ Most of the nobles were soaked in wine and sunk in debauch but they were also patrons of art and poetry. Since I have made a comprehensive study of the luxurious life of the medieval Muslim nobility in my monograph entitled *The Mughal Harem*, I shall refrain from repeating here what I have already stated therein in detail except reproducing one paragraph from the book. The large establishment of wives and servants rendered the nobles immobile. No Indian scholars, engineers or travellers went abroad to learn the skills the Europeans were developing in their countries. While people from Europe were frequently coming to Hindustan, no Indian nobleman could go to the West because he could not live without his harem and he could not take with him his cumbersome harem to countries situated so far away. Europe at this time was forging ahead in science and technology through its Industrial Revolution, but the Mughal elites kept themselves insulated from this great stride because of inertia. Consequently, the country was pulled back from marching with progress, a deficiency which has not been able to be made up until now.³²
c9.s2.4
Outside their mansions the Umara were extra ostentatious. Since they attained to highest honours at court, in the provinces, and in the armies; and who are, as they call themselves, the Pillars of the Empire, they maintain the splendour of the court, and are never seen out-of-doors but in the most superb apparel; mounted sometimes on an elephant, sometimes on horseback, and not unfrequently in a *paleky* attended by many of their cavalry, and by a large body of servants on foot - not only to clear the way, but to flap the flies and brush off the dust with tails of peacocks; to carry the spitoon, water to allay the Omrahs thirst.³³
c9.s2.5
Over and above the expenses on their large establishment of wives, servants, camels and horses, the nobles were expected to present valuable gifts to the king on birthday anniversaries, Ids, Nauroz and other festivals, according to their pay and status. Some of them, indeed take that opportunity of presenting gifts of extraordinary magnificence, sometimes for the sake of ostentatious display, sometimes to divert the king from instituting an inquiry into their excessive exactions, and sometimes to gain the favour of the king, and by that means obtain an increase of salary. Some present fine pearls, diamonds, emeralds and rubies; others offer vessels of gold set with precious stones; others again give gold coins³⁴ The king also gave some gift in exchange, but the presents of the nobles were much costlier and often extracted by the king. During a festival of this kind Aurangzeb, having paid a visit to Jafar Khan, the Wazir made a present to the king of gold coins to the amount of one hundred thousand crowns, some handsome pearls and a ruby about the value of which prevailed great confusion among the principal jewellers, and it might have cost five hundred thousand crowns.³⁵ Thus the king sometimes took the initiative in contriving to extract costly presents and gathered huge amounts, for says Pelsaert, from the least to the greatest right up to the King himself everyone is infected with insatiable greed.³⁶ Money spent on bribes and presents often proved profitable investment,³⁷ for, without presents the nobles could hardly expect timely response to his petition.³⁸ Not only were gifts presented to the king, means had to be found for making valuable presents, every year, to a Wazir, an eunuch or a lady of the seraglio, or to any other person whose influence at court the nobleman considered indispensable.³⁹