The Legacy of Muslim Rule in India c9.s2.5

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