Muslim Slave System in Medieval India c13.18

c13.18

According to Manucci, the chief Nazir of the seraglio is highly esteemed by the King. He has a large allowance, has charge of the treasury, is master of the wardrobe, decides on the details and the pattern of Sarapas (robes) to be prepared; in short, it is he who has charge of all the Mughal expenditure of the clothes, the linen, and the precious stones, of the jewelry, of everything that goes into or comes out of the palace.³⁰ Manucci gives a list of about forty Nazirs of the time of Aurangzeb, each of whom had a separate tide bestowed upon him by the king. By their service to the kings and queens, the eunuchs could wield great influence and amass large amounts of wealth.³¹ Some indeed were so trustworthy and powerful that they kept even grown up princes under strict disciplines.³²