Life and Conditions of the People of Hindustan (1200–1550 A.D.) c7.s3.t3.76

c7.s3.t3.76

In concluding this discussion of amusements and recreations, reference may be made to mountebanks and professional jesters. They employed all sorts of tricks and antics, witticisms and repartees to provoke laughter and to amuse their audience. Some of these jesters wore the most comic masks and gave amusing surprises to the party. At other times they caricatured the popular courtiers and other lackeys and suffered indignities and beating or snubbing, to create an effect.² On the whole, the standard of humour as displayed by these jesters and clowns was not very high and their behaviour was very scandalous in the eyes of the punctilious theologians.³ Like the Sultan and Hindu rulers who maintained buffoons and clowns, the Hindu and Muslim nobility employed professional jesters and mountebanks on their staff of attendants.⁴