A History of Agriculture in India v2.c66.s3.1

v2.c66.s3.1

Athanasius Nikitin, a Russian merchant, happened to reside for a long time at Bidar and to travel in the Bahmani dominions between the years A.D. 1470 and 1474 in the reign of Muhammad Shah III. He observes, ‘The land is overstocked with people; but those in the country are very miserable, whilst the nobles are extremely opulent and delight in luxury. They are wont to be carried on their silver beds, preceded by some twenty chargers caparisoned in gold, and followed by 300 men on horseback, and by 500 on foot, and by horn-men, ten torch-bearers, and ten musicians.