A History of Agriculture in India v2.c80.s3: Observations on Animals
A History of Agriculture in India v2.c80.s3
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Observations on Animals
v2.c80.s3.1
Jahangir also made observations on animals. Muqarrab Khan presented him a baby elephant from Abyssinia. Jahangir noted that its ears were larger than those of Indian elephants and its trunk and tail longer.
v2.c80.s3.2
Another African animal presented to him was a zebra (*Equus zebra*). ‘At this time I saw a wild ass (*gur-khar*), exceedingly strange in appearance,’ observed Jahangir. ‘From the tip of the nose to the end of the tail, and from the point of the ear to the top of the hoof, black markings, large or small, suitable to their position, were seen on it. Round the eyes there was an exceedingly fine black line. One might say the painter of fate, with a strange brush, had left it on the page of the world. As it was strange, some people imagined that it had been coloured. After minute inquiry into the truth, it became known that the Lord of the world was the Creator thereof. As it was a rarity, it was included among the royal gifts sent to my brother Shah ‘Abbas.’ The zebra also was painted by Mansur (Fig. 49).
v2.c80.s3.3
Jahangir also made observations on Indian animals, including the mountain goat. ‘I found the flesh of this animal more delicious than that of all wild animals, although its skin is exceedingly ill-odoured, so much so that even when tanned the scent is not destroyed,’ observed Jahangir. He continues, ‘I ordered one of the largest of the he-goats to be weighed; it was 2 *maunds* and 24 *sers*, equal to 21 foreign *maunds* (Persian). I ordered a large ram to be weighed, and it came to 2 *maunds* and 3 *sers* Akbari, equal to 17 Persian (*wilayati*) *maunds*. The largest and strongest of the wild asses weighed 9 *maunds* and 16 *sers* equal to 76 Persian (*wilayati*) *maunds*. I have frequently heard from hunters and those fond of the chase that at a certain regular time a worm develops in the horns of the mountain ram, and that this worm causes an irritation which induces the ram to fight with his hind, and that if he finds no rival he strikes his head against a tree or a rock to allay the irritation. After enquiry it seems that the same worm appears in the horn of the female sheep, and since the female does not fight the statement is clearly untrue. Though the flesh of the wild ass is lawful food and most men like to eat it, it was in no way suited to my taste.'³
v2.c80.s3.4
³ Rogers, Alexander (tr.), Beveridge, Henry (ed.), *The Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri or Memoirs of Jahangir*, pp. 83, 84
v2.c80.s3.5
Jahangir also noted that the milk of female antelope was palatable. He observes, ‘On this day a female antelope in milk was brought that allowed itself to be milked with ease, and gave every day four *sers* of milk. I had never seen or heard of anything of the kind before. The milk of the antelope, of the cow, and of the buffalo in no way differs. They say it is of great use in asthma.’
v2.c80.s3.6
There is a painting of a yak (*Posephagus grunniens*) by Mansur (Fig. 50). Jahangir records, ‘The yaks from among the presents given by the chief Zamindar of Tibet were seen by me. The yak has a face and built closely resembling the buffalo’s. Its body is covered with a thick growth of long hair; and this is a peculiarity of the animals of cold climate.’