A History of Agriculture in India v2.c81.s2: Imported Fruits
A History of Agriculture in India v2.c81.s2
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- English
Imported Fruits
v2.c81.s2.1
Fruits were also imported from Afghanistan, Central Asia. Jahangir states, 'At the same stage they brought many melons grown in Kariz near Herat. In former years they had never brought melons in such abundance. On one tray they brought many kinds of fruit—Kariz melons, melons from Badakhshan and Kabul, grapes from Samarkand and Badakhshan, apples from Samarkand, Kashmir, Kabul, and from Jalalabad, which is a dependency of Kabul, and pineapple, a fruit that comes from the European ports, plants of which have been set in Agra. Every year some thousands are gathered in the gardens there which appertain to the private domains. Together with these there came oranges (*kaunlā*) from Bengal, and though that place is 1,000 *kos* distant most of them arrived quite fresh. As this is a very delicate and pleasant fruit, runners bring by post as much as is necessary for private consumption, and pass it from hand to hand.'²
v2.c81.s2.2
² Rogers, Alexander (tr.), Beveridge, Henry (ed.). *The Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri or Memoirs of Jahangir*, pp. 350, 422, 423
v2.c81.s2.3
Terry, an English traveller, writes, 'The country was abounding with musk-melons. One could also find water-melons, pomegranates, lemons, oranges, dates, figs, grapes, coconuts, plantains, mangoes, pineapple, pears, apples, etc.' Terry also mentions the use of coffee by some people. He writes, 'Many religious people drank a "wholesome liquor" which they called coffee. Black seeds were boiled in water, which also became black. It altered the taste of water very little. It quickened the spirit and cleansed the blood.'³
v2.c81.s2.4
³ Ansari, Mohammad Azhar. *European Travellers under the Mughals*, 1580-1627, p. 175