‘The travels of Sig. Pietro della Valle, a noble Roman, into East-India and Arabia Deserta. In which, the several countries, together with the customs, manners, traffique, and rites both religious and civil, of those Oriental princes and nations, are faithfully described: In familiar letters to his friend Signior Mario Schipano. Whereunto is added a relation of Sir Thomas Roe’s voyage into the East-Indies’ [‎27] (48/508)

Into the EAST-INDIES. 37
one of his Succeflbrs came to be poffefs'd of that Kingdom,and to
found the Royal Family now regnant ^ of which, with very great l|
augmentations of Dominion Scihh Selim^now living ? is the fourth |!
King, as his own Seals teftifie, the impreffion whereof I keep by •
me, wherein is engraven all his pedigree as far as Taw er I am, from t
whom Scuh Selim reckons himfelf the eighth defcendent. When ^
Scihh Selim was born, he was at firft call'd Sceichii 5 becaufe thet^^ / -
King Ekbar his Father, having before had no children, conceived ^
he had obtain'd him by the prayers of a certain Sceich, (fo they^C^ as/
call a Religious Man J to whom he bore great reverence. But ^ X
after he was come to ripe age, his Father chang'd his Name, as
here they fometimes do, into Sciah Selim, which, in the Arabian
Dialed, the learned Language to all Mahometans, fignifies Rl
Pacific, a Peaceable, or Peace-making King^ conceiving this
Name to agree to his Nature : The Father dying, Scidh Selim
being advane'd to the Kingdom, chang'd his Name once again
( as 'tis the cuftom of many Oriental Princes on fuch an occafion )
with more Magnificent Titles, ( for their proper Names are no
thing but Titles and Epithets ) and would be call'd Nur eddht,
Mnhammcd, Gihon ghir, which partly in Arahick^, partly in
Perfick, fignifies^ ihe Light of the Law, Mahomet, Take the World 3
in regard of the profeffion which he makes in publick of the Ma
hometan Sed, though really in fecret, by what they report, he
little cares for Mahomet and his Law, or any other Religion 5
accounting, according to the vain opinion of fome in thele parts 3
that a man may be fav'd in every Law. Ncverthelefs, the
Name Sciah Selim, tenaciouily inhering in the memory of
people, remains ftill to him, and in common difcourfe he is more
frequently call'd by this then any other Name. He had two
Brothers: One, who took a part of the Province Dacan', was
call'd by his proper Name Peharl, and by firname Sciah Murad :
The other, whody'd in the City Berhampor, was nam'd Daniel^
and fir nam'd Sombol Sciah, but both dyed without Heirs,
whereupon their Dominion returned back to SciAh Selim, I
know not whether by one or more Women, this Kingliad four
Sonsv'the firfi:, is call'd Sultan Chofrou , the fecond, Sultan
Terutz > the third, Sultan Chorrom, now in rebellion, (to whom,
when he returned from a war which he had profperoufly manag d
in Dacan , his' Father gave the title of Sciahi Gihhn, which is
interpreted. King of the World 9) and the fourth Sultan Scehriar,
is yet a youth of fmall age. 'Tis poflible, others befides thefe
have been born to him 5 but being dead, either in Child-hood
or long ago, there is no mention made of them at prefent. He
hath one Wife or Queen, whom he efleems and favours aj30ve all
other Women ^ and his whole Empire is govern'd at this day
by her counfel. She was born iu India, but of Perfiarv Race,
that is, the Daughter of a Perfian, who coming, as many do
into India, to thelervice of the Moghol, hapned in time to prove
a very great man in this Court, .and, (if I miftake not) Chan
E 2 w ^1