'Collections of travels through Turky into Persia, and the East Indies. Giving an account of the present state of those countries, as also a full relation of the five years wars, between Aureng-Zebe and his brothers in their father's life time, about the succession. And a voyage made by the Great Mogul (Aureng-Zebe) with his Army from Dehli to Lahor, from Lahor to Bember, and from thence to the Kingdom of Kachemire, by the Mogols, call'd, the Paradise of the Indies. Together with a relation of the Kingdom of Japan and Tunkin, and of their particular manners and trade. To which is added a new description of the Grand Seignior's Seraglio, and also of all the Kingdoms that encompass the Euxine and Caspian Seas, being the travels of Monsieur TavernierBernier, and other great men.' [‎202] (235/1024)

Book V.
The Persian Travels
C H A P. 11.
jT ' V. ; , . • ; ' i; - , v /
Of certain particular Actions which denote the Vertues and Vices
of the Kings of Perfia, from Sha-Abbas the firfl to Sha-Solj.
man the prefent King. And firjl of Sha-Abbas Great,
' ' / ’ • ' ' V / '
S Ra-AbbM) who was a paffionate Lover of Honour, fought all ways ima
ginable to furnifli his Empire with the fupports of wealth and good
Government. He would notfuffer any Indian ot Banian Merchant of Indian extraction. to live as a Tradder in
his Dominions i they having crept in iince under the Reigns of Sha-Sefix\\Q firft
and Sha-Abbas the fecond, who came very young to the Throne. Neither had
Sha-Abbas any reafon to permit them to trade in his Kingdom i for they are
worfe Ufurers than the 7^?/, and feldom it happens, but that they have all the
Money in the Nation, which they take up at nine or ten in the hundred, and let
out again upon pawns at two and a half per Cent, a month. From fuch devou
ring Pefls and Vipers as thefe, Sha-Abbas thought it but reafonable to preferve
his people i fo that before thefe Vermin crept into Pafia^ the Money was all
in the hands of the Armenians of Zu J pha, And indeed thofe Banians have been
the ruin of many poor peopkj of which I will only bring one example among
many.
1 was at Ijfahan in the yeaf 1662^ when one of thofe lent fix or feven
Tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. per Cent, a month to a poor Perfian, who had utter’d feveral pieces of
Linnenupon the place. Thofe Banians will have their Intereft paid every month -,
but the Perfian had flipt three or four, having no Money to pay, in regard his
Debtor cotild not pay him. Thereupon the Banian Merchant of Indian extraction. dunn’d him perpetually, and
threaten’d to have him drub’d till he pay’d it, according to the Perfm cuftom.
The Mother of the Perfian troubl’d to fee her Son haunted in that manner, one
morning as he was going to the Meydan, bid him, if he met the, Banian Merchant of Indian extraction. , that he
(hould befure to bring him home, and (he would pay him his Intereft, and fome
of the principal, with fome Money that (he had fav’d of her one. Toward even
ing the Banian Merchant of Indian extraction. met his Debtor, whom he readily follow’d home upon promife of
payment. The Mother defir’d him to fet upon the Caurfi, which is the place
where they make their fires, it being cold fnowy weather, and fe$ fruits before
him to eat. While he thus eat and warm’d himfelf, night came on apace, and the
woman putting him in hopes of payment, fpun out the time fo long,’that the
Banian Merchant of Indian extraction. not beipg unaccuftom’d to cold weather and late hours, was eafily perfwad-
ed to (lay all night at the Perfians Houfe. When ’twas time to go to Bed, theB*-
nian threw himfelf upon one Quilt, and the Perfian upon another. About two
houres after midnight, the Mother comes foftly into the Chamber, with a (harp
Razor in her hand, intendingto have cut off thb Banians head f but unfortunately
miftaking, kill d her own Soninflead of the Banian Merchant of Indian extraction. . The Banian Merchant of Indian extraction. having had fuch
an efcape, Itole cunningly out of the Houfe, and declaring the murther to the
Vivari-beque, or the Chief Juft ice, He caus’d the woman to be apprehended, and
brought before him i who confefling the fadf, he commanded her to be ty’d to
the tail of a young Mule, and tobedragg’d about the City till the Mule had kick’d
her to death. ' ,
In the year 1 ddy, eight or ten days before I departed from Ifpahan, therewasa
bam'an found bun d m a Street near the Cafuchms houfe-, they had cut off his
arms and legs, and fo put him into the hole -, but burl’d him fo (hallow that the
Dogs ferapd away the Earth, and difeover’d himi but who committed the fad,
was not then known.
.Sha-Abbas was not only willing that all the trade (hoyld be in the hands of
us Subjects, to make profit thereby, and to draw the Morey info his King-
om, bath© would not fuffer it to be tranfported when it was brought in.
we iaw that the Pilgrimages of his Subje&s to Merc*, their Expences andPre-
ents carry d out abundance of his Ducats of Gold i therefore more politick than
K fgious, he ftrove to hinder thofe Pilgrimages as much as in him lay, and
going