'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.' [‎224] (257/1024)

The Persian
Travels
Book V.
The Cor ft his are defended from a forreign race, which have hill a great repute
for their Valour. Thefe people live in Tents, like the Turcomans , and they fend
their Youth betimes jo the King. They furnilh their Youth alfo with all necef-
faries, and maintain them till they come to be taken notice of by the King. They
are all Horfe- men, well paid, and well look’d to, and are many times advanc’d to
the Supreme Dignities of the Kingdom. They are generally call’d Kefel-Bajhi
or Red-heads, becaufe that formerly they wore red Bonnets. It is faid that the
King has about 22000 of thefe Corchis in pay, all good Souldiers, that'do won
ders in Battel. S ha-Abbas the hr ft, did what he could to abolifh this Militia, and
to fet up the Goulams in their head. His hatred againft them was only becaufe
he thought them too powerful i for he was wont to fay to his Favourites, that
nothing but the Puiflfance of the Corchis, could oppofe the Royal Power, There
upon he took away fome of their Piiviledges, and gave them to the Doulms \
but he could not bring about his defign any farther.
The General of the Corchis is call’d Corfchi-Bajhi, and ought to be one of their
Body •> nor can the King impofe another upon them. The Mim-Bajhi commands
a thoufand Men, the commands a hundred, and the Om-Bajhi com
mands ten. The Corfcbi-Bajhi l\as 150 Tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. a year •> the Mim-Ba(ki fixty-two i
the thirty, and the Om-Bafhi fifteen. The pay of every Horfe man is
from nine to fifteen a year. Befides, every year the King makes a gene
ral Mutter, and then he gives to the Corftchis a third part more than their ufual
payy however, to fome more, toothers lefs, either according to favour or merit.
When the King has refolv’d to put a great Man to death, he commits the execu*
tion of his command to a Corfcbi.
The Goukr-Agafi is General of the Goulams, or Slaves. For indeed they are
either Slaves, or the Sons of Slaves of all forts of Nations, who do the King ve
ry good Service. They are for the mott part runnegade Georgians j and there are
about 18000 of thefe being all Horfe-men whofe pay is from five to
eight Tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. a year. The Corfchis are very good Husbands j but the Goulams, as
foon as they have receiv’d their pay, fall a drinking and fwaggering j whereas the
other, if he has a Piafier to fpare, will buy a Sheep with it; For in regard they
live in Tents, their Riches confifts in Flocks. The greatett part of the Court of
Perfia is made up of thefe two Bodies. The Goulams have this peculiar to them-
felves, that they are very rarely known to revolt. For being all Slaves, and of
different Nations, there are no ties of Affedion or Kindred between them: And
if the King has an occafion to punifh any of them, the chief of their Body is to
execute his orders. The Goulams carry no other Arms befides a Bow and Ar
rows, with a Skain. Though fome wear Coats of Mail, and Head-pieces: others
Vambraces and Battel-Axes. Thefe Horfc-men never entrench in the Field like
ours in Europe, nor have they any Field-Marlhals to affign them quarters. For
after the chief have taken up the bett places, the reft fet up their Tents as ucer
as they can to the Pavillion of the General.
The Tufenkgiler- Agafi is^ the General of the TufenJ^gis, who compofe the third
Body of the Militia. This part of the Souldiery was but lately inttituted, being
compos’d of men taken from the Plough, as being mott fit for labour. They are
Foot-men with only a Scimiter and a Musket. But when they march, they have
a Horfe or a Mule between three or four, to carry their Baggage and Provifions.
Their pay is not above four or five Tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. a year. And for their Officers, their
pay is more or lefs according to their Quality and Command. They are in no,
great reputation, being laugh’d at by the old Souldiers, as being a company of
poor Countrey-men, that dare not look an enemy in the face. Not but that the
Infantry o£Perfia is able to do good fervice; though, as numerous as they are,
the ding never makes ufe of them, but in cafe of needfity. When he marches in
perfon, he iends for eight or ten thoufand, which he fends for out of what Province
bttt pkafes him, and they prove very ufeful to the Army, as Sutlers. This Infan
try is compos’d of the Countrey-men that live in Tents, abiding in the Mountains
all the hot Summer, and betaking themfelves in the Winter to the hot Countreys*
Every Tribe or Family knows how many men it ought to fet out. And there is
not a Footman that has not his new-Suit in his Cheft, and his Musket and Scimi-
ter in very good order. They are well train’d, and well difciplin’d } for every