'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.' [‎11] (326/1024)

part I i -A n account of the Money of As i a. is
1 ^itha powerfbl Army againft the King of Fifapour^ who was in Rebellion. Queen
jsjourmahaU feeing her felf deliver’d from thofe that were able to crofs her de-
r anC i particularly from Sultan Kourom i the moh: Potent, and the molt inve
terate of all her enemies, and believing it feafonable to difcover her purpofe to
the King, fet her felf to flatter him more than fhe was wont} inventing new
ways to divertize him, fometimes with Hunting,and fometimes in the Haram, with
flails and Comedies: One day that the King was extremely well-pleas’d, and
having drank briskly, began to be very merry *, after the Queen had Danc’d in
his prefence, he took her, and fet her by him, protelling to her, that he
lov’d her above all the Princefles in his Court ^ and that but tor her, he had dy’d
for grief, to fee that his Son Sultan Kofrou Ihould be fo traiteroufly bold, as to
endeavour to deprive him of his Scepter. The Queen feeing the King fo highly
alfe£ted toward her, fail’d not to make ufe of fo favourable an opportunity. To
which purpofe. Sir, faid fhe, if it be true that your Majefty has that kindnefs for
me of which you would perfwade me to allure my felf, I know you, will grant
me’one favour which I have palflonately defir’d a long time ^ that I may only
Reign as Sovereign the fpace of twenty four hours. This requelt furpriz’d the
King, and kept him very fad for fome days, being unwilling to deny her any
thing, and yet being as loth to grant her a Boon of fo high a nature. In the mean
time the Queen ply’d the King with paftime and Divertifements, pretending to
take no notice of his melancholy. At length the fifth day after file had made her
Petition, the King no longer able to refill her Charms, nor the Itrong Paflion he
had for her, told her he would retire for twenty four hours, and that (he might
afiiime the abfolute Command of the Kingdom during that time. At the fame time
he caus’d all the Grandees that were then at Court, to be fent for into his prefence,
and then commanded them to obey her, and pun&ually to execute her Orders, as
if it were he himfelf that fpoke to them. It was a long time before that the
Queen had made every thing ready, and that Ihe had fecretly hoarded up great
quantities of Gold and Silver in all the Cities where the Mints were appointed,
and had diftributed the Stamps as Ihe thought convenient. And indeed it was a
wonderful thing, that a Woman Ihould fo politickly carry on fo great a defign,as
to have four and twenty Stamps engrav’d, and to keep in a readinefs in Gold and
Silver above two Millions in all the Cities, without being difcovered to the King,
or any of the Court. There were none but the Mint-Mailers that knew any thing
of her defign, whom fhe engag’d by large promifes,and larger hopes} as believing
that Ihe could certainly obtain her defire one day of the King ^ and then* if Ihe
had her Materials ready, that Ihe could do her bufinefs in twenty four hours. The
day being appointed, Ihe fent away Meflengers to all the Cities, commanding them
on that day to Coin Roupies of Gold and Silver, to the value already mention’d.
When the King and the Grandees came to underlland the bufinefs, they were
flrangely furpriz’d ^ efpecially Sultan Kourom y the Queens implacable enemy,
who, as fome perfons of the Countrey allur’d me, fainted away at the news, and
did not come to himfelf in a good while after. The thing was fo fuddenly done,
efpecially in the Cities neer at hand, that within two hours after Ihe was fate up*-
on the Throne, Ihe caus’d feveral quantities of that Gold and Silver to be thrown
among the people, which during the Reign of Gehan-guir went currantly for Rou-
pies. But when Sultan Kourom, who took upon him the Name of Cha-gehan came
to the Crown after the death of his Father, he forbad all perfons to ufe thole
Ronpies upon pain of death, and commanded all that had any of them, either in
Gold or Silver, to carry them to the Mint; where they Ihould receive the value
of them, to the end they might be melted down. For which reafon they are at
prefent very rare, particularly thofe in Gold j among the reft, two or three of
them are fo hard to be found, that an hundred Crowns has been given for one of
them. The Roupies of Gold are worth one and twenty Livres of our Money :
and thofe of Silver, thirty Sous. The Queen, during her Reign of twenty four
hours, had that refpedt for the King, that on the back-fide of the Pieces whereon
the twelve Signs were Engraven, Ihe caus’d the Name of Gehan-guir to be ftamp’d
vvtth her own, and the name of the place where they were Coin’d, all in Arabic!^
Letters. ( . p- / \ : .
Perhaps the Reader may be curious to know from whence this Illuftrious Queen
* C 2 * of