'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.' [‎161] (488/1024)

Book III. Travels in I n d i
A.
; CHAP. Ill
Of the Religion of the Gentiles, or Idolatrous Indians.
T He Idolaters among the Indians are fo numerous, that they are reckon’d
i to be five or fix for one Mahometan. It feems a wonderful thing, that
fach a prodigious multitude of men ihould be cow’d by a handful and
bow fo eafily under the yoak of the Mahometan Princes. But that wonder well
may ceafe, when we confider that thofe Idolaters are not in union among
themfelves , for Superftitiou has introduc’d fuch a diverlity of Opinion!
and Cuftoms that they can never agree one with another. An Idolater will
" ot ^ ^ c : d Dor dn ' 1 , k w « er mHoufe of any one that isnot of his cJi-
though it lx more noble, and much more fuperior to his own. Yet they all eat
and drink in the Rramm Houfes, which are open to all the world. h Catle Z
®°!!S the Idoia “ r T s > 15 v s er y n ear fame thing which was anciently call’d a
Tribe among the Jews And though it be vulgarly believ’d, that there are
venty-two Cafles ,yet I have been inform’d by fome of their moll Wmmwmm
Pnefts, that they may all be reduc’d into four Principal ones, from whence all
the reft drew their Original. ’ wuence an
The fitft Cafe is that of the Mamins, who are the Succeflbrs of the an
cient brachmans, or Indian Philofophers, that ftudy’d A Urology. You mav alfo
meet with fome of their Ancient Books, in reading whereof the fpend
all their tune ; and aiefoversd m their obfervations, that they never fail a
minute in the^Eclipfes of the Sun and Moon. _ And to preferve this knowledg
among tnemfeives they have a kind of llniverfity, in a City which is call’d
where they make all their exercifes in Aftrology, and where thev
nave Dodors that expound their Law, which they very ftridtly obferve Butin
tegard they are fo great a number, and cannot all come to ftudy at that Uni-
veriity, tney are all very ignorant, and confequently very fuperltitious • thofe
thatgo for the molt refin d Wits, being the greateft Sorcerers.
Xne fecond Cajlt is that of the Raffomes or Ketru that is to fay. Warriors
and warliKe people. Thefeare the only Idolatrous Indians that have any cou-
aTr^d" r’d T K T, he r e are fo f an y P e «y Kings, whom their difunion
of the n re i* f 17 ' n ° reat But in re S ard tha£ the greateft part
fttvrfr 1 IS n fe r V1< ;rV t ' h ? y arekl S W y recompenc’d by the large Salaries
eir q, H r , m d "bMe which they pay.Thefe Rajds^i. the Rafames
then Subjeds, are the chiefeft lupport of the Dominions of the Great Moral ■
vb [o d t e h p ed r? e R^syffemgauAJefomfeing were thofe that lifted up MrenZ
re nn d w rhr0ne ' f But J 011 mu ft take notice, that all of tills fecond Cafle
HorftmeT Pnr rS fA r. r ' r y ^ ^ Ra ft°f es onl y £ h a£ go to War, and are all
of q r vi b u f tn f A f ru -> th£ y are degenerated from their Anceftors, and
Oiboidieis are become Merchants. ’
Tradf-““ d , Cal l eis that of the Mnnians, w altogether addided to
n, a, ‘ J vhom f onie are Sheraffs or Bankers, others Breakers, employ’d be-
fo fubtd Me r thant f or buying and felling. Thofe of this are
b aud mmbiein Trade, that as I havefaid before, the Jem may be their
fuftrine thL h folor U fh 01?1 thelr . Chi . ldr e n betimes to fly Idlenefs. And infteadof
t“?rh rC the , m . l p lobe their time m playing in the Streets,as we generally do, they
Sittof Pon ? i 1C , k ’ W ^ ich . they are f0 P erfeft a£ ’ that without making
in a non „ 1 ub, or Counters, but only of their memories, they will
a l„-., \ r ent f 3 / 1 “P th e m °ft difficult account that can be imagin’d They
at y - ev rn lth '‘i 21 ' Fa ir lers ’ wh ° inftn,ft them in Trade, and d! nothing but
L‘’ a r V k ! y fDew them If any man in the heat of paflion chafe at ’em they
will rot fee h^ma^dnlnTh raakln § any ) re P 1 y’ and parting coldly from him,
be oi-iThV„ 0 1 166 P r four da y $ ’ when they think his paflion may
They never ^ ar, y thing that has life; nay they would rather d^I
Y ' that