'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.' [‎34] (583/1024)

34 - ^ Relation of the Grand Seignor s Seraglio.
The wretched
condition of
the Bajfds
Children,
They are thofe Ichoglans^ whom we may alfo call the Grand Seignor^Tw T
e advanc'd to the dignity of Baffas, Beys, Cafigi-bacbis, Hazmdar-bachU fnH t
other great Officers of the Port. But they are particularly cull'd out 0 f the n,,!i he
^ Tt-i'Kiiririr ^Kilrlron whn are Taken awav from rhe yRlbci:
are
of the Tributary Children, who are taken away from the Chriffians or r,ir •
"l X / _ — 1^. « C* T t’/'l T* TZ.O'i/'rr si si a r\ 1 1 J . r l y ldKe n i:
War, by Sea or Land. For, as to the Beiczades^ or Children of Bafds
.1 i_~ ^ Co*-/* Arl i/~i xr/^»n t-r\ r*iam#>»-Y-»hwai-* T L. . 5
in
they bring up in the Seraglio, you are to remember what I have akead^ 0111
that they can never afcend higher, than to the Charges of Bep> or Captains of
hid.
Galleys-
When any one of thefe Ichoghns is defirous to remove out of the Sera<di 0 0 r
any one of the white Eunuchs has the fame defire, he prefents a Petition to the c t
Aga^ who carries it to the Grand Seignor, he receives his difmiffion, and istf
alow\d certain Pay, proportionabl to the continuance and quality of his Services'
But there are others, whom the fame Capi-Aga turns out of the Seraglio againft
their wills, and that after they had weather'd out the firft years, which are the
mofl: infupportable. And that is done fometirpes upon this fcore, that the Capiat
having hadfomecontefl: with any one of thofe while they where Camarades
in the time of their youth, and fearing lead: he fhould come one day to traverfe
his defigns, he employs allhis credit and intereft, to remove him out of the Seraglio
but withal procuring him a Recompence and Salary, according to the number of
years he has ferv’d.
The Clajfes The firft of the four Chambers, into which the Ichoglam are diftfubuted, has the
through which greateft number of them, becaufe they are yet very young, and as it were Novices
the Lads i r. n ~ , i • n-j ^^ r."i i i- , )
, , . uuder the firfi: Pemla and it is called the Couchou^-Odd^ that is to fay, the little Cham-
Seraglklleto ^ er 5 though it be the largeft of them all, in regard it is the lowed in point of
pafs.
Dignity. There they are taught to read and write, and are initiated in the M
groundsof the Mabumetan Law. And after they have fpent fix years in that Cham
ber, they are remov'd into the fecond, Which they call Quilar-Oda, wherein being
grown more robuft, they are inftrudted in the Exercifes of the Body, in flooring with
the Bowe, ufing the Lance and other divertifements of that kind. They are more
|)erfe6ted in the fpeaking of thcTurkifh Language, whereto they alfb add the Arabian^
and the Perfian^ which they fhall have occafion to ufe, in the "Governments whereto
they may be lent.
There are four years fpent in this fecond Chamber, out of which they are
. again removed into the third, which they call Chafnadar-Oda^ or the Chamber
of the, Treafury. In this Chamber they begin to do the Grand Seignor fome
Service, aOd to be imploy'd in the Wardrobe, and the Baths, and there they
are alfo taught to Ride, and to perfect themfelves in the Exercifes fuitable to
that Station, wherein they ordinarily fpend four years. Each of thefe three
forementioned Chambers nas a white Eunuch for its Chief Overfeer. The
Serai-Agafi has the Dire&ion of the firfl: 5 the Quilargi-bacbi Commands in the
fecond; and the Cbafnadar-bacbi is the Governour of the third.
I lhall have occafion to fpcak more at large of the two laft, when I come to
the Chapters of the Cup-bearers Office, and the Treafury 5 and therefore I'M
only add here, concerning all the three in general, that the Ichoglans, who are
inftru&ed therein, have not any Commerce with thofe of the fourth Chamber,
of whom I fliall give an account by and by, nor with any other Perfon out
of the Seraglio, or in the other Courts, but with the particular permiffion
of the Capi-Aga, and in the prefence of an Eunuch, who hears all that is faid:
That they cannot converfe amongft themfelves but at certain regulated hours;
and that converfation mufi: be manag'd with a great; obfervance of Modefty,
as there is an exa£t Obedience remarkable in all their deportments’ Ana
laftly, that they are all clad in ordinary Cloth, even to the BeicftadesAmih
the Sons of Viziers and Bajfas who are dead, while thofe of the fourth Chamber
wear Cloth of Gold and Silver, becaufe they come into the Grand Seignon
prelence, and often approach his Perfon. I lhall give you an account anon ofjheit
Dormitories, that is, the places where they talce their repofe, 3s alfo
Fun&ions csf the Oda-hacbi and the Veflergi-Aga, who ad according to the Ura
they receive from the four Eunuchs. ' v , . n J
The fourth Chamber, which is the Prince's Chamber, is called Haz-Oda, *
I lhall ipeak of it vvhen I come to treat of the Cup bearers Office,