'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.' [‎54] (725/1024)

The Hiftory of the Empire
own Priefts, who fometimes were not better than themfelves. The King of Rafyn
in the apprehenfion he hath ever had of the Mogof kept them, for a guard of his Fron
tiers, in a Port-Town called Chategon^ giving them Land, and liberty to live as they
pleafed. Their ordinary Trade was Robbery and Piracy. With feme fmall and light
Gallies they did nothing but coali about that Sea, and entring into all Rivers there
about, and into the Channels and Arms of Ganges^ and between all thofe Lies of the
lower Bengalee and often penetrating even fo far as fourty or fifty leagues up into the
Country, furprized and carried away whole Towns, Alfemblies, MarketSi Feaftsand
Weddings of the poor Gentiles, and others of that Country, making Women Slaves
great and fmall, with ftrange cruelty \ and burning all they could not carry away.
And thence it is, that at prefent there are feen in the mouth of Ganges fo many fine
Hies quite deferted, which were formerly well peopled, and where no other Inhabi
tants are found but wild Beads, and efpecially Tygers.
This great number of Slaves, which thus they took from all quarters, behold what
ufe they made of. They had boldnefs and impudence enough, to come and fell to
that very Country the old people, which they knew not what to do with •> where it fo
fell out, that thofe who bad efcaped the danger by flight, and by hiding themfelves in
the Woods, labour’d to redeem to day their Fathers and Mothers, that had been taken
.yefterday. The red they kept for their fervree to make Rowers of them i and fuch
Chridians as they were themfelves, bringing them up to robbing and killing j or elfc
they fold them to the Portuguefes of Goa, Ceilan, St. Thomas, and others, and even to
thofe that were remaining in Bengale at Ogouli, who were come thither to fettle them-
felves there by the favour of Jehan-Guyre , the Grandfather of Aureng-Zcbe, who
fuffered them there upon the account of Traffick, and of his having no averfion to
Chridians, as alfo becaufe they promifed him to keep the Bay of Bengale clear from
all Pyrates. And it was towards the Ide of GaUes, near the Cape of Palmes, where
this fine Trade was. fThefe Pyrates lay there in wait at the paffage for the Portuguefes,
who filled their Ships with them at a very eafie rate i this infamous Pvabble impu
dently bragging, that they made more Chridians in one year, than all the Milfio-
naries of the Indies in ten i which would be a drange way of enlarging Chridianity.
Thefe were the Pyrates that madt Chah-Jehan, who was a more zealous Mabutrn-
tan than his Iathtx Jehan-Guyre, to exprefs at lad his pallion, not only againft the
Reverend bathers the Jefuits, Midionaries of Ag/a, in that he caufed to be pulled
vdowm the bed part of a very fair and large Church that had been built, as well as
that of Labor, by the favour of Jehan-Guyre, who as l faid, did not hate Chrifiiani-
ty » an d upon which there dood a great Steeple with a great Bell in it, whofe found
mighty be heard over all the Town , not only, I fay, againd thofe Jefuits, but alfo
againd the Chridians of Ogouli: For being impatient to fee them connive at the
Pyrates, to make the name of the Franguis formidable, and to fill their houfes with
Slaves that were his own Subjedfs, he waded and utterly ruined them, after he had
both with fair words and menaces drawn from them as much money as he could:
And becaufe they were indifcreetly obdinate, in refufing what he demanded of them,
he befieged them, and caufed them all to be brought to Agra, even their very Chil
dren, their Prieds and Friers. This was a mifery and a defolation not to be paral
lel! d i a kind of Bahtljunian tranfmigration. There they were all made Slaves: The
handfom Women were (hut up in the Seraglio, the old Women and others were
didributed among divers Omrahs. The young Lads were circumcifed , and made
an ^ rTien a ^ e renouncec ^ f° r t he mod part their Faith, either terrified by
the threatnings they heard daily, that they fhould be trampled upon by Elephants,
or drawn away by fair Promifes. 5 Tis true, that there were feme of thofe Friers,
who perfided, and that the Miffionaries of Agra, who notwithdanding all this un-
happinefs, remained in their houfes, found means afterwards, partly by Friends, part
ly by Money, to get many of them away, and to have them conveyed to Goa, and to
other places belonging to the Portuguefes.
They were alfo the fame Pyrates, who feme time before the defolation of Ogouli,
offered to the Vice-Roy of Goa to put the whole Kingdom oERahan into their hands
tor the King of Portugal but he refufed, they fay, this offer,, out of arrogance and
jealoufie, and would not fend thefuccours, which for that end was demanded of him
by a certain Baflian Confalve, who had made himfelf head of thofe people, and was
become