'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.' [‎62] (733/1024)

62
The Hifiory of the Empre
A Letter to the Lord COLBERT, of the Extent
o{ INDOS fAN ; the Circulation of Gold and
_ Silver, coming at length to be fwallowed up, there,
as in an Abyfs; the Riches, Forces, Juftice, and
the principal Caufe of the Decay of the States of
ASIA.
My Lord, \ '
S ince it is the Cuftom of Afia, never to approach Great Perfons with Empty
Hands, when I had the Honour to kifs the Vert of the Great Mogol Aweng-Zebe,
I prefented him with eight Roupies^ £ A Roupy is about Half a Crown ] as an
expreffion of refped: > and the illuftrious Fazel-kan^ the prime Miniher of State, and
he that was to eftablilh my Penfion as Phyfitian, with a Cafe of Knives garnilhed
with Amber. My Lord, though I intend not to introduce new Cuftoms in France x yet I
cannot forget this upon my Return from thofe Parts i being perfuaded, that Lought
not to appear before the King, for whom I have a far deeper Veneration, than for^a-
reng-Zebe j nor before Ton, my Lord, for whom I have a much higher Efteem, than for
Fazel-tyn, without fome little Prefent to both, which is rare, at leaft, for its Novelty,
though it be not fo upon the account of the prefenting hand. The Revolution of In-
dojlan, by reafon of its extraordinary Occurrences and Events, hath to me feemed
worthy of the Greatnefs of our Monarch, and this Difcourfe, for the quality of the
matters therein contained, futable to the rank you hold in hisCounfelsi tothatCon^
dudf, which at my Return appear’d to me fo admirable in the Order, which I found fet-
led in fo many things,that I thought incapable ofitj and to the paflionyou entertain to
make it known to the Ends of the Earth, what a Monarch we have, and that the
French are fit to undertake, and with Honour to atchieve, whatfoever you fhall have
defign’d for their Honour and Advantage,
’Tis in the Indies, my Lord (whence I am lately return’d,after twelve years abfence)
where I learn’d the felicity of France, and how much this Kingdom is oblig’d to your
cares i and where your Name is fo diifufed, and fo well known. This were a fair
Theme for me to enlarge upon i but my Defign being no other than to difcourfe of
things New, I muft forbear to fpeak of thofe that are already fo notorious to all the
World. I (hall doubtlefs pleafe you better, by endeavouring to give you f6me Idea of
the hate of the Indies, which I have engaged my felf to give you an account of.
My Lord, You may have feen before this, by the Maps of Afia, how great every way
is the Extent of the Empire of the Great Mog*?/, which is commonly call’d India, or
Indoftan. I have not meafufd it Mathematically j but to fpeak of it according to the
ordinary Journeys of the Country, after the rate of three whole months march, tra-
verfing from the Frontiers of the Kingdom of Gdtynda, as far as beyond Kazni near
Kandahar, which is the firftTown of Verfta, I cannot perfuade my felf otherwife, but
that it is at leaft five times as far as from Faris to Lyons, that is, about Five hundred
common Leagues.
Next, You may pleafe to take notice, that of that vaft Extent of Land, there are
large Countries that are very fertil, and fome of them to that degree, ( for Example,
that whole great Kingdom of Bengale) that they exceed thofe of Egypt, not only up
on the account of the abundance of Rice,Corn, and all other things neceffary foi life*
but alfo upon the fcore of all thofe Commodities fo confiderable, which Egypt is ddh-
r' tute of, as Silks, Cottons, Indigo, and fo many others, fufficiently related by Au
thors. ; .
Moreover, That of thefe fame Countries there are many that are well enough peopled
and cultivated, and where Tradefmen, though naturally very lazy there, are not want-^
ing, either from Neceffity, or other Caufes, to apply themfelves to work, a^ toTa-
pilferies, Embroideries, Cloth of Gold and Silver, and to all thofe kinds of
Silk