'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.' [‎70] (741/1024)

7 °
The Hifloryof the Empire
of Roupies. A Rottpy is about twenty nine pence. An hundred thoufand of them make
a Lecque and an hundred Lecques make one Kourour. [ So that the fix Koutours would
mah> about fieven Millions and an half Englifh Money. ] 5 Tis true, I do not compre-
hend in this great Treafure that great abundance of Goldfmiths work, fo varioufly
wrought in Gold and Silver i nor that vail ftore of precious Stones and Pearls of a
very high value. I doubt, whether there be any King in the World that hath more.
The Throne alone, cover’d with them, is.valu’d at leaft three Kourors > if 1 remember
aright: But then, it is to be confider’d alfo, that they are the fpoils of thofe ancient
Princes the Patans and Rajas, gather’d and piled up from immemorial times, and dill
increafing from one King to another, by the Prefents which the Omrahs are obliged year
ly at certain Feftival-days to make him i and which are efteemed to be the Jewels of
the Grown, which it would be criminal to touch, and upon which a King of Mogol in
cafe of neceffity would find it very hard to procure the lead Sum.
feat'before I conclude, I (hall take notice, whence it may proceed, that though this
Empire of Mogol be thus an Abyfs of Gold and Silver, ( as hath been faid, ) yet not-
withftanding there appears no more of it among the people, than elfewhere i yea, ra
ther that the People is there lefs Monied than in other places.
TheM r eafon is,that much of it is confumed in melting over and over all thofe Nofe
and Ear-rings, Chains, Finger-rings, Bracelets of Hands and Feet, which the Women
wear,but chiefly in that incredible quantity of Manufactures, wherein fo much is fpent,
which is loft, as in all thofe Embroideries, Silk-ftuffs, enterwoven with Gold and Sil
ver, Cloth, Scarf, Turbants, &c. of the fame. For generally all that Militia loveth
to be guided from the Omrahs to the meaneft Soldiers with their Wives and Children,
though they ftiould ftarve at home.
The fecond. That all the Lands of the Kingdom being the Kings propriety, they are
' given either as Benefices, 1 which they call Jah-ghirs, or, as in Eurky, Elmars^ to men
of the'Militia for their Pay or Penfion ( as the word Jah-ghir imports: ) Or elfe they
are given to the Governours for their Penfion, and the entertainment of their Troops,
on condition that of the furplus of thofe Land-revenues they give yearly a certainfum
to the King, as Farmers *, Or laftly, the King, referveth them for himfelf as a particu
lar Domaine of his Houfe , which never Or very feldom are given, as Jah-ghirs, and
upon which he keeps Farmers, who alfo muft give him a yearly fum i which is to
fay, that the Ehnariots^ Governours and Earmors have an abfolute Authority over the
Country-men, and even a very great one over the Tradefmen and Merchants of the
Towns, Boroughs, and Villages, depending from them: fo that in thofe Parts there
are neither great Lords nor Parliaments, nor Prefidial Courts, as amongft us, to keep
thefe People in awe : nor Kadis or Judges, powerful enough to hinder and reprefs
their violence, Nor, in a word, any perfon, to whom a Country-man, Tradef-man, or
Merchant, can make his complaints to, in cafes of extortion and tyranny, often pra&i-
fed upon them, by the Soldiery and Governors, who every where do impunely abufc
the Authority Royal, which they have in hand, unlefs it be perhaps a little in thofe pla
ces that are near to Capital Cities, as Vehli and Agra-s and in great Towns and conn-
derable Sea-ports of the Provinces, whence they know that the complaints can be
more eafily conveyed to the Court. Whence it is, that all and every one ftatid in con
tinual fear of thefe people, efpecially of the Governors more than any Slave doth of
hisMafter: that ordinarily they a fifed: to appear poor and money-lefs, very mean m
their Apparel, Lodging, Houftiold-ftufif, and yet more in meat and drink , that often
they apprehend even to meddle with Trade, left they fhould be thought Rich, an o
fall into the danger of being ruined : So that at laft they find no other remedy to fe-
cure their Wealth, than to hide and dig their money deep under Ground, thus
netting out of the ordinary commerce of men, and fo Dying, neither the King nor
the State having any benefit by it. Which is a thing not only happens t
fants and Artizans, but ( which is far more confiderable ) amongft all forts of Mer
chants, whether Mahumetans or Heathens, except fome that are in the Kings,,or
feme Omrahs Pay, or that have fome particular Patron and fupport m pWer: But
principally among the Heathen, which are almoft the only Mafters of the Trade a
Money, infatuated with the belief, that the Gold and Silver, which they hide in their
life-time, (hall ferve them after death. And this, in my opinion, is the true reafon, why
there appears fo little money in Trade among the People. _
But thence arifeth a Queftion very confiderable, viz. Whether* were not more exp^ -