'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.' [‎71] (742/1024)

of the M O G O L.
dknt, not only for the Subje&s, but for the State it fclf, and for the Sovereign,
not to have the Prince fuch a Proprietor of the Lands of the Kingdom , as to
take away the Meum and Tmm anaongft private perfonsi as 5 tis with us; For my part,
after a ftrid comparing the State of our Kingdoms, where that Meum and holds,
with that of thofe other Kingdoms, where it is not, I am thoroughly perfwaded, that
it is much better and more beneficial for the Sovereign himfelf, to have it fo as 3 tis in
our parts. Becaufe that in thofe parts where his otherwife, the Gold and Silver is loft,
as I was juft now obferving: There is almoft no perfon fecure from the violences of
thofe Timariors, Governours, and Farmers: The Kings, how well foever they be dif-
pofed toward their people, are never almoft in a condition ( as I lately noted ) to get
Juftice adminiftred to them, and to hinder tyrannies ? efpecially in thofe great Domini
ons, and in the Provinces remote from theGapital Towns } Which yet ought to be 9 as
doubtkfs it is, one of the chief employments and confiderations of a King. Befides,
this tytanny often grows to that excefs, that it takes away what is neceflary to the life
of aPeafant or Tradefman, who is ftarved for hunger and miferywho gets no Chil
dren, or if he does, fees them die young for want of food i or that abandons his Land,
and turns fome Cavalier’s man, or flies whither he may to his Neighbours, in hopes
of finding a better condition. la a word, the Land is not tilled but almoft by force,
and confequently very ill, and much of it is quite fpoiled and ruined, there being none
to be.found, that can or will be at the charge of entertaining the ditches and channels
for the courfe of waters to be convey’d to neceffary places > nor any body that care to
build Houfes, or to repair thofe that are ruinous»the Peafant reafoningthus with him
felf : Why fhould I toil fo much for a Tyrant that may come to morrow to take all away
from me, or at leaft all the beft of what I have, and not leave, if the fancy taketh him,
fo much as to fuftain my life even j(ery poorly ? And the Timariot, the Governor and
the Farmer, will reafon thus with himfelf i Why fhould I beftow mony,and take pains
of bettering or maintaining this Land, fince I muft every hour expedf to have it taken
from me, or exchanged for another ? I labour neither for my felf, nor for my Chil
dren j and th:*t place which I have this year, 1 may, perhaps, have no more the next.
Let us draw from it what we can, whilft we poffefs it, though the Peafant ftiould break
or ftarve, though the Land Ihould become a Defart, when I am gone !
And for this very reafon it is, that we fee thofe vaftEftates in Afia go fo wretchedly
and palpably to ruine. Thence it is, that throughout thofe Parts we fee almoft no
other Towns but made up of earth and dirt > nothing but jruin’d and deferted Towns
and Villages, or fuch as are going to ruine. Even thence it is, that we fee (for Ex
ample ) thofe Mefopotamias, Anatolic?Paleftina’s, thofe admirable Plains of Antioch^
and fo many other Lands, anciently fo well tilled, fo fertile, and fo well peopled, at the
prefent half deferted, untill’d and bandon’d, or become peftilent and uninhabitable
Bogs. Thence it is alfo, that of thofe incomparable Lands of Egypt it is obferv’d, that
within lefs than fourfeore years, more than the tenth part of it is loft, no people being
to be found, that will expend what is neceffary to maintain all the Channels, and to
teftrain the River Ni/e from violently overflowing on one hand, and fo drowning too
much the low Lands, or from covering them with Sand, which cannot be remov’d from
thence but with great pains and charges. From the fame root it comes, that Arts are
languidiing in thofe Countries, or at leaft flouriih muchlefs than elfe they would do,or
do with Us. For what heart and fpirit can an Artizan have to ftudy well, and to apply
his mind to his work, when he fees, that among the people, which is for the moft part
beggarly, or will appear fo> there is none that confiders the goodnefs and neatnefs of
his Work, every body looking for what is cheap, and that the Grandees pay them but
very ill, and when they pleafe. The poor Tradefman often thinking himfelf happy,
that he can get clear from them without the Korrah y which is that terrible Whip that
hangs nigh the Gate of the Omrabs, Further, when he feeth that there is no help at
all ever to come to any thing, as to buy an Office, or fome Land for himfelf and Chil
dren, and that even he dares not appear to have a Penny in Ca(h, or to wear good
Cloaths, or to eat a good Meal, for fear he fhould be thought rich. And indeed the
beauty and exadtnefsof Arts had been quite loft in thofe Parts long ago, if it were not
that the Kings and Grandees there did give Wages to certain Workmen, that work in
their Houfes, and there teach their Children, and endeavour to make themfelves able
in order to be a little more confider’d, and to efcape the Konah *> and if alfo it were
Aor, that thofe great and rich Merchants Towns, who are prote&ed by good and
powerful