'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.' [‎215] (248/1024)

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Chap. VI- o/Monfieur Tavernier. 215
(houldmake an exa6t li(i of what the Comrniffioners of the Veroga had robb’d
them of. Mahomet Beg loft no time* but by vertue of his Authority and the
Kings command, fent his Officers into all the Villages to take the Oath of eve
ry Country-man to the end they ftiould declare the truth, under the penalty ot a
Fine and Corporal puniffiment, of what had been exadled from them to the ut-
moft Shayet. This Oath was to be put in Paper, fign’d by every one that made it,
in thefe words, Let my head he confifcated to the King^ and my goods to his Divan,
if I do not puntinally the Order of his Majefiy. The accompt being made of all
the money for which they had compounded with the Deroga, it was prefented by
Mahomet Beg> who aggravated the Tyranny of the Deroga, and reprefented to his
Majefty that for thirty years he had thus devour’d the Territories of Ifpahan.
Thereupon by the command of the King^who was then at Ifpahan^ the Deroga was
to be carry’d into the Meydan^ and being ty*d up by the heels to receive a certain
number of Baftinado’s upon the feet for fomany Fridays one after another j and
moreover the nerves of his heels were to be cut, and his ankles to be bear’d tho
rough. The Kings command being thus feafd, Mahomet Beg committed the ex
ecution thereof to his tmfty Inftrument Negcf-CoulhBeg, who coming to Ifpahan
affembl’d the chief of the City, together with the Vizir or Governour, and the
Veroga or Provoft, who thought of nothing ; being met, before they broak open
theKings Seal they made a publick Prayer for the profperity of the King *, which
being ended, the F/z/r open’d the Letter and read it with a loud voice. When
the Vizir carre to read the Sentence againft the Deroga, he wasfeiz’d wkh aftonifti-
ment, at what time Negef-Coult-Beg coming to the Veroga^nd firiking him upon the
Neck with his fift, threw him down under his Horfes feet, and caus’d him to be
bound according to cuftom. Immediately he was hurri’d to the Piazza, where
he receiv’d fo many Baftinado’s upon the foies of his feet that his nayls fell off.
The next Friday they brought him to the fame place, where they repeated the
fame Execution, and boat’d his ankles. The Deroga being very ancient, his pains
put him into fuch a condition as mov’d NegefCouli-Beg hlmfelf to compaftion, who
wrote prefently to Court, that the continuance of fo much torment, would infal
libly be the death of the old man. Upon that the King order’d that there ffiould
no more be done to him j only that he ftiould be ffiut up in the inner part of his
Houfe with his Wives, depriving him of his employment, but leaving him his
Eftate.
But Mahomet Beg, not having yet compleated the revenge he fought, was r£-
folv’d after he had thus tormented - him to deprive him, alfo of his Eftate. To
which purpofe he advanc’d to the Office of Veroga, a Georgian Renegado who
was call’d Padada-Beg, whom he taught all the tricks imaginable to pick the
peoples-pockets. The deOgn of Mahomet Beg in this, was to let the Kingundtr-
ftand, that if the new Deroga could heap kp fuch a fum of money in five or fix
ttionths, what a prodigious fum muft Mir KaJfembeg have heap’d up in fo many
years. In (hort, the new Deroga inftrudted and encourag’d by Mahomet Beg, le-
vy’d unjuftly fuch a vaft number of fines, committed fo many extortions and ra
pines upon the people, that at the end of fix months the people began to tumult
at the Palace gate. The Divan-Bequi, who is the firft Minifter of Juftice, took the
peoples part •, whereupon Mahomet Beg perceiving he had been too hafty in his
deiign to be reveng’d upon the Divan Bequi, who had crofs’d his defigns, one
morning caus’d feveral files of JVfofqucteers to be drawn up at the Kings Haram,
The King furpriz’d at the fight, Mahomet Beg told him that his Majefty was not
fafe fo long as the Divan Bequi iWtPd up the people to Rebellion; which fo in
cens’d the King, that he caus’d the Groom Porter to go immediately and pull out
the Divan Beqm's eyes, which was immediately done i nor did the old man fay
any more, but with his face all befmear’d with his own goar, defir’d the fervant
upon whofe arms he lean’d, to turn him toward Mecca that he might pray for the
profperity of the King. All his goods were confifcated and brought into the Trea-
fury»but Mer Kajf m-heg ftill enjoy’d his, though he was forc’d to fpend the remain
der of his days in his own houfe.
Thus Mahomet Beg preferv’d himfelf ftill in the Kings favour, and had remov’d
all thofe perfons from the Court that had no kindnefs for him, and was indifferently
Lfe, till Mir-Tchekfr-Bafki another favourite, whom the King highly lov’d, began
: , . , ' ■ 7 to