'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.' [‎151] (192/1024)

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. v'
Chap. V. of Monfieur Tavernier.
well, which appears by the number of Arrows brought back, he is admitted a Matter
by the approbation of the King's Foot-men, who are fupericr to all the rett< The
Kans or Governours of Provinces run their own Chafers with the fame Ceremonies,
and in the fan e manner.
TheFortrefs of Jfahan is nothing at all confiderable* It joyjss to the Wall upon
the South fide of the City> and is twice as long as broad, but without any defence in
the World, unlefs it be of fome pitiful Towers made of Earth. Here it is that the
King keeps all the Rarities which he has purchas’d, or that has been prefented to
him. For as to his main Treafure, 1 believe it confitts chiefly in Gold-Plate. Within
the Fortrefs there is a Urge Field, fow’d every year with Rice and Corn j hard by
which hands the Houfe of the Capuchin- Friars.
Ifahan in general, unlefs it be the Meydan and fome few arch’d Streets where the
Merchants live, is more like a great Village than a City ^ the Houfes handing at a
dittance one from the other, with every one a Garden, but ill look’d after, not
having any thing in it perchance but only one pitiful Tree; true it is that they begin
to buifd better of late days, but it is without the City. As for the Women his
not a pin matter whether they live out of the City or within, in regard thev never
ftir our of doors, and asftldom go a-ftoo. * ey tKvet
The Meydan or great Piazza ot IJpaban was the contrivance of the great Sba*
Abtt, who had never done it, if a great Prince of the ancient Race of the Kings
of Perfia had not refus’d him the old Nleydan^ with feveral Priviledges, and the
Houfe that flood by it. Thereupon he defign’d this new Piazza, to draw off the
Merchants.and to fpoiltheold Market-Place,by their departure from that quarter of
the City which is lefs inhabited at this day. It is not far from this old that
the Auftin-Friars on the one fide, and the Carmelites on the other have their Habi
tations. There are alfo two fides of that Meydan entire, under the Portico's^ where
fit only fuch People as fell Herbs, Fruit,and Viduals, the other two Tides are almpft
fain to decay i but when it was all (landing, it was as handfom as the new one: and
it is to be wonder’d, that the Prince, who built it, did not choofe the place where
S ha-Ah as has built his, as being near the Water,and confequently far more conve
nient.
The great Meydan then is a place about feven hundred Paces long, and between
two and three hundred broad. It has Buildings upon allthe four fides j it lyes
in length dire&ly North and South * the Fronts are every one Portico’d, and Ter-
rafs’d at the top and on the City* fide are little Chambers :nine or ten Foot high,
which fall very much to decay, being only built of Brick bak’d in the Sun. They
are inhabited, the greareft part of them, by the moft infamous Curtifans of the
City. At fome Paces diitance from the Portico’s^ is a Channel which is pav’d with
Hone, and runs round about the Piazza *, Sha-Abas caus’d feveral Trees to be
planted by the fide ol it, but both the Channel and the Trees being altogether
neglected, are fain to decay i bsfides, that the fmell of the Water in the Summer
time is very noyfom.
In the midft of the Piazza ftands a kind of a May-Pole, or Mail of a Ship, where
the People exercife (hooting at Birds. When the King comes to (hoot, they fet
a Cup of Gold upon the top of the Matt,which he is to ftrike down with an Arrow.
To which purpofe he muft ride full fpeed, nor is he permitted to (hoot ’till after
he has patt the May-Pole, turning himfdf upon the crupper of his Horfe: a remain
of the ancient cuttom of the Parthians, that kill’d their Enemies flying.
T[ie Cup belongs to him that ttnkes it down} and I have feen Grandfather
of the prefent King, in five Courfes flrike down three Cups.
from this Matt or May-Pole down to the great Mojquee, they fell nothing but
Wood and Charcoal: from the fame Pole to the Sun-Dial upon the North-lide, are
none but fuch as fell old Iron-Tools, old Harnefsfor Horfes^old Coverlets,and other
Brokery-ware,as in our Long-Lane. , • <
From the Pole to another to the South, juft again the Sun-Dial, is the
p ace for «11 the Poulterers. 1 he reft of the Piazza toward the Palace, is always kept
c can,without any Shops,becaufe the King comes often abroad in the Evening to fee
ions, Bears, Bulls, Rams, Cocks, and all other fort of Creatures fight which are «
brought thither.
The people of Iftahan^ as in many other Cities, are divided into two parts, the
* 1 , , . 1 ■ ■' one