'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.' [‎206] (239/1024)

iriiri i iiflltiitinn nffltnnp" 'itim-nin-
'' •'}
/
The P R R s i a n Travels ■ ' Book V.
thoiifatKrXomans a year. But inlhe7w~ ~ 6 <>7, the King abated him eight thoq.
fand Tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. , in regard he had taken from him a (mall part of his Government to
pleafure a Favourite.. r .
Befides what the Government of Schwas pays to the King in ready Monev
he is oblig’d* every year to fend him a, prefent of all the rarities, that gf 0 vy
or are bred in the Province. Thefe Prefents con lift in jHorfes, of Which there
is the beft breed of any Province of Verfia, In Granates, Oranges, and Le
mons, fweet Oils and Waters of feveral forts, efpecially Oil of Rofes, with
which the women rub their bodies and heads i and the water pf a certain
Flower that grows upon a tree not much unlike our Willows, which water is
call’d Arak^Bilmiifhe, which is a great refreihment uv theft that ufe if, be-
fides other Oils and Effenees which the Governour is oblig’d to prefent. Yet
were he only oblig’d to prefent the King, the expence might be born weH
enough-, but for fear of being difplac’d by any other Favourite, be is con-
ftrain’d to make Friends of all the other great Lords and Favourites ut Court
which there is no way to do,'but by continual prefents. Whereas the ancient
Kattj) who were a kind of petty Soveraigns in their Governments, were only
wont to fend a few Baskets of new Fruits in their feafon for the fervice of
the Kings Table. To defray this expence, the Governours are forc’d to ty.
rannize over the people i who when they come, as many times they do, two
or three Villages together, to complain to the King, are forc’d after long* wait
ing, to return with empty Purfes home again, by reafon that they who ihould
give them admiffipn, are the only perfons that debar them from in and pa-
ticntly to fubmit t© the Extortions of the Vizard which is a piece, of policy pn-
6Hs’d likewife by all the other Kans and Governours of the Ferftan Provinces
As for Sha-Sefi himfdf, he was very fevere, and one whofe punifhments oft’n
amounted to ads of cruelty. One day being a hunting, a poor Country man
appear’d from behind a Rock, with a Paper in his hand , being deputed by the
Village to make feme complaint to the King. But while the poor man cry’d
for juftice, the King without making any anfwer, (hot two arrows into his body
and ilew him. That which rpov’d Sha-Sefi to this ad of cruelty, was becaufe
he had fome of his Wives with him in company. For then, there is no mercy
to thofe poor people that happen to be in the way where the King chances
to pafs by: no not for them that are in the Country round about, where the
Eunuchs have order to kill all men they meet. When the King gives notice
of his intention to carry his Wives into the Country, this is call’d CoumL
and there is nothing more troublefome nor more inconvenient in the world to
the poor people that live in the Villages through which thefe women are to
pafsi for upon notice giv’n 'them* they muft leave their Houfes fora League
or two of either fide. When there is a Courouk^ at Ifpahan^ let the weather be
never do bad, the people muft leave their Houfes, and , if they have no Friends
in fome difiant quarter to retire to, they have no way but to repair to the Moun
tains. Such is the excefs of the jealoufie of the Kings of Perfia f which indeed de
rives it felf toall his Subjeds, who will not permit their women to be feen bv anv
but their owrt Husbands.' b
The Perfians both men and women are fo addided to take Tobacco, th;
mtake Tobacco from them, is to takeaway their lives. So that if die Kin
ihouid prohibit /Tobacco for any time, he would lofe a good part of hisrev(
nue. However in a humor having once for bid d’n Tobacco to be taken i
any part of his Dominion, his Spies (that are in every City) found in the India
Inn two rich Merchants of that Nation fmoaking their nofes. Immediately the
^re feizd, bound, and c^rry’d to the King, who commanded forthwith that Tuftic
fhomdbe dope upon them in the Meidan, which was, that theyihould pour meltc
lead down their throats till they were dead.
ITie people thought the King had only intended to have fear’d them, an
woukl have jepnev d them upon the place. Infomuch that four Banian Merchant of Indian extraction. , wen
to the Athcmadmki, and offet’d to pay two thoufand . Tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. into the Kins
rwcvr'a tllat 1 ,1 = would be Phas’d to fpare the two Merchants lives. ' Th
chief Mmtfler nude the prophfal, but the King, falling into a paffion, and askin:
Inc Athmadeulet, ; whether thofe Indian Dogs thought that a King of Perfia bw/i