'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.' [‎11] (560/1024)

X
A Relation of the Grand Seignors Seraglio. i i
not any in the publick 1 reafuiy, he being unwilling that they fhould meddle with
the Secret Trealiiry. They muft of neceiiity find it out, and it is no hard matter
for them to do, in regard that of all the Tributes, Cuftoms, arid other Impofitions
due to the Grand Seignor, there is not any thing pay’d till the end of the Year, and
thcfe Officers oblige Men to the payment thereof, at the begining of it.
All forts of Perlbns, what Religion foever they are of, except the Mabumetan, are
oblig’d to pay the Tribute without any exception, from the time of their fettling in
the Empire, and having attain’d the fixteenth year of their Age. And this Tribute,
or ]?oll-Money, amounts to five hundred and fifty old Afters, which neither rife nor
fall, but always keep at the fame rate of eighty, to a Viaftro, which, in the French
Mony, and confequently with litle difference in ours, amounts to five Crowns and
J-. All other Clmjlians who come into the Empire, upon the fcore of Trade, or Bufi-
hefs, though ’twere but for one day, are forc’d to pay, at the firfl: City where they
arrive. T he forreign Gmkj, fuch as they from Mufcovy or other places, pay three
hundred arid fifty Afters ; but the Armenians, who come from Verfia, Georgia, Mingrelia,
and other Countreys, are tax’d but at three hundred. As to the Cbrijtians , whom
they call Frangm, they pay nothing 5 and that has given much trouble to the Ambaf-
fadors of Europe^ efpecially to the French Ambaflador, there being more French that
are Inhabitants in iurkey, than there arc of any other Nation. And yet though the
lurks make their Year to confifi but of twelve Moons, ours being near twelve and a
half, they make the Tributaries pay but for twelve Moons; yet in requital, and that
nothing may be loft, they make them pay that Tribute double, every three and
thirtieth year, and are very frugal Husbands for the beqifit and advantage of their
Mafier.
There are but two Princes in the World that, are known by the Name of Cham, The policy of the
to wit, theEmperour of great fart ary, andtheKing ofthe Yittte'fartary, a Vaflal to Port,to\eep the
the Ottoman Monarchs. I conceive my felf oblig’d, to give the Reader fome infer- Chamo/ffo? .
mation of the prefent condition of the latter. When the Cham of the lefter Tartary Tartary
enters npon the Government, he comes to take his Oath of Fid^ity to the Grand ^ *
Seignor, and the Turks look upon him no otherwife than asaGovernour of a Pro
vince , or at moft, but as a Vaffal-Prince. But thofe of his own Countrey , the
Mufcovites, the Foies, the Georgians, the Mingrelians^ and the other Nations bordering
upon him, treat him as a King, when they write to him. The Grand Seignor ufes
much Policy towards the Cham, left: he fhould revolt from him, and render him-
felf more powerful than he is, by Alliances with the neighbouring Princes. For it
is to be observ’d, That the Idler Tartary, whereof the City Caffa, near the Cimerian
Strcight,_ is the metropolis, is not a Countrey fubdu’d by the Arms of the Ottomans.
The ancient Kings of it did only put themfelvcs under the Grand Seignor’s protedT
on who receiv’d them into it, upon condtion, that when the Father dy’d, his Son,
or the next of kin, his fucceffor, was not to enter upon the Government, till he had
receiv’d the Inyeftiture from the Port, and taken the Oath of Fidelity to the Grand
, Seignor, obliging himfelf to come to him upon the firft: Orders to that purpofe*
The Grand Seignor promis’d in requital, that he would not eftablifti any other
than what were of their Race, ro command in the JLeffer Tart ary. And
Jwreas there are two Branches of that Family, he keeps one of them always
baniffi’d in the Ifland of Rhodes, while the other Governs. But if, after Fifteen
or Twenty Years,_ there fhould be any fufpition of this latter Family’s having a
delign, to render it felt abfolute, he lends for the Cham and his Children, when
he has any, and fending them to Rhodes, brings thence him who was there exile,
and orders him to reign in his turn, for fome years. The form of his Oath yoti
Will find in the fixth Chapter op my Relation, where I fpeak of the Hall for
Audience, and the manner, in which that Prince is there received.
I have only now fome what to fay of the Moufti, the Cadilefquer, and the Cadis The principal
and the others Relating to the Law, which 1 fhall do in few words. Only let it be Di i^nes of
nere obferv’d in the general. That, according to the perfwafion of the Turks, the
Civil Laws are part of their Religion, and that having been given them by their ' ^
1 rophet, they are deriv’d from God, and require an implicite obedience. ’Tis
PX ft^s courfe, that they are^ kept within their duty, and that they obey the
r>f TVt milC1 out 0 .^ a P r ^ nci *pl e Religion and Confciepce, as out of the fear
1 crialiilcment 5 and in that they do not much recede from pur Ckriftian Maximcs.
(C) The