A Pepys of Mongul India (1653-1708)

by Niccolao Manucci

  This book made available by the Internet Archive.

  INTRODUCTION

  NICCOLAO MANUCCI—THE MAN

  NICCOLAO MANUCCI, the hero of our narrative, ran away from Venice in 1653, being then fourteen. He hid on board a vessel bound for Smyrna, and was fortunate enough to find a protector in a certain Viscount Bellomont, an English nobleman, then on his way to Persia and India. He followed Bellomont through Asia Minor to Persia, and from Persia to India, meeting with many adventures by sea and land. The sudden death of his master near Hodal, in 1656, left Manucci friendless in a strange land.

  He seems to have been a youth of considerable resource, however, and fortune favoured him, for he soon found employment as an artilleryman in the service of Prince Dara Shukoh, eldest son of the Emperor Shahjahan. Till Dara's death, in 1659, Manucci followed his varying fortunes in peace and war, and, refusing to transfer his services to Aurangzeb, he gradually adopted the profession of medicine.

  Being offered the post of a captain of artillery by Rajah Jai Singh, he returned to soldiering for some years, till apparently he grew tired of it, and resigned his post. He made his way to Bassain, where he narrowly escaped the Inquisition, and thence to Goa, ultimately returning to Agrah and Dihlt. Here he

  took service with Kirat Singh, son of Jai Singh; but when Kirat Singh was ordered to Kabul, Manucci resolved to move to Lahor (end of 1670 or early in 1671) and start in practice as a physician. At the end of six or seven years, having made a little money, Manucci decided to remove into European territory, and he made his home at Bandora, on Salsette Island. Before long, however, he lost his money in an unlucky venture, and was obliged to return to the Mogul Court. He obtained an appointment as one of the ^ physicians attached to Shah 'Alam, and followed him to the Dakhin when he went there as Governor in 1678. Shah 'Alam was recalled in 1680 to take part in a campaign, and from that time they were on the move till early in 1681. Manucci seems to have found his position somewhat irksome, and determined to make his escape to Goa on the pretext of taking leave of absence.

  He reached Goa, and was employed by the Portuguese in negotiations with the Mahrattah chief, Sambha Ji, and also with Shah 'Alam, for which services the Governor conferred on him a patent of knighthood in the Portuguese Order of Sant' lago, 1684. On a second embassy to Shah 'Alam, Manucci was detained as a deserter from his service. He attempted flight, but was brought back, and had to accompany Shah 'Alam through the Ghats to A^madnagar, and thence on a campaign against the King of Gulkhandah. When at Malkher, Manucci managed to make his escape into Gulkhandah, and when Shah 'Alam occupied Gulkhandah he fled to the European settlements at Narsapur and Masulipatam. He was brought back to Gulkhandah, but evaded being given up to the agents of Shah 'Alam, and, with the help of an

  Augustinian friar, he managed to escape once more and took refuge at the English settlement of Fort St. George. He had thought at this time of returning to Europe, but was dissuaded from doing so, and was advised to marry. He acted on this advice, and married in 1686 a Catholic widow named Clarke, daughter of Christopher Hartley and Aguida Pereyra. They had one child, a son, who died in infancy.

  During his residence in Madras Manucci was employed by Governors Gyfford and Pitt; by Gyfford in the matter of transmitting letters to the " Great Mogull," and by Thomas Pitt in actual negotiations with Da,ud Khan, who invested Madras in 1702. From 1703 onwards for several years Manucci seems to have been quite absorbed in matters ecclesiastical, and he devoted many pages of his memoirs to the discussion of the disputes between the Capuchins and Jesuits, which reached an active stage about that time. In 1706 his wife died, and between 1706 and 1712 Manucci moved his home to Pondicherry.

  In that year he was about to make a special journey to Shah 'Alam's court at Lahor as an intermediary on behalf of the Madras Council, who wished to settle various long-standing difficulties, and also to secure fresh privileges. The death of Shah 'Alam put an end to these plans, but as a reward for his previous services the Governor and Council on January 14, 1712, conceded to him in perpetuity his leasehold house and garden at Madras, which he had acquired as being heir of Thomas Clarke, having married his widow.

  There is no further trace of Manucci at Madras or Pondicherry, and the only date for his death is a reference in the work, " Delia Litteratura Veneziano "

  riii INTRODUCTION

  (4to, Venice, 1854), by the Doge Marco Nicol6 Foscarini, where on p. 441 of the 4th edition, 1854, it is said that Manucci died in India in 1717 as an octogenarian, as he (Foscarini) had heard.

  NICCOLAO MANUCCI—THE AUTHOR

  Manucci's own life is brimful of adventure, and not less interesting is the story of the vicissitudes through which his manuscript memoirs passed before they were finally presented to the public in 1907 in the masterly edition prepared by my father, the late William Irvine, entitled " Storia do Mogor." The strange story is given by him in the minutest detail in his Introduction to the " Storia," and I must content myself by giving a mere outline of the most essential facts.

  Manucci sent home two copies of his manuscript; the first by the hands of a certain Mons. Boureau Deslandes in 1701. This manuscript was lent by Deslandes to a certain Pere Catrou, a Jesuit priest, who published in 1705 a book founded upon it, and entitled " Histoire Generate de 1'Empire du Mogol depuis sa fondation, sur les Memoires de M. Manouchi Venitien."

  In 1705 this particular manuscript passed with others into the possession of Baron Gerard Meerman, of the Hague, was bought from his heirs in 1824 by Sir Thomas Philipps, of Middle Hill, Worcester, and was finally acquired by the KOnigliche Bibliothek at Berlin in 1887.

  Some time in 1704, or 1705, Manucci received from Catrou an advance copy of his " Histoire," or of the preface to it. He was intensely indignant at what

  he considered to be an attempt on the part of the Jesuit Fathers "to transfer to themselves the glory won by another's labour," and he determined to send to Europe the original draft of his Parts I., II., and III., together with Part IV., on which he had been engaged since 1701. He sent them to the Venetian Senate by the hand of Father Eusebius, of Bourges, a Capuchin, in 1705. We learn that the manuscript was made over to the then Ambassador of the Venetian Senate at Paris, Lorenzo Tiepolo. Tiepolo became librarian of the San Marco Library in 1736, and Manucci's manuscript is entered in the catalogue made during his tenure of office, although we have no record of its transmission to Venice.

  With the first manuscript sent to Europe, in 1701, Manucci also sent a volume of portraits. This seems to have passed out of the Jesuits' possession, for Zanetti catalogues it as being in the San Marco Library at Venice in 1741. Since then it has become the property of the French nation, being made over to them in 1797, and is now to be found in the Cabinet des Estampes at the Biblioth&que Nationale in Paris, classed as O.D. No. 45 (reserve).

  This brief sketch of the man and his work will serve, I hope, to awaken interest in his story, and perhaps it will not be out of place to state here the reasons which suggested that a volume of selections from the " Storia " might meet with success.

  The " Storia do Mogor," as a whole, is very lengthy, and somewhat diffuse; and a great deal of it is interesting only to the student and the scholar. Some passages, such as those dealing with the disputes between the Capuchins and Jesuits, might even be called wearisome, whilst to many people the mere

  appearance of the four weighty volumes is quite alarming. We hoped, therefore, by making a selection of passages, dealing chiefly with Manucci's own life-story, that we might thus give a sufficiently faithful picture of the man and his career, and introduce him in this way to many readers, who otherwise would never have made his acquaintance.

>   In conclusion, I wish to express my most cordial thanks to Mr. L. Cranmer-Byng for his kind and able assistance and advice,

  M. L. IRVINE.

  GRINDELWALD,

  January II, 1913.

  A royal patient, successful treatment—Use of human fat and flesh— Europeans persecute Manucci—Attempted murder—M. and the Pathan widow—M. as an exorcist—M. leaves Lahor—An unlucky venture—M. enters service of Shah 'Alam—Sambha Ji plans to seize Goa—M. and the Portuguese—Events at Goa—M's embassy to Sambha Ji—Sambha Ji's envoy—M's embassy to the Mogul fleet— Second embassy to Sambha JT—Arrival of Shah' Alam—M. and Shah 'Alam—M. made a Knight of Sant lago—M. attempts to leave Shah 'Alam—He is recaptured, granted leave, and returns to the royal camp—M. again takes flight, reaches Gulkhandah, is brought back again—A fresh escape—M. reaches Madras—his marriage pp. 151-197

  Why Manucci left the Mogul country—His service with Shah 'Alam, 1680-85—Royal blood-letting—A merry jest—jealousy of native physicians—Successful cases—Poor rewards—Encounter with an angry slave pp. 198-213

  Manucci in Madras—Employed by Governor Gyfford—Life in San Thome—Jealousy of the Goa doctors—M. as envoy to Shah 'Alam— M. tricked by a Portuguese—Dalpat Rao—Life in Goa—M. and the Inquisitor—Life in S. Thome—Bishop Caspar Alfonso—M. and the Jesuits—M's letter to Da,ud Khan—M. and Da,ud Khan—Da,ud Khan visits Governor Pitt—Da,ud Khan departs . . pp. 215-250

  Da,ud Khan's hostile return—Manucci acts as envoy once more— He assists the French—The French envoy successful—M. visits Da,ud Khan—The French and the Moguls—Fortresses and artillery— Vellore fortress—Crocodiles—Da,ud Khan visits San Thome—An English deputation—Marriage of Francois Martin's granddaughter— Illness of Francois Martin—French pirates—M. and the French doctor's son—Fate of the French doctor—M. as swashbuckler—He recalls his youthful escapades—M's house at Big Mount attacked— M. and Shah 'Alam—M. and Muhammad Muqlm—M. hides himself— Friends at Court—A good appointment—Royal blood-letting—M's offended dignity—Accident attributed to skill—A. Legrenzi, physician —Death of M's wife pp. 251-289

  INDEX pp. 291-310

  NOTE

  Passages placed in square brackets have been supplied by the Editor to connect the narrative.

  A PEPYS OF MOGUL INDIA

  PART I MY JOURNEY TO INDIA

  OF MY DEPARTURE FROM VENICE

  WHEN I was still quite young, I had a passionate desire to see the world, but as my father would not allow me to leave Venice, my native place, I resolved to quit it in some way or another, no matter how. Finding that there was a tartane just about to leave, although I did not know its destination, I went on board in 1653, at the age of fourteen. The officers of the vessel, thinking that I was the son of one of the merchants who were going on board, did not ask me who I was, but let me pass without question. We had scarcely left Venice before we ran into the teeth of a gale which lasted twenty-four hours—hours of the greatest misery to me, as I was sea-sick, being unaccustomed to the sea. When twenty-four hours had passed, I was forced by hunger to present myself before the captain, who asked under whose protection I was there. I begged for pardon, saying that, having come on board a short time before he put out to sea, I had fallen asleep, and that, finding myself utterly unprovided for, I had come to him. At this he gave orders for me to be looked after; but fortunately for me I found on board an English gentleman in disguise called Lord Bellomont. He bad left England to escape death at the hands of

  2 I TAKE SERVICE WITH LORD BELLOMONT

  Cromwell, protector of that kingdom, who had condemned him because he belonged to the party of King Charles 11., then in France. This person showed me much affection, and when he asked me if I would like to go with him, I inquired of him his destination. He then told me he was going to Turkey, Persia, and India.

  I was much rejoiced thereat, and answered that I would gladly go with him, when he at once gave me the keys of his wardrobe, and I served him with great affection, seeing he loved me as if I had been his son. We arrived at Raguza, where we stayed several days on account of a contrary wind. Having at last set sail, we coasted along Dalmatia and past several islands, and finally leaving the Archipelago behind, at the end of four months we arrived in the port of Smyrna.

  Smyrna is a Turkish port, and there is a mingling of many nations there—namely, Italians, French, English, Dutch, and many Armenian merchants, who all live by the borders of the sea. At the time when we were at this port it happened that a Turk gave several blows with a stick to the captain of an English vessel. The Englishman swallowed the affront while he remained in the town waiting to embark, and after he had got a little way out to sea he bombarded the town and fled.

  We remained seven days at Smyrna; after that we started with a caravan for the town of Burca (Brusa). On the road we suffered much from cold, owing to the large amount of snow, and we arrived in eight days in good health.

  On our arrival at Burca, an ancient town of the Greeks, we were received by an Armenian called Anthoine Cheleby, who acted as governor of the town; and further seeing that we should have to wait a long time before we could meet with a caravan leaving for Persia, we quitted the town and went to live in the country house of the said Anthoine Cheleby.

  While our clothes were being carried out, under charge of one of our men called Charles, a Frenchman and a great musician, a couly (quit) carrying one tin case disappeared. In this box was our money, also the best and most valuable of what my master possessed. Great efforts were made to recover the things, but all we could find was the empty box, lying outside the town in the middle of some gardens. In this difficulty Anthoine Cheleby gave us whatever we had need of for the expenses of our journey.

  [After fifty days in Burca, Lord Bellomont and his retainers left for Persia.]

  We pursued our route along with the caravan, which was a very large one. In it were several Armenian merchants, who looked after our food, also our horses, mules, and camels. We put up in their tents, where we were very well treated ; but this was not done without an object, for the Armenians are very fond of their own interest. After some days we arrived at Tocat (Tokat). In this town, which lies among mountains, we remained eight days, after which we started again with the whole caravan, keeping our eyes ever open as we advanced by reason of the robbers who often on these routes attack caravans. This is the reason why men travel armed, and at night sentinels are set on watch on every side, so that no one can come near the encampment. One day it happened that there was a great alarm, some horsemen having appeared who wanted to rob us. Twenty-two of our mounted men went out against them, and prepared to attack them; but the robbers took to flight. Still, one of them was caught ; his horse being much out of condition, could not gallop like the others. He was made prisoner.

  The next day the robbers sent a message praying that their comrade might be released, and 10,000 pataques must be sent. If not, they would attack the caravan, and give quarter to no one. This news caused some apprehension in the caravan; but the

  leader of it, who was a brave man and experienced in these journeys, showed no fear, but, on the contrary, he sent word to them in a rage that he would come out in pursuit and leave not one alive. Thus the negotiations on both sides were confined to threats and defiance ; and this went on for three days, during which the robber horseman was always guarded by two of our mounted men. After three days, one night, while the caravan was asleep, the thief escaped, and the quarrel came to an end.

  In these journeys one has to be extremely vigilant, taking care never to go any distance from the caravan, for those who do so run a very great risk of falling into the hands of clever thieves, and of losing both goods and life, as has happened to many. If any traveller intends to make this journey, he will do well to arm himself with a great deal of patience, and take good thought of the hardships and disagreeables which he will have to encounter on these roads. For it is not as in Europe, where there are inns in w
hich all the necessities and comforts requisite for life are to be found. When travelling in Turkey you must sleep on the ground on a piece of carpet, or on the top of some bale of goods, where you suffer from the cold. Then, in the middle of your sleep, you are roused hurriedly to get ready and load up the camels and horses, and start on your way. During the day you are much troubled with the heat of the sun. Often it happens that the Turks seek you out and assail you with much abuse, and subject you to much indignity and shame. In these encounters it is wise to hang your head down like a Capuchin, and not open your mouth. At times it is necessary to bear slaps on the face with humility and even endure beating with a stick, for fear of worse happening. For if a hand is raised by chance against a Turk, such person is forthwith either forced to become a Mahomedan, or he is decapitated. The greatest favour accorded to him would be to let him go free after cutting off his hand. It is requisite to

  inform all who mean to travel in these regions that they must not wear anything of a green colour. Turks only may wear clothes of that colour. This remark applies to Turkey, for in Persia and in the Mogul Empire Christians can wear any colour they like. But the Turks are very particular about green, it having been liked and approved by the false prophet Mahomed.

  No traveller need to expect to find wine on the journey, for only water is drunk. In order never to be without water, it is necessary to have a bottle hanging from, or attached to, the beast on which one rides, and thus be able to have recourse to it in case of need. The bottles so used are easily procurable, and are sold ready for use. The merchants who go on these journeys also carry with them nets, with which they can catch fish. Many buy a kind of boiled sour milk called jugurd in the language of the country. It is put in a say (? sieve), so that the water in it may drain away; and in that way it can be kept several days. We ate it several times mixed with water, putting in it biscuits or dry bread, or it was mixed with pelos (? pilao). It is very palatable. When any dwellings are met with you can get eggs, butter, fowls, goats, and a few kinds of ripe fruit. But it is advisable to carry with you some dried fruit, meat fried in butter and packed in leather vessels ; also sausages and puddings of salted beef, for it is at times impossible to obtain any food. And the best advice that I can give is, not to allow your curiosity to carry you so far as to look into the earthen houses of the country, or to examine the peasants who dwell in them, for thereby one runs the risk of a thousand mishaps and evil fortune.