Bengala

Sources from old books

1652. Cosmographie in four bookes by Peter Heylyn.

BENGALA is bounded on the North, with Patanaw; on the East, with the Kingdoms of Pegu; on the South and West, with the Gulf of Bengala; So called from Bengala the chief City of it.

It containeth in length on the Gulf and River 360 miles, and as much in breadth into the Land A Countrey stored with all things necessary to the life of man, great plenty of Wheat, Rice, Sugar, Ginger, and Long-Pepper. Such aboundance of Silk, & Cotton, and of Flesh and Fish, that it is impossible that any Countrey should exceed it in those commodities. And which crowns all, blest with so temperate and sweet an air, that it draws thither people of all sorts to inhabit it. Here is also, amongst other rarities, a Tree called Moses, which beareth so delicate a fruit, that the Jews and M•hometans who live here, affirm it to be the fruit which made Adam to sin.

The natural Inhabitants for the most part, are of white complexion, like the Europaeans, subtil of wit, and of a courteous disposition, well skill'd in dealing in the world, much given to traffick, and intelligent in the way of Merchandize, if not somewhat deceitful. No• ignorant of other Arts, but with some imattering in Philosophy, Physick, and Astrology. Stately and delicate both in their Diet and Apparell: not naked as in others of these Indian Provinces, but clothed in a shirt or smock reaching to their feet, with some upper Garment over that. The women of an ill name for their unchastity, though Adultery be punished with cutting off of their noses. Neat, if not curious and too costly in this one custom, that they never seeth meat twice in the same Pot, but for every boyling buy a new one. In Religion, for the most part Mahometans, especially on the Sea-shores, which lay most open and commodious to the Arabians; by whom Mahometanism was here planted many ages since.

Of Rivers we need take no care having spoke of Ganges. That with its many Channels may abundantly serve to water so small a Province. But hereof more anon in a place more proper. Proceed we now unto the Cities. The principall whereof, 1. Bengala, which gave name to the whole Kingdom, situate on a branch of the River Ganges, and reckoned for one of the most beautifull Towns of all the Indies. Exceedingly enriched by trade, but more by Pilgrimages, by reason of the holyness and divine operations ascribed by the Indians to the waters of it: there being few years in which not visited by three or four hundred thousand Pilgrims. 2. Gouro, the seat-Royall of the antient Kings. 3. Catig•n, on the bottom of the Gulf of Bengala, a well-traded Port. 4. Taxd•, once a Town of great trafick, and situate in those times on the banks of Ganges; now by the changing of the Channel (occasioned by the frequent overflowings of it) above a league off from the River. 5. Porto Grande, and 6. Por•o P•qu•no, two Towns of the Portugals, but without Forts for defence, or rules for Government. Places like the Asylum, which was built by Romulus; whereunto such as dare not stay in their own Countries, or any well-regulated Cities, use to make their resort; privileged here to live in all kind of licentio•sness.

Here is also in the North parts of this Province, or adjoining to it, the City and Kingdom of ARACHAN. Lying along the banks of Ganges, but so remote from the Sea, that it is 50 miles distant from the neerest branch of it. Wealthy, and populous withall; governed heretofore by a King of its own, so wallowing in wealth and sensuall pleasures, that he had in this City and the parts adjoyning twelve Royall Palaces or Seraglios, all stowed with women for his Iust. Now subject with Bengala and Patanaw, betwixt which it lieth, to the Empire of the great Monguls.

There are also some small Ilands in the Gulf of Bengala, which I account unto that Kindom. 1. Bazacata, now called Basse. 2. Barassae, of which name there are five in Prolomy, three of them by Mercator said to be Mind•nao, Cailon, and Subut. 3. Two, called the Ilands of Good fortune, by him placed under the Ae•uator, and said to be inhabited by Anthropophagi, or man eaters; as also were three more which he calls 4. Sabadibae, now named Cainam. 5. I•sulae Satyrorum, or the 〈◊〉 of Sa••res, three in number, the people whereof were reported to have tails like Satyres▪ And 6. those called Maniolae, in number ten, (now Islas de Pracel) reported by Ptolomy to be so stored with Adamant stones, that they violently drew to them any ships or vessels, which had iron in them: for which cause they which used these Seas fastned the planks of their ships with wooden pins. But our later Navigators find no such matter unless perhaps it be in the exploits of Sir Huon of Bourdeaux, where indeed we meet with such an Iland, in the course of his Errantrie.

But to return again to the Kindome of Bengala, we find it of a different constitution from the rest of the Kingdomes of these parts. Not governed by a family of Successive Princes, descended from the Stemme of a Royall Ancestrie, as the others are. Chance, or necessity, had brought thither many Abassines, or Aethiopians, who made a conquest of the Country; and chose a King out of themselves. To keep whan they had gotten, and perpetuate the Regall honor to the Abassine Nation, they procured thence yearly certain thousands of Slaves, whom they trained up unto the warres, advanced unto the higest commands in civill and military service; and out of them elected one for their Lord and Soveraign: as the Mamalucks in the Kingdome of Egypt, whom her•in they followed. By some Arabians trading with them, they came in time to admit Mahometanism amongst them; on 〈◊〉 Sea-coasts especially. Dispossessed first of some part of their Kingdome, lying about Satagan, by the Pataneans; when driven to seek new dwellings by Baburxa, the Mongul Tartar: and of their whole Kingdom by the valor and good fortune of Echebar, who added it unto the rest of his estate.

Thus have we drawn together all the Indian Provinces on this side of Ganges (the Kingdoms of M•labar and Narsinga being but a Parenthesis in the construction of this sentence) into the hands of the Mo•gul. So called for his descent from the Mongul-Tartars, one of the five great Tribes or Nations into which that People were divided. Derived originally from the famous and mighty Tamerlane, who having added almost all the greater and lesser Asia, unto his estates: left Persia, with the parts of Ind•• which lay neerest to it on the North, to Myrza Charrok, his fourth, sonne. But his issue failing in Abdula, the 4th. of that line, those estates fell to Abusaid, descended from Marom•ha, the third sonne of Tamerlane: Whose sonne and Successor called Zeuzes, by some Malaonchres, being disseized of the greatest part of the Kingdome of Persia, by Ussan-Cassanes: the rights of all, with the possession of Arachosia (now called Chabul) and Paropamisus (now Candahor or Sablestan) together with so much of India as was held by those Princes, remained in Hamed, one of the younger sonnes of Abu•••aid; whose posterity laying hold on such opportunities as were offered to them, have made themselves Masters in few years of this mighty Empire. Whose Successors and their achievements we shall here present.

The Great Monguls.

• 1473. 1. Hamed, the sonne of Abu•••ul, of the race of Tamerlane, after the conquest of Persia by Vss••-Cassanes, succeeded in Chabus, Candahor, and the parts of the Realms of India subject to the Tartars.
• 1500. 2. Babor, or Baburxa, in danger to be dispossessed of most of his Estates by the neighbouring V•beques, living upon the borders of Persia, Tartary, and India, whom at last he quieted; enlarged his dominions by the conquest of some part of Patanaw, and other Kingdomes in the North.
• 1532. 3. Hamoyen, the sonne of Babor, or Baburxa, commonly called Emanpaxda, vanquished by the Parthians, or Pataneans, and their confederates, craved aid of Tamas, the 2d. Persian Monarch of this line, on promise to conform to the Sophian Sect: and by that and confirmed and settled his affairs, but held himself to the former Principles of his Irre••gion.
• 4. Merhamed, or Miramudius, sonne of Emanpaxda, called in by Galgee the King of Mand•o, against Badurius the Cambaian, vanquished the Cambaian King in two pitched fields, and conquered the Kingdomes of Mandao, and Balassia, with some other Provinces.
• 5. Adabar, the sonne of Merhamed, added the Realms of Delly and Cambaia, unto his Dominions.
• 1550. 6. Mahomet Selabdin, commonly called Eohebar, brother of Adabar, the most fortunate and victorious Prince of all this family, subdued the Kingdoms of Caxi••ir, Agra, Decan, Orissa, Bengala, Patanaw, and divers others of less note.
• 1605. 7. Selim, surnamed Jangheere, the sonne of Echebar, who added nothing that I hear of, to his fathers conquests.
• 1627. 8. Blockie, the grandchild of Selim by his eldest sonne, (wickedly murdered by the practice of Curroon at Agra) proclamed King on the death of his Grand-father; but shortly after made away by Asaph Chawn, so to make room for
• 1627. 9. Curroon, the third sonne of Selim or Jangheere, and sonne-in-law unto Assaph Chawn; having by his own Ministers, and the hands of his Father-in-law, murdered the proclamed King his Nephew, and all the other Princes of the Royall blood, succeeded into the Estates, and was crowned at Agra. A wicked and bloody Prince, still living for ought I hear to the contrary.

To look a little on these Princes, their estate and power; in matters of Religion they have generally been Mahometans, that Religion being long since embraced by the Tartars, from whom they originally descended. But not so scrupulous or precise in that profession, as to endeavour the suppressing of any other opinions: both Echebar, and his sonne Jangheere, being so inclined unto Christianity, that they permitted the Jesuites to build Colleges and Churches in Agra it self the Imperiall City, and many other chief Cities in his dominions. Of Echebar it is reported, that being doubtfull what Religian to adhere unto, he caused 30 Infants to be so brought up that neither their Nurses nor any body else should speak unto them; resolving to addict himself to the Religion of that Country, whose language should be spoken by them, as most agreeable to nature: and he did accordingly. For as those Children spoke no language, so was he positive, and resolved in no Religion. Able to see the va•ues of Mahomet, and the horrible impieties of the Gentiles, but not willing to conform unto the strict•••• •t Christianity. And though Selim who succeeded, to content his Mahometan Subjects, declared himself for that Religion; yet his affairs being once settled, and his Throne confirmed, he became as Neutral as his Father. Sultan Curr•on now Reigning, of the same Neutrality, and 'tis well he is so, there being no Religion so impure and bloody, which he would not dishonor by his known ungraciousness.

The Language spoken by these Princes, and their natural Subjects the Mogores, or Mongul-Tartars, is said by some to be the Turkuh. But I think rather that it is some Language near it, than the very same: And that the Language which they speak is the ancient Scythian or Tartarian, from which the Turks (a Scythian people) differ but in Dialect, a sprinkling of the Persian intermixt amongst it. A mixture not to be denied, in regard of their long dwelling in that Countrey, the entercouse which their Subjects of those parts have with these of India, and that the greatest part of their Souldiers, Officers and Commanders, are supplied from thence.

Their Government is absolute, if not Tyrannical, the Great Mongul being Lord of all, and heir to every mans estate which is worth the having: the persons and purses of his Subjects at his sole disposing, so that he may amass what treasures, and raise what forces for the Wars his need requireth, or the Avarice or Ambition of his Ministers shall suggest unto him. First, for his Treasures, it is conceived that his Revenue doth amount yearly to Fifty Millions of Crowns, and there are reasons to perswade that it may be more. The Countrey very rich, and notably well traded from all parts of the world, the Impost upon which is of infinite value, besides the vast sums of money brought into his Dominions from all Countreys whatsoever, which hold traffick here; their commodities not being to be parted with but for ready coyn. The whole Land being also his, he estates it out for no term certain, retaining a third part of the profits to himself, and leaving two thirds to the Occupants, to be held by them during pleasure. Who if they thrive upon their bargains, they thrive not for themselves, but him: it being in his power, if he want patience to expect the Incumbents death, to enter on the whole estate of the Te•ant by the way of Escheat: but if he tarry till the death of the Occupant, it falls to him of course, the wife and children of the deceased being fairly dealt with, if he content himself with the personal estate, and leave the Land to them to begin anew. For instance, of those huge sums which in so rich a Countrey may be had this way, it is said that when the Vice Roy of Lahor dyed, he left to Echebar three millons of Gold, besides Silver, Jewels, Horses, Elephants, Furniture and Goods, almost invaluable: And of one Raga Gagnar, another of his great Officers, that at his death the Great Mongul seized of his into his hands 3300 pound weight of Gold, besides Plate and Jewels. Besides these means of heaping treasure, all the Mines of the Countrey are wholly his, and the Presents given by all sorts of Suters, hardly to be numbered; none being admitted to his presence which comes empty handed. Finally, if Badurius, which was King of Cambaia onely, could bring into the field at once 500 Tun of gold and silver to pay his Army; and after the loss of all that treasuee, advanced upon the sudden the sum of 600000 Crowns, which he sent to Solyman the Magnificent to come to succor him; both which it is well known he did: What infinite Treasures must we think this Prince to be master of, who hath more than four times the estate of the King of Cambaia, and far more trading now than in former times?

By the like Parallel we may conjecture somewhat at his Forces also. Badurius the Cambaian brought into the field against Merhamed, and the King of Mand ae, as was partly touched upon before, 150000 Horse, 500000 Foot, 2000 Elephants armed, 2000 pieces of brass Ordnance, of which were four Basilisks, each of them drawn with 100 yoke of Oxen; and 500 Carts loaded with powder and shot. What then may we conceive of this Prince, who is Lord of so much a greater estate than he, but that his Levies may be raised proportionably to so great Dominions? But because possibly Badurius did extend himself to the utmost of his power, and having lost two Battels, was never able to recruit again, which no wise Prince would do but in great extremities: It is conceived that the Mongul, without running any such hazards on the loss of a Battel, can in an instant raise 50000 Elephants, 300000 Horse, and Foot proportionable; and ye• have stock enough for an After-game, if that he should chance to lose the first. But it is seldom that he hath advanced to so high a Muster. For in his action upon the Kingdoms of Decan, he had but an Hundred thousand men, and a thousand Elephants for fight; though possibly of all sorts of people there might be more than double that number. For in his ordinary removes in time of Progress, it is said that his followers of all sorts amount unto two hundred thousand; and that his Tents do usually take up as much ground as the City of London. Yet notwithstanding this great power, the fortunes of this Empire have not only been at a stand, since the deathof Echebar; But the Rasbooches in Cambaia, the Venazarari in Decan, and other puissant Rebels in other parts of his Dominions, hold out still against him, some of them being said to command as much land as a pretty good Kingdom, and to have always in a readiness 20000 Horse, & 50000 foot, to make good their Mountains. Nature or Divine Providence hath given to Empires, as to men, a determinate growth, beyond which there is no exceeding.

1638. The merchants mappe of commerce wherein by Lewes Roberts.

Of SATAGAN the Metropolis of Bengala, and the trade of that coast and the River Ganges.

AT the ending of the coast of Coromandel, beginneth this coast of Bengala, through the middle whereof the famous River Ganges runs, making a large bay or Gulfe, which carrieth the name of the Gulfe of Bengala: This Country is under the command of the great Mogul; whose coynes are here currant; the holy and reverend opinion that the Gentiles through all India have of this River, and the concourse of Pilgrims thereto, for devotion sake, addes much to the traffique of Satagam, the chiefe Citie of this Countrey, which is pleasantly seated on another faire and large River, whose imbosure is not farre distant from the imbosure of Ganges, and upon which boats sayle by the violence of the current a hundred miles in fifteene houres without the helpe of sayles or oares, and when the tyde turneth it, is found to be so violent that the saylers are forced to make fast their boats to certaine trees fixed on the shoare side, for they are not able to make way against the streame and current thereof. At the entrance of this River is a place called Butter, which the Inhabitants of the Countrey and Merchants there doe yearly build in forme of a village, of straw, branches of trees, reeds, and the like, and is of great largenesse, to which they bring all manner of merchandize, to meet the shippes which at certaine set times with the Monsoons come hither for trade, who are not able to goe higher for want of wa•…er; and when the shippes are gone with the change of the Moun•…oon, and that yeares trading past, they then burne their said towne •…nd houses, and carry up their goods and merchandise to the Citie •…f Satagan; whither also all small barkes and boats doe goe to •…ade and unlade.

It is observable that thirtie or fortie sayle of great shippes of •…undry Countries and Nations doe here yearely at this time finde •…ading; the principall commodities of this place and the coast, being Rice here growing in great abundance, cloth of cotton of infinite sorts, made here in great quantitie, Lacca good store, great plentie of sugars, Mirabolans both dried and preserved, long pepper, Oyle of Zerseline, and many other commodities; the Citie in it selfe is a faire Citie, and abounding with rich Merchants that trade to Pegu, Musulipatan, Sumatra, and sometimes to Cambaia, and the red Sea; their time of traffique by reason of the heat is for the most part here by night, and when they have once burned their towne of Butter, as hath been noted, they then hire galliotts and boats, and there with transport their commodities up the River from one Towne to another, scituated upon the same, where every day is found in one or other a publique faire and market, so that their whole life is still in motion and agitation, providing in one place and putting off in another, here buying and there selling.

The Portugalls are found to have some trade hither, but those that reside here are not subject to much government, but make their will their law; onely two Forts they hold upon this coast, the one they call porto grande, the other porto pequenom, whereto there is driven an orderly trade, and thereby that Nation is kept within some order and discipline.

As for the coines currant here, the weights and measures here in use, I must omit them by reason of my ignorance therein, and therefore shall referre them to the better skilled.

Before I leave this coast, I must not forget a strange custome, not onely here much used, but also alongst the coast of Mallabar, and in many other parts of India, which is thus, if a Debtor breake the day of payment with his Creditor, and oftentimes disappoynt him, then he goeth to the principall of the Bramenes, and receiveth of him a rod, with which he approacheth to the debtor, and making a circle about him, chargeth him in the name of the King and the said Bramen, not to depart till he hath satisfied the debt, which if he doe not, he must then starve in the place; for if he depart, the King will cause him to be executed; and this is in use in many parts of India, but especially where the Bramans are reverenced; it is daily seene practised amongst Merchants the natives of these places.