Cambaia, Province

Sources from old books

1652. Cosmographie in four bookes by Peter Heylyn.

CAMBAIA specially so called, hath on the North, Mandao; on the South, the main Ocean, and some part of Decan; on the East, Delly, from which parted by a ridge of Mountains; on the West, the Main Ocean, with some part of Guzarate. It standeth on the East-sides of the out-less of Indus, running along the Sea-shore for 500 miles, and took this name from Cambaia the chief City of it.

The Countrey said to be the most fruitful of all India, abounding in Rice, Wheat, Sugar, Spices of all sorts, and choicest fruits: of silk and Cotton so great plenty that they fraught yearly forty of fifty ships with those commodities. In the mountains they find Diamonds, Chalcedonies, and a kind of Onyx-stone, which are called Cornelines, and corruptly Cornelians. Amongst the Rarities hereof, they reckon the Abades, a great Beast, twice as bigge as a Bull, having on their snowts a little horn, and the hide so hard as no man can pierce it with a thrust; which is the Rhinocerot of the Antients.

The people effeminate and unwarlike, and therefore not much used by the Moguls in a war of consequence; to supply which defect he furnisheth himself with Souldiers out of Persia, of which his standing bands consist; most of their Sultans and Commanders of that Nation also. More given to merchandise than war, and therein thought to be as cunning (if not deceitful withall) as any people in the world: treacherous in their trust, proud in their carriage, bloody upon advantage, and much given to Venerie; ignorant of letters, but well practised in Mechanical Arts. In matters of Religion, for the most part Gentils; not knowing, or contemning the Law of Mahomet; but very punctual in their own heathenish superstitions. The Bannians in this Countrey, being natural Indians, nusled in Paganism, and so wedded to their old Idolatries, that no perswasions can prevail with them, make the greatest number: and seem to be all Pythagoreans in some opinions, for they eat not any thing that hath blood or life, but feed on Rice, Roots, Plantons and such natural fruits; paying a large Revenue yeerly to the Great Mogul, that no Oxen may be killed amongst them. And because new opinions should not grow amongst them, they mary in their own Tribes only, and never out of their own Trades; secure thereby as they conceive from all innovations.

Cities of most observation in it,

1. Cambaia, three miles from the Indus, and as many in compass, one of the nearest and best built in all the East. So populous withall, that it is thought to contain 130000 Families, and is therefore called the Caire of the Indies. Of most esteem in all this Kingdome (though far less than Madabay) to which it doth impart its name.
2. Barocho, Southwards of Cambaia on the top of an hill, with a fair River underneath it: well-walled, and noted for the best Calicuts (a kind of linnen Cloth so called from the City of Calicut, where it was first made) not to be matched in all the Indies.
3. Swalley, still more unto the South, and about a mile from the Sea-shore; but giving name unto a large and capacious Bay, where the ships ride which trade at Surat.
4. Surat, about ten miles from the Bay of Swaller, from whence the River navigable but by Boats and Shallops; fortified with a Castle of Stone well stored with Ordnance. The houses for the most part of Sun-dried bricks, very large and lasting: built with flat roofs, but battlemented on all sides for fear of falling; and beautified with goodly Gardens of Pomgranats, Melons, Figs, and Limons, interlaced with Riverers and Springs. Made of late years a Factory for the English Merchants, who have here their President, and a magnificent house for the reception and staple of their Commodities.
5. Neriand, a great Town, and as remarkable for the making of Indico; which growing on a small shrub like our Goose-berry-bushes, bears a seed like a Cabbage seed, and being cut down, is laid in heaps for half a year. Grown rotten, it is brought into a vault to be trod by Oxen from the Stalks, then ground in Mills, and finally boyled in furnaces, refined and sorted, and so sold to the Merchant.
6. Daman, upon the Sea-side over against 'Diu, and possessed as that is by the Portugals. A beautifull and pleasant Town, fortified with a strong Castle: at the North-end of it, of white chalky stone, well planted with Ordnance: opposite whereunto on the South-side of the Town, a goodly Church, edged atop with white. Which with the houses, for the most part of the same colour also, afford a pleasing prospect to the sailers by.
7. Cumpanel, situate on the top of an high mountain, and environed with a seven-fold wall, once the Seat Royall of the Kings of Camba••.
8. Da•aitote, a place of such strength that the great M guls could never get it by force. Rendred at the last upon composition, conditioned they should still be governed by a King of their own.
9. Netherby, a great market of brazen ware, beasts, and Armour.
10. Ba•nd•r•.
11. Tanai, &c.

This Kingdome taking in Guzarate and Sinda, as parts hereof, is extremely populous, said to contain 60000 Towns and Villages very well inhabited: but the people not accustomed to, or unfit for warres. Antiently governed by Kings of their own, it was first subdued by the 〈◊〉 or Moores, Anno 1423. under the conduct of one Mahomet or Machamut: who having forced the Resbutes or naturals of the Country to betake themselves unto the Mountains, was made Kings hereof. To him succeeded his soane Mamudius, one of no great action. But what he wanted was supplied by his sonne Badurius, who having conquered the Kingdome of Citor, invaded that of Mandao also. His Army for that warre consisted of 500000 foot, 150000 horse, 1000 great pieces of Ordinance, 500 wagons loaded with powder & shot, and as many wain-loads of gold and silver to pay his Army. But being discomfited in two great battels, by Merhamed the Mongul Tartar, whom Galg•e the Mandoan King had called in to his aid, he shaved his beard, and fled in a disguize to Diu then possessed by the Portugals, whom he licenced in that distress to build the Citadel: slain afterwards by a mean mariner, at his return from the Portugal Vice-Roy, whom he had visited on ship-board. And though Mamudius his Successor endeavoured to free his Kingdome from both pretenders: yet weakned with the loss of so great an Army he was not able to effect it. First driven from Diu, which he had besieged both by Sea and land, to his great dishonour; and after vanquished in battell by Adabar the sonne of Merhamed, not far from Serkeffe, the antient buriall-place of the Kings of Cambaia, but then the Sepulchre of the Kingdome: which by that victory fell to the Great Monguls, who have since enjoyed it.