The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1875-09-23
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Nothing but ridicule could have at.
tended any attempt on the part of the
dan rulers of India in ostentation and
magnifcence. In the matter of3presents
alone his utmost magnifcence would have
been surpassed by a single act Of favor,
displayed by one Of the former sovereigns
of Hindostan. For instance, Jehan Cheer
bestowed upon his son, when setting out
to take the command of the army in the
Dreecan, "a sword, the scabbard of which
was. of gold, set with stones valued at
100000 rupees (e10,00O), dagger of
$4,000, an elephant and two horses, all
their furniture of gold set with stones"
and state carriage built in imitation Of
one sent out to the Emperor by King
James I. On his birthday Jehan Cheer
was so richly adorned with jewels that
Sir Thomas Roe protests that in all his
life he never saw such inestimable
wealth together" 1.-THE time," he con-
tinues, "was spent in bringing the great
est elephants before him, some of which,
being lord elephants, had their chains,
bells and furniture of gold and silver,
with many gilt banners and flags carried
about them, and eight or ten elephants
waiting on each of them, clothed in gold,
silk and silver. In this manner about
twelve companies passed by, most richly
adorned, the first having all the plates on
his head and breast set with rubies and
emeralds, being a beast of wonderful
bulk and beauty. They all bowed down
before the King, making their reverence
very handsomely"
On one occasion when the King hon
ored his Minister with his company at
dinner, the road was covered for whole
mile with silks and vclvcts sewed to-
gcther, and the cost of the banquet was cs-
timated at 100000. On his birthday Jc-
han Cheer was weighed against seven
kinds of commodities, such as rupees,
jewels, cloth of gold, silks, calicocs,
spices, honey and butter, which were aft
erward distributed among the poor. The
scales were of beaten gold set with small
stones, rubics and turquoises; they hung
by chains OF gold, and for more surety
there were silk ropes. The beam was
covered with plates of gold. The great
lords of the nation sat about the throne on
rich carpets, expecting the Kings coming
out. AT length he appeared, covered with
several strings of them about his neck,
arms, wrists and turban, and two or three
rings on every finger. His sword, buck
Ter and throne were also covered with
precious stones. Among the rest l saw
rubies as big as walnuts and pearls of
plodigious magnitude. He got into one
of the scales, sitting on his legs like a
tailor"
After all, the royal gifts were not in
general very costly. When the weighing
was over basins full of silver almonds,
nuts and other fruits were placed before
the King, who threw them about in hand
fuls, while his mobiles scrambled for them.
Observing that Sir Thomas Roe would not
stoop to such meanness, Jehan Cheer took
up basin that was nearly full and poured
it into his cloak. The courtiers, however,
had the impudcnce to thrust in their
hands $50 greedily' that the worthy knight
had some trouble to rescue these proofs of
the royal favor from their rapacitY. He
had been told beforehand that the King
would scatter fruits nodded in massive
gold, but to his disgust he discovered THAI
they consisted of very thin silver, thou
sand of them barely weighing ego. Never
thelcss, II saved" he says, ''thc value of
ten or twelve crowns, and these would
have filled large dish. l keep them to
show the vanity of these people. do not
believe that the King that day threw away
much above the value of e100."
Bernicr, indeed, says that, although
India was an abyss that swallowed up the
gold and silver Of other lands, he did not
regard the Mogul as being extraordinarily
rich. Shah Jehan, for example, after ex-
ercising commendable thrift for the space
OF forty years, left only 100000 in the
treasury, without taking into account,
however, the precious stones, of which he
confcsses there was great store. The value
of the throne alone he rcckoncd at 3,OOO,-
600 sterling, being covered with the spoils
of Patans and Rajpoots, and the voluntary
offerings of tributary princes, governors
and mobiles.
At times the munificcnce of the Delhi
Emperors savored of reckless extrava-
gance. A singer, having delighted the
royal ears, was rewarded with his own
weight in silver coin, amounting to $500
rupees, and with an elephant to carry his
treasure to his house. The famous Moor
mehal, having shot four tigers with a
matchbox from the back of an elephant,
was presented by the enamored Jchan
Cheer with pair of emerald bracelets
valued at 10000, while 1000 rupees
were distributed in charity. The Great
Akbar surpassed both his predecessors
and successors in personal wealth. Ac-
cording to Ferishta that illustrious poten-
tate numbered among his possessions
coined silver computed at 10O,000,000
rupees; choice rubies, one maund, or
eighty pounds weight; common rubies
and other precious stones, ten maunds;
uncoined gold, seventy maunds; uncoined
silver, 100 maunds; copper pice, 5O,0OO,-
900 -four pice-719D; elephants, about
5000; horses, $4,000; deer, 5000; hunt
ing leopards, over 900, and hawks, 500. 1t
is reported, probably with considerable
exaggeration, that Akbar's treasury con-
tanned 100000 sterling in silver coin
and gems of price, and that on one occa-
sion he filled tank near Futtehpur Sikri
with nine crores of rupees, equivalent to
e0, 100000, which we're afterward dis
tributed among the needy.-PaW Mall Ga
zette.