Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1875-10-30
Wealth in India.

A Paris paper says: Nothing but
ridicule could have attended any attempt
on the part of the Prince of Wales to
rival the Mohammedan rulers of India
in ostentation and magnifcence. In the
matter of presents alone his utmost
munifcence would have been surpassed
by a single act of favor displayed by
one of the former sovereigns of Hindo-
stan. For instance, Jehan Cheer be-
slowed upon his son, when setting out
to take the command of the army, the
Deccan, ga sword, the scabbard of which
was of gold set with stones valued at
100000 rupees (e10, ,00O; a dagger at
ga, 600; an elephant and two horses, all
their furniture of gold, set with stones"
and state carriage built in imitation of
the one sent to the emperor by King
James 1. 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" "The time," he con-
tinues, "was spent in bringing his 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 honored his
minister with his company at dinner the
road was covered for a whole mile with
silks and velvets sewed together, and
the cost of the banquet was estimated at
960,0 On his birthday Jehan Cheer
was weighed against seven kinds of COM
modities, such as rupees, jewels, cloth of
gold, silks, calicoes, spices, honey and
butter, which were afterward distributed
among the poor. The scales were of
beaten 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 diamonds, rubies and pearls. He
had several strings of them about his
neck, arms, wrists and trrban, and two
or three rings on every finger. His
sword, buckler, and throne were also
covered with precious stones. Among
the rest saw rubies as large as walnuts,
and pearls of prodigious magnitude.
He got into one of the scales, sitting on
his legs like tailor" At times the
munifcence of the Delhi emperors
savored of reckless extravaganza. A
singer, having delighted the royal ears,
was rewarded his own weight in silver
coin, amounting to $500 rupees, and
with an elephant to carry his treasure to
his house. The famous Noormehal,
having shot four tigers with the match
lock from the back of an elephant, was
presented by the enamored Jehan Cheer
with pair of emerald bracelets valued
at 1000, while one thousand rupees
were distributed in charity, The great
Akbar surpassed both his predecessors
in personal wealth. According to
Ferishta, that illustrious potentate num-
bered among his possessions coined sill
yer computed at 1000 rupees choice
rubies, one maund Or eighty pounds
weight common rubies and other pre-
cious stones, ten maunds; uncoined gold,
seventy maunds uncoined silver 100
maunds copper pice, fifty billions
-four pice--one and one-half pence)
elephants, above 5000; horses, IL, 1000
deer, 5000; hunting leopards, over nine
hundred, and hawks, five hundred. II
is recorded, probably with good deal
of exaggeration, that Akbar's treasury
contained ESQ, 100000 in silver coin and
gems of price, and that on one occasion
he filed tank near Futtehpur Sikri
with nine crores of rupees, equivalent
to G9,0OO,0 900, which were afterward dis
tributed among the needy.