A display of two forraigne sects in the East Indies vizt: the sect of the Banians the ancient natiues of India and the sect of the Persees the ancient inhabitants of Persia· together with the religion and maners of each sect collected into two bookes by Henry Lord sometimes resident in East India and preacher to the Hoble Company of Merchants trading thether

CHAP. XI.

Concerning the second Tribe or Cast called the Cutteryes, presenting them in their flourishing estate, their declining estate, and their present estate.

THe second Cast or Tribe being the Cutteryes, had their denomination from Cuttery, the 2 sonne of Pourous, who because Domination & Rule was com∣mitted vnto him, therefore all Souldiers and Kings are said to be of this Tribe. That par∣ticular of Bremawes booke that concerned this Cast or Tribe, contained certaine pre∣cepts of gouernment and policie, the know∣ledge of which being but of common im∣port, I rather chuse to omit, and proceede to shew some other things notable concerning this Tribe, touching their state or condition. These Cutteryes may then be considered, ei∣ther according as they were in their flouri∣shing estate, or else in their declining estate, or in their present estate.

As they were in their flourishing estate, they were the Ancient Kings and Rulers of India, especially of that part called Guzzarat,

and were called by the name of Raiahs, which signifieth a King, whereof some were of greater dominion than other, according as they were of greater force. These Raiahs had principally foure men about them of eminen∣cy. The first of which were the Bramanes, who by Southsaying and Augury did shew the Kings what time was most meete to beginne their designes to prosecute them with suc∣cesse. The second was one called the Pardon, which was a man of policy in the carriage of State businesse, and dispatched all matters of Iudicature, hauing reference to the King for Iustice. The third was one that was called the Moldar, or the Kings Chamberlaine, who was most commonly present with the King, as the companion of his conuersation. The fourth was the Generall of the Kings Ar∣mies in the field, called Disnacke, who was sent abroad about all expeditions of warre. These were the foure that had chiefe eminen∣cy about the King. Furthermore, these Raiahs are said to haue thirty sixe Tribes, as the no∣ble families whence they were descended; some were of the Cast or Tribe of Chaurah; some of the Solenkees; some of the Tribe of Vaggela; some of the Dodepuchaes; some of the Paramars; that so no man of obscure birth might presse to dignity, but being de∣scended from some of the thirty six families; thus the Raiahs liued in their flourishing e∣state.

Now touching their declining state: It is recorded in their History, that one Rannede∣uill a vertuous woman, did at her death pro∣phecy the decline of the Banian State, in the time of Rauisaldee chiefe Raiah, the beginning of which decline should be in his next Suc∣cessors daies, which they say accordingly hap∣pened as shall appeare by the Story follow∣ing.

It is then deliuered in their History, that there was a Raiah called Rauisaldee, who had a sonne called Syderaijsaldee: Rauisaldee suffering the common change of Mortalitie, his sonne was careful to expresse his duty to his decea∣sed father, in a costly Monument, at a place called Sythepolalpore, which being finished with great curiositie of Art, and cost corre∣spondent to that curiosity, being pleased with the worke, and desiring to keepe his Fathers memory and his owne lasting by that Monu∣ment, hee consulted with the Bramanes, to know whether that Temple should long a∣bide, or if that pile of goodly workeman∣ship••e sh••uld suffer ruine; by whom it should be defaced. It was diuined to him by one Ma∣dewnauger, one famous in the discipline of the Bramanes, that one Sultan Alaudin, a Patan, King of Delee, should deface the same, as also gaine some great conquest in Guzzarat. Syde∣raijsaldee hopefull to preuent the defacement of this Temple, by some timely composition,

dispeeded his Bramane Madewnauger, and his Pardon, to Delee, to inquire out the said A∣laudin, and by a summe of money to procure the peace of his Fathers bones, and the spa∣ring of the Temple. But comming thither they could finde no such man of any eminen∣cy, but another in the gouernment: onely by strict inquisition they met with a wood-ga¦therer there, who had a sonne so calle••; thi∣ther they repaire to the amazement of Alau∣dins poore parents; They make knowne the reason of their comming, and finde the boy administring food to a young Kid in his Fa∣thers backeside. The Bramane proposing to him the high fortunes that should betyde him in being King of Delee, and in the con∣quest of Guzzarat, as also the end of their Message, that Syderaijsaldee did greet him, and did desire him that when those things should happen and he should inua••e Guzza∣rat, that hee would forbea••e to deface the Temple and Monument of his Father erected at Sythepolalpore, as a motiue to which fauour, Syderaijsaldee did freely present him with a summe of money, which summe they tende∣red to Alaudin. Alaudin boldly answered, that hee was not in appearance capable of any such fortunes, but if the heauens had so set it downe in their great volume, he could not al∣ter it, but must lay waste the Temple, and in the Maiesty of his nature refused the gift and

treasure brought him. His Parents better in∣structed by their owne necessitie what was meete for him to doe, then his heroicke dis∣position would be taught, importuned him to take the treasure, vrging their owne needes, and how conuenient a helpe it might bee to raise him to those fortunes that were to him diuined. So apprehending the counsell to bee but reasonable, hee tooke the treasure, and gaue an Escript or writing, that albeit the hea∣uens had decreed that he should scatter some stones of that building, yet hee would picke them out of the Corners thereof in such man∣ner, as should fulfill his fortune, and make good his promised fauour to Syderaijsaldee, in the sparing of that Temple and Tombe of his Father. By this money of composition, Alaudin gathered Souldiers, and betooke himselfe to Armes, wherein he prooued him∣selfe so resolute, that hee gained great fame, whereunto his diuining fortunes became such a Sparre, that he was made King of De∣lee, and after that made inuasiue conquests on Guzzarat, fulfilled his promise to Syderaijsal∣dee in treatie on the fore mentioned businesse. In which conquest hee ouerthrew many Ra∣iahs, to the great ruine and decline of the Ba∣nian State: But growing weary of this long warre, and many Raiahs flying to places inac∣cessible, led with a desire to returne to Delee his natiue place, hee committed the further

managing of these warres to one Futtercon, that was his Cupbearer; in this manner. For Alaudin considering how great he was grown from nothing (and that accidentally) he deter∣mined as accidentally to heape this fortune vpon another; purposing ouer night with himselfe, that whosoeuer did first present him the next morning with any gift, on him to confirme the gouernment of that part of Guz∣zarat hee had conquered. It so fell out, that whilst this secret was lodged vp in the Kings brest, that the fore mentioned Futtercon, the Kings wine keeper, by the rising Sunne ten∣dered a Cuppe of wine to the Kings hand; who smiled and looked fauourably vpon him, and in the presence of his Army, com∣firmed him his Successor in the Gouernment of that he had wonne, inioyning them all so to acknowledge him, and to doe whatsoeuer he should command in the further prosecuti∣on of that conquest: so Sultan Alaudin depar∣ted to Delee, and the said Futtercon did further inuade Guzzarat, and so did the rest of the Mahoometans that succeeded him, to the de∣cline of the Banian State and Regiment.

Now for their present estate, some of the Ra∣iahs yeelded, others flying to retyrements im∣pregnable, lay in the Mawe of the Countrey, and could not be conquered euen to this day: but making outroades, prey on the Cassaloes passing by the way; and sometimes come to

the skirts of their strongest and most popu∣lous townes, hauing many resolute Souldiers to goe on in these attempts of rapine, called Rashpootes, which implyeth as much as the sonnes of Kings; for being of the Cast of the Cutteries, it is like they were nobly descen∣ded, and some of the Progeny of those that were ouerrunne in the Guzzarat conquest. Of those that liue vnconquered at this day, such a one is Raiah Surmulgee, liuing at Raspeeplaw; Raiah Berumshaw, at Molere; Raiah Ramnagar; Raiah Barmulgee, and the great Rannah, who hath fought many set battels with the Moguls forces. This may be obseruable concerning the Cast of the Cutteryes.