A new account of East-India and Persia, in eight letters being nine years travels begun 1672 and finished 1681 : containing observations made of the moral, natural and artifical estate of those countries ... / by John Fryer ... ; illustrated with maps, figures and useful tables.

Sheke Minas in Baligaot,

Enjoys large Possessions there, as does the Raja of Canora in Canora.

Seva Gi is reckoned also as a diseased Limb of Duccan,* 1.1 impostu∣mated and swoln too big for the Body; in some respects benefiting, in others discommoding it; beneficial, by opposing the Mogul's Entry into the Kingdom; but prejudicial in being his own Paymaster, rewarding himself most unconscionably; all Conchon being little enough for him, extending in Length along the Sea-Coasts, 250 Leagues, that is, from Balsore Hills to the River Gongole; where nei∣ther is he limited in his extravagant Desires, expecting only opportu∣nity to gain further. Inland he hath not much, the Gaot seeming to be a Natural Line of Circumvallation to the Up-Country, where it is Campaign, though below Hilly; so that you ascend to it by Mountains piled on one another, over which Seva Gi hath total Do∣minion, the Duccanees not striving to retake any thing, for all he hath blocked up their Ports, which may prejudice them for the fu∣ture; an irreparable Damage, (Arab Steeds being the Life of their Cavalry); they having only Porto Novo beyond Tutticaree left themfree.

Nor has he done this Injury to them alone, but the Mogul hath the same measure up as far as Surat; so that he enjoys them wholly, ex∣cepting what the Portugals have, and the English at Bombaim; which are of no Import in respect of Trade, while the Caphalaes are hin∣dred to pass those Ways; of which did he know or consider the Ad∣vantage, he might amass greater Treasures than he purchases by pil∣laging and pilfering, and might come off with the Glorious Name of a Conqueror; whereas otherwise, following his barbarous Courses of Fire and Sword, he merits no more than to be branded as a Thief: Witness those intolerable Cruelties, Devastations, and De∣serts made by him every where in his Range up and down in the Mogul's Territories, as well as in the Duccanean.

'Tis undeniable he hath taken and maintains against the Moguls Sixty odd strong Hills: But the Cause is, the Moguls are unacquaint∣ed with, and their Bodies unfit for such barren and uneasy Places; so that they rather chuse to desert than defend them: Whereby it is sufficiently evident Seva Gi is unable in the Plain to do any thing but Rob, Spoil, and return with all the speed imaginable: And on that account it is Aurenzeeb calls him his Mountain-Rat, with which the greatest Systems of Monarchy in the World, though continued by an uninterrupted Descent of Imperial Ancestry, have ever been infested, finding it more hard to fight with Mountains than Men.

Thus it falls out here,* 1.2 by the like Chance as in most Conquests, that though the major Part have submitted to their Victorious Arms, yet some out of Confidence in their Strength, Reputation, or Fortitude, have been so daring as to oppose by open Violence or se∣cret Stratagem, the acquired Trophies of the Triumphing Party: As the Apennegeni did the Romans, and the Wild People about Taurus and Caucasus the Grecians; the Welsh, the English; the Highlanders, the Switz; and as many as have been encouraged thereto by the inac∣cessibleness of their Fortresses, or the Discontent of some Great Ones to head them: From whence, though inconsiderable in them∣selves, it is, that they presume to boast of their never being totally subdued.

Such are the Rajahs of the Mountains,* 1.3 the most eminent among whom is Seva Gi, derived from an Ancient Line of Rajahs, of the Cast of the Bounceloes, a Warlike and Active Offspring: His Grand∣father was a Man in Esteem under Nisham Shaw, whose Name was Vangu Gi Rajah; his Father Shaw Gi Rajah was made Commander by the same King of Juneah Gur, where, upon that Rock his first Wife brought forth the Obdurate Seva Gi, his Eldest Son, and Samba Gi, his Second; by another Wife he had a Third Son, called Ekou Gi.

Upon the Downfall of Nisham Shaw, the Father and his other Sons listed themselves as Pensioners to the King of Visiapour, where the Father was, and the Sons now are advanced to considerable Em∣ploys. Seva Gi could not be won upon, but sought to raise himself by the Ruins of others, setting the lesser Lords at variance with their Prince, in whose Quarrels he always made sure of the upper Ground; wherefore his Father at his Death disinherited him, and instated his youngest Son Ekou Gi in the Rajahship of Benglure; a Starveling Ra∣jahship, since it hath been harass'd by the Troubles of Duccan, where he sits down quietly, whilst this Turbulent Young Man works him∣self into Greatness.

At which the King of Visiapour beginning to cast an Eye,* 1.4 finding him aspiring, and intending to blast him in the Bud, sent a Potent Army against him, conducted by Abdul Caun, an Experienc'd Sol∣dier, yet outwitted by Seva Gi: For he understanding of his having taken the Field, while the Main Body was yet at distance enough, he sent to him flattering and seducing Messages, intimating withal, if he would but stop his March, at an appointed Choultry out of sight of each Rendezvouz, he would meet him, and kiss his Feet; beg∣ging that he would act the obliging Office of a Peacemaker between him and the King.

Abdul Caun thinking no less than that he meant sincerely, consent∣ed, though advised to the contrary by his Friends, (whether out of Superstition,* 1.5 as the dying of an Elephant, and other bad presaging Omens, or they doubting the Integrity of Seva Gi, I know not), but they could not prevail: At the Day prefixed therefore he takes with him his Son and a selected Number, which he credited would not be out-equalled by Seva Gi, upon his former Protestations and Hopes of Reconcilement; but the Perfidious Man had placed an Am∣buscado, and with a smaller Shew in appearance than Abdul brought, waits his coming; who as soon as he spied him afar off, went forth to meet him, and prostrates himself before him with feigned Tears, craving Pardon for his Offence, and would not rise till he had assured him of his being his Advocate to procure it: Going to enter the Choultry together, he cries out, like a fearful Man, That his Lord (so he stiled the General) might execute his Pleasure on him, and ease him of his Life; which Abdul Caun surmising was because he was armed, and the other came seemingly unarmed, delivered his Sword and Ponyard to his Page, and bad him enter with Courage; where after some Parley he slips a Stiletto from under his Coat-sleeve, and then eying his Blow, struck it at his Heart, whereat the Signal was given, and his Men came forth, in which Scuffle Abdul's Son gave Seva Gi a Wound, but was forced to change Habit with a Frass im∣mediately, and venturing through untrodden Paths hardly escaped to the Camp, who thereupon were so discomfited, that they quickly dispersed themselves, and left the Field open to Seva Gi.

Who,* 1.6 grown proud with this good Fortune, resolves not to return till he had sacked Panala, one of their Wealthiest and Strongest Ci∣ties; but finding it a Work not over-facile, they within, though thinly Mann'd, being obstinate, he disbands therefore, under pretext of Ill Usage, Seven or Eight Hundred of his Men, who presently took their way to the City, and offer their Service, complaining of Seva Gi as an Inhuman Butcherly Fellow, some Marks of which they produced on those suborned for that purpose: The present Occasions urging, and being willing to blind themselves with the Improbability of its being a Cheat, they within admitted them the City, but so as for some time they could not put their Plot in execution, the Citizens watching at Night the Gates with their own Men, and disposing them on the Walls and Out-posts: But the Inhabitants taken up with their Delight more than Security, had pester'd the Ditches with Gardens and Trees, whereby on a Set Night, they on the Walls having so contrived it, received their Friends of the Camp under Covert of the Trees, and overpowering the Citizens, opened the Gates, whereupon the Enemy entred, and by this Treachery the City was gained for Seva Gi; which he makes his Retreat, ordering those Trees to be cut down that were so fatal to the former Possessors.

And now he forages the Country,* 1.7 and lays all waste in his Round, till young Abdul was reinforced to revenge his Father's Death, and to join with another General Rustam Gemma, with whom Seva Gi had been tampering: Such is the Covetous Nature of these people, that Money shall corrupt the most Loyal among them: Which made him when they were ready to give Battel, withdraw his

Cavalry, leaving young Abdul and his Men to try it out with Seva Gi; whose Force, though an Handful, fell bravely on, and so gauled Seva Gi, that he wish'd him well off; Abdul crying out wherever he went, Thou Coward Seva, here am I; whereof though Seva had notice, he avoided him, saying, He was a Rash Youth, let somebody else kill him: He made through his Army two or three times in Per∣son, till being tired he was fain to leave off, and speed to Visiapour, to complain of Rustam's Falshood: Upon this Rustam's Horse disband∣ed, some choice Friends only going over with him to Seva Gi, advi∣sing him to follow his Blow, and set upon Visiapour its self, which he did; and had not Syddy Jore come to its Relief with a vast Recruit, he had not only attacked, but carried it.

Then it was time for Seva to retire to Panala,* 1.8 where being long detained by Syddy Jore's lying before it, at length (as 'twas thought) through the Connivance of the said Syddy, he stole out by Night; and by a false Pharmond takes the Syddy's Town of Rajapour, pre∣tending the Syddy was to surrender it in exchange for Panala.

After which the Syddy resorts to Visiapour to his Master,* 1.9 who bore his Disgust for letting the Traytor go, under a serene Countenance, and dismiss'd him with Thanks: But having made Bullul Caun Com∣mander in Chief, he dispatches him after the Syddy, who being wa∣ry and doubtful of the King's Intentions, had provided to stand to it, putting Bullul Caun to Flight: Whereupon begins another Civil Dis∣cord; the King in Person resolves to bid at his Head, which other∣wise by the clandestine Practices of Bullul Caun was hoped to be at∣chieved, as it proved, he doing that by Fraud he could not do by Force: For the Night after both Armies were in view, the Omrahs on the Syddy's side forsook him, and he was slain, and his Head brought to the King, without any more Strokes fought; such deadly Venom bears Secret Malice and Hellish Insinuation.

This still makes for Seva Gi, for he was not able to cope with him singly; which Impediment thus lopped off to his hand, he seizes at leisure smaller Places, as Dan de Rajapour, whose Prince sueth for Protection to the Mogul, being beaten out of all but his Strong Ca∣stle at Dan de Rajapour, environ'd about by the Sea, but within Shot of the Main, which Seva with a great Effort has lain before these fif∣teen Years: The Mogul succouring it by Sea, it derides the Batteries of his Artilleries; and these are the Fleets we are so often troubled with at Bombaim.

In this Juncture of Affairs the King dies,* 1.10 and leaves a Babe to dispute for the Throne; when Seva Gi enlarges himself, flies out as far as Surat, and comes home with Rich Booty; which hapned presently after the Emperor of the Moguls was warm in his Seat (by the Over∣throw of his Brethren, and the Death of his Father Shaw Juan, by his Interest on Raja Jesseign); who desirous to try if by Kindness he could reclaim this famous Rebel, allures him to Court (Faith being plighted for his Safety), where shortly after, the Outcries of the Women in whose Kindred's Blood his hands were imbrued, made him shift for himself in an Hamper on a Porter's Back, which passed the Guards among many other, which were forced to be sent as Piscashes to his Friends, as the manner is when under Confinement: With this

Slight he got away (not without the Mogul's Privity), and 'tis be∣lieved will hardly venture to Agra again, unless better guarded.

For this he made a second Rape on Surat, and now lately has ta∣ken the Rajahship of Rhamnagur, though he had first spread himself more South, even to the Walls of Goa, from whence he slided to the Borders of the Canatick and Sunda Rajah's Country: His Chief Resi∣dence is at Rairee, where he bids Defiance to the Emperor, Gulconda, Duccan, Portugueze, and all the World; magnifying himself in his Strong-Holds; installed Mau Rajah Two Years since, when I sent you a Journal of an English Gentleman's, sent Ambassador to him at that time: His Mother was then alive, to whom he shewed Filial Obedience: He is married to Four Wives, to whom he keeps reli∣giously, being a strict Observer of his Heathen Rites.

He sways by Brachmins;* 1.11 his Soldiers are Hardy Brave Fellows, fit for the Mountains; 30000 Horse is the most he can make, Foot innumerable.

Merchants have little Countenance from him: Of the Common People he says, Money is inconvenient for them; give them Victuals and an Arse-Clout, it is enough. They tell their Tale in Moratty; by Pro∣fession they are Gentues; some few Moors are among them; Whores and Dancing Wenches he allows none in his Army: This Barbarian Commander being like the Scythian Ateas, who hearing one sweetly modulating on an Ismean Pipe, swore he had rather hear the neighing of an Horse, or the Clangor of Horns or Trumpets. At Sea he is no stronger than his Neighbours; once he went Admiral of his Fleet of Grobs and Boats, against Dan de Rajapore, but Storms arising dis∣hearten'd him for a second Adventure.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The Members of Visiapour.
• * 1.2

  The Moun∣taineers in all Conquests the last that stand out.
• * 1.3

  Seva Gi raises himself on the Ruins of other Lords.
• * 1.4

  The King of Visiapour jea∣lous of Seva Gi.
• * 1.5

  Seva's Trea∣chery in slay∣ing Abdul Caun.
• * 1.6

  Whereupon follows the Discomfiture of the Army, and taking Pa∣nala.
• * 1.7

  Another Roy∣al Army broke by Perfidy.
• * 1.8

  Seva has Raja∣por•• surren∣dred by a false Pharmond.
• * 1.9

  Syddy Jore tricked out of his Life by Bullul Caun.
• * 1.10

  The King of Visiapour dies.
• * 1.11

  Seva's Soldiers hardy.