Creature of this Sublime Port have read this This Etmadaulet has every Lunary Month His Salary out of the King's Exchequer a Thousand Tomans for his Salary and you must take notice that a Toman is worth Forty five Livres of our Money so that this makes Five hundred and forty Thousand Livres a Year But this is the least part of his Revenue for being as it were Absolute and Independant His Perquisites he disposes of all Governments and grants all Commissions in the Army Exchequer or elsewhere at his Pleasure and must needs drain great Summs from his numerous Competitors Moreover all Governours of Provinces and Officers in the Court being oblig'd to make their several Presents to the King the First Day of every Year which the Persians begin always with the Spring they never dare to forget the Etmadaulet And besides their Designs would be in vain if they did not oblige him to be their Friend Also he always gets something to favour the Proviso of his Grants He has under him Six Viziers or Deputies who assist him in managing the King's Revenue and they also together compose a Council of which he is the Head They are also of the King's Council and have their several Seats at Publick Feasts and Audiences The First is call'd Mustosi Elma Alek His Assistants or Deputies that is Comptroller-General of the Revenue who presides immediately after the Six Principal Ministers The Second is The Mustosi Cassa that is to say Particular Comptroller of the King's Houshold and the Government of Ispahan who has his Place a little below the former The Third is The Derogat of the Deftar that is Keeper of the General Register of the Revenue who is seated amongst the Valis The Fourth is The Vizier Elmulki that is he that keeps the Register of the Government of Ispahan and who is plac'd amongst the Governours The Fifth they call Vizier Cassa and is he that keeps an Account of the Expences of the King's Houshold He is seated near the Secretary of State The Sixth is The Kalanter who is Chief Provost of the Merchants of the City of Ispahan and has Right to fit amongst those foreign Princes who are Royal Pensioners These Six Viziers have severally a certain Number of Provinces in their Divisions They are as 't were Intendants of the Revenue or Jurisdictions as our Intendants of the Revenue have in France They keep their Sessions in the King's Palace as well as the Divan Begui and other Ministers which occasions a prodigious and magnificent Concourse of People in all Parts by reason that the Principal Officers of the Crown come to do Justice there twice a Day The Etmadaulet Two Secretaries of the Etmadaulet over and above the Officers I have just spoken of has under him Two Secretaries who dispatch all Orders of the Court and are call'd Sahab Rakams The Kortchi Bachi The Second Minister of State who is now no more than the Second Person of the Realm was heretofore the First He had as great Authority as the ancient Constables of France He was born General of all the Armies but now the King disposes of that Great Trust at his Pleasure Nevertheless he is still Captain-General of the Cavalry call'd Kortchis which are always commanded to cover the Frontiers These are Troops which are never reform'd or broken Every Kortchi has an hundred Crowns paid him a Year out of the Exchequer The Sons succeed their Fathers if the General will consent The King commonly conferrs one of the Principal Governments of the Kingdom upon this Person But he seldom leaves the Court 'till he has the Command of some Army which very seldom happens For the King knowing he is oblig'd to provide him a Court suitable to so great a Charge is commonly very backward to put him at the Head of his Troops when he can reserve to himself both the Honour and Profit The Third Pillar of the Empire The Third Minister is the Quer-Koule Agasi who is Captain of the Band of Slaves This is a Body of Men compos'd of many Persons of Quality who call Themselves the King's Slaves They are much less in number than the former but have altogether as great Pay They that have a mind to arrive to great Employments should pass thro' this Militia whose General is always provided of a great and wealthy Government and consequently able to prefer ' em The Fourth Pillar is the Tefanktchi Agasi that is General of the Infantry The Fourth Minister which is not here compos'd of above two thousand Fufiliers and is the same with our Regiments of Guards in France The Fifth Pillar is The Fifth Minister the Toptchi Bachi who is Great Master of the Artillery He has under him Troops which answer to our Musquetiers and Gard du Corps in France There is but Four thousand of 'em who are Commanded more immediately by Four Colonels and are always about the King on any Days of Ceremony The Divan-Begui The Sixth Minister or Superintendant of Justice has but the last Rank amongst these Six Supports of the Crown tho' he takes the Second Place in all Courts of Justice for he is never dispossess'd of his Charge but to give him one of the Four foregoing insomuch as he is always oblig'd to descend if he has any mind to rise I believe he is plac'd so high because of representing the King in his Court of Justice but yet he would find it more advantagious to be provided of one of these Charges for whereas he is only Dignified with the bare Title of Kan here he would be really so they having always a Kanat or Government annex'd to their Honour The Divan-Begui has all the Messengers of the Court at his command The King gives him Fifty thousand Crowns a Year Salary that he might do Justice with the less design of Advantage himself His Ordinances are respected throughout the whole Realm and there lies an Appeal from the Governour 's Tribunals to his Court He has his Seat below the King 's Sofa next after the Pontifs or Bishops but he is oblig'd nevertheless to give place to the Generalissimo of the Armies when he appears The Echik-Agasi-Bachi The Great Master of the Ceremonies His Duty who has also the Quality of Kan is the Great Master of the Ceremonies at the time of Audiences He carries a Staff in his Hand cover'd with Plates of Gold and garnish'd with several precious Stones This is that Lord of all the Court whose Habits are richest He is Commander of all the Officers of the King's Guards and is always standing before the King leaning upon his Staff of Authority He holds all Ambassadours and Homagers by the Arm whilst they make their Reverences and he always goes before the King when he is on Horse-back His Place is one of the most considerable of all the Court and the Government of Teheran near Casbin has been always annex'd to
it The Nazir is the Chief Steward of the King's Houshold The Chief Steward of the Houshold He provides Necessaries both for within and without and states his Accompts yearly with the Etmadaulet who furnishes him with Money suitable to his Occasions He has under him Forty Stewards of Honour and all the Officers of the King 's and Common Tables The Vaki-Anevis The Secretary of State who is the only Secretary of State is always seated very near the King that he may the better take notice of his Orders 'T is he that keeps account of the Expences of which he must be responsible to the Etmadaulet His Business He writes all the Orders and Letters which the King sends to foreign Princes He is also the Historiographer of Persia He makes a Journal of all that passes every Year and reads it to the King and all the Court the First Day of the ensuing The Monadgen-Bachi The Chief Magician or Great Astrologer that is as much as to say the Great Astrologer He is always very near the King to acquaint him with his good or bad Fortune His Predictions are respected as Oracles and the King never undertakes any Enterprize without first consulting him He always has a Bead-roll in his Hand to determine when to perform indifferent Actions as for example To get on Horse-back to go a Hunting or in short any other sort of Pleasure He casts his Hand at random upon his Beads and counts from thence by way of Even and Odd so that he rules his Predictions as the Soldiers are wont to do theirs by their Buttons Upon occasions of greater Consequence he consults his Ephemerides and that is the reason that he must always be a good Mathematician that obtains this Place The Hachim-Bachi The Chief Physician or Chief Physician is also always near the King to advise and forbid him what he shall eat and drink This Chief Physician is he that of all the Great Officers of the Crown has the greatest Esteem Honour and Profit His honourable but dangerous Office But nevertheless he is not to be envy'd for he is responsible for the King's Death and his Life always pays for that of his Prince The Meheurdar The Keeper of the Seal or Keeper of the Seals assists at all Ceremonies with the King's Seal fix'd to a golden Chain enamell'd and garnish'd with precious Stones and which goes over his Shoulder and hangs just before his Breast He has Five Under-keepers of Seals His Substitutes whose Business it is to present the King with all Petitions and Addresses and to return 'em to the Suppliants again when they are pass'd But it is however certain that these Men have not any of the King's Seals in their Custody but that they are affix'd to Grants by a Matron in the Haram 't is so the Women's Apartment is call'd in this Country The Mirakor Bachi The Great Master of the Horse and other Grandees of the Realm or Great Master of the Horse the Mir. Chekar Bachi or Great Huntsman Rekib Kana Agasi or Master of the Wardrobe Vakmiat Visiri who pays the pious Legacies Koulam Visiri Pay-master to the Band of Slaves and the Moucheraf Pay-master to all Officers and Pensioners who have all their proper Places at Publick Feasts and Audiences The Great Master of the Houshold and the Master of the Ceremonies never sit at any of these publick Times but are oblig'd the one never to have his Eyes off from the King and the other to be continually serving him The Mchmondar Bachi The Introducer of Ambassadours the Introducer of Ambassadours is always about the King with his Staff in his Hand on which he leans He wears the Tadge upon his Head The Turban of Ceremonies which is a great green Cap brocarded over and with a long Steeple crown It has a great many little white Feathers about the sides of it whose lower parts are all over enrich'd with Gold and precious Stones as likewise the Torse of the Cap and the Steeple-part is all beset with Heron and Crane's Feathers This sort of Head-attire is in great Veneration for they say it is consecrated to the Twelve Imans or Saints of Persia All Kans and Kzel-Bachi's wear this Cap on Days of Ceremony But the Tats being of the Long-Robe cannot nay even the Etmadaulet himself because he is no Soldier The Tats are always Natives but the Kzel-Bachi's that is Yellow or Red-heads are Soldiers that always come Slaves or Refugees into the Country There is abundance of them from Damascus and Hungary I shall speak something now of the Order of Sophi's Order of Sophi's upon occasion of this Tadge which is as much as Crown because there are none but those of this Order that have right to wear it Chiek-Sephi the First of the Race that now reigns having a mind to secure to himself some faithful and couragious Friends that might restore that Monarchy that Tamerlan had almost ruin'd It s Institution instituted this Order of Sophi's or Sephi's that is to say Pure or Saints for he oblig'd 'em to swear Fidelity and inviolable Endeavours till they had done it They have the Guard of the King's Person and of the Gates of his Palace Their President whom they call Kodafa Their Duty and President is the King's Chaplain and who assembles 'em together every Thursday in the Royal Mosque to pray for his Majesty's Prosperity He presents himself before the King with all the other Ministers of this Order on all Holy Days He holds a Bason of Sugarcandy in his Hand and wishes an happy Feast to his Majesty He mumbles a Prayer as it were to beg a Blessing on this Sugarcandy and then in an humble manner goes to present it to his Majesty who taking a piece of it all the Grandees do the like putting it upon their Heads and their Eyes to shew their great Respect This Ceremony is observ'd after the same manner at the Birth of their Princes and when the King has obtain'd any signal Victory This Kodafa has his Seat at Publick Feasts These Sophi's were heretofore in great Veneration Their Disgrace and wherefore but at present are in greater Disgrace for they are accus'd of keeping Nocturnal Assemblies which Modesty does not permit me to explain Their Society now serve for nothing else but Porters Bailiffs and Common Executioners of Justice Nevertheless all the Great Men of the Kingdom have been of this Order and of whom the King was Head which has given occasion to Strangers The King their Head to give him the Title of Great Sophi I say to Strangers only for such a Name would be but ill receiv'd in Persia The King assigns the Stipends of these Officers upon his Demesns and forfeited Estates The Kans or Governours Their Number There are Six sorts of Governours in Persia viz. 1. The Vali's 2. The Begueler-Begui's 3. The Col-Begui's 4. The
for out of the Demesns and confiscated Estates By this we may judge what prodigious Army the King of Persia is able to have on foot upon any extraordinary Occasion He has little or no Infantry because they could not support the Fatigues of Desarts and Mountains which Persia is all over full of No Infantry or Artillery and wherefore And they make use of little or no Artillery for the same reason for they have no need of it to defend their Towns which have neither Walls nor Fortifications and therefore must trust wholy to their Bodies Also none of the Castles on the Frontiers could ever be able to resist The Fusiliers I spoke of before are never on Foot but when they guard the King at home for when they accompany him to the Wars they are always mounted The Persian Battles are never regular Their manner of fighting They throw themselves upon their Enemy in round Bodies They shoot their Arrows and then retire but it is dangerous to pursue 'em for they are very dextrous at levelling behind them Their Stratagems tho' they are flying upon full speed They are subtle and know when to engage an Enemy where they can divert the Water and so make 'em perish with Thirst They are also very cunning at flying to Ambuscades where they can cut their Enemy to pieces Their Horses are extraordinary for they can clime those places where a Footman would be scarce able to pass The King of Persia has no Forces by Sea No Forces by Sea and he only reserves to himself a Soveraignty over the Gulf of Ormus the Arabian and Caspian Seas His Subjects don't love Navigation for they have it in so great abhorrence that they call those Nacoda's that is Atheists who expose their Lives upon so inconstant in Element This no doubt extreamly pleases the Armenians who have all the Commerce by Sea of this Kingdom 'T is a great Advantage to a Soveraign to have so numerous an Army at his command but much greater to have it in the power of his Treasury to augment it as far as he pleases His Treasure which his Father left him has been very much encreas'd since his coming to the Crown for I believe above Twenty Years there has never a Day past but there has come into his Exchequer 50000 Livres Present Treasury augmented This is enough without doubt to govern his Kingdom quietly and to augment it if he pleases by new Conquests And nothing that I know of hinders him to put 'em in Execution but his singular Goodness For his Power is absolute over his Subjects who are all almost Slaves his Ministers are Skilfull and Active his Counsellors great Politicians and well advis'd and his Soldiers valiant I believe there is not in all the World a more absolute Despotick Government than that of Persia Autho ity of the King of Persia For the King is so entirely such that he need never Register his Commands to have 'em executed but disposes of the Lives and Estates of his Subjects without ever acquainting his Privy-Council I 'll give you one Example in the Person of Abdel Kassamkan Governour of the City of Hamadan Metropolis of a Province in the Kingdom of Media This Lord having obtain'd this Government by his Merit and of which he had given sufficient proofs in the charge of Divan Begui which he had executed Nine Years incurr'd the King's displeasure upon a false Accusation of an Arabian Merchant employ'd by his Enemies to that purpose The King immediately dispatched an Ysaoul or Messenger to command him to Court This Fellow coming to the Governour 's Palace whilst he was doing Justice without any Ceremony immediately crowded into the Chamber of Audience and insolently march'd up to the Kan's Seat when forbidding him to stir he arrogantly acquainted him that he had displeas'd the King The Kan who had all his Officers about him and more than Four Hundred Soldiers in an adjoyning Court reply'd only I am the King's Slave I reverence his Orders Put in execution what you are commanded When at the same time taking his Girdle from his Waste he presented it to the Messenger who snatching it from him instantly bound his Hands behind his Back Then the Kan throwing his Turban upon the Ground offer'd him also his Head But the Messenger told him that his Orders extended only to the seizing of his Person and Goods Which Order having given to the Vizier or King's Lieutenant to read he immediately enter'd his Haram seiz'd upon whatever he found and drove out his Women after a very shameful manner thus his House being pillaged and all his Goods confiscated he was led bound to Court after the rudest and most ignominious manner imaginable He remain'd there Nine Years as a private Person without either Equipage or Retinue and without ever daring to appear before his Prince But at length Fortune began to change in his favour He is cleared by the Ruine of his Enemy and the Constable who was the cause of his Misfortune fell himself into a deeper Disgrace whose tragical Circumstances are but too remarkable not to relate This Constable's name was Sarou Kan Tragical end of the Constable who over and above the charge of this Office had also the superintendency of Money and of the Governments of the Provinces of Hamadan Cazran First Accusation and Sambran The first blow that made him stagger was given by the Kan of Kermoncha Son of the last Etmadaulet who complain'd to the King that the Lieutenant of the Constable at Hamadan sacrific'd to the particular Prejudice his Master always had towards his Father the Lives and justest Interests of all the Lords of his Race who were very numerous in that Province And the better to support his Accusation he produc'd the Proceedings of the Massacre of the principal of his Family word for word The Constable presently began to justifie himself in denying the Fact but the King having referr'd the Examination of the Matter to the Great Master of his Houshould told the Constable That if he were convicted His and his Lieutenant's Head alone should not suffice to revenge so much Innocent Blood The Second Blow was upon account of the Money he had Superintendance over Second Accusation for he was accused of great Misdemeanors in that Office and of having put the whole Kingdom into disorder The King for this began to reprehend him with a great deal of heat Whereupon he had the Impudence to retort and tell his Majesty He knew not what sort of King he was to believe so easily the Malice and Calumnies of his Enemies This so nettled our Monarch that the Death of this Lord had undoubtedly ensued his Displeasure had not the Etmadaulet fell on his Knees and immediately beg'd his Life Lastly Occasion of his Ruine The sudden return of Abdulla Sultan Son to the Kan of Merva from the Country of the Usbeg Tartars where he was Prisoner
to the Throne seems to them so reasonable and of so great benefit that they never cease to laugh at the Great Mogul and the Grand Signior who have a long time omitted it For they say That Aurengzebe might have prevented the Revolts of his Children and Mahomet the Fourth his Deposition by his Mutinous Troops if the first had kept his Children close during his Life time and the last put out his Brother's Eyes as soon as he came to the Throne The Dispensers of the Mahometan Religion taking place at the Persian Court Mahometan Priests I shall take notice of 'em before the Officers of the Crown over whom they have always precedency in the Council Publick Feasts and Audiences which the King gives to Embassadors and Missionaries The greatest Priest in Persia is call'd Sadre Cassa Of the Sadre Cassa that is the Chief or Arch-Bishop He is Super Intendant over all the Spiritualities of the Empire but his business is only to govern the King's Conscience and Order the Court and City of Ispahan according to the Rules of the Alcoran He deputes the second Bishop of whom I shall speak by and by for the rest of the Kingdom He is the first Minister of State and has his Seat at the foot of the Sofa and Right-hand of the King These Priests are so much reverenc'd in Persia that Kings have taken their Daughters for their Wives And the last Sadre Marry'd the King's Sister but nevertheless his Dignity could not secure him from having his Children Strangled that were Males for this barbarous Custom is so undistinguishably practis'd that if the King's Sisters or Nieces should omit to call the Eunuch's of the Haram at the time of their Lying-in to strangle the Child if it were Male they would inevitably merit Death by their neglect and seldom any such Offenders have been known to obtain Mercy This Law seems to have been newly made for there was no such in use at the time of the famous Cha-Abbas who was Contemporary with Henry the Fourth They give to the Sadre the Title of Narab which is as much as to say Vice-Roy of the King and Mahomet And there is none but him the Sadre Elman Alek and the Etmadaulet on whom this Honour is bestow'd This Sadre has his Deputies in all Capital Cities of Provinces His Jurisdiction which are call'd Modarrés and are not much unlike to our Bishops The Governours cannot give a decisive Judgment without their Approbations which they call Felfa These Deputies Heads of Mosques Principals of Colleges Presidents of the Circumcisions Curates that Marry and Divorce by Bills of Repudiation In short all that have any Employments which relate to the Law of Mahomet take their Orders and Measures from this Sadre and which procures him a vast Revenue for here as every where else Preferments are Bought and Sold. The second Person in Spirituals is nam'd Sadre Elman Alek Of the Sadre Elman Alek he is properly as Coadjutor or Assistant to the Sadre Cassa He does throughout the whole Realm what the Chief Bishop does only in the King's Court and Precincts of Ispahan He is moreover a Lateral Judge with the Divan Begui who can give no Sentence without his consent inasmuch as all the difference that I could take notice of between these two Bishops was only that one is Supream Head of the Law His Functions and the other his Deputy and Head of the Civil Tribunal He is Assistant to the Divan Begui to see that he does Justice according to the Rules of the Alcoran and what we would call the Cannon-Law which has been explained to them long fince by the Imans whom the Persians as Apes of us Christians worship to the number of Twelve as we do our Twelve Apostles This Bishop has also a Power to Try and Condemn Criminals which shews That he is not only an Ecclesiastical but Civil Judge The Divan Begui pronounces Sentence according to his Decisions This Bishop as Vicar General in all the Courts of Justice of the Kingdom has the Title of Naib Sedaret and he has the same Power over the Governours as he had over the Divan Begui He has his place below the Sofa on the Left-hand of the King The third Bishop of Persia is call'd Akond or rather Chiek Alislam Of the Alislam which is as much as to say Wise by Experience or The Venerable Old Men of the Law of Mahomet This Judge is properly the first Lieutenant Civil who takes Cognizance of the Affairs of Minors Widdows Contracts and other Civil Matters The King gives him Fifty Thousand Livres Annual Pension that he may have no occasion to be Corrupted by taking Bribes This is the Judge that dispatches most business His Substitutes He is Chief of the Law-Colleges and constantly reads upon it his Subaltern Officers every Wednesday and Saturday He has also his Substitutes in all the Courts of Justice of the Realm who together with those that belong to the Second Sadre draw up all Contracts and Agreements He has his place at the foot of the Sofa next to the Great Sadre The fourth Bishop is the Kazi The fourth Bishop is also second Lieutenant Civil who is the second Lieutenant Civil He takes Cognizance of the same Causes does the same business and enjoys equal Prerogatives with the former He has like him his Seat below the Sofa next the second Sadre But not one of those may appear at the time of Publick Feasts because then the King drinks Wine The Kazi has two Substitutes in every Tribunal their business is to determine small differences in Coffee-Houses and the Governour always requires their Assistance to consult about matters of Importance Over and above these four Bishops The Great Almoner the King has a kind of Great Almoner call'd Piche Nahmaz He reads Prayers in the King's House performs Circumcisions Marriages Burials and all other Functions of Religion in presence of the four Chief Bishops He is as it were the Universal Divine of the whole Empire for he disputes and marshals all Conferences in Religion This Lord Almoner is of the King's Council and enjoys near as great Prerogatives as any of the other Bishops There are Six Great Ministers of State in Persia Six Ministers of State which are call'd Rohna Doulets that is to say the Pillars and Supports of the Empire The First is the Grand Vizier The Etmadaulet call'd Etmadaulet that is the Prop of Power He is the Great Chancellour of the Kingdom President of the Council and Superintendant of the Customs He takes care of all foreign Affairs and Commerce with other Nations No Pensions or Gratifications are paid without his Orders and in short he is even as the Vice-Roy of Persia He Authorizes the King's Mandates by endorsing 'em with these Words Bende derga Ali il Alia Etmadaulet that is By the Port is meant the Court. I that am the Prop of Power and
Affair as much Attention as it deserves They deliberate maturely and are never very hasty to decide Their Qualities They have this Maxim amongst 'em That Time does more than an Army And That To know how to Temporize is to be able to Conquer without running any risque The Hollanders in 1686 were very sensible of the Advantage the Persians drew from this Maxim Their Cunning For having several times complain'd that they furnish'd 'em with bad Silk out of the King's Magazine and whence they were obliged to take 300 Charges every Year not being able to obtain the Justice they desir'd they at length sent Four Ships into the Persian Gulf who cannonaded Bandar-Abassi and possess'd themselves of the Isle of Quixme near Ormus The Persians who had no power to oppose 'em by Sea were forc'd to give 'em good Words and perswaded 'em to send an Agent to Court to whom they would not fail to give satisfaction Upon which the Hollanders dispatch'd away immediately Van Heuvle for that purpose who came thither with a great Retinue but who was suffer'd to stay Three Years without ever being ask'd the occasion of his coming At length the Dutch man weary with presenting so many Petitions and receiving no Answers determin'd to deliver up the Island which they had been at so prodigious an Expence to keep and without reckoning the farther Charges he was at to obtain leave to be gone Which when he had procur'd he was dismiss'd with this Reprimand That it did not suit with the Quality of Merchants to demand Justice of a King by Cannonading Also nothing has been more judicious than those Answers they gave to the Envoys from Germany Poland Judicious Answers and Muscovy when they came to propose to 'em to enter into a League with their Masters against the Grand Signior The Arch Bishop D'Abaranel a German who brought a Letter from the Emperor to the King of Persia very earnestly sollicited this Prince to enter into a League with his Master and represented to him many Advantages he might obtain by it To which the Etmadaulet answer'd That the King ought not to shew greater hast for this League than the Emperor and his Allies had discover'd Inclinations for that which his Master propos'd to 'em by his Ambassadors at his coming to the Crown And as for the hopes of Advantages by this League the King knew none more prevailing than to keep his Word given to the Grand Signior and to live in Peace with him The Arch-Bishop Reply'd That the Turks had but too often broke their Words with the King of Persia and that they never made so many Scruples to violate the Faith of Treaties To which he was answer'd That it did not consist with the glory of the King of Persia to be worse than his Word And that the Grand Signior might be as false as he pleas'd for he should take no care to imitate him The Polish Ambassador represented That there was a very favourable Opportunity for the King of Persia to recover from the Turks the Cities of Balsora Bagdat and Erzerom But he was answer'd That those places were not more important to the Persians than Caminiec was to the Poles and that when they could take one they would take the other The Envoy of Muscovy shew'd how great a Confusion the Grand Signior was in and how easie a matter it was to Ruine him Let him be humbled a God's Name says the Etmadaulet but let him not be ruin'd He is a potent Neighbour 't is true and one that often incommodes us but we should be less able to endure a Prince of another Religion And moreover it is not for our Interest that he should be too much weakned because his Kingdom serves for a Barricado to defend us on the Christians side And upon their last Importunities at their Audience of Leave the Etmadaulet told 'em That it was dangerous to open too large an Hole in an Hive for fear of being expos'd to the Bees Stings Giving 'em to understand that Persia was at quiet whilst the Grand Signior his most formidable Enemy was busied in resisting the Christians But if they should join with them in League against him the Usbeg Tartars and the Mogul would pour in in Shoals to defend him being of the same Sect Who tho' their Forces may be as weak as Bees in respect of those of Persia yet their great Numbers would not fail to plague 'em continually without their ever being able to be deliver'd by the Christians by reason of their great distance Secrets are kept so nicely in the Council Secrets nicely observ'd that it has been observ'd a Father has not discover'd to his Son the Measures he knew were taken against his Life The Condemnation of Persons out of favour is not known before their Heads are seen brought in a Charger to the King's Table All the Heads that have been cut off in one Year are presented to the King the first day of the ensuing a sad spectacle this and one would think very little suiting with the solemn Joy of a Feast Whatever discussions are made of Affairs of State in this Council Authority of the Eunuchs yet they are never decided there They treat only of Means and the Application is reserv'd to the Privy-Council which is compos'd of the principal Eunuchs In this Council are determin'd the most important Affairs of State The chief Minister and the other Lords know nothing of what is transacted there These Eunuchs are Men of Wit and the King always relies upon their fidelity The Governour of the Princes is an Eunuch They enjoy the Chief Offices Their Tutors are Eunuchs The Affairs of the Kingdom are in the hands of an Eunuch and 't is an Eunuch alone that chuses which of the King's Sons shall succeed him after his death and who gives him notice accordingly and immediately places him upon the Throne In fine they are all Eunuchs who have the management of any thing in the King's House The Royal Treasure is confided in an Eunuch as well as the Royal Wardrobe with all other Rareties which are presented to the King And they have this reason for their Trust That these Eunuchs being bought Children out of the Indies and who know neither Country Father or Mother nor have any Families to raise they will be the likelier to be more Faithful and Honest Besides these gainful Offices are bestowed upon them because the King is their Heir and whatever they heap up is sure to come again into his Treasury The King does nothing in the Council of his Revenue without the knowledge of this Eunuch who is the keeper of it The Etmadaulet and the King's Secretary gives him every Month an account of the Charges and Royal Who takes the Accounts Bounties within the Kingdom Also of all other Summs they have out of the Treasury The Nazir likewise or Great Master of the Houshold passes his Accounts with him and
are plac'd so far from a Remedy The Chamber of great Days will redress many other Grievances which are crept into the Government The Chamber of great Days as well those in respect of the Soldiers as those which concern Trade Those Soldiers are ill paid which are assign'd their Money upon the Villages and Lands which the King has confiscated for the Viziers who have the management of it make 'em run sometimes 300 Leagues after it and then they know how to bubble 'em so well that 't is much if they can but get two thirds The Kans are oblig'd to maintain such a number of Soldiers but if the Vizier and they can agree they 'll get the Profits of half to themselves And this they do without any fear as they are at a greater distance from Court They are not also more just in observing the Treaties and Privileges the King grants Merchants The Persians have lost their Credit to facilitate their Commerce in his Kingdom and they have now no more Credit with any Nation because there is none which they have not abus'd upon this Article The Hollanders of all Strangers have had the greatest reason to complain of the little regard the Officers and Farmers at the Ports shew'd to the Articles and Privileges the King granted 'em The Hollanders most reason to complain For having made a Treaty with the King about Silks they oblig'd themselves to take every Year 300 Charges and for which they were to pay 1000 Livres upon every Charge more than the Market-price on condition that they should be excus'd from paying Customs for Spices which they sold in Persia Upon this they thriv'd very well before the last Wars but since their Trade is very much weaken'd and now they carry but little Merchandice into Persia So that the Benefit they have by the Release of Customs does not equal the Gain the King makes of his Silks for the Officers of his Court gave 'em so very bad that they could not put 'em to any other use than to make Cordage for their Horses at Batavia Whereupon four Years ago they sent a famous Embassie to remedy this Disorder and their Ambassadour Van Leenen made the King a great many magnificent Presents to obtain a more reasonable Price upon his Silks and at last with much ado he got it lower'd Thirty Crowns every Charge But in all likelihood this was only a politick Promise that he might not think much of his Presents for he has been never able to get it in Writing ever since though he spar'd no Reward to the Great Ministers insomuch as he protested against this Commerce when he came to Lar and threatned to bring Ships from Batavia to ruin the Ports of Persia But the Persians were not so ill Politicians but they knew that their Company was not able to do it because of some French Ships that from time to time appear'd in that Sea The Hollanders are not the only People who do not find it worth their while to traffick into Persia for their Money is become so bad that no body cares to carry their Goods so far to receive their Price in Copper This Corruption of Money proceeds from their supine neglect to find out the false Coiners and when they have found any Coiners how punish'd from their contenting themselves with only confiscating their Goods and so leaving their Hands at liberty to return to the same Trade More than ten Years a Reformation of this has been labour'd at The King has stamp'd Pieces of very good Allay at Ispahan Erivan Dadian Tauris Ardaville Hamadan and Avisa But scarce have they come out of the Mint but they have been immediately spirited away to the Indies notwithstanding the many rigorous Edicts the King has made against it They got the Kan of Bandar Abassi on their side and so the more Money is coined in Persia the less is to be seen in the Kingdom How prevented They might remedy this Inconvenience by raising the value of those Pieces that were good for then the Indians would not be so ready to carry 'em away They have so much abated the Price of our Gold and Silver European Money lower'd in value that now no Merchant will carry any thither but our Zekins of Venice and Crowns of Spain are transported by way of Balsora to the Indies So that Persia having no Mines in a short time there will be no Silver in the Kingdom to coin new Pieces Also two other Inconveniences arise from this abatement of Money viz. the interruption of Trade The Inconveniencies thereby and the loss of the Customs that other Nations will benefit by The King does not suffer this so considerable loss by any Cessation of Commerce of Silks for they are now wrought as much as ever and Manufactures are establish'd at Ispahan Cachan Tauris and Masched but these Manufactures where they work very fine and rich Silks are made only for the use of the Kingdom for the Great Mogul to hinder the utterance of 'em in his Empire has forbid his Subjects to wear ' em And the Turks seldom wear any Gold or Silver as also few others of the Neighbours of Persia So that these Commodities being not in use elsewhere must of necessity be confin'd to that Kingdom The Great Mogul The Great Mogul not their greatest Enemy whose State joins on the South and East-side to Persia is not the most formidable Enemy they have though he be the most considerable in extent of Dominion and Riches For the Frontiers are so well guarded on that side by Mountains and the Castle of Candahar which is the only Place of Strength in the Kingdom that he cannot easily anoy ' em Those that have writ of the Wars of those two Nations observe these Advantages the Persians have had over the Indians The Persians are more Warlike How the King despises the Mogul 's Armies better disciplin'd and much stronger than they Cha Abbas the Great always sent but a Third part of Troops against 'em and 't is said that to ridicule their Weakness he one day gave the Command of his Army to a Concubine who entirely defeated the Indians Routed by a Woman and kill'd 'em abundance of Men. It was she that to insult over the Indians after her Victory gave occasion to this Proverb Ker kerguiabir dasche There needs but one Stone to kill forty Crows Meaning It was much for a Woman to rout so many Indians who are black as Crows The King of Persia has a great many Emissaries in the Great Mogul's Court Emissaries in the Mogul 's Court. who give him constant Advices of all Transactions there The Great Mogul plays his Part better on that side near Golconda where the Indians are much more soft and effeminate than those of his own Country but he has no Troops which are fitting to compare with the Kzel-baches for Shape Strength Address or Wit The Governours of
Court 117 Enemies irreconcilable to the King of Persia 3. The Name they give him ibid. Envoys how receiv'd in Persia 50 Esteem of the Persians for Jesus Christ 178 Etmadaulet Grand Vizier and Chancellor of Persia 17. His Salary Perquisits and Maintenance 18. His Six Deputies or Viziers ibid. They are like the Intendants of the Revenue 20. His Secretaries ibid. Eunuchs their Authority in Persia 104. They enjoy the Chief Offices of the Kingdom ibid. c. They have the Management of all in the King's House 105. What they are and whence they come ib. Executions the Judges and Great Lords assist at ' em 135 Exercises of young Persian Lords 34 Example of the Goodness of the King of Persia towards Christians 7 Expressions of the Persians to acknowledge the Spiritual Power of their King 98 F. Fast See Ramazan Feasts Publick of the King of Persia with the manner how the Guests are served at 'em 41. Their Magnificence 42. Their Plenty ibid. Pusileers of the King of Persia 73 G. Guards of the King of Persia 72 Georgians their Advantages and Prerogatives in the Persian Court and wherefore 128 Government Politick of Persia 77 Governments Establish'd Order in 'em 106 Guests of the King of Persia who they are 50 H. Habits of the Persian Lords 46. Of the Persian Ladies 63. A Powder they make use of and wherefore 64 Hakim Bachi the King's Physician he is personally responsible for the King's Life 25 Hall of Audience of the King of Persia 40. Other Halls of Audience 41 Hamadan a Capital City in Persia 78 Hazar-Pecha what it is 48 Hazar-Dgerib what 57 Heads brought to the King of Persia the first day of the Year 104 Horses of the King richly Harnassed 44 Hunting of the King of Persia with his Ladies 59. Of the Lords 65 I. Jealousie of the Persians in respect of their Wives 37 Indians more Effeminate than the Mogul's Subjects 117 Infantry the King of Persia has none 75 Intendants Particular of the Revenue 71 Intelligences c. of the Kans to hinder the People from complaining to the King 107 Judges of Persia cannot all condemn to death 137. Disorder thereupon ibid. Julpha Suburbs of Ispahan 56 Justice how administred in Persia 129. The Tribunals ibid. The Chief Justice c. ibid. Those that can condemn to death 130 K. Kalenter who he is 19 Kalmoukes and the Lezguis what sort of Tartars 125 Kans or Governours of Persia 29 Kans Begueler-Begui's of Provinces 31 Those of Towns c. ibid. Kaurs Ysaouls what they are 73 Kazi Fourth Pontiff or second Lieutenant Civil 116 His Deputies ibid. The King of Persia 2. His Titles and Qualities ibid. Very Affable to Strangers 5. His Name Age and Character ibid. His Strength 6. His Address and Nature ibid. His great love for his Subjects 7. His Kindness and goodness to Christians ibid. His Good-will towards the Missionaries and French Merchants 9. He calls himself Son of a Saint and a Prophet 10. He exacts no Tribute from the Armenians and other Christians that Trade in his Kingdom 9. His Absolute Authority 77. The Origin and cause of it 97. He is Supream Head of his Religion ibid. His Subjects believe him Infallible ibid. His Commands always very much respected 98. His scorn of the Mogul 's Troops 116. His taking the Air and other Diversions 52. His Politicks against the Usbeg-Tartars ibid. Kodafa who he is 28 Kortchi-Bachi who and his Salary what 20 Koulam Vizier who 26 Kouler Agasi Captain of the Troops of Slaves 21 Kouls what they are 72 Kzel-Baches what 47 Kzel Baches who Their Merit superior to the Indians 118 L. Laurestan a Kingdom of the Elamites 157 Its chief City ibid. Lending no encouragement for it in Persia 138 c. Lords of Persia 32 M. Manner of Mounting the Guard in the King's Court 73 Masched a strong Town in Persia 124 Magnificence of Publick Feasts of the King of Persia 41 Mahomet and his false Miracles 174 Master Great of the King's Houshold 24 Manufactures of Persia what is there made 116 March or Cavalcade of the King of Persia 57 March of the Lords after the King when he goes a Hunting with his Ladies 65 Mariam Kanum the King's Aunt Her Amours and Intrigues with the Constable 89. Her Discourse with the King and what follow'd 90 Martyrdom of a Christian 135 Maxim to incline Mahometans to the Truth 168 Media a Province 169 Megdeles Rou's what they are 33 Meheurdar Keeper of the Seals with his Deputies 25 c. Mehmoudar Bachi what is his Office 27 Meidan what it is 33 c. Meats Persian 43 Minarreés what 37 Minarreés or Tower built with Bones and Horns of Beasts taken in one Hunting 67 Ministers of State 17 Mirachor-Bachi who 26 Mir-Chekar Bachi who ibid. Modesty of the Persians whilst they are Eating 49 Manners and Customs of the Persians different from the Mahometans 181 Moullahs what they are and their Employments 37 Mouadgen-Bachi chief Astrologer 24 Modarés Deputies of the Sadre 14 Money Persian become bad and how 115 What makes it so scarce in Persia 116 Mosques of Persia 35. Their Description ibid. They have no Altars 149 Moucheruff who he is 26 Moustofi Elmam Alek who 19 Moustofi Cassa who ibid. Musick Persian 39 N. Nacoda what it signifies 76 Naib Sedarets what they are in Persia Navab Alié the Queen-Mother 62 Navigation why the Persians don 't love it 76 Nazir who he is 24 O. Observations on the Persians ancient manner of Expressing themselves 99 Omara's who they are 33 Opinion of the Persians concerning their Kings 10 c. Orders of the King of Persia for the favourable Reception of the four Vessels of the French Company ibid. Orders barbarous to Strangle Children 13 Order of the Sophi's in Persia 27. It s Institution 28. Their Duty and Head ib. They are at present in Disgrace 29 Ouriguerd a Town in Persia Its Situation 156. Odious manner of exacting an Oath from a Christian 141 P. Palace of the King of Persia 33. It s Description ibid. Its Situation ibid c. and Riches of the Place 124 c. Petitions they are not presented easily to the King 107. The several Difficulties 108 Other but Chargeable ways to present Petitions 111 Persians they are more Warlike better Disciplin'd and Stronger than the Indians 117. Their good Intelligence with the Tartars against the Muscovites 125. Their Politicks towards the Grand Signior 126. And with other Neighbouring Princes 127. Their Belief 145 c. What they Reject 147 Piche-Nahmaz Great Almoner 16 Pilgrimage of the Persians Its Origin Politicks of the Persians towards their Neighbours 118 Precaution of the Persians to prevent Surprize on the Frontiers ibid. Priests of the Mahometan Religion 12 Privileges granted to Merchants Invaded by the Viziers which is the reason of the little Commerce now into Persia 113 c. Prayers of the Persians 150 Of the Princes of the Blood and King's Sons 11. Their sad Fate ibid. What is
THE Present State OF PERSIA with a Faithful Account Of the Manners Religion and Government of that PEOPLE By Monsieur SANSON A Missionary from the French King Adorn'd with FIGURES Done into English LONDON Printed for M. Gilliflower in Westminster-Hall J. Tonson in Fleet-street and H. Bonwick in St. Paul's Church-Yard 1695. THE PRESENT STATE OF PERSIA To the Honourable Sr Charles Barrington Bar t. SIR 'T IS without any other Knowledge of you than what Fame has every where suggested to me that I presume to make you this Address I may be a Stranger to your Person but to your Name and Merits it's impossible Your Goodness and Vertue set you before every Man's Eyes and 't is no easie matter to publish any thing and not take notice of you He that ventures himself in Print ought to pitch on some proper Patron to defend his Work for sure the first Dedicator was something of a Prophet to foresee the Necessity of Criticism And where can such Qualifications be so happily found as in you where Wit and Judgment contend for Pre-eminence Wit pleads its Quickness and Force on all occasions and Judgment its Solidity and strong Reasoning So that these Powerful Considerations join'd with humble Reflections on your Birth and Quality would not permit me to think of any other Patron for the Present State of Persia Also I was in hopes of serving my Country by promoting Thoughts of Travel in a Person so well qualified for nothing like Voyages serves to further those Inclinations who might return home stor'd with all the Advantages of foreign Governments and so become a glorious Reformer of his own Most Travellers come back only fraught with Garbs and Fashions and leaven'd with the ill Customs and Manners of the Places they pass thro' But you no doubt Sir would agree with Lipsius in his Epistle to Lanonius where he says Vagari Lustrare Disquirere Cogitare hoc est verè Peregrinari The Merchant in his Travels proposes bonum Vtile the dissolute rich young vain Fellow bonum Jucundum but your well-bred ingenious Gentleman only bonum Honestum Decus Patriae What Advantages Travel brings to all Professions I am sure you are not ignorant of and that there is no Artist or Learned Man thoroughly improv'd without it The French have a Saying That a Traveller is Homme mêlé a Man that is acquainted with all Nations and who knows how to avoid the Pride of Spain the Poison of Italy the Treachery of France and the Drunkenness of Flanders also is throughly satisfied that France is a good Country to ride thro' Italy to look upon Spain to understand but England to live in These things Sir I am bold to mention as farther Motives to any Inclinations you may have for Travel by which the best and most ingenions Man in the World is to be improv'd And if hereafter you should chance to reach Persia you will find it what it is here describ'd for our Author is of unquestionable Reputation a Kingdom one of the most powerful and considerable in all Asia whether it be for its Government Force Riches Politicks or Antiquity and which last the Persians have an undoubted Title to the Assyrians Medians and Parthians having all begun their Empires there The Author of this present Account was a Missionary sent into Persia by the King of France to propagate his Glory and Grandeur I believe rather than Religion For whoever reflects on his daily Practices at home can he believe him well inclin'd so far off But however allowing it to be so he differs very much in his Method For there his Missionaries are Mild and Patient as our Author has it when at home they are Cruel and Severe 'T is observable that he makes use of other Persons for there they are Fawning Black-Coats but here they are Blust'ring Red. So that to reconcile these Two to be intended for the same End I know no better way than by affirming That his Religion is Ambition and his God Power The great distance of this Kingdom of Persia which some might make an Objection against the minding of it does but recommend its Description the more to all ingenious Men For who would not be willing to be acquainted with the Laws and Customs of so remote and Polite a People who at least have something in 'em worthy to be imitated Imitation being the great Concern of Life and on which all Humane Knowledge is founded For if you read and approve you imitate if you see and like you imitate if you hear and are pleas'd you imitate that is it sinks insensibly into you and is always offering to be made use of upon occasion when Motives of meer Curiosity without much Attention are but Shadows and trivial in every thing Now as to these Travels being Authentick I have this to say That our Author was one of the latest Travellers into those Parts and perhaps made the longest Residence there I know that others do differ from him in the proper Names of Places and Persons but I thought it not safe to follow 'em neither had it been justifiable in a bare Translator Thus Sir I have done my self an Honour that none have had before me and I hope to recommend it the better to your Candour and Goodness by its being my Maiden Address and which is no less humbly Offer'd than sincerely and honestly Meant by him that will be glad of all further Occasions of expressing himself SIR Your most Humble And Devoted Servant John Savage A Short Introduction OF THE AUTHOR I Was sent into Persia in the Year 1683. to labour in the Missions where my first care was to make my self Master of the Armenian Turkish and Persian Tongues believing that without them I could not be very serviceable I was young and therefore had not much trouble to learn them I have had occasion in the Accomplishment of my Ministry to traverse many Provinces of Persia I was first sent to Casbin which was heretofore the Metropolis of the Kingdom I employed my self there Eight Months in instructing and comforting the Christians thereabouts and I spent the remaining part of the year in Lower Assyria I have run through at divers times the Kingdoms of the Elamites and Susa little frequented by the Europeans and less known by any Relation of them The rest of my time I spent in informing my self of the Manners Situation and Antiquity of the Countrie But that which chiefly contributed to my entire Knowledge of the Court of Persia was the long stay I made there At first I past Eight Months with the Bishop of Babylon where some Injuries being offered us by the People of Hamadan upon occasion of his Death the care of his Succession being left to us I was forc'd to go to Court to complain where I stay'd no less than Three Years During which time our King was pleased to send a Recommendatory Letter on our behalf to the King of Persia which did not
go without its Effect for we had immediate Justice done us It was upon this Occasion that the King did me the Honour to admit me into the number of his Guests for so they term all Envoys and Agents of Princes By means of this Quality I had admittance into the Palace which is only allowed to the great Lords of Persia I assisted at all Audiences which the King gave and had my Place assign'd me at all Publick Feasts This Prince has now sent me home with Letters to our King And his Majesty has been pleas'd to command me to make a Collection of my Memoirs of Persia which I have done pursuant to my Duty And I am apt to believe that the publick will not take it much amiss if I oblige them with this Impression Advertisement These BOOKS following are now in the Press and will be speedily Publish'd THE Present State of the Empire of Morocco wherein the Situation of the Country the Manners Customs Government Religion and Politicks of that People are fully described By Monsieur De St. Olon the French King's Ambassador at the Court of Morocco To which is added Audiences given by the Emperor with the Answers Adorn'd with Sculptures The Life of the Cardinal Duke of Richlieu Principal Minister of State to Lewis XIII In Two Volumes Octavo A New Voyage into Italy with necessary Instructions for those who undertake the same By Maximilian Misson Done out of French and Illustrated with near an hundred Sculptures THE Present State OF PERSIA MY Design being only to give an entire description of the Present State of the Empire of Persia I shall not trouble my self with what it has heretofore been or the frequent Revolutions it has from time to time undergon but keep exactly to my following Method 1. First I shall speak of the Kings Person His Houshold The Number and Employments of his Principal Officers Of his Magnificence Divertisements Revenues and Armies 2. I shall treat of his Political Government The Kings Authority His Council of State The Power of his Eunuchs The Establish'd Order in Governing Provinces and the Manner how the Persians behave themselves towards their Neighbours 3. I shall explain their Methods of administring Ecclesiastical and Secular Justice 4. What relates most to my Ministry and what seems most important I shall discourse of their ancient and present Religions For the First Of the King therefore Altho' the King of PERSIA be absolute Sovereign over more than Twelve vast and famous Kingdoms yet he takes upon him no other Title than that of CHA which signifies no more than King yet nevertheless his Subjects believe him to be the most Magnificent His Titles Potent and Absolute of that kind in all Asia They call him also Alam Pena which is as much as to say The Protection and Sanctuary of all Nations And which glorious Name is given him with no ordinary justice for of all the Kings of Asia none receives Strangers better loves 'em sincerer or allows 'em greater Privileges and Advantages The Grand Signior the Great Mogul and the Usbeg-Tartars who are his irreconcileable Enemies never afford him any other Title than that of Chiek Ogli which signifies the Son of a Priest because the latter Kings of Persia have been of the Race of Chiek Sephi Father of Cha-Ismael first King of that Branch But the Persians instead of being offended at this design'd Affront do chuse rather to glory in it because that Chiek Sephi was descended from Mahomet and Son of a Grandchild of Falma's only Daughter to this false Prophet who was bestowed by him in Marriage upon Mortus Ali whom the Persians believe to be his truest Successor It was this famous Chiek Sephi who with the assistance of the Lords of Media restored Persia to its former Glory after it had been invaded and almost ruined by Tamerlan This so famous Tartarian who carried his victorious Arms even into the very Bowels of Asia and Europe was named Tamour and sirnamed Lang which signifies Lame because he really was so For this reason therefore the People took occasion to give him the name of Tamerlan which is but a corruption of Tamour-Lang which he never disowned being the first that ridicul'd himself for that defect For having taken Bajazet in that famous Victory of his near the City of Angorie in Galatia in the beginning of the Fifteenth Century he caused him to be brought under his Pavillion where as soon as he had seen him he immediately began to laugh heartily When Bajazet who was very far from abating any of his Pride even in disgrace and which he afterwards made good tho' he was shut up in an Iron Cage believing this Prince insulted over his Misfortunes broke out with Indignation into these Words You need not be so much puft up with this Advantage you have gained over me since You know by Experience it is equally in the power ef Fortune to make a Slave or a Conqueror To which Tamerlan replied I am better acquainted with the instability of Humane Affairs than to mock at your present Misery But added he in beholding You and My self I cannot forbear laughing at the fantastical choice Fortune has made of two Men to govern the Empire of Asia You having but one Eye and I but one Leg. And truly this Prince ought to have been very sensible of the favours of Fortune for from a Shepherd he was rais'd to force the Walls of China and to extend his Conquests over the greatest part of Aegypt and Greece But his Successors knew how to profit so little by his Victories that they gave way to Chiek Sephi to restore the Empire of Persia which their Father had subdued The present King was call'd Cha Sephi at his coming to the Crown His Name and the change of it But 't is reported that the Jews having practised some Sorcery upon his Person he was at length reduc'd to that languishing condition that he was ready to drop down dead when Chiek-Ali-Kan his Etmadaulet or Chief Minister discovering their malice advis'd him to change his Name to prevent their having any power over him Whereupon he assum'd the Name of Solyman for that of Sephi which had belong'd to his Grandfather and the famous Chiek Sephi before him This King Solyman is at present in the Twenty Seventh Year of his Reign His Age. and the Forty Eighth of his Age. His personal Description and Character He is a fine Prince the Lines of his Face equalling the goodness of his Complexion and it may be he is a little too Effeminate for a Monarch who ought to have a more Warlike Air. He has a Roman Nose very well proportioned to other Parts Blue Eyes and very large a midling Mouth a Beard painted black shav'd round and well turn'd even to his Ears His Air is affable but nevertheless Majestick He is so very engaging that when you but bow to him he seems in some measure
to return it by a courteous inclining of his Head and which he always does smiling He has a masculine and agreeable Voice a great deal of sweetness in his manner of speaking and his Shape and Person are enclin'd to the Tallest He has often given sufficient proofs of his great strength of Body His Strength and 't is said there is no body able to contend with him at Wrestling Princes are sometimes accustom'd to this Exercise to make 'em the more Vigorous and Robust He easily draws a Bow that another would not be able to bend His Address He manages a Scymiter with a great deal of Address And in short there is not one Noble-Man of all his Court that can in the least come near him for any other Exercises He is of a very bountiful soft and sober Nature His Nature He has so great an abhorrence of Blood-shed that he scarce cares for allowing the commonest Executions but nevertheless he is inexorable to Traytors who never obtain his Mercy tho' they were of his own Blood He loves his Subjects extreamly He often goes Incognito amongst 'em His love for his Subjects to see if he can hear of any of their Wants and to inform himself also of any Exactions made upon 'em by his Officers He has been many times seen disguised like a Country-Man buying of bread the better to surprize the Leutenant of the Policies and as often appear'd in such like Equipage to discover the making Money current which he had cry'd down by his Edict He loves the Christians His great Love to Christians and will not suffer 'em to be distmb'd in the exercise of their Religion He disapproves of those violent means of making 'em Mahometans and he easily consents to their returning to Christianity where they complain they have been forc'd to quit it He made it sufficiently appear not many Years since An Example of his kindness to them That he did not approve of the prevailing upon the Miseries of Christians to engage 'em to the Mahometan Religion For those Armenians of the Country of Lingen who were transplanted thither by Cha Abbas having agreed to pay the King a certain Summ every Year for their Tribute and duty as Christians and not being able thro' their Poverty to raise it for many Years the Grand Visier the better to get it assigned 'em the payment of the Militia These poor wretches not finding themselves in a condition to satisfie so rigorous a Demand and foreseeing it impossible to avoid the Insults and cruel Bastinades of the Soldiers and being altogether unprovided of Missionaries to assist 'em in so pressing a necessity immediately went together in Crowds to the Etmadaulet humbly intreating him that they might be admitted Mahometans This Wise Minister demanded of 'em what obliged 'em to change their Religion they answered It was their Poverty and Inability to pay the King their Annual Duties The Etmadaulet went immediately to give His Majesty an account who causing 'em to appear before him and whose tender Heart being mov'd by their deplorable condition instantly remitted their Debts and received 'em into favour He also forbad the receiving their offer to turn Mahometans And thus we may see by what surprising means Heaven touch'd with the Misery of those that belong'd to him and having only a mind to make 'em asham'd of their Cowardliness excited in a Mahometan Prince a Zeal for the true Religion whilst it was almost obliterated in their Hearts He never exacts Tribute of the Armenians or other Christians when they come to Trade in his Kingdom altho' the Grand Signior makes the Persian Christians pay severely whenever they pass thro' Turky to Traffick in Europe in a manner that one may very well affirm with Justice that whereas in Turky the Christian Professors groan under a cruel and intolerable Slavery in Persia if the Will of the Prince be but observed they enjoy an undisturb'd and serene Liberty The King grants the Missionaries the free exercise of their Religion His kindness to the Missionaries and a power to establish it where they please And moreover the last Mission recommended to him by the Most Christian King has obtained an exemption from all Taxes and Quit rents where-ever they come Likewise His good will to the French Merchants this Generous Monarch has not shew'd a greater kindness for the French Missionaries than to the French Merchants For Monsieur Mont Ferré the French Consul at Bandar Abassi for the East India Company having been continually molested by the Great Douanier for a very considerable Summ at last beg'd a discharge of the King for near Eleven Years which was fully granted him and other favours he afterwards received from the Chief Minister Upon the first report at this Court His Commands to receive the French Vessels kindly in the Gulf. in February 1693. that the four French Vessels were bound for this Kingdom the King immediately commanded all the Governours of the Persian Gulf to receive them with Honour and to furnish them gratis with whatever Necessaries they should require This King Solyman He calls himself Son of a Saint and a Prophet after the Example of his Ancestors down from Chiek Sephi takes upon him the quality of the Son of Isman which is as much as to say the Son of a Saint because they believe themselves lineally descended from Mortus Ali Son in Law and Cousin-Germain to Mahomet The Persians also pretend that this Mortus Ali was left absolute Heir by Mahomet to his Grandeur and seign'd Prophetick Spirit in opposition to Omar to whom the Turks attribute these Prerogatives and it is upon this account that these two Nations live in such irreconcilable Hatred to one another By means of this quality of the Son of a Prophet the King arrogates to himself to be Head of their Religion and to establish this the better the Persians are of Opinion that he can neither be Damn'd or Judg'd whatever Crimes he commits They are not offended at his neglecting to observe the Ramazan or in drinking Wine because they believe he can never Sin and therefore neither subject to Laws or Customs being the Son of a Saint and legal deseendant of a Prophet I shall say nothing of the Princes of the Blood Of the Princes of the Blood because in Persia they make too miserable a Figure to be taken notice of The Kings Sons never see the Light but in the closest part of the Haram and whence they never come out whil'st the King lives There is none of 'em but he that is to succeed can have the liberty to see him after he 's dead and for the most part as soon as they are seated upon the Throne they deprive their Brothers of the use of their sight Their sad Fate by passing slowly a red-hot Iron before their Eyes This so barbarous a Custom which they make use of to hinder their Brothers from aspiring
Viziers 5. The Sultans 6. The Derogats The Vali's are Descendants from such Princes as have been conquer'd by the King of Persia and whose Kingdoms he leaves to their sole Governments There are Ten of this kind viz. 1. Georgia 2. Laurestan 3. Aviza 4. Bactiaris 5. Zeitoun Ardelan 6. Mazandran 7. Tcharkez 8. Herat. 9. Kandahar And 10. Karamania Their Priviledges at Court or Kerman These Vali's have their Places at the Council-board and at Feasts and Publick Audiences immediately after the Six Rohna Dolvets They are consider'd of as Princes and have those Priviledges as the King's Guests have which is to be Pensioners and Tablers during their stay at Court The King has lately seiz'd upon the Government of the Vali of Kerman as also of the other Begueler-Begui's I know not whether because their Race fail'd or that he had a Jealousie they had a mind to rebell Also there is a great likelihood he will do the same in Laurestan where he had already plac'd a Governour The Vali of Georgia also has some reason to fear the like Fate if the endeavours he seems to be making to recover his Ancestors Right should not succeed All these Vali's are Begueler-Begui's and have a right to the sounding of Twelve Kerona's which are a sort of long Trumpets like Speaking-Trumpets in which they bawl aloud mixing with their confused Cries the Harmony of Hautbois Drums and Tymbals and which they are wont to play upon at Sun-setting and Two Hours after Mid-night There 's none but the Vali's and Kans that can have so compleat a concert of Musick for the other more inferiour Governours must be content with only Drums Tymballs and Hautbois They carry 'em always with them when they Travel or Hunt Over and above these Vali's there are Twelve Kans Begueler-Begui's The Governours of Provinces who are the Governours of 1. Tauris 2. Ardaville 3. Lar. 4. Masched 5. Asderabat 6. Kermoncha 7. Hamadan 8. Chouster 9. Kandgia 10. Schiamaki 11. Erivan and 12. Kors Those Kans which are only Governours of Cities and Countrys are called Col Beguis that is to say Governours of Cities c. Kans of Support or Strength because they are obliged to send their Troops to the Kan Begueler-Begui when-ever he shall command them There are but Two Viziers or Vice-Roys in all Persia The Vice-Roys viz. 1. Of Schiras which is the ancient Kingdom of Persia and 2. He of Recht who is over all Guilan or Hircania There are also but Two Sulcans One at Sultanie under the Begueler-Begui of Tauris Two Sultans and the other at Ouriguerd under him of Kourmabat Casbin is governed by a Derogat who is the only Person that has the Prerogative of a Kan in Persia In all Cities where there is a Kan Officers of the Governours there is a Modarés or Pontif One Deputy of the Sadre another of Chiek-Alislam and Two of the Kasi There is also a Visier or Lieutenant for the King who has care of his Revenue One Kalantar who is Proyost of the Merchants and One Derogat who determines petty differences and executes all Process out of the Kan's Court. This last Office is very profitable at Ispahan yet it is esteem'd but mean and scandalous altho' it be executed by a Prince of Georgia For thereby he not only loses his Precedency at the King's Feasts but is slighted and avoided by all the Great Lords and reflected upon as one that executes the Office of a Gaoler and Bailiff All the other Lords or Officers I have spoken of are Megdeles-Rou's that is to say They have all Places at the King's Feasts All those of the Council and all Kans are styl'd Omara's that is The ancient Satrapes Grandees of the Kingdom as were heretofore the Satrapes 'T is easie to guess by the Number of Officers I have nam'd how great is the Magnificence of the Persian Court But because it never appears more splendid than when the King invites all his Grandees to a Banquet The King's Palace I shall go immediately upon the Description of both his Palace and the Feast Altho' the Buildings in Persia have not that exactness in their Structure as those of Europe It s Description yet they have nevertheless a certain sort of Agreeableness which moves even the Europeans themselves to admire ' em And I believe there never yet was any one of us who had seen the Palace of the King of Persia but was immediately surpris'd with its Beauty It is built on the West-side of the great Place call'd Meidan which signifies Market This Market-place is the prettiest Spot of Ground in all the East It is of great extent and longer than large Its length is seven hundred Paces and breadth of it but three The four Sides are rais'd in Portico's of the same Structure with the Wings of the Entrance into the Palace as you may see by the Design I have here taken of it The young Persian Lords exercise themselves in this place Exercises of young Lords with playing at Mall on Horse back throwing the Lance and then catching it again before they quit their Stirrups and by drawing the Bow behind 'em at full speed according to the custom of the ancient Parthians They shoot at a Mark in a Plate of Gold which is fix'd to a Pole rais'd in the middle of the Market The King who sees this Exercise from his Hall of Audience gives a Reward together with the golden Plate to him that brings it to the ground He also sends him a Present of Four hundred Crowns to defray the Charges of a Collation which he does him the Honour to come to take at his House And all the Lords go to congratulate his Skill and this Honour has been done him On the East side of this place and over-against the King's Palace appears a stately Mosque A fine Mosque whose Dome is a very bold Work by reason of its largeness The out-side of it is painted like Porcelain and 't is encompass'd round with a white List of two foot broad wherein are carv'd a certain number of great Persian Characters The Globe and Crescent which are on the top of it are gilded It s Porch is of Marble and enrich'd with a great deal of curious Workmanship In one of the Corners of this Meidan on the West-side Another great Mosque is that Great Royal Mosque which Cha Abbas the Great dedicated to Methi the last of the Twelve Imans or Persian Saints They call him also Sahab Zaman that is to say The Master of Time They affirm That he was translated to Heaven alive as Enoch was and that he shall come at the end of the World to judge all Nations after having given 'em every one a Visit mounted upon the Horse Duldul which was the ordinary Pad of Mortus Ali. The Gate of this Mosque is a piece of Art that might very well amaze the most skilful Architects of Europe 'T
those of Fifteen Years old Seven Livres and Ten Sols and those of Twenty Fifteen Livres The principal Custom-Houses in Persia are that of the Persian Gulf The Custom-Houses and that of Guilan whence comes the Silk That of the Persian Gulf which comprehends the Ports of Bandar Abassi Bandar Congo Bandar Ric and the Isle of Babarin is farm'd at Threescore and five thousand Tomans which make of our Money Two millions Nine hundred and twenty five thousand Livres The English for having assisted Cha Abbas to take Ormus from the Portuguese shar'd the Customs of Bandar Abassi with the King of Persia and the Portuguese those of Bandar Congo but at present they have little or no Benefit from ' em The Customs of Guilan bring the King in Fourscore thousand Tomans which make Three millions and Six hundred thousand Livres of our Money The Customs of Tobacco produce Two millions and 500 thousand Livres and those on the Oyl of Naphté about a Million This Oyl is brought from Sciamaki I can't tell how much the Pearl-Fishing at Baharin the Fishing at Guilan or the Mummy they draw out of Wells in certain places of Persia and not embalm'd Bodies out of the Sands like those of Egypt produce the King That which distills from a Rock near the City of Lar is so precious and so rare that none but the King has of it I am also ignorant of what duties are laid upon Weights and Cattle but I know they give two Sols and six Deniers for every Beast and fifteen Deniers for an Hundred weight of all Commodities sold in Markets The Searchers of the High-Roads take Five Sols for every Horse-Load of Merchandise without opening Searchers or examining what it is The Governours of Provinces farm these and the foregoing Customs and that is the reason I could not learn what they were worth The King gets a swinging Summ from Bawdy-Houses but Cha Abbas fearing to sully his Treasury with Money rais'd from so infamous a Commerce order'd it should pass the Fire to purifie it that is be employ'd to defray the expence of Flambeaux Illuminations and other artificial Fire-works that are made at the King's charge There is in every City a Vizier Intendant of the Customs or Intendant of the Customs who collects all these Duties and out of which the Governour has always Ten per Cent. for his part For he has no other Revenue than what is assigned him upon these Duties and the several Causes he determines where he always takes the Tenth of the Summ adjudg'd But his Officers are maintain'd out of the Royal Treasury for only those of Garisons who compose his Court are entertain'd in his Government These Soldiers serve both for Messengers and Collectors of Taxes These Troopers are maintain'd out of the King 's Demesn Lands Trooper's Pay He gives a County to a Colonel and such a number of Villages to a Captain on condition they raise their Soldiers Pay out of ' em A Trooper's Pay is an Hundred Crowns a Year The Generals are also provided of Governments to defray their Charges and those Princes that retire into Persia The Ambassadors and Guests who are entertain'd at Court are all charg'd upon the Demesn Lands which also furnish Expences to the Kings Houshold The King 's vast Revenue Thus all Charges paid the King lays up overy year Eight hundred thousand Tomans which make 28 millions of Livres The King's Guards are compos'd of Fourteen Thousand Men The King's Guards who are divided into Five several Bodies The first is that of the Sophi's but which is none of the most Honourable Five Bodies as I observ'd before Nevertheless they have the nearest Guard to the Gate of the Haram They make together a Body of Two Thousand Men over whom the Echik Agassi or Great Captain of the Guard is Colonel The Second is the Dgez Hairtchis that is Guards du Corps They perform Duty in the Inner Court of the Palace Their Body is compos'd of Four Thousand Men whose Colonel is the Toptchi Bachi or Great Master of the Artillery The Third is of the Kouls or King's Slaves who keep guard in the Cloysters between the First and Second Gate of the Palace Their Body also consists of Four Thousand Men of of whom the Kouler Agassi is Colonel The Fourth is of the Fusiliers who guard the Entrance into the Palace Their Body is of Two Thousand Men commanded by the Tfankchi Agassi The Fifth is of the Kaurs Ysaouls who are the Messengers on Horse-back They make Two Thousand Men whose Captain is the Great Constable But when they are in the Country upon Duty they are commanded by the Captain of the Watch. These Messengers watch a-nights about the King's Palace They remove the People out of the way when the King gets on Horse-back keep silence in the Divan Begui's Courts persorm all Executions Seizures Arresting of disgrac'd Kans and cutting off their Heads whenever the King commands it The Five Colonels that command these Troops Order of Mounting the Guard mount the Guard in their turns and they are never reliev'd but from three Days to three Days Their Troopers are Tablers whilst they are upon the Guard and they have over and above Three Hundred and Fifty Livres paid 'em a Year which is assign'd 'em out of the Demesns They are all oblig'd to accompany the King when he commands the Army in Person except only the Sophi's who are left to guard the outside of the Haram whilst the Eunuchs guard the inner The chief Eunuch has supream command over these as also of governing the Kingdom in the King's absence The Kingdom of Persia is of great extent yet has a great many Enemies from those Mahometans of a different Sect who have always for 'em an unappeasable Aversion Whence it comes that the King is always oblig'd to keep a strong Guard upon his Frontiers viz. Number of Troops to guard the Frontiers 12000 Men in the Province of Candahar which confines with the Great Mogul 20000 in Korassan which borders with the Tartars of Balk Bocara and Samarkand 15000 in Mazandran and Guilan which border with the Moscovites and Cossacks by the Caspian Sea 12000 at Derband and Chirvan which confine with the same People And also a great number at Circassia Georgia and Colchide 20000 in Media whose Upper part confines with Turcomania and Lower with Curdistan 12000 at Erivan which borders with the Empire of the Grand Signior towards the Lesser Armenia 12000 in Laurestan which confines with Bagdat 15000 in the Province of Susa which confines with Arabia and 12000 in the ancient Persia and Karamania which extend themselves from the Persian Gulf even to the River Indus These Troops Number of the Ordinary Forces together with the King's Guards make no less than an Hundred and Fifty Thousand Men without comprehending the Garisons of Cities which are in the Heart of the Kingdom They are all provided
Kingdom to that of the Ottoman's dissuaded 'em from their Pilgrimage to Mecca and inspir'd 'em with great Devotion for Iman Reza one of the Twelve Saints of Persia who has his Sepulchre at Masched He has made this Tomb Famous by a great many false Miracles he caus'd to be practis'd there for placing People there on purpose who should counterfeit themselves Blind they suddenly receiv'd their Sight at this Sepulchre and immediately cryed out A Miracle He procur'd so great a Veneration for this Tomb of Iman Reza that most of the greatest Lords in Persia have desired to be bury'd in his Mosque and to which they give great Legacies From thence arises the great Treasure it has in it and of which no doubt the Vsbegs are more desirous than of the Town it self They were so near to it about two Years ago that the King was oblig'd to send a puissant Army thither under the Conduct of Roustan Kan his Divan Begui and Favourite He omitted nothing to divide these Usbegs insomuch that his good Deeds prevail'd upon the Prince D' Organge to be detach'd from their side The good Intelligence the King of Persia always has with the Kalmoukes and Lezguis Good Intelligence with the other Tartars against the Muscovites serves for a Bulwark to defend him against the Muscovites on the North Nevertheless they might very much incommode Persia by Pyracies on the Caspian Sea For the Cossacks who live under their Obedience dayly encrease in strength there but yet they would not do wisely to make any descent for their Troops are not fitting to grapple with those of Persia especially such as live about Mount-Caucasus for they retain too much of the Courage of the Amazons from whom they descend ever to be overcome The Women also have a great deal of their Valour in them They are very Tall and very Fair and do not want for Chastity Their Men have also a great Meen and are very strong but are unreasonably Brutish and have little or no Neatness The Grand Signior is the most formidable Enemy the Persians have The Persians Politicks in regard of the Grand Signior His State confines with Persia from the Black Sea even to Balsora which comprehends both the West and the South The Christian Princes in League against the Grand Signior not being satisfied with the Answers they receiv'd byt their Ambassadors sent Solomon Skourki whom I have mention'd before once more to Sollicite the King of Persia with new Arguments in which they employ'd all the power of Politicks to engage him to advantage himself by the Confusion and Disorder the Grand Signior was in and moreover they endeavour'd to persuade him that he might now restore his Empire to that glorious condition it was in in the Reign of his Predecessor Ahasuerus who Govern'd 27 Provinces and of which the Grand Signior now enjoys Arabia Chaldaea Syria and the other Countries which are between Tygris and Aethiopia which confin'd the Empire of Ahasuerus But he was answered anew That the King of Persia would rather chuse to lose his Kingdom than to Conquer another contrary to Articles of Peace made betwixt him and the Grand Signior The Arabians who had possest themselves of Balsora two Years ago dispatcht away Couriers to the Governour of Laurestan to desire him to send thither a Garrison to take possession of that place for the King his Master whom the Governour sent away immediately to Court with other Couriers from him But the King did not think fit to accept of their Offer and they had the same Answer with the former The Persians His managing Alliances with his Neighbours against this Powerful Neighbour take care to manage their Alliance prudently with the Princes of Turcomania Curdistan and Arabia Deserta all which owe no Obedience to the Grand Signior They also carefully keep Correspondence with the Prince of the Arabians of Mascat to assist 'em against the Portuguese when they come with Sword in hand to demand their share of the Customs of Congo Bandarik and Baharin The King's Politicks are admirable in respect of the Georgians His Politicks with the Georgians who might give him a great deal of disturbance if they were once united against him But he knows how to keep 'em divided the better to correspond with his Interest He preferrs so advantageously all their greatest Lords that they forget both their Country and Religion to apply themselves wholly to his Service The greatest Trusts in the Empire are at present in their hands and they who have no Preferments yet have all their Places at Royal Feasts their Expences out of the Treasury and enjoy all other Privileges of the King's Guests and Tablers The care that Chiek-Sephi took to Establish a particular Sect which was so very different from the other Mahometans was an admirable Invention to prevent the People from Revolting through the Solicitations of either the Turks Tartars or Indians who are all their Neighbours for it has imprinted 'em with such an horrour of their belief that the Persians have a saying That if you should boil together a Sunni that is a Follower of Omar with Chiai who is a Follower of Ali their Substances would never Mix but keep their Antipathy and Opposition tho' they were both dissolv'd The Sunni's for their part and above all the Usbeg Tartars have so great an aversion for the Persians that a Soldier returning from the Campagne would be but ill received by his Wife if he should not bring her some of a Persian's Blood wherein she might indulge her Joy for his safe return The Persians have no other Codes The manner of administring Justice in Persia or Digests than the Interpretation of the Alcoran made by the Imans descended from Mortas Ali. They have three sorts of Tribunals 1. The Criminal which they call Ourf 2. The Civil called Cheher And 3. the Legal which has the name of Divan Ali that is The Soveraign Tribunal The Chief Justice of the Courts at Hispahan The sole Chief Justice of the Kingdom and all other Superiour Courts of the Kingdom is the Diven Begui He has a Derogat to execute his Sentences who also serves as Jaylor and sometimes as Judge to determine petty Criminal Causes The Kans are also Chief in their own Courts in their Provinces but there always lies an Appeal from them to the Divan Bigui The Divan Bigui has no cognizance of Treason for that is try'd in the inner part of the King's Palace without any relation had to the Council as I observed before But no Criminal whatever he be is Sentenc'd without the King's knowledge who must be fully acquainted with the Sadre's Decision who always determines the sort of Punishment according to the Laws prescribed by the Imans They proceed in these Courts much after the same manner with us of Europe viz. by Proofs Confronting of Witnesses and Tortures There are two sorts of Tortures in use in Persia as
Condition The Punishment for Thieves is particular They put 'em into a Ditch up to the Middle and afterwards fill it with Plaister which gives the Patient excessive Tortures assoon as it is dry Empaling is not in use no more than Fire They have no Wheels but yet they have Punishments as cruel They lay the Patient upon a broad Board and there hash his Body into small Pieces The Governours Lieutenants have no power to condemn to death till they have permission from the King by a Brevet The Derogats may Hamstring or cut off the Noses and Ears of Butchers and Bakers assoon as ever the Lieutenant of the Policies has convicted 'em of selling too dear or by false Weights But none except the Kans a few Sultans and privileged Derogats can condemn to death which causes a great disorder in this Kingdom for the Thieves will be sure to ravage that Country most where they know there 's none have Authority to Condemn ' em The Divan Begui as I have remarked before is the chief of the Civil Justice Of the Civil Justice as well as the Four Great Pontiffs of Persia This Court is very commodious for the Subject for there are neither Messengers Councellors or Attorneys Every one may exhibit his own Cause by way of Petition Every one pleads for himself and defends his own Right They have Cryers to command Silence and their Audiences are always very tumultuous and he that speaks loudest has commonly the better of the Day They never pass Judgment by Default which is the reason that he who was in the wrong oftentimes saves himself by making a good Composition The Laws of the Alcoran by which they steer their Judgments oftentimes subject People to a great many inconveniencies For a Man that lends his Money is always in danger of losing it according to these Laws If he to whom it is lent be of good Repute and has no Money ready to pay the other cannot bring his Action without considerable Damage to himself for he must pay the Tenth part of the Summ immediately and all the Costs of Suit If the Defendant confess the Debt they always give him a reasonable time for Payment He that has the better on 't pays the Costs which Law is not just The Alcoran forbids Usury Vsury forbid but the Indians and Armenians never mind it For Example If they lend 100 Crowns for a Year they compute what Interest they might make by it and that can never be less than Eight per Cent. However practised so that they add that to the principal Summ in the Bond before-hand This Craft will signifie nothing if the Debtor be a Knave for at the end of the Term he 'll deny to have received the full Sum and so offering to lay down in Court the 100 Crowns he 'll avoid the Interest 10 per Cent for the Judge's Box and all the Costs of Suit This Court is very ridiculous and unjust in respect of a Defendant that will deny his Debt for there he is allow'd to do it contrary to his own Hand-writing and the Testimony of the Judge who saw the Money lent and put his Hand and Seal to the Obligation Nevertheless the Defendant need but deny the Fact boldly and the Creditor will be ordered to make Proof of the Loan and to produce his Witnesses or he will be Non-suited These Two things are equally prejudicial to the Creditor for to prove any Act according to their Laws they must produce Seventy Two Witnesses who must all very near equal the Imans in Integrity if not wholly The express Words of the Law are these That to be believ'd the Witnesses must be either Imans or Naib Imans that is Saints or Deputies of Saints There are not wanting in Persia People that can equal these pretended Saints in Adultery Knavery and Murther but they must also equal 'em in Hypocrisy Treachery and being worse than their Word A Christian is never allow'd for Evidence and much less a Jew Indian or follower of Omar Therefore you may judge in what Confusion a Creditor must needs be who is oblig'd to find so great a number of such choice Witnesses He ought to have lent his Money by sound of Trumpet to have got so many to have prov'd the Fact I affirm that it is almost impossible for a Plaintiff to prove his Debt so that he must always yield himself Non-suit when he commences a Suit unless he relies upon Remorses of Conscience which seldom or never trouble the Mahometans especially when they are to injure a Christian But if he be so happy to see any reluctance in his Adversary for a false Oath all his Good Fortune will amount but to this that he must compound for a Third part out of which the Judge will have also his Tenth When the Debtor denies the Debt the Plaintiff is at liberty to swear it after what manner and with what Circumstances he pleases but it will signify nothing I can never remember without Horror after what a cruel manner I saw an Oath forc'd from a Christian in the Province of Naxivan A cruel manner of putting a Christian to his Oath where the Armenians are Catholicks A Renegado made an Insult upon a Christian and demanded 2000 Crowns which he said he lent him upon his Word without Writing but having no Witnesses to prove it he would needs put him to his Oath And to that purpose hal'd away this poor Christian by force to his own Church follow'd by a Crowd of Mahometans where scattering of Bread all the way up to the Altar he forc'd him to walk upon it with Two Dogs tied to his Arms and in this manner he oblig'd him to lay his Hand upon the Evangelists and to swear with a Thousand Oaths and Imprecations that were enough to frighten one that he ow'd him nothing This Man who was an honest Merchant would have willingly given him 100 Crowns to have freed himself from such a Scandal and his Church from so great a Profanation but he might as well have offer'd a Penny to satisfie the whole Sum for he was resolv'd he should drink out of the Chalice in that posture which gave me as much uneasiness and dislike as it did him If there be so much hazard in Trading or Lending Money in Persia there is without doubt no less in Buying Lands or Houses for whatever care is taken of the Contract the Seller may deny he ever sold 'em or if he owns the selling yet he may deny receiving of his Money and so put the Buyer upon proving it which perhaps he would never be able to do Therefore the best way is to take immediate Possession and to let the other prove it unjust and illegal The Soveraign Judge of the Tribunal of Religion Tribunal of Religion is the Sadre Cassa who is the Chief Pontiff or Archbishop of Persia and whose Deputies are the Modarrés in all Provinces but from whom there
done to his Brothers who Mounts the Throne ib. c. Proverb Persian and the Occasion 117 Punishments Rigorous to those who are met when the King goes with his Haram 59. What sort they make use of for Criminals 131 c. For those who sell by false Measure or too dear 137. For the Crimes of Uncleanness 132. Divers other Punishments 136 Purification Persian 181 Q. Queen of Persia vid. Cassa and Mariam Kanum R. Raillery by the Son of the Great Mogul on the Court of Persia 64 c. Ramazan or Lent of the Mahometans 11 Rekib Kana-Agasi who 26 Religion of the Persians upon what grounded 180 Religion c. of the Gaures or ancient Persians Their Belief What Name the Modern Persians give ' em Their Opinions about the Fire Their manner of examining what shall be their Lots in the other Life Their Saints Divers Opinions and their Principal Feast 183 c. What benefit accrues by changing Religion c. 68 Revenue of the King of Persia 72 Rohna Dolvet's what they are 17 Revenge of a Christian upon a Turk 37 S. Sacrifices of the Persians how they are perform'd 149 c. Sadre Cassa Chief Pontiff of Persia and his Authority 12. His Titles Qualities and how much he is respected 13. His Jurisdiction 14 Sadre Elman Aleck second Pontiff ibid. His Function ibid. Sahab-Rakam's who they are 20 Seasons for Hunting very long in Persia 66 Seat of the King 45. Of the Officers near the King ibid. Of the Lords 46. Of the Musicians ibid. Of the Stewards ib. Sects different of Mahometans in Persia 154. Every Condition has its own ibid c. Security none either to buy or sell Houses or Lands in Persia 142 Siege Famous of Mourg-ab 81 c. Schools Publick of Persia 154 Strangers how receiv'd and Treated in Persia 2 Stratagems of the Persians 76. Towards the Hollanders 100 Subordination amongst the Priests of the Persian Religion 153 Sultan-Abdulla his Valour 81. His Garison revolt against him 84. His strange Resolution ibid c. He is taken and made Captive 86. His good Fortune in his Captivity ibid. He Commands the Enemies Army 87. He gains a Battel ibid. He obtains his Liberty ibid. His Reception and Re-establishment in Persia ibid. His Arrival causes an Alteration in the Persian Court 89 Superstitions of the Persians about Eating 65 T. Taxes of the Kingdom of Persia 68 Tamerlan from a mean Shepherd become a famous Conquerour 14 c. He overcomes Bajazet near the City of Angory in Galatia 4. Bajazet had but one Eye and Tamerlan but one Leg ibid. He Forces the Walls of China and enters Egypt and Greece 5. After his death Chick Sephi restores the Empire of Persia ibid. Tats and the Kzel-Baches who they are 27 Tefantchi-Agasi who 21 Tents of the King and his Ladies 60 Tomans what they are 72 Tombs of Hester and Mordecai 170 Toptchi-Bachi who 22 Tortures how practis'd and how many sorts 130 Treasures of the King of Persia 42 Treason of a certain Governour 82 Tribunal of Religion and its Chief Judge 142. Difficulties there decided 143 Tribute of Christians 69. Of Places of Debauchery 70. How the Money rais'd of these is employ'd 71 Trumpets speaking distinguish degrees of Honour in Persia 31 39 Troops of the King's Guards and their Number 72. Of the Frontiers of the Kingdom and their Number 74. Of the King's Forces in general and their Number 75 Turban its difference with that of the Turks 46. That which the King wears 47 V. A Vessel of Gold of the King of Persia 's 43 Vaki Anevis and his Office 24 Vackmiat Visiri who 26 Vali's who they are 30. Their Number ibid. Their Prerogatives at Court ibid. c. The Vice Roy's 32 Veli-Nahmet what this word signifies 99 Visier Elmulki who 19 Vizier Cassa who ibid Usbeg Tartars Naturally Barbarous 122 c. They have a numerous Army on Foot against the Persians 123. They have an Eye upon the Riches of the Town of Masched 125 W. Watch who are those that keep it 73 Wife Lawful of the King 62 Wine a Discourse about its Use 157 Witnesses how many are requir'd to prove a Debt and what Qualifications they must have according to the Mahometan Law 139 Workmen French entertain'd and Caress'd by the King of Persia 52. Their several Salaries ibid. How the King values their Works ibid. Workmen Chinese and others ibid. Z. Zendroud a River in Persia 54 Finis Tabulae
which are allow'd or controll'd at his Pleasure The Kingdom of Persia is so very large A good Pulicy that the most distant Kans might very well disturb the State if they were allow'd to be altogether Masters of their Soldiers But this probable disorder has been prevented by placing in every Province a Vizier or Overseer which does the same thing in Persia as the Intendant in France except that they are not allow'd to pronounce Justice as they do but are only Assistants to the Kans who are always the proper Judges in their own Provinces These Viziers raise the Soldiers Pay upon the Demesns that the Kans might not have the power to engage 'em to a Revolt They have also care that the Peasants to avoid the hard Usages of the Kans and other Officers do not forsake their Labour The Kalentar or Provost of the Merchants has also authority to prevent the abusing of Merchants and other Tradesmen And the Deputies of the Sadre Chiek Alislam and the Kazi are as so many Spies to observe the Proceedings of the Kan and who can scarce do any thing without their Privity These are good Orders but ill observ'd for if the Kan have but cunning enough to manage the People he may do what he pleases without any Check or Restraint Tho' the People have the justest cause imaginable Petitions when presented yet they find it often very difficult to make their Complaints for they can never present any Petition to the King but when he goes on Horse-back and then the Kans have always so much Interest at Court as to prevent their Approaching him Sometimes they make the Great Astrologer their Friend who pretends to consult the Stars and that it is not a lucky Hour for his Majesty to receive Petitions in How prevented And sometimes the Great Marshal who goes just before the King and commands his Servants to keep the Suppliants off with tough Cudgels Morever the King always does the honour of Discoursing with him upon the way to some one of his Ministers who if he be engag'd will discourse of quite another thing than what is expos'd in the Petition And in a Word there is nothing easier than to corrupt the King's Footmen who always run to receive the Petitions and who can very well suppress some of them by the way Nevertheless Hazara to oppress his Subjects it is no common hazard to oppress any of this King's Subjects for he has so great a love for them that he severely punishes those Governours that do but offend 'em but yet he is not always rightly inform'd of their conduct The Lords of his Councel are all provided of some Government whose Lieutenants are also subject to the same hazards with their Governours and therefore these employ their Interests as strenuously for them as themselves for fear their Extortions being discover'd might prove a prejudice to their Grandeur and great Expences at Court which are altogether supply'd by these means So that providing there be no falling out between the Governours their Oppressions and Injustice can never be known A difference arising between the Chief Minister and the Constable in 1685 was the cause of a Brother of the latter's ruine For the Constable who ow'd his own Rise to this Minister insinuated himself so much farther into his Favour that he obtain'd the Government of Sembran for his Brother Mahmed Reza Kan But this new Governour who might have been one of the greatest Men in Persia had he had so much Goodness and Honesty as Wit began to exercise so many Inhumanities and Oppressions in that Province that the People came to Court in Crowds for redress They carried their Accusations first to the Chief Minister who sending for the Constable acquainted him with the many Complaints were made against his Brother and desir'd him to use means to prevent the like for the future for fear of the ill Consequences that would certainly ensue if they should come to the King's Ear. So great a kindness as this from a Person that had a power of distributing Justice himself one would have thought might have prevail'd upon this Constable but the favour he imagin'd he was in with the King over balanc'd all other Considerations and therefore blinded with Ambition he gave him such an Answer as was the utter ruine of his Brother and in a great measure of himself For he told this Minister That it was not so great a wonder if his Brother who was a young Man had ruin'd a Province when he that was so consummated a Politician had done the like for all Persia This Constable forgot all the while he ow'd his Preferment to this Man and who had as great a power to suppress his Pride as he had had to advance it In short the Etmadaulet inform'd the King of all and this Governour of Sembran was immediately degraded and his Estate confiscated to the People's use to make 'em amends for their loss He was forthwith sent to Hispahan and there laid in Irons He also receiv'd so many blows on the Feet as made his Nails jump off from 'em and he never had escap'd a shameful death if the Constable who was also out of favour upon this occasion had not found out some means to appease the angry Etmadaulet and moreover disburs'd Twenty Thousand Crowns to make the People full satisfaction He saved his Brother's Head by these means but he was never able to re-establish him in any Employ or the King's favour who would never so much as look upon him ever afterwards The People may also present Petitions against the Kans by way of the Etmadaulet or Divan-Begui Petitions presented how but these ways are full as chargeable and often of as great difficulty as the former For if the Kans Complained against are Friends either to one or other of these great Lords or if they be Persons of a better Reputation than ordinary they will be sure to have these Petitions secretly sent ' em And if not so the Suppliant must enter into a Recognizance to the King conformable to the importance of the matter to be instantly paid if he has falsly accus'd the Kan The Etmadaulet and Divan-Begui affix their Seals to this Recognizance and then it must be enter'd in Five several Registers where there are great Duties to be paid After that the Suppliant carries it to the Divan-Begui who grants out a Commission to some Lord of that Province to examine into the Affair and then he allows the Suppliant a Messenger of the Palace to do Execution and levy the Recognizance Afterwards he carries it to the Chancery where the Keeper of the Seals sends him into the Haram to get the King's Seal apply'd Then the Suppliant departs with his Messenger whose Charges he is oblig'd to defray 'till he has made good what he pretended 'T is easie to guess after this with what Impunity the Kans are suffer'd to Tyrannize over the People when they