When Mandelslo visited Ahmedabad, Azam Khan was viceroy and " the gentleman belonging to the embassy sent by the Duke of Holstein to the great Duke of Muscovy and the King of Persia " gives us a vivid account of the splendour and riches of his court. " I was credibly informed," he writes, " that he was worth in money and household stuffs ten crou or carroas Ropias, which amounts to fifty millions of crowns, the cro being accounted at a hundred Lake Ropias, each whereof is worth fifty thousand crowns. It was not long before that his daughter, one of the greatest beauties in the country, had been married to the Mogul's second son, and the Chan, when she went to the court, had sent her attended by twenty elephants, a thousand horses, and six thousand waggons loaded with the richest stuffs and whatever else was rare in the country. His Court consisted of above 50o persons, 40o whereof were his slaves who served him in his affairs and were all dieted in the house. I have it from good hands that his expense in housekeeping amounted to about 5,000 crowns a month, not com prehending in that account that of his stables, where he kept five hundred horses and fifty elephants." Mandelslo went " along with the English merchant to visit the Gover nor and found him sitting in a pavilion or tent which looked into his garden. He was clad in a white vestment, accord ing to the Indian mode, over which he had another that was longer, of Brocadoe, the ground carnation lined with white satin and above a collar of sables, whereof the skins were sewed together, so as that the tails hung down over the back." As soon as he saw them come in the Viceroy made them sit down " by the lords that were with him." After despatching several orders he went and inspected certain troops drawn up in the court. " He would see their arms himself, and caused them to shoot at a mark, thereby to judge of their abilities and to augment the pay of such as did well at the cost of the others, out of whose pay there was so much abated." Seeing him thus employed, Mandelslo and his companion, the President, would have taken their leave, " but he sent us word that we should dine with him." On his return the Governor asked the Dutchman where he had learnt the Turkish language and whether he had ever been at Constantinople. " I told him I had never been there but had employed the little time abroad in the province of Schirwan and at Ispahan in learning that language, which is as common there as that of the country." The Governor stated that Schirwan was his country, and having known that Mandelslo had particularly known the King of Persia he asked him what he thought of that monarch. " I made answer, that he was a prince of a graceful aspect and person, and one that had understanding and courage enough to be obeyed in his kingdom. He asked me whether he still reigned as a tyrant, and continued his former cruelties. I answered that age having moderated his youthful extrava gances, his government began also to be more moderate." The Governor replied : " That he was content to believe that Schach Sessi was an understanding person, but that even as to that there was no more comparison between him and the Mogul than there was between the poverty of the one and the vast wealth of the other, the Prince his master being able to maintain a war against three kings of Persia. I was loth to enter into any contestation upon so ticklish a subject, and therefore only told him that it was indeed true, there was not any comparison between the gold and wealth of Persia, and what I had already seen of the Mogul's kingdom ; but that it must be withal confessed that Persia had one thing which could not be had elsewhere, and was in effect inestimable, which was the great number of Kissil bachs, with whose assistance the King of Persia might at tempt the conquest of all Asia. Which I said purposely, knowing the Governor was a Kissilbach, and that he could take no offence at such a discourse. Accordingly he dis covered his satisfaction thereat, not only in saying that he must grant it to be true, but also, when turning to one of the lords who was a Persian as well as himself, he said to him, Walla beksade, jasehi a-danidar, chassa adamlar souer, that is to say, I believe this young gentleman hath courage when he speaks so well of those that have." Mandelslo states that the Viceroy was " a judicious under standing man, but hasty and so vigorous that his Govern ment inclined somewhat to cruelty," and relates an occur rence which most certainly shows that the Governor was somewhat inclined to cruelty. The Governor, he tells us, one day being desirous of entertaining " the two principal directors of the English and Dutch trade," sent for twenty women-dancers, " who, as soon as they were come into the room fell a singing and dancing, but with an activity and exact observation of the cadence, much beyond that of our dancers upon the ropes. They had little hoops or circles through which they leaped as nimbly as if they had been so many apes, and made thousands of postures, according to the several soundings of their musick which consisted of a Tumbeck or Timbrel, a Haw-boy and several Tabours." After they had danced about two hours the Governor sent for another troupe, who first pleaded illness for not coming ; and when he sent a second time " they also were refused as they had another and more pleasing engagement elsewhere, saying they knew well enough the Governor would not pay them." " He laught at it, but immediately com manded out a party of his guard to bring them to him, and they were no sooner entered into the hall ere he ordered their heads to be struck off. They begg'd their lives with horrid cries and lamentations ; but he would be obeyed, and caused the execution to be done in the room before all the company, not one of the lords then present daring to make the least intercession for those wretches, who were eight in number. The strangers were startled at the horror of the spectacle and inhumanity of the action, which the Governor, taking notice of, fell a laughing, and asked them what they were so much startled at. ' Assure yourselves, gentlemen,' said he, ' that if I should not take this course, I should not be long Governor of Amadabai.' " Hard by the Teen Durwaza stands a large upper-roomed building which was once the Dutch factory. Near it was the English factory, but neither the building nor its site can be identified. Mandelslo says : " The English house or lodge is in the middle of the city, well built, and hath many fine and convenient apartments, with spacious courts for the disposal of merchandises. Master Roberts (the Chief) brought me first into his own chamber, which look'd into a little flower garden, in which there was a Fountain. The floor was cover'd with tapestry, and the pillars which sus tained the structure were set out with silk-stuffes of several colours, and above a great white tassel according to the custom of the great ones of the country. We had a colla tion, after which he show'd me the whole house, and brought me into a very fair chamber, with a large closet in it, which he had design'd for my lodging. We supp'd in a great hall, whither the Dutch deputy came after supper to see us, with some of his merchants, with whom I had occasion to be ac quainted at Suratta. After he was gone the whole company conducted me to my chamber, where my host kept me company till after midnight. After, that there might not be aught wanting in my entertainment (which in answer to the recommendatory letters I had brought from the President, he would needs have in all things extraordinary) he sent for six women-dancers, the handsomest could be found in the city." When Captain Best made a trading agreement with the local authorities at Surat (1613) he provided for an estab lishment at Ahmedabad. The following year Thomas
Aldworth having a house and having secured brokers, the factors began to make extensive purchases which, owing to the absence of any European rival, they did with suffi cient cheapness. On January 21, 1615, Aldworth set out for Surat " with forty carts laden with indigo and cloths ; and an escort which the local government increased be cause murders and robberies had been committed a few nights previously close to the walls of the city." On February 5, the caravan arrived at Surat, when " the goods were shipped on board of the vessels lying off Swali." In August, Aldworth started again for Ahmedabad. Soon after his arrival there he was smitten with a severe illness, and longing for the sea breeze he had himself carried out of the city on his way back to Surat. But his weakness increased rapidly and he died on October 4, at the village of Neriad. " All is now ended," wrote his friend, Kerridge, " and I destitute by want of so dear a friend, the greatest cross I could have felt in this country." Kerridge now took charge of the Ahmedabad factory. He was a man of im perious temper and a dispute with a native merchant over some indigo led to his being fined and imprisoned. Sir Thomas Roe went, on January 24, 1616, " to the Durbar to visite the king." Jehangir, " having looked curiously and asked many questions of my presents," demanded what he required of him.
" I answered : Justice. That on the assurance of his Majesties Firmacn sent into England, the king, my master, had not only giuen leaue to many of his subjects to come a dangerous voyadge with their goodes, but had sent mee to congratulate the amytye so happely begunne betweene two soe mighty Nations, and to confirme the same : But that I found the English seated at Amadaus enjured by the Gouernor in their Persons and goodes, fined, exacted upon, and kept as prisoners : that at eurie Towne new customes were taken of our goodes passing to the port, contrarie to all justice and the former Articles of trade. To which hee answered hee was sorry : it should be amended ; and pre sently gave orders for two firma ?WS very effectually accord ing to my desire to be signed, one to the Gouernor of Aniadavaz to restore mony exacted from Master Kerridge, and to vse the English with all fauour. The other to release all Customes required on any pretence on the way, or if any had beene taken to repay it ; of his owne accord wishing mee, that if these gave me not speedy remedy, I should renew my complaynt against the disobeyour, and hee should be sent for to answere there. And soe hee dismissed mee." When Roe accompanied the Emperor to Ahmedabad he found there a large party of English factors carrying on an extensive trade. The city attracted the commerce of the east. " There is not," says Mandelslo, " in a manner any nation or any merchandise in all Asia which may not be had at Amadabath." The labour of an industrious and ingenious people was employed in the manufacture of silk and cotton fabrics of every description, in metal work, wood and ivory carving, and in inlay. " 'Tis true, they seldom use any silk in that country, much less any out of Persia, because it is somewhat too coarse and too dear, but they ordinarily make use of that of China, which is very fine, mingling it with that of Bengala, which is not quite so fine, but much beyond that of Persia, and much cheaper.. They also make there great quantities of gold and silver Brocadoes, but they put too much thin lace into them, so that in goodness and substance they come not near those of Persia, though some of them amount in the country to eighteen crowns the piece." At the time when Mandelslo was in Ahmedabad " they had begun to make a new kind of stuff of silk and cotton with flowers of gold which was very much esteemed, and sold at five crowns the ell ; but the inhabitants were forbidden the wearing of it, upon this account, that the king reserv'd it for his own, yet not so strictly but that he permitted Forraigners to buy of it, to be transported out of the king dom. They make there also all sorts of sattins and velvets of all sorts of Colours—taffata, sattins for linings, of both Thread and silk, Alcatifs or Carpets, the ground Gold, Silk or Yarn, but not so good as those of Persia, and all sorts of cotton." The commerce of Ahmedabad has declined, but a considerable number of persons are still employed in the manufacture of objects of taste and ornament. The gold smiths yet make a number of well-arted things, round neck laces, bracelets, nose-rings and earrings of chopped pieces of gold strung on red silk. " It is the finest archaic jewellery in India," says Sir George Birdwood, whose genius first revealed to the West the beauty and variety of Indian art. " The nail-headed earrings are," he adds, " identical with those represented on Assyrian sculptures." This jewellery is worn throughout India by the people as a safe investment. At Ahmedabad you will see in the streets little naked girls of perfect shape, whose neck and arms and ankles are shackled with jujubes of gold. Now and then one of them is enticed away and the tiny body found in a well without its orna ments. The coppersmith yet hammers his brass pots and bestows all his skill in making finely cut brass screens and boxes covered with the most elaborate design for my lady's jewellery, sweets and spices. At Ahmedabad they still make quantities of gold and silver brocadoes, and the stuff of silk and flowers of gold (kincobs) is still esteemed by every chief in India and sold at more than five crowns the ell. The manufacture of the gold and silver thread used in them employ many skilful workers. The wire-drawer (tania) turns out six or eight hundred yards of thread from half an ounce of silver. " So great is his delicacy of touch that if desired the tania can draw out half an ounce of silver into 2,000 yards of thread, a feat all the more wonderful that for boring the holes in his draw-plate the workman has no finer tool than the file pointed end of an old umballa steel." Hard by the goldsmiths an aged Muhammadan beats a book with a heavy-headed iron hammer. He is making gold foil for the confectioner, to cover his sweetmeats, and for the hemp-smoker to stretch across the bowl of his pipe in which the live coal is placed. Yellow tin foil is wrought to deco rate the images of the gods and the lintel and side-posts of the house-doors on high festivals. An infinitely more im portant art in which India was distinguished two thousand years ago still flourishes at Ahmedabad. Within the potter's houses are shapes of clay " of all sorts and sizes great and small," and all of perfect form. He uses red ochre, white earth, and mica to give them a light colour, and he polishes the great jars, in which the forty thieves hid, with a piece of bamboo or a string of agate pebbles. Outside his mud den he sits and spins his primitive wheel as his forefathers did in the days of Menu, and the potter and his wheel carries you back a few thousand years. On Christmas Eve we saw, as we drove to Sarkhej, a scene which Kalidasa, the Shakespeare of the Indian drama, de picted fifteen centuries ago. The Sabarmati River was low, and its sandy bed was lined with men and women and chil dren, robed in vestments of the purest white, of azure, green, and purple. Some of the damsels were chatting and exchanging gossip as they filled their copper jars, some were splashing in the stream whilst others " Bolder grown, O'er a friend's head a watery stream have thrown, And the drenched girl, her long, black hair untied, Wrings out the water with the sandel dyed.