The Eldest Was Named Don Philippo, The
Second Don Carlo, And The Third Don Henrico.
On the 3d September
following, another young prince was christened by the name of Don
Duarte, being grandson to a brother of the Emperor Akbar.
This king gave
frequent charges to the fathers to instruct all these princes in the
Christian religion; yet all this has since clearly appeared to have been
mere dissimulation.[242]
[Footnote 242: It is possible that Selim, unwilling to put to death such
near relations, fell upon this device to render them ineligible among
the Moguls to the succession, by which to secure the throne to himself
and his sons. - E.]
Sec. 5. Description of Futtipoor, Biana, &c.; of Nill, or Indigo; and of
other Matters.
The 1st of November I was sent to Biana to buy nill, or indigo. I
lodged the first night at Menhapoor, a great serai or public inn,
seven c. from Agra, near which the queenmother has a garden, and
Moholl, or summer-house, very curiously contrived. The 2d I halted at
Kanowa, or Kanua, eleven c. At every coss from Agra to Ajmeer, 130
coss, there is erected a stone pillar, owing to the following
circumstance. At Ajmeer is the tomb of a celebrated Mahometan saint,
called Haji Mondee; and as Akbar had no children, he made a pilgrimage
on foot to that famous shrine, ordering a stone pillar to be erected at
every coss, and a Moholl, with lodgings for sixteen of his principal
women, at the end of every eight coss; and after his return he had three
sons.
At twelve coss from Agra, on this road, is the famous city of
Futtipoor, built by Akbar, and inclosed by a fair stone wall, still
quite fresh, having four great gates, some three English miles between
each. Within the walls, the whole extent of the city lies waste like a
desert and uninhabited, being very dangerous to pass through in the
night time. Much of the ground is now occupied as gardens, and much of
it is sown with nill, or different kinds of grain, so that, one could
hardly suppose he were in the middle of what was so lately a great and
populous city. Before the gate towards Agra, in a stony ascent near a
coss in length, are the ruins of an extensive suburb. At the S.W. gate,
for two English miles from the city, there are ruins of many fine
buildings; and on the left are many fine walled gardens, to the distance
of three miles from the city. At the entrance of the N.E. gate is a
goodly bazar, or market, all of stone, being a spacious straight-lined
and paved street, with handsome houses on both sides, half a mile long.
Close, within the gate is the king's serai, consisting of extensive
stone buildings, but much ruined. At the head of this street stands the
king's house, or Moholl, with much curious building; beyond which, on an
ascent, is the goodliest mosque in all the east.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 241 of 424
Words from 125566 to 126076
of 221842
