CHAP. IX. Thevenot dis dains to engage a Charun. Raja of the Administration of justice. Thevenot believed that Charuns had carried out this threat in former times, but that the practice had fallen into disuse, and that Charuns compounded with the Gratiates by dividing the money they received from the traveller. The Banians still made use of Charuns, and Thevenot might have hired them for two rupees a day, but he could not bring himself to stoop to such a mean protection. Accordingly he told his coachman to drive on, and prepared to run all risks. At one place a Gratiate called on the coachman to stop, and by making an outcry would have induced others to join him, but he was easily satisfied by the payment of some coppers. A little way farther a toll of half a rupee was collected from all travellers by the Raja of the Gratiates. In return, the Raja answered for all robberies committed within his territories. Indeed the Raja did his best to prevent all robberies, and he caused all stolen things to be restored, especially goods belonging to merchants. The same Raja levied ten rupees a man on all caravans between Surat and Agra; but in return he gave the merchants a feast, entertained them with dancing girls, and sent a body of horsemen to guard them so long as they remained under his jurisdiction. He was lord of all the villages from Cambay to Baroche, and all his subjects were known as Gratiates. Thevenot described the administration of justice in Surat, which resembled that in all Muhammadan cities. There was a Mufti or Mullah who superintended all matters that concerned the Muhammadan religion. There was a Kází who was consulted whenever there was any dispute about the law. There was a Wakianavis, who sent reports direct to the Padishah of all that took place in the city. There was also a Kotwal and Foujdar, whose duties will be described farther on. CHAP. IX. of Surat. There were two Nawabs at Surat who were inde- Two Nawabs pendent of each other, and responsible only to the Padishah. One Nawab commanded the fortress and the other the town; and neither encroached on the rights or duties of the other. civil If a A ministered by Civil justice ndthe Nawab of the town: The Nawab of the town was the judge in all matters, and generally rendered speedy justice. man sued another for a debt, he had either to show an obligation, to produce two witnesses, or to take an oath. If he was a Christian he swore on the Gospels; if he were a Muhammadan he swore on the Koran; and if he were a Hindu he swore on the cow. Hindu oath consisted in laying the hand upon a cow, and expressing a desire to eat its flesh if what he said was not true. Most Hindus, however, preferred to lose their cause rather than swear, because swearing was always regarded by them as an infamous action. The Nawab never interfered in criminal affairs; Criminal justice they were all left to the Kotwal. [This officer discharged the functions of magistrate, judge, head of the police, and superintendent of the prison; and was held generally responsible for the peace and order of the city.] He ordered criminals to be whipped or cudgelled in his presence, either in his own house or at the place where the crime had been committed. He went abroad on horseback, attended by several officers on foot, some carrying batons and great whips, others carrying lances, swords, targets, and iron maces, but every man having a dagger at his side. Neither the Nawab nor the Kotwal could put any by the Kotwal, CHAP. IX. reserved by Aurangzeb, man to death.47 Aurangzeb reserved that power to Capital sentences himself. Therefore, whenever any man deserved death, a courier was dispatched to know the pleasure of the Padishah, and the imperial orders were put in execution immediately after the return of the courier. Protection of the city. Kotwal held responsible for all robberies. The Foujdar of the district. Plunder of Surat by Sivaji in 1664. The Kotwal paraded the streets during the night to prevent disorders, and he set guards at different places. If any man was found abroad in the streets, he was committed to prison, and rarely released without being whipped or bastinadoed. This round of duty was performed three times every night, namely, at nine o'clock in the evening, at twelve o'clock at night, and at three o'clock in the morning. The Kotwal was answerable for all thefts committed in the town. Whenever a robbery was discovered, the Kotwal apprehended all the people of the house, young and old, and subjected them in turns to a severe beating. If at the end of five or six days no one confessed, they were all set at liberty. There was also a provost at Surat, who was called the Foujdar. His duty was to secure the country round about, and he was answerable for all robberies. committed within a certain area outside the city. Two years before Thevenot's visit to Surat the place had been plundered by Sivaji, and the memory of that four days' sack and burning was still fresh in the minds of the inhabitants. It was wonderful that such a populous city should have patiently suffered itself to be looted by a handful of men; but the Hindus were mostly cowards, and no sooner did Sivaji appear than they all fled, some to Baroche, 47 Criminal justice had been much more lax in the reign of Shah Jehan. See Mandelsto's story of the execution of dancing girls by the governor of Ahmadabad, ante, chap. vi. CHAP. IX. Delhi, 1666. Thugs. and others to the fortress. The Christians from Europe managed to protect themselves against the Mahrattas, but this was because they had planted cannon round their factories, whereas Sivaji and his Mahrattas had no artillery to bring against them. Thevenot also mentions Sivaji's visit to Delhi, and Sivaij's visit to subsequent escape from the designs of Aurangzeb, which happened in 1666, the very year that Thevenot was travelling in India. He explains that Aurangzeb shrank from putting Sivaji to death because he feared an insurrection of the Rajas, who had become sureties for the performance of Aurangzeb's promises. Thevenot travelled along the once famous high- wild beasts and way between Agra and Delhi, which was planted with trees, and extended beyond Delhi to Lahore. But he describes the road as being only tolerable, and as infested by tigers, panthers, and lions; also by certain skilful robbers, who were afterwards known as Thugs. These miscreants were the most cunning in all the world. They threw a noose with certain aim round a man's neck, and then strangled him in a trice. Sometimes they sent a handsome woman on the road, who appeared with dishevelled hair, weeping and complaining of some misfortune. A traveller was easily decoyed into a conversation with this dangerous lady, who either threw the noose and strangled him with her own hands, or else stunned him until the robbers came up and finished the business. the Nair aristo Thevenot furnishes some curious details respecting Malabar country: the Nairs of Malabar. The Nairs, he said, had a great cracy." conceit of their nobility, because they fancied themselves to be descended from the Sun. They gave place to none except the Portuguese, and that pre CHAP. IX. cedence cost blood. The Portuguese Viceroy at Goa agreed with the Raja of Cochin that the question should be settled by a duel between a Portuguese man and a Nair. The Nair was overcome, and from that time the Nairs gave precedence to the Portuguese. Aversion of the Degradation of Fryer, 1673-81, The Nairs had a strong aversion to a low-caste people known as Poleas. If a Nair felt the breath of a Polea, he fancied himself polluted, and was obliged to kill the man, and make certain ablutions in public with great ceremony. If he spared the Polea, and the matter reached the ears of the Raja, the Nair would be either put to death or sold for a slave. The Poleas in the fields were obliged to cry out "Po! Po!" incessantly, in order to give notice to any Nairs who might chance to be in the neighbourhood. If a Nair responded, the Poleas retired to a distance. No Polea was allowed to enter a town. If a Polea wanted anything he cried for it with a loud voice outside the town, and left the money at a certain place appointed for the traffic. Some merchant then brought the commodity that was called for, and took away the price of it. DR. JOHN FRYER, M.D., of the University of Cambridge, arrived in India in 1673, about six or seven years after the departure of Thevenot. He was a surgeon to the East India Company during the war between the English and Dutch; and he sailed to Madras with a fleet of ten ships which had been armed for the conveyance of treasure during the 48" A New Account of East India and Persia," by John Fryer, M.D., Cantab. Folio. Lond. 1697. |