a forgotten empire-vijayanagar-第73部分

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er　things　in　alms　to　many　Brahmans。　When　ten　days　are　finished；　and　the　son　has　been　shaved；　he　goes　to　the　place　where　they　burned　his　father　or　his　brother；　and　they　perform　many　ceremonies　over　the　ashes　and　bones　that　remain　unburned；　then　they　put　them　in　a　small　vessel　and　make　a　pit　in　the　ground　and　bury　them　in　it；　and　keep　them　thus　guarded　and　buried　in　order　（afterwards）　to　send　the　bones　to　be　thrown　into　a　sacred　river；　which　is　distant　from　Goa　over　one　thousand　leagues。＇650＇　There　is　a　very　large　temple　there；　the　object　of　many　pilgrimages；　and　they　hold　that　every　pilgrim　who　dies　there　is　saved；　and　goes　to　Paradise；　and　also　every　dead　man　whose　bones　are　thrown　into　that　river。　In　spite　of　this　they　in　reality　take　very　few　people　there。　The　heir　or　the　father　or　son　of　the　dead　man　is　obliged；　from　the　day　of　the　death；　for　eleven　days　to　give　food　to　twenty…seven　Brahmans；　and　until　twenty…one　days　to　three　others；　until　twelve　days　again　he　feeds　seven　Brahmans；　and　until　twenty…seven　days　gives　to　eat　to　the　three；　on　the　last　day　of　the　month　he　gives　food　to　three　others；　and　thenceforward；　until　one　year　is　finished；　he　gives　meals　once　a　month　to　three　Brahmans。　They　do　this　in　honour　of　the　Trinity　for　the　soul　of　the　deceased。　When　this　year　is　over　he　gives　no　more　alms；　except　that　each　year；　on　the　day　on　which　the　death　happened；　he　feeds　six　Brahmans；　　namely；　three　in　honour　of　the　Trinity；　and　three　for　the　persons　of　his　father；　grandfather；　and　great…grandfather；　who　thus　seemingly　eat　together。　Thus　he　obtains　favour　with　God；　and　for　these　expenses　they　beg　alms　of　the　Brahmans　if　they　are　poor。　These　give　him　all　help　for　it。　Before　they　dine　they　wash　the　feet　of　all　six；　and　during　the　meal　some　ceremonies　are　performed　by　Brahman　priests　who　come　there　for　that　purpose。




CHAPTER　A


Diamonds

However　much　it　may　at　first　sight　appear　that　our　chroniclers　have　exaggerated　in　their　description　of　the　wealth　of　the　Hindu　sovereign　and　his　nobles；　and　of　the　wonderful　display　of　jewels　made　on　days　of　high　festival　by　the　ladies　of　their　households；　an　account　of　which　is　given　us　by　Paes；　I　for　one　see　little　reason　for　doubt。　Nuniz　distinctly　states　（p。　389）　that　the　diamond　mines；　in　their　day　the　richest　in　the　world；　were　farmed　out　on　condition　that　all　stones　above　twenty　mangellins　in　weight　　about　twenty…five　carats　　were　sent　to　the　Raya　for　his　personal　use；　and　there　must　have　been　many　of　these。　Barradas　（p。　226　above）　states　that；　according　to　rumour；　even　after　the　downfall　of　the　empire　the　king　at　Chandragiri　in　1614　A。D。　had　no　less　than　three　large　chests　full　of　diamonds　in　his　possession；　and　every　traveller　and　chronicler　has　something　to　say　on　the　subject。

The　principal　mines　were　on　the　north　bank　of　the　Krishna　river；　and　in　the　Kurnool　and　Anantapur　countries；　notably　at　Vajra　Karur。　Generically　these　are　known　as　〃the　mines　of　Golkonda；〃　and　the　phrase　has　passed　into　a　proverb。

Linschoten　（ii。　136）　writes：　〃They　（diamonds）　grow　in　the　countrie　of　Decam　behinde　Ballagate；　by　the　towne　of　Bisnagar；　wherein　are　two　or　three　hilles；　from　whence　they　are　digged；　whereof　the　King　of　Bisnagar　doth　reape　great　profitte；　for　he　causeth　them　to　be　straightly　watched；　and　hath　farmed　them　out　with　this　condition；　that　all　diamonds　that　are　above　twenty…five　Mangellyns　in　weight　are　for　the　King　himselfe　（every　Mangellyn　is　foure　graines　in　weight）。

〃There　is　yet　another　hill　in　the　Countrie　of　Decam；　which　is　called　Velha；　that　is　the　old　Rocke；　from　whence　come　the　best　diamonds　and　are　sold　for　the　greatest　price。。。。　Sometimes　they　find　Diamonds　of　one　hundred　and　two　hundred　Mangelyns　and　more；　but　very　few。〃

As　regards　the　diamond　〃as　large　as　a　hen's　egg；〃　said　to　have　been　found　at　the　sack　of　Vijayanagar　and　presented　to　the　Adil　Shah　（above；　p。　208）；　Couto　（Decade　VIII。　c。　xv。）　says　that　it　was　a　jewel　which　the　Raya　had　affixed　to　the　base　of　the　plume　on　his　horse's　head…dress。　Garcia　da　Orta；　who　was　in　India　in　1534；　says　that　at　Vijayanagar　a　diamond　had　been　seen　as　large　as　a　small　hen's　egg；　and　he　even　declares　the　weights　of　three　others　to　have　been　respectively　120；　148；　and　250　MANGELIS；　equivalent　to　150；　175；　and　312　1/2　carats　（Tavernier；　V。　Ball；　ii。　433）。

Dr。　Ball　has　gone　carefully　into　the　question　of　the　diamonds　known　as　〃Babar's；〃　〃the　Mogul's；〃　〃Pitt's；〃　〃the　KOH…I…NUR；〃　and　others；　and　to　his　Appendix　I。　I　beg　to　refer　those　interested　in　the　subject。

It　is　clear　that　this　hen's　egg　diamond　could　not　be　the　fame　as　Sultan　Babar's；　because　the　former　was　taken　at　Vijayanagar　in　A。D。　1565；　whereas　Sultan　Babar's　was　received　by　his　son　Humayun　at　Agra　in　1526；　and　could　not　have　been；　forty　years　later；　in　the　possession　of　the　Hindu　king　of　the　south。＇651＇

Dr。　Ball　has　shown　that　probably　the　KOH…I…NUR　is　identical　with　the　〃Mogul's　diamond。〃　Was；　then；　this　〃hen's　egg〃　diamond　the　same？　Probably　not。　If　we　had　been　told　that　the　〃hen's　egg；〃　when　found　in　the　sack　of　Vijayanagar；　had　been　cut；　the　proof　CONTRA　would　be　conclusive；　since　the　KOH…I…NUR　was　certainly　uncut　in　A。D。　1656　or　1657。　But　there　is　no　information　available　on　this　point。

The　〃hen's　egg〃　was　apparently　taken　by　the　Adil　Shah　to　Bijapur　in　1565；　and　it　is　not　likely　to　have　found　its　way；　still　in　an　uncut　state；　into　the　possession　of　Mir　Jumla　in　1656。

The　KOH…I…NUR　was　found　at　Kollur　on　the　river　Krishna；　probably　in　A。D。　1656。　Mir　Jumla　farmed　the　mines　at　that　time；　and　presented　it　uncut　to　the　emperor；　Shah　Jahan。　It　is　said　to　have　weighed　756　English　carats　（Ball；　ii。　444）。　It　was　entrusted　to　a　Venetian　named　Hortensio　Borgio；　and　was　so　damaged　and　wasted　in　his　hands　that；　when　seen　by　Tavernier　in　Aurangzib's　treasury　in　1665；　it　weighed　not　more　than　268　1/2　English　carats。　In　1739　Nadir　Shah　sacked　Delhi　and　carried　the　stone　away　with　him　to　Persia；　conferring　on　it　its　present　immortal　name　the　〃Mountain　of　Light。〃　On　his　murder　in　1747　it　passed　into　the　hands　of　his　grandson；　Shah　Rukh。　Four　years　later　Shah　Rukh　gave　it　to　Ahmad　Shah　Durani　of　Kabul；　and　by　him　it　was　bequeathed　to　his　son　Taimur。　In　1793　it　passed　by　descent　to　his　son　Shah　Zaman；　who　was　blinded　and　deposed　by　his　brother　Muhammad；　but　he　retained　possession　of　the　stone　in　his　prison；　and　in　1795　it　became　the　property　of　his　brother　Sultan　Shuja。　In　1809；　after　Shuja　became　king　of　Kabul；　Elphinstone　saw　the　diamond　in　his　bracelet　at　Peshawur。　In　1812；　Shuja；　being　dethroned　by　Muhammad；　fled　to　Lahore；　where　he　was　detained　as　a　quasi…prisoner　by　Ranjit　Singh；　the　ruler　of　the　Panjab。　In　1813　an　agreement　was　arrived　at；　and　Shuja　surrendered　the　diamond　to　Ranjit　Singh。　Ranjit　often　wore　the　stone；　and　it　was　constantly　seen　by　European　visitors　to　Lahore。　Dying　in　1839；　the　KOH…I…NUR　was　placed　in　the　jewel…chamber　till　the　infant　Dhulip　Singh　was　acknowledged　as　Ranjit's　successor。　In　1849　it　was　handed　over　to　Sir　John　Lawrence　on　the　annexation　of　the　Panjab；　and　by　him　was　sent　to　England　to　Her　Majesty　the　Queen。　In　1851　it　was　exhibited　at　the　first　great　Exhibition；　and　in　1852　it　was　re…cut　by　an　Amsterdam　cutter；　Voorsanger；　in　the　employ　of　Messrs。　Garrards。　The　weight　is　now　106　1/16　carats。

It　would　be　interesting　to　trace　the　story　of　the　〃hen's　egg〃　diamond　after　its　acquisition　by　the　Bijapur　sultan；　Ali　Adil。

H。　de　Montfart；　who　travelled　in　India　in　1608；　saw　a　very　large　diamond　in　the　possession　of　the　Mogul　emperor　Jahangir　at　Delhi；＇652＇　but　this　had　been　pierced。　〃I　have　seene　one　with　the　great　MOGOR　as　bigge　as　a　Hen's　egge；　and　of　that　very　forme；　which　he　caused　expressly　to　bee　pierced　like　a　pearle　to　weare　it　on　his　arme。。。。　It　weighteth　198　Mangelins。〃



CHAPTER　B

The　Wealth　of　the　Dakhan　in　the　Fourteenth　Century　A。D。

When　Malik　Kafur；　in　the　year　1310　A。D。；　during　the　reign　of　Ala…ud…Din　Khilji　of　Delhi；　carried　out　his　successful　raids　into　the　Dakhan　and　to　the　Malabar　coast；　sacking　all　the　Hindu　temples；　ravaging　the　territory　of　Maisur；　and　despoiling　the　country；　he　is　said　to　have　returned　to　Delhi　with　an　amount　of　treasure　that　seems　almost　fabulous。　Firishtah　writes：　〃They　found　in　the　temples　prodigious　spoils；　such　as　idols　of　gold　adorned　with　precious　stones；　and　other　rich　effects　consecrated　to　Hindu　worship；〃　and　Malik　presented　his　sovereign　with　〃312　elephants；　20；000　horses；　96；000　MANS　of　gold；　several　boxes　of　jewels　and　pearls；　and　other　precious　effects。〃

When　we　come　to　estimate　the　amount　of　gold　we　are　met　with　a　difficulty；　as　there　are　many　varieties　of　MANS　in　India；　the　variation　being　as　much　as　from　19　lbs。　in　Travancore　to　163　1/4　lbs。　in　Ahmadnagar。　The　Madras　MAN　weighs　25　lbs。；　the　Bombay　MAN　28　lbs。　Hawkins；　writing　in　1610；　gives　55　lbs。　to　the　MAN；＇653＇　Middleton；　in　1611；　33　lbs。＇654＇　Now　Firishtah　had　more　to　do　with　Ahmadnagar　than　any　other　part　of　India；　and　if　his　estimate　was　based　on　the　MAN　of　that　tract。　Malik　Kafur's　96；000　MANS　of　gold　would　have　amounted　to　the　enormous　sum　of　15；672；000　lbs。　weight。　It　is　hardly　likely　that　Firishtah　would　have　had　in　his　mind　the　Travancore　MAN。　Even　if　he　was　thinking　of　the　Madras　MAN；　which　is　not　lik