The Hindu Business Line : Discovery of Mughal India

Covering a golden period of Indian medieval history, this volume of excerpts from the writings of famous European travellers to India tellingly illustrates what made India great when Europe still reeled under the effects of bigotry and parochialism. Chronologically arranged, the accounts span the years prior to Babur’s arrival in India, move on through the reigns of Akbar, Jahangir, Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb and end up with the first underpinnings of English rule in S outh India.

The strong religious bias of these Christian travellers, who could never appreciate the secular ideals of the rulers and masses in the religious mosaic that was India, stands out in sharp contrast to the strict punishment meted out in Akbar’s time for any act that would hurt the religious sentiments of Vaishnavite Hindus. Friar Sebastien Manrique’s account of the trouble his entourage got into for killing a peacock in Orissa tells us a great deal about the cultural ethos of Mughal India, and the high regard Mughals had for native religions and sentiment. More than anything else, it explains what made Akbar and his successors great.

Similarly, we also learn from Francois Bernier how careful the Mughal army and the royal entourage were in never resorting to pillage for satisfying their wants. Since every bit of land was considered to belong to the king, no peasant could suffer losses, thus ensuring orderliness and discipline even as large numbers of men and animals moved across the countryside.

The writings give us a taste of the life lived by the masses, their daily travails and famines, even as one gets a taste of the grandeur of Fatehpur Sikri and Vijaynagar through the eyes of well-known personages like William Hawkins, Francois Bernier, Jean-Baptiste Tavernier besides many lesser-known ones.

Reading through the book, one realises why some colonialists succeeded in India where others failed. For instance, Afanasy Nikitin’s dismissal of all things Indian stands out against Tavernier’s keen eye for detail, and William Hawkins’ desire to understand the Mughal Court and its political intrigues by conversing in Turkish.

The chaos reigning in most parts of the country during Afanasy Nikitin’s visit, which was prior to Babur’s arrival in India, contrasts sharply with the orderliness prevalent during the heyday of Mughal rule. Nikitin’s classification of all Muslims as Khorasani is galling, and points to a limited knowledge of people and places. His orthodox Russian perspective in viewing everything leaves the reader amused, as he despairs of losing track of Christian rituals and fasts, even as the grandeur of the Vijayanagar empire dazzles him.

Not much is spoken of thugee, but one gets a uniform impression of the kind of lawlessness and brigandage that deterred travellers all over the country, whether on land or at sea. Yet, the sarai or rest-houses for travellers have be en praised by all for the comforts they presented, and the manner in which they were maintained by dedicated men and women all over India.

Cesare Federici arrived in India a little after the ransacking of Vijayanagar by the Bahamani sultans, and yet the ruins impressed him enough. From Federici we hear one of the earliest accounts of the matriarchal system of the Kerala Nairs. We also learn how the riches brought by coastal piracy to local rulers kept the scourge alive for years to come. Federici’s description of pearl diving in the Gulf of Manaar, the kind of boats used in coastal Ceylon, and the sorting that follows every pearl harvest infuse local colour and flavour to his writings.

One also gets to read two early accounts of sati here, one by Nikitin and the other by Federici. However, while Nikitin speaks of the natives in most disparaging tones, Federici is more objective and balanced.

Father Antonio Monserrate’s view is totally clouded by his fanatical ecclesiastical bent of mind, which results in a muddled account of Hindu rituals and gods. His ignorance of Indian history and geography results in some peculiar references to Christian (sic) rulers who ruled prior to the advent of the Mughals. Kashmiris are referred to as “people of Jewish descent” (sic) and Kumaon is placed somewhere in Haryana. However, Monserrate gives a fairly accurate account of Fatehpur Sikri and its magnificence during Akbar’s time. The familiar hunting scenes of Mughal miniatures come alive to us as we read Monserrate’s account of how elaborate Akbar’s hunting expeditions were.

Niccolao Manucci’s account of the brisk trading at the port of Surat, and the superiority of Indian ships built here to those made in Europe is typical of the interests of a sea-faring traveller brought up in Venice. His account of the Parsis is far-fetched and factually incorrect, and yet, one cannot but feel amused at his initial reaction to paan-eating among the Indians. As a European who served under Dara Shikoh, and later Aurangzeb, Manucci tells us a great deal about th e European soldiers of fortune, who were then getting themselves inducted into Mughal armies in ever-increasing numbers.

As a trading Frenchman who came to India for business, Jean Baptiste Tavernier gives a very elaborate account of the gypsy caravans that criss-crossed the country to transport goods, and their castes based on respective specialisations. Although Tavernier sounds as confused as any of the other European travellers about Hindu idolatry, untouchability, exclusivity and caste segregation, he has left behind a very detailed account of life and the education imparted to Hindu noblemen in the holy city of Varanasi.

From William Hawkins, and Friar Domingo Fernandez de Navarette, we learn a good deal of court intrigues and the internecine conflicts among the English, Portuguese and French colonists of the period. Hindu practices may have justly confounded Navarette, yet we find him speak well of Indian honesty and enterprise. Temples and their beauty fascinated Navarette, in spite of his Christian beliefs that looked down on Hindu rituals and philosophy. We also learn about the myriad hues of Indian streets, with their jugglers, snake-charmers and dancing girls, even as the profligacy and dissipation of the Indian feudals does not fail to shock and astound him. Bernier’s rationalism may have prevented him from accepting the miracles doled out by Sufis in Kashmir, but the natural beauty and mellow fruitfulness of the beautiful valley did not fail to move him.

Culled from Spanish, Latin and English originals, the passages have been chosen with care. The original English has been retained here, to give the right feel of times past. An additional bonus is William Dalrymple’s beautifully researched preface to the volume. Do read the book, if you desire to understand what drew so many travellers from far and near to India, notwithstanding its vastness, harsh climate, armed highwaymen and pirates.

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