bernieu’s voyx\ge to the east indies.

13°

Prince, who confequently was a very great and very potent monarch ; but now it isdivided among many different fovereigns, that are alfo of different religions. The caufeof this divifion was, that the King Ramras, the laft of thofe that have poffeffed thismighty ftate entirely, did imprudently raife three Haves, Gurgis, he had about him toohigh, fo as to make them all three governors of places : the fit'll, of the greateft partof thofe countries, which at prefent are poffeffed by the Mogul in Decan, about Dau-let-Abad, from Eider, Paranda, Surat , unto Narbadar: the fecond, of all the otherlands, now comprehended under the kingdom of Vifapour: and the third, of all that iscontained under the kingdom of Golkonda . Thefe three Haves grew very rich, andfound themfelves fupported by a good number of the Moguls that were in the ferviceof Ramras, becaufe they were all three Mahometans, of the fe£l Chyas, like the Per-fians. And at length they all revolted together with one accord, killed King Ramras,and returned to their government, each taking upon him the title of Chah or King.The i Hue of Ramras, not finding themfelves ftrong enough for them, were content tokeep themfelves in a corner, viz. in that country which is commonly called Karnatek,in our maps, Bifnaguer, where they are Hill Rajas to this very day. All the reft of theftate was alfo at the fame time divided into all thofe Rajas , Naiques, and petty kingsfuch as we fee there. Thefe three Haves and their pofterity have always defended them-felves very well in their kingdoms, whilft they kept a good mutual correfpondence,and aflifted one another in their grievous wars againft the Moguls. But when theyonce came to think every one to defend their lands apart, they foon found the effedtsof their divifion. For the, Mogul fo well knew to take his time on that occafion (whichis now about thirty-five or forty years fince), that he poffeffed himfelf within a littletime of all the country of Nejam-Chah, or King Nejam, the fifth or fixth of the familyof the firft Have, and at laft took him prifoner in Daulet-Abad, the capital, where hedied.

After that time, the Kings of Golkonda have maintained themfelves well enough;not as if they could compare with the power of the Mogul, but becaufe the Mogulhath always been employed againft the two others ; from whom he was to take Amber,Paranda, Bider, and fome other places, before he could conveniently march towardsGolkonda : and becaufe they have always been fo politic, being very opulent, as tofumifti underhand the King of Vifapour with money, and thereby to help him to main-tain a war againft the Mogul. Beftdes that, they ever have a confiderable army on foot,which is always ready, and never fails to take the field, and to approach to the fron-tiers, at the time when there is news that that of the Mogul marches againft Vifapour ;to let the Mogul fee, not only that they are always ready to defend themfelves, but alfothat they could eafily affift the King of Vifapour, in cafe he Ihould be reduced to anyextremity. Next, which is very confiderable, they know alfo how to convey moneyunderhand to the chieftains of the Mogolian army; who thereupon advife the court,that it is more to purpofe to attack Vifapour, as being nearer to Daulet-Abad. Fur-ther, they fend every year very confiderable prefents to the Great Mogul, by way oftribute ; which confift partly in fome rare manufactures of the country; partly in ele-phants, which they fend for from Pegu, Siam, and Ceilan ; partly in fair ready money.Daftly, the Mogul confiders that kingdom as his own, not only becaufe he looks uponthe King thereof as his tributary, but chiefly fince that agreement heretofore fpokenof,which the prefent King made with Aureng-Zebe, when he befieged Golkonda ; andthere being alfo no place able to refill, even from Daulet-Abad unto Golkonda , hejudgeth, that when he fhall think fit to pufli for it, he may take in the whole kingdomin one campaign; which in my op 1 nion he would certainly have done, if he did not ap-9 prehend,