LIFE IN THE ZENĀNA, AND CHĪTĀ HUNTING.
“TEN DURWESH MAY SLEEP UNDER THE SAME BLANKET, BUT TWO KINGS CANNOT EXIST
IN ONE KINGDOM[133].”
“A CONTEMPORARY WIFE, THOUGH A HOORI, IS WORSE THAN A SHE DEVIL[134].”
Plurality of Wives—Intrigues and Hatred—Arrival at
Khāsgunge—The Four Walls—Arwarī Shooting—The Pūtlī-nāch—The
Lynx—Introduction to Colonel Gardner’s Begam—The Morning
Star—The Evening Star—The Nawab of Cambay—The beautiful
Gardens—The Bara Deri—Rattler—Chītā Hunting—Antelopes—The sulky
Chītā—Heera Sing—Chītā Hunting attended by native Ladies.
1835, _Feb._—When a woman of rank marries, two female slaves are given
with her, who are also the wives of her husband: this is so completely a
custom it is never omitted: nevertheless, “The very voice of a rival wife
is intolerable[135].”
A number of women are considered to add to a man’s dignity: they add to
his misery most decidedly. This custom being more honoured in the breach
than the observance, was not put in force at the marriage of Mr. Gardner
with Mulka Begam. “The malice of a fellow-wife is notorious[136].” It
would only be surprising if such were not the case. “A contemporary wife
is intolerable, even in effigy[137].” In native life the greatest misery
is produced from a plurality of wives: they, very naturally, hate each
other most cordially, and quarrel all day. The children, also, from their
cradles are taught to hate the children of the other wives; nevertheless,
the following extract proves, that _she_ is considered a wife worthy of
praise, who loves the offspring of her husband and another woman:—
“A woman may be married by four qualifications; one, on account of her
money; another, on account of the nobility of her pedigree; another, on
account of her beauty; the fourth, on account of her faith: therefore,
look out for a religious woman; but if you do it from any other
consideration, may your hands be rubbed in dirt.”—“The world and all
things in it are valuable; but the most valuable thing in the world is
a virtuous woman.”—“The best women, that ride on camels, I mean the
women of Arabia, are the virtuous of the Koreish; they are the most
affectionate to infants, whether they be their own or their husband’s by
other women; and they are the most careful of their husband’s property.”
The proverb is at variance with the opinion of the prophet, since the
former asserts, “A contemporary wife may be good, but her child is
bad[138].” As the means of power over their husbands, native women value
their children very much, and are miserable if they have none.
A zenāna is a place of intrigue, and those who live within four walls
cannot pursue a straight path: how can it be otherwise, where so many
conflicting passions are called forth? If a man make a present to one
wife, he must make a similar offering to all the rest, to preserve peace
and quietness. The wives must have separate houses or apartments; were
it not so, they would agree as well as caged tigers. The kur’ān permits
a Musalmān to have _four_ wives; the proverb says, “The man is happy who
has no she goat[139].” Atàa records, that the prophet had _nine_ wives;
and from Safíah, who was the last of them who died, he wished to be
divorced; but she said, “Keep me with your wives, and do not divorce me,
peradventure I may be of the number of your wives in paradise.”
Some authorities assert, that the prophet had eighteen wives: Atàa only
mentions nine. To recompense his warlike followers for allowing them only
four wives each, he gives them the mutâh marriage for any period they may
choose with the wives of their enemies taken in battle.
In the beginning of Islàm, the followers of the prophet, the shī’as
were allowed to marry for a limited time; this temporary marriage was
called mutâh. “Verily the prophet prohibited, on the day of the battle
of Khaiber, a mutâh marriage, which is for a fixed time, and he forbade
the eating of the flesh of the domestic ass.” “His highness permitted,
in the year in which he went to Awtàs, mutâh for three days; after which
he forbade it.” At length a revelation came down which rendered every
connexion of the sort unlawful for the faithful, “excepting the captives
which their right hands possess.”
If a woman of high rank and consequence has no heir, this farce is often
played. The lady appears to expect one; she is fattened up in the same
curious manner in which they fatten their horses: five or six low caste
women, who really expect children about the same time, are secreted in
the zenāna: when one of them is delivered of a son, the Begam takes it,
the farce of an accouchement is acted, and the child is produced as the
heir; the real mamma has 500 rupees (£50) given her,—and perhaps a dose
of poison to secure her silence.
The father of Mulka Begam, the Huzūr Mirza Sulimān Shekō, the brother
of the present Emperor of Delhi, resides at Agra, on a pension from
Government; he has children innumerable, all young princes and
princesses; there are, it is said, some forty of his children now alive,
proud and poor. By Mulka’s first marriage with Mirza Selīm, the second
son of the present King of Delhi, she had three children. The first
wife of the King of Oude is a sister of Mulka’s, and is reckoned more
beautiful than even Mulka herself.
_24th._—We drove over to Khāsgunge, Colonel Gardner’s residence, thirteen
miles, over roads that were hardly passable. On our arrival, we found
our dear friend seated on the steps in front of his house, with many
gentlemen, both English and native, around him. I thought I had never
seen so dignified and graceful a person; he was dressed in a lubāda of
red figured Indian shawl, the rest of the dress was English, but the
style of the lubāda was particularly good, and suited to an old man; his
half brother, Mr. Valentine Gardner, was with him, also an old nawāb from
Cambay.
Colonel Gardner has a fine estate at Khāsgunge; the outer house is
dedicated to his friends and English acquaintance; within four high walls
is the barā-deri, or pavilion, in the centre of the zenāna gardens, in
which his begam resides.
Apartments were given to my husband and me in the outer house, where the
English visitors resided. The dinners at first consisted of European, as
well as native dishes; but the latter were so excellent, I soon found it
impossible to partake of dishes dressed after the English fashion, and as
all the guests were of the same opinion, Colonel Gardner had the kindness
to banish European dishes from the table.
I must not forget to mention the arwarī fish, the finest and most
delicious I ever tasted; the Kālā-naddī is famed for its arwarī, a sort
of mullet; the fish delights to bask in the sun, floating on the surface
of the water. Colonel Gardner kept two shīkarees (native sportsmen),
for the purpose of shooting these fish; one man fired, and the other
instantly plunged into the water, and brought out the fish that were
killed or stunned. The Musalmāns object to eating fish having no scales;
such fish was also forbidden to the Jews.
In the evening, the native mimics came to perform before us; they
imitated Europeans very well, and mimicked the gentlemen of the party.
A pūtlī-nāch was afterwards brought forward; I was surprised to see
the natives, young and old, so eager and fond of this absurdity, until
Colonel Gardner said, “The natives are madly fond of this pūtlī-nāch;
indeed, it is all the English have left them of their former glory. You
see, represented by puppets, Shāhjahān and all his Court and Durbar:
one puppet is brought forward, and the manager, whilst it bows to the
audience, relates the whole history of the minister whom it represents;
giving a true account of his pedigree, riches, influence, &c. At this
moment, standing behind my chair, at a salary of four rupees a month,
is the lineal descendant of one of the first lords in the Court of
Shāhjahān. The managers of the show mix up infinite wit with their
relation of events, and sarcasms on the English.”
After this explanation, I could see the reason of the fondness of the
old natives for this puppet-show, which before, in my ignorance, I had
not comprehended. One by one every puppet is brought forward, and its
history recounted. This evening fatigued me a good deal; we sat under the
verandah to see the sights, the glare of the torches was painful to my
eyes, and the noise made my head ache.
_27th._—A lynx (the caracal), the property of Colonel Gardner, a most
extraordinary looking beast, killed a goa samp: I was told, the animal
catches crows by springing several feet into the air after them as they
rise from the ground.
The cheeta, or chītā, (hunting leopard), killed two antelopes: some nāch
girls danced and sang in the evening, and thus closed the day.
My husband, who had accompanied me to Khāsgunge, now took leave of
Colonel Gardner, and returned to Allahabad, leaving me with our dear
friend to witness the Muhammadan marriage ceremonies. My husband quitted
us with regret, being obliged to depart on account of the expiration of
his leave of absence.
Colonel Gardner married Nawab Matmunzel ool Nissa Begam, of the Cambay
family; she resides in the house or pavilion within the four walls, with
her relatives, attendants, and slaves. This morning the Begam sent word
she would receive visitors in the evening; Colonel Gardner took me over,
and introduced me to her as his adopted daughter; she rose and embraced
me, putting her cheek to mine on each side the face, after the fashion of
the French, and her arms around me: having received her guests, she sat
down on her gaddī of purple velvet, embroidered with gold; and we seated
ourselves on plain white gaddīs on either side.
The Begam is a very lively little old woman; she was magnificently
dressed in pearls, diamonds, and emeralds,—as many as it was possible to
put on her little body; she wore a peshwāz, or very short full gown, with
a tight body, made of red and gold Benares tissue; this is a dress Of
state; pigāmās of silk; and, over all, a dopatta of red and gold Benares
tissue, which, as she sat, covered her entirely; and she looked more like
a lump of glittering gold and crimson and pearls, than a living woman.
A golden hooqŭ, with four nā’echas (snakes) was placed before her on a
hooqŭ carpet of raised flowers, curiously cut out in paper. The room was
covered with a carpet, over which white cloths were spread after the
usual fashion, and the lamps all stood on the ground.
At the other end of the room sat fourteen slave girls, belonging to the
Begam, who played on different instruments, whilst one or two of them
nāched before us.
The ladies of the family were seated on the Begam’s left hand.
There was Hinga Beebee Sāhiba, the Widow of Allan Gardner, the eldest son
of Colonel Gardner; her eldest daughter, Hirmoozee, married Mr. Stuart
William Gardner, an officer in the 28th Native Infantry, and son of
Admiral Francis Gardner, a relative of Colonel Gardner’s.
Her second daughter, Susan, generally called Shubbeah Begam, was not
present; being engaged to be married to a young Prince of Delhi, she was
kept in pārda. At her feet were the two daughters of James Gardner by a
former marriage; the eldest, Alaida (the Morning Star), about fifteen
years old, very fair, with a round pretty face; but her great charm was a
remarkably sweet and interesting manner; she of them all was the one whom
Colonel Gardner best loved; and indeed she was a sweet girl. Her younger
sister (the Evening Star) was darker than Alaida, pretty and lively.
They, like the Begam, had Tartar faces, in which the eyes are wide apart;
but were both, nevertheless, very pretty and interesting girls.
Two English gentlemen, who were fond of native life, and fascinated with
Khasgunge, requested me to mention to Colonel Gardner their wish to
become of his family; I did so. Colonel Gardner replied, “Shubbeah is
engaged to the Prince:” but, said I, “Do you think she likes him?” “How
little you know of the natives!” he replied; “it would be considered
the greatest indelicacy for a girl to prefer one man to another, or
to have seen the man to whom she is to be united. Tell Mr. ⸺ I am
flattered by his wish to be of my family, and would willingly give him my
grand-daughter, but the Begam is bent on this _grand alliance_, as _she_
considers it: I have withheld my consent for years; ‘The house may be
filled with the falling of drops[140];’ _i.e._ continual dripping wears
away stones. She has carried the point. I have been happy in my marriage,
but I would not advise an European gentleman to marry a native lady. With
respect to the proposals of the other gentleman, in a worldly point of
view it would be a good match; but I do not like the man; I cannot bestow
upon him the Morning Star.”
Bānā Beebee Sāhiba was also there; in her younger days she must have been
pretty; her liveliness she still retained.
The guests smoked the hooqŭ, and ate pān; some very delicate pān was
prepared for me, of which I partook for the first time, and rather liked
it.
At the end of the evening, the Begam gave her guests liberty to depart;
pān and atr of roses were presented to us; rose-water was sprinkled over
us; we made salām in due form, and returned to the outer house.
The Begam has a guard of honour of forty men, who live at the entrance of
the zenāna, and guard the gateway night and day.
I must not forget the old Nawāb of Cambay, the uncle of the Begam; he is
quite a character, and a very singular one; he has visited England; he
used to dine at the table with us, and would take sherry with the guests.
When a lady was at table he would take sherry; if gentlemen only were
present, the sherry was discarded for brandy: one day I observed he drank
some white spirit, and found it was a strong spirit he himself distilled
from different flowers: to my surprise, he used also to play backgammon.
Natives have names and titles innumerable, of which his are a good
specimen: Fakhr-ul-dawla Moomtaj ul Moolk Nawab Meer Momun Khan Bahadur
Delme Delawor Jung.
Colonel Gardner’s name is William Linnæus, so called after his godfather,
the great botanist; he is himself an excellent botanist, and pursues the
study with much ardour. His garden at Khāsgunge is a very extensive and
a most delightful one, full of fine trees and rare plants, beautiful
flowers and shrubs, with fruit in abundance and perfection; no expense is
spared to embellish the garden: in the centre is a delightful pavilion,
under the shade of fine trees. It is one of the pleasures of the Begam
and her attendants to spend the day in that garden: guards are then
stationed around it, to prevent intrusion. She is herself extremely fond
of flowers, and, although not a botanist, after the European fashion, she
knows the medicinal qualities of all the Indian plants, and the dyes that
can be produced from them; and this knowledge is of daily account in the
zenāna.
_March 1st._—Took a gallop on a fine English horse, Rattler by name;
being accustomed to ride Arabs, this great monster appeared like a frisky
mountain under me.
_2nd._—Mr. James Gardner invited us to return to his house at Kutchowra,
that we might enjoy chītā hunting. We drove over, and in the evening some
nāch women exhibited before us for our amusement.
_3rd._—In the early morning I mounted a white pony, and we all rode out
eight miles to breakfast in a tent which had been sent out over night.
After breakfast the party got into the buggies.
We went directly across the country; there were no roads,—over banks,
and through ditches, where it appeared a miracle we were not upset. We
came to a deep, narrow, stone water-course: my companion said, “If you
will get out of the buggy, I will leap the mare over; if I attempt to
walk her over, she will be sure to get her foot in, and break her leg.”
I got out accordingly; away went the mare; she took a leap at the drain,
and carried the buggy over in excellent style. Buggies in India have the
remarkable faculty of leaping, being accustomed to such freaks.
We arrived at the estate of a native gentleman, called Petumber, where,
on the plain, we saw a herd of about three hundred antelopes, bounding,
running, and playing in the sunshine; and a severe sun it was, enough
to give one a brain fever, in spite of the leather hood of the buggy.
The antelopes are so timid, they will not allow a buggy to come very
near the herd; therefore being determined to see the hunt, we got out
of the carriage and mounted upon the hackery (cart) on which the cheetā
was carried, without even an umbrella, lest it should frighten the deer.
The cheetā had a hood over his eyes and a rope round his loins, and two
natives, his keepers, were with him.
I sat down by accident on the animal’s tail:—O-o-o-wh, growled the
cheetā. I did not wait for another growl, but released his tail
instantly. The bullock hackery was driven into the midst of the herd.
The bandage was removed from the eyes of the cheetā, and the cord from
his body: he dropped from the cart and bounded, with the most surprising
bounds, towards an immense black buck, seized him by the throat, flung
him on the ground, and held him there. The keepers went up, they cut the
buck’s throat, and then they cut off the haunch of the hind leg, and,
dipping a wooden spoon into the cavity, offered it full of blood to the
cheetā. Nothing but this would have induced the cheetā to quit the throat
of the buck. He followed the men to the cart, jumped upon it, drank
the blood, and the men then put his bandage over his eyes. The haunch
was put into the back of the cart, the reward for the animal when the
hunting was over. The herd had passed on; we followed, taking care the
wind did not betray our approach. The cheetā was leaning against me in
the hackery, and we proceeded very sociably. Another herd of antelopes
went bounding near us, the cheetā’s eyes were unbound again, and the
rope removed from his loins; a fine buck passed, we expected he would
instantly pursue it as usual, but the animal turned sulky, and instead
of dropping down from the hackery, he put both his fore-paws on my lap
and stood there two or three seconds with his face and whiskers touching
my cheek. O-o-o-wh—O-o-o-wh, growled the cheetā!—my heart beat faster,
but I sat perfectly quiet, as you may well imagine, whilst I thought to
myself, “If he seize my throat, he will never leave it until they cut off
my hind quarter, and give him a bowl of blood!” His paws were as light
on my lap as those of a cat. How long the few seconds appeared whilst
I eyed him askance! Nor was I slightly glad when the cheetā dropped to
the ground, where he crouched down sulkily and would not hunt. He was a
very fine-tempered animal, but they are all uncertain. I did not like his
being quite so near when he was unfastened and _sulky_.
The next time I took care to get off the cart before the creature was
freed from restraint. It is painful to witness a cheetā hunt, the
beautiful antelope has so little chance of escape.
During the day, we killed three fine antelopes; the horns of one of
them, remarkably large, with five turns on them, I brought to England.
We rested under some trees by a well to partake of tiffin, when one of
the party observed, “This wood and well are remarkable. Heera Sing, the
father of Petumber, was a Thug, and made by Thuggee a large fortune. In
this plantation and by the side of this very well his people used to wait
for travellers, lure them to the shade and water to refresh themselves,
strangle them, and cast their bodies into the well.
“After having amassed a fortune, Heera Sing repented, and gave orders
that life should not be taken on his estate. He would not allow the
antelopes to be killed; and his son having followed his example, accounts
for the large herds of antelopes we have found here: it is an excellent
preserve.” We then returned home; I was almost dead with the heat, having
been out in such a powerful sun during a drive of about thirty miles.
Mulka Begam sometimes goes out cheetā hunting in a native carriage, drawn
by two magnificent bullocks, adorned with crimson housings, and their
horns covered with plates of gold.
In this manner the princess can behold the sport, and enter into the
amusement, while she is completely secluded from the profane eye of man.