ALLAHABAD--CAUNIPOOR--AGRA--THE MAUSOLEUM OF SULTAN AKBAR--TAJ-
MEHAL--THE RUINED TOWN OF FATIPOOR--SIKRI--DELHI--THE MAIN STREET--
PUBLIC PROCESSIONS--THE EMPEROR'S PALACE--PALACES AND MOSQUES--OLD
DELHI--REMARKABLE RUINS--THE ENGLISH MILITARY STATION.
From Benares, Mr. Law and myself travelled in a post-dock to
Allahabad. The distance, which amounts to seventy-six miles,
occupies about twelve or thirteen hours. We left the sacred town on
the 7th of January, 1848, at 6 o'clock in the evening, and early in
the morning found ourselves already near Allahabad, at a long bridge
of boats which here crosses the Ganges.
We left the post-dock, and were carried in palanquins to the hotel,
about a mile further on. When we arrived there, we found it so
occupied by some officers of a regiment on the march, that my
travelling companion was received only upon condition that he would
content himself with a place in the public-room. In these
circumstances, nothing remained for me but to make use of my letter
of introduction to Dr. Angus.
My arrival placed the good old gentleman in no little embarrassment:
his house was also already filled with travellers. His sister, Mrs.
Spencer, however, with great kindness, at once offered me half of
her own sleeping apartment.
Allahabad has 25,000 inhabitants. It lies partly upon the Jumna
(Deschumna), partly on the Ganges. It is not one of the largest and
handsomest, although it is one of the sacred towns, and is visited
by many pilgrims. The Europeans reside in handsome garden-houses
outside the town.
Among the objects of interest, the fortress with the palace is the
most remarkable. It was built during the reign of the Sultan Akbar.
It is situated at the junction of the Jumna with the Ganges.
The fortress has been much strengthened with new works by the
English. It serves now as the principal depot of arms in British
India.
The palace is a rather ordinary building; only a few of the saloons
are remarkable for their interior division. There are some which
are intersected by three rows of columns, forming three adjoining
arcades. In others, a few steps lead into small apartments which
are situated in the saloon itself, and resemble large private boxes
in theatres.
The palace is now employed as an armoury. It contains complete arms
for 40,000 men, and there is also a quantity of heavy ordnance.
In one of the courts stands a metal column thirty-six feet high,
called Feroze-Schachs-Laht, which is very well preserved, is covered
with inscriptions, and is surmounted by a lion.
A second curiosity in the fort is a small unimportant temple, now
much dilapidated, which is considered as very sacred by the Hindoos.
To their great sorrow they are not allowed to visit it, as the fort
is not open to them. One of the officers told me that, a short time
since, a very rich Hindoo made a pilgrimage here, and offered the
commandant of the fortress 20,000 rupees (2,000 pounds) to allow him
to make his devotions in this temple. The commandant could not
permit it.
This fortress also has its tradition:--"When the Sultan Akbar
commenced building it, every wall immediately fell in. An oracle
said that he would not succeed in its erection before a man
voluntarily offered himself as a sacrifice. Such an one presented
himself, and made only one condition, that the fortress and town
should bear his name. The man was called Brog, and the town is,
even at this time, more frequently called Brog by the Hindoos than
Allahabad."
In memory of the heroic man, a temple was erected near the fortress,
under ground, where he is interred. Many pilgrims come here
annually. The temple is quite dark; lights or torches must be used
on entering it. It resembles, on the whole, a large handsome
cellar, the roof of which rests upon a number of plain columns. The
walls are full of niches, which are occupied by idols and figures of
deities. A leafless tree is shown as a great curiosity, which grew
in the temple and made its way through the stone roof.
I also visited a fine large garden, in which stood four Mahomedan
mausoleums. The largest contains a sarcophagus of white marble,
which is surrounded by wooden galleries extremely richly and
handsomely decorated with mother-of-pearl. Here rests the Sultan
Koshru, son of Jehanpuira. Two smaller sarcophagi contain children
of the sultan. The walls are painted with stiff flowers and
miserable trees, between which are some inscriptions.
One part of the wall is covered with a small curtain. The guide
pushed it with great devotion on one side, and showed me the
impression of a colossal open hand. He told me that a great-great-
uncle of Mohamet once came here to pray. He was powerful, large,
and clumsy; when raising himself up, he stumbled against the wall
and left the impression of his sacred hand.
These four monuments are said to be upwards of 250 years old. They
are constructed of large blocks of stone, and richly decorated with
arabesques, friezes, reliefs, etc. The sepulchre of Koshru and the
impression of the hand are much venerated by the Mahomedans.
The garden afforded me more pleasure than the monuments--especially
on account of the enormous tamarind-trees. I thought that I had
seen the largest in Brazil, but the ground, or perhaps the climate,
here appears more favourable to this species of trees. Not only is
the garden full of such magnificent specimens, but there are
beautiful avenues of them round the town. The tamarinds of
Allahabad are even mentioned in geographical works.
On one side of the lofty wall which surrounds the garden, two
caravansaries are built, which are remarkable for their beautiful
high portals, their size, and convenient arrangement. They
presented an uncommonly lively appearance, containing people in all
costumes, horses, oxen, camels, and elephants, and a large quantity
of wares in chests, bales, and sacks.
10th January. About 3 in the afternoon, we left Allahabad and
continued our journey in a post-dock as far as Agra, with some short
stoppages. The distance is nearly 300 miles.
In twenty-two hours we reached Caunipoor (150 miles), on the Ganges,
a town which is remarkable for its English settlement.
The journey so far offered little change, an uninterrupted richly-
cultivated plain and an unfrequented road. With the exception of a
few companies of military, we did not meet a single traveller.
A party of military on the march in India resembles a small
emigration company; and, after seeing one, it is easy to form an
idea of the enormous trains of the Persian and other Asiatic armies.
The greater part of the native soldiers are married, as well as the
officers (Europeans); therefore, when the regiment marches, there
are nearly as many women and children as soldiers. The women and
children ride, two or three together, upon horses or oxen, or sit
upon cars, or go on foot with bundles on their backs. They have all
their effects packed upon cars, and drive their goats and cows
before them. The officers follow, with their families, in European
carriages, palanquins, or on horseback. Their tents, house
furniture, etc., are packed upon camels and elephants, which
generally bring up the rear. The camp is pitched on both sides of
the road--on one side are the people, and on the other the animals.
Caunipoor is a strong military station, with four handsome barracks;
there is also an important missionary society. The town possesses
some handsome schools and private buildings, and a Christian church,
in pure Gothic style.
12th January. Towards noon, we reached the small village of Beura.
Here we found a bungalow; that is, a small house with two or four
rooms barely furnished with the most necessary and plainest
furniture. These bungalows stand upon the post-roads, and supply
the place of hotels. They are built by government. One person pays
one rupee (2s.) a day for a small room; a family, two rupees. The
payment is the same in most bungalows, if the travellers remain
twenty-four hours or only half an hour; it is only in a few that it
is considered enough to pay half-price for staying a short time. At
each bungalow, a native is placed as superintendent, who waits on
the travellers, cooks for them, etc. The control is carried out by
means of a book, in which each traveller writes his name. If there
are no travellers, a person may remain as long as he chooses; when
the contrary happens, he cannot stay more than twenty-four hours.
The villages which lie on the road are small, and appear very
miserable and poor. They are surrounded by high mud walls, which
give them the appearance of a fortification.
After we had travelled three nights and two days and a half, we
reached Agra on the 13th of January--the former residence of the
Great Mogul of India.
The suburbs of Agra resemble, in poverty, the miserable villages
before mentioned. They are composed of high walls of earth, within
which are small dilapidated huts and barracks. A change was at once
apparent when we had passed through a stately gateway. We then
suddenly found ourselves in a large open square, surrounded by
walls, from which four lofty gates led to the town, the fortress,
and the suburbs. Agra, like most Indian towns, has no inn. A
German missionary received me kindly; and, in addition to his
hospitality, was obliging enough to show me personally whatever
there was of interest in the town and neighbourhood.
Our first visit was to the beautiful mausoleum of the Sultan Akbar,
at Secundra, four miles from Agra.
The porch which leads into the garden is a masterpiece. I stood
before it for a long time amazed. The enormous building is raised
upon a stone terrace, which is approached by broad steps; the gate
is lofty, and is surmounted by an imposing dome. At the four
corners are minarets of white marble three stories high;
unfortunately, their upper parts are already somewhat dilapidated.
On the front of the gate are the remains of a stone trellis-work.
The mausoleum stands in the centre of the garden; it is a square
building four stories in height, each becoming narrower at the top,
like a pyramid. The first sight of this monument is not very
attractive, for the beauty of the gateway eclipses it; however, it
improves on a more detailed examination.
The bottom story is surrounded by fine arcades; the rooms are plain,
the walls covered with a brilliant white cement, intended as a
substitute for marble. Several sarcophagi stand inside.
The second story consists of a large terrace, which covers the whole
extent of the lower one; in its centre is an open airy apartment
with a light arched roof, supported by columns. Several small
kiosks at the corners and sides of the terrace give to the whole a
somewhat bizarre though tasty appearance. The pretty domes of the
kiosks must formerly have been very rich and splendid, for on many
there are still to be seen beautiful remains of coloured glazed
tiles and inlaid marble-work.
The third story resembles the second. The fourth and highest is the
most handsome. It is constructed entirely of white marble, while
the three lower ones are only of red sandstone. Broad-roofed
arcades, whose exterior marble lattice-work is inimitably executed,
form an open square, over which the most beautiful roof--the blue
sky--spreads. Here stands the sarcophagus which contains the bones
of the sultan. On the arches of the arcades, texts from the Koran
are inlaid in characters of black marble.
I believe this is the only Mahomedan monument in which the
sarcophagus is placed at the top of the building in an uncovered
space.
The palace of the Mongolian Sultan stands in the citadel. It is
said to be one of the most remarkable buildings of Mongolian
architecture. {177}
The fortifications are nearly two miles in extent, and consist of
double and treble walls, the outer one of which is said to be
seventy-five feet high.
The interior is divided into three principal courts. In the first
live the guards; in the second, the officers and higher authorities;
in the third, which occupies the side towards the Jumna, stands the
palace, the baths, the harem, and several gardens. In this court,
everything is made of marble. The walls of the rooms in the palaces
are covered with such stones as agates, onyxes, jasper, cornelian,
lapis-lazuli, etc., inlaid in mosaic work, representing flowers,
birds, arabesques, and other figures. Two rooms without windows are
exclusively destined to show the effects of illumination. The walls
and the arched roof are covered with mica slate in small silvered
frames; fountains splash over glass walls, behind which lights can
be arranged, and jets of water are thrown up in the centre of the
room. Even without lights, it glittered and sparkled most
marvellously; what must be the effect when innumerable lamps throw
back their rays a thousandfold! Such a sight enables one easily to
understand the imaginative descriptions of the Eastern tales of "a
thousand-and-one nights." Such palaces and rooms may be truly
considered works of magic.
Near the palace stands a small mosque, which is also entirely
constructed of white marble, richly and artistically furnished with
arabesques, reliefs, etc.
Before leaving the fortress, I was led to a deep underground vault--
the former scene of numerous secret executions. How much innocent
blood may have been shed there!
The Jumna Mosque, which the erudite affirm to surpass that of
Soliman's in Constantinople, stands outside the fortress, upon a
high terrace near the river. It is of red sandstone, has the same
wonderful domes, and was built by the Sultan Akbar. In the arches
are to be seen remains of rich paintings in light and dark-blue,
intermixed with gilding. It is to be regretted that this mosque is
in a rather dilapidated condition; but it is hoped, however, that it
will soon be completely restored, as the English government have
already commenced repairing it.
From the mosque we returned again to the town, which is, for the
most part, surrounded by rubbish. The principal street, "Sander,"
is broad and cleanly paved in the middle with square stones, and at
the sides with bricks. At both extremities of this street stand
majestic gateways. The houses of the town (from one to four stories
high) are almost entirely of red sandstone; most of them are small,
but many are surrounded by columns, pillars, and galleries. Several
are distinguished by their handsome porches. The streets are
narrow, crooked, and ugly; the bazaars unimportant. In India, as
well as in the East, the more costly wares must be sought in the
interior of the houses. The population of this town is said to have
amounted formerly to 800,000; it is now scarcely 60,000.
The whole environs are full of ruins. Those who build can procure
the materials at the mere cost of gathering them from the ground.
Many Europeans inhabit half-ruinous buildings, which, at a small
expense, they convert into pretty palaces.
Agra is the principal seat of two missionary societies--a Catholic
and a Protestant. Here, as in Benares, they educate the offspring
of the children they picked up in 1831. A little girl was pointed
out to me that had recently been bought of a poor woman for two
rupees (4s.)
At the head of the Catholic mission is a bishop. The present one,
Mr. Porgi, is the founder of a tastefully-built church. In no
similar establishment did I ever see so much order, or find the
natives so well-behaved as here. On Sundays, after prayers, they
amuse themselves with decorous and lively games; while in the
Protestant establishments, after having worked all the week, they
are compelled to pray all day long, and their greatest amusement
consists in being allowed to sit for a few hours gravely before the
house-doors. A person who passed a Sunday in this country among
strict Protestants would imagine that God had forbidden the most
innocent amusements.
These two religious societies, unfortunately, are not on very
amicable terms, and censure and persecute every slight irregularity
on the part of each other; by this means not setting the natives
living round them a very good example.
My last visit was to the magnificent treasure of Agra, and, indeed,
of all India--the famous Taj-Mehal.
I had read somewhere that this monument ought to be visited last, as
the others would not be admired at all after seeing this. Captain
Elliot says: "It is difficult to give a description of this
monument; the architecture is full of strength and elegance."
The Taj-Mehal was erected by the Sultan Jehoe (Dschehoe), in memory
of his favourite muntaza, Zemani. Its building is said to have cost
750,000 pounds. Properly speaking, the sultan's memory is more
perpetuated by this building than that of his favourite, for every
one who saw it would involuntarily ask who erected it. The names of
the architect and builder are unfortunately lost. Many ascribe it
to Italian masters; but when it is seen that there are so many other
admirable works of Mahomedan architecture, either the whole must be
considered foreign or this must be admitted to be native.
The monument stands in the centre of a garden, upon an open terrace
of red sandstone, raised twelve feet above the ground. It
represents a mosque of an octagon form, with lofty arched entrances,
which, together with the four minarets that stand at the corners of
the terrace, is entirely built of white marble. The principal dome
rises to a height of 260 feet, and is surrounded by four smaller
ones. Round the outside of the mosque extracts from the Koran are
inlaid in characters of black marble.
In the principal apartment stand two sarcophagi, of which one
contains the remains of the sultan, the other those of his
favourite. The lower part of the walls of this apartment, as well
as both sarcophagi, are covered with costly mosaic work of the most
beautiful stones. A marble lattice-work, six feet high, surrounding
the two sarcophagi, is a masterpiece of art. It is so delicate and
finely worked, that it seems as if turned out of ivory. The
graceful columns and the narrow cornices are also covered, above and
below, with jasper, agate, etc. Among these, I was shown the so-
called "goldstone," which has a perfect gold colour, and is said to
be very costly, even more so than lapis-lazuli.
Two gateways and two mosques stand at a small distance from the Taj-
Mehal. They are built of red sandstone and white marble. If they
stood apart, each would be considered a master-work; as it is,
however, they lose in attraction by their proximity to the Taj-
Mehal, of which a traveller says, with full justice: "It is too
pure, too sacred, too perfect, to have been constructed by men's
hands--angels must have brought it from heaven; and one imagines
there ought to be a glass shade over it, to protect it from every
breath and every wind."
Although this mausoleum is more than 250 years old, it is as perfect
as if it was only just finished.
Many travellers affirm that the Taj-Mehal produces a magical effect
when lighted by the moon. I saw it during a full moonshine, but was
so little pleased, that I much regretted, by this sight, having
somewhat weakened my former impression of it. The moon's light
gives a magical effect to old ruins or Gothic buildings, but not to
a monument which consists of white brilliant marble. Moonlight
makes the latter appear in indistinct masses, and as if partly
covered with snow. Whoever first promulgated this opinion
respecting the Taj-Mehal perhaps visited it in some charming
company, so that he thought everything round him was heavenly and
supernatural; and others may have found it more convenient, instead
of putting it to the test themselves, to repeat the statement of
their predecessors.
One of the most interesting excursions of my whole journey was to
the ruins of the town of Fattipoor Sikri, eighteen miles from Agra,
and six miles in circumference. We rode thither, and had ordered
changes of horses, so as to be able to make the journey in one day.
On our way, we passed at times over extended heaths, on one of which
we saw a small herd of antelopes. The antelope is a kind of deer,
but smaller in size. It is extremely delicate and prettily formed,
and is distinguished by narrow dark-brown stripes along the back.
The herd crossed the road before us without much timidity, passing
over ditches and bushes, and leaping more than twenty feet at a
time, with such graceful movements that they seemed as if dancing
through the air. I was not less delighted by the sight of two wild
peacocks. It afforded me peculiar pleasure to see these animals in
a state of freedom, which we Europeans are accustomed to keep as
rarities, like exotic plants.
The peacock is here somewhat larger than any I had seen in Europe;
the display of colours also, and the general brilliancy of the
plumage, struck me as being finer and brighter.
These birds are considered by the Indians almost as sacred as the
cow. They appear to fully understand this kindness, for they are
seen, like house-birds, walking about in the villages or quietly
resting upon the roofs. In some districts, the Indians are so
prejudiced in their favour, that no European can venture to shoot
one of them without exposing himself to the greatest insults. Only
four months since, two English soldiers fell victims to this neglect
of Hindostanee customs. They killed several peacocks; the enraged
people fell upon them and ill-used them in such a way that they
shortly afterwards died.
Fattipoor Sikri stands upon a hill; the fortress walls, the mosque,
and other buildings can therefore be seen from a distance. On both
sides of the road, a short distance outside the walls, lie remains
of houses or single apartments, fragments of handsome columns, etc.
With great regret I saw the natives breaking many of them, and
converting them into building materials for their houses.
The entrance to the fortress and town was through three handsome
gates, and over masses of rubbish and fragments. The view which
here presents itself is much more impressive than that at Pompeii,
near Naples. There, indeed, everything is destroyed, but it is
another and more orderly kind of destruction--streets and squares
appear as clean as if they had only been abandoned yesterday.
Houses, palaces, and temples are free from rubbish; even the track
of the carriages remain uneffaced. Pompeii, moreover, stands on a
plain, and it cannot, therefore, be seen at one glance; its extent,
too, is scarcely half so great as that of Sikri; the houses are
smaller, the palaces not so numerous, and inferior in splendour and
magnitude. But here a larger space is covered with magnificent
buildings, mosques, kiosks, columned halls, and arcades, with
everything that was in the power of art to create; and no single
object has escaped the destructive influence of time--all is falling
into ruin. It is scarcely more than two hundred years since the
town was in a flourishing state of wealth and magnificence, and it
is hardly possible to divest the mind of the idea of a terrible
earthquake having overwhelmed it. Unlike Pompeii, it was not
covered by protecting ashes, but laid openly exposed to the weather.
My sadness and astonishment increased at every step--sadness at the
terrible destruction, astonishment at the still perceptible
magnificence, the number of splendid buildings, the beautiful
sculptures, and the rich ornaments. I saw some buildings whose
interior and exterior were so covered with sculptures, that not the
smallest space remained bare. The principal mosque exceeds in size
and artistic construction even the Jumna Mosque in Agra. The
entrance porch in the fore-court is said to be the loftiest in the
world. The interior arch measures 72 feet, and the entire height
amounts to 140 feet. The fore-court of the mosque is also one of
the largest existing; its length is 436 feet, its breadth 408; it is
surrounded by fine arabesques and small cells. This court is
considered almost as sacred as the mosque itself, in consequence of
the Sultan Akbar, "the just," having been accustomed to pay his
devotions there. After his death, this spot was indicated by a kind
of altar, which is of white marble, and of wonderful workmanship.
The mosque itself is built in the style of the Jumna Mosque, and
has, like that, four enormous domes. The interior is filled with
sarcophagi, in which lie the remains either of relations or
favourite ministers of the Sultan Akbar. An adjoining court also
contains a great number of sepulchral monuments.
The Sultan Akbar passed several hours every day in the Hall of
Justice, and gave audience there to the meanest, as well as the most
important of his subjects. A single column, standing in the centre
of the hall, was the divan of the emperor. This column, the capital
of which is marvellously executed, becomes broader towards the top,
and is surrounded by a beautifully worked stone gallery, a foot
high. Four broad stone passages or bridges lead into the adjoining
apartments of the palace.
The sultan's palace is less remarkable for size than for its
sculptures, columns, ornaments, etc. Every part is over-richly
furnished with them.
I found less to admire in the famous Elephant gate. It is, indeed,
loftily arched, but not so high as the entrance gate in the fore-
court of the mosque; the two elephants, which were very beautifully
executed in stone, are so much dilapidated, that it is scarcely
possible to tell what they are intended to represent.
The so-called Elephant's Tower is in a better state of preservation.
In some descriptions of this, it is stated that it is constructed
only of elephants' tusks, and even of the tusks of those elephants
only which were taken from enemies during Akbar's time, or had been
captured by him in hunting. This is, however, not the case; the
tower, which is sixty feet high, is built of stone, and the tusks
are fastened on from top to bottom, so that they project out from
it. The Sultan Akbar is said to have frequently sat upon the top of
this tower, occupying himself by shooting birds.
All the buildings, even the enormous wall, are of red sandstone, and
not, as many affirm, of red marble.
Many hundreds of small green birds have formed their nests in the
holes and crevices of the buildings.
On the 19th of January I left the famous town of Agra, in the
company of Mr. Law, in order to visit the still more celebrated city
of Delhi, which is 122 miles from Agra. There is an excellent post-
road all the way.
The country between Agra and Delhi continues tolerably unchanged;
there is no elevation to be seen. Far and wide, cultivated land
alternates with heaths and sandy moors, and the miserable villages
or small towns which lie on the road, excite no desire to delay the
journey even for a moment.
A long and handsome chain bridge crosses the Jumna near the town of
Gassanger.
On the 20th of January, at 4 in the afternoon, we reached Delhi.
Here I met with Dr. Sprenger, a very kind and amiable countryman.
Dr. Sprenger, a Tyrolese, has won for himself, by his remarkable
abilities and knowledge, a considerable reputation, not only among
the English, but throughout the whole learned world. He holds the
position of Director of the College in this place, and but a short
time since was requested by the English government to go to Lucknau,
for the purpose of examining the library of the Indian King of
Lucknau, to make known the valuable works, and put the whole in
order. He is a perfect master of the Sanscrit, the ancient and
modern Persian, the Turkish, Arabic, and Hindostanee languages, and
translates the most difficult of them into English and German. He
has already made the most valuable and interesting contributions to
literature, and will still continue to do so, as he is an extremely
active man, and scarcely thirty-four years of age.
Although he was on the eve of his departure for Lucknau, he was,
nevertheless, kind enough to become my Mentor.
We commenced with the great imperial town of Delhi; the town to
which formerly the eyes not only of all India, but almost of all
Asia, were directed. It was in its time to India what Athens was to
Greece, and Rome to Europe. It also shares their fate--of all its
greatness only the name remains.
The present Delhi is now called New Delhi, although it is already
two hundred years old; it is a continuation of the old towns, of
which there are said to have been seven, each of which were called
Delhi. As often as the palaces, fortifications, mosques, etc.,
became dilapidated, they were left to fall into ruins, and new ones
were built near the old ones. In this way, ruins upon ruins
accumulated, which are said to have occupied a space more than six
miles in breadth, and eighteen in length. If a great part of them
were not already covered with a thin layer of earth, these ruins
would certainly be the most extensive in the world.
New Delhi lies upon the Jumna; it contains, according to Bruckner, a
population of 500,000, {183} but I was informed that there was
really only 100,000, among which are 100 Europeans. The streets are
broader and finer than any I had yet seen in any Indian town. The
principal street, Tchandni-Tschank, would do honour to an European
city: it is nearly three-quarters of a mile long, and about a
hundred feet broad; a narrow canal, scant of water and half filled
with rubbish, runs through its entire length. The houses in this
street are not remarkable either for magnitude or splendour; they
are at most one story high, and are furnished below with miserable
porches or arcades, under which worthless goods are exposed for
sale. I saw nothing of the costly shops, the numerous precious
stones glittering in the evening with the lamps and lights, of which
many travellers speak. The pretty houses and the rich shops must be
sought for in the bye streets near the bazaar. The manufactures
which I saw, consisted of gold and silver work, gold tissues and
shawls. The natives execute the gold and silver wares so tastefully
and artistically, that finer cannot be found even in Paris. The
tissues woven in gold, the gold and silk embroideries and Cashmere
shawls, are of the highest degree of perfection. The finest
Cashmere shawls cost here as much as 4,000 rupees (400 pounds). The
dexterity of the workmen appears still more surprising after seeing
the simple machines which they employ to produce their beautiful
wares.
It is extremely interesting to walk about the principal streets of
Delhi in the evening. There may be seen at once the modes of life
of both the rich and the poor Indians. There is no town in which
there are so many princes and nobles as in this. Besides the
pensioned emperor and his relations, whose number amounts to several
thousand, many other deposed and pensioned regents and ministers
reside here. Their presence gives great animation to the town; they
are fond of going out in public, frequently make greater or less
parties, and ride (always on elephants) either in the neighbouring
gardens, or in the evenings through the streets. In the day
excursions, the elephants are decorated in the most costly manner
with rugs and fine stuffs, gold lace, and fringe; the seats called
the howdahs are even covered with Cashmere shawls; richly fringed
canopies keep off the heat of the sun, or else servants hold
enormous umbrellas for this purpose. The princes and nobles sit in
these howdahs to the number of two or four, and are very gorgeously
attired in Oriental costumes. These processions present a most
beautiful appearance, and are even larger and more splendid than
those of the Rajah of Benares, which I have described. Each
procession consists frequently of as many as a dozen or more
elephants, and fifty or sixty soldiers on foot and mounted, and as
many servants, etc. In the evenings, on the contrary, they are not
so pompous--one elephant, together with a few servants, suffices;
they ride up and down the streets, coquetting with females of a
certain class, who sit richly dressed and with unveiled faces at
open windows or outside galleries. Others ride noble Arabian
horses, whose stately appearance is still more increased by gold-
embroidered trappings and bridles inlaid with silver. Between these
riding parties, heavily laden camels from far distant regions walk
deliberately along. There are, moreover, not a few bailis, drawn by
beautiful white oxen, which the less wealthy people or the above
mentioned women use. The bailis, as well as the oxen, are draped
with scarlet cloths: the animals have their horns and the lower
half of their feet painted brownish-red, and round their neck is a
handsome collar, on which bells are fastened. The most beautiful
women peep modestly out of the half-open bailis. If it were not
known to what class unveiled women belong in India, it would be
impossible to tell their position from their behaviour.
Unfortunately, there are more of this class in India than in any
other country: the principal cause of this is an unnatural law, a
revolting custom. The girls of every family are generally betrothed
when they are only a few months old; if, however, the bridegroom
dies immediately, or at any time after the betrothal, the girl is
considered as a widow, and as such cannot marry again. They then
generally become dancers. The condition of widowhood is looked upon
as a great misfortune, as it is believed that only those women are
placed in this position, who have deserved it in a previous state of
existence. An Indian can only marry a girl belonging to his own
caste.
To the various objects of interest in the streets already noticed,
must be added the jugglers, mountebanks, and serpent charmers, who
wander about everywhere, and are always surrounded by a crowd of
curious people.
I saw several tricks performed by the jugglers which were truly
astonishing. One poured out fire and smoke from his mouth; then
mixed white, red, yellow, and blue powders together, swallowed them,
and then immediately spit out each one separately and dry; some
turned their eyes downwards, and when they again raised them the
pupils appeared as if of gold; they then bowed the head forward, and
on again raising it, the pupils of their eyes had their natural
colour, and their teeth were gold. Others made a small opening in
their skin, and drew out of it yards of thread, silk cord, and
narrow ribbons. The serpent charmers held the animals by their
tails, and allowed them to twine round their arms, neck, and body;
they took hold of large scorpions, and let them run over their
hands. I also saw several battles between large serpents and
ichneumons. These little animals, rather larger than a weasel,
live, as is known, upon serpents and the eggs of crocodiles. They
seize the former so dexterously by the neck that they always master
them; the crocodile eggs they suck.
At the end of the principal street stands the imperial palace, which
is considered one of the finest buildings in Asia. It occupies,
together with its adjoining buildings, an extent of more than two
miles, and is surrounded by a wall forty feet high.
At the principal entrance, a fine perspective view is obtained
through several successive gateways, which is terminated in the
background by a handsome hall. This hall is but small, and is
inlaid with white marble and rare stones; the roof is arched over
with mica, powdered over with small stars. Unfortunately, these
will soon lose all their glittering brilliancy, as the greater
portion of the mica has already fallen, and the remainder is likely
to follow. At the back of the hall is a door of gilt metal,
decorated with beautiful engraved work. In this hall the ex-monarch
is accustomed to show himself to the people, who, from traditionary
respect or curiosity, visit the palace. He also receives European
visitors here.
The handsomest parts of the imperial palace are the universally
admired and magnificent audience saloon and the mosque. The former
stands in the centre of an open court; it is a long, square
building; the roof is supported by thirty columns, and is open on
all sides; several steps lead up to it, and a prettily decorated
marble gallery, two feet high, surrounds it.
The present Great Mogul has so little taste, that he has had this
divan divided into two parts by a very paltry partition wall. A
similar wall adjoins both sides of the saloon, for what purpose I
could not learn. In this divan is a great treasure: the largest
crystal in the world. It is a block of about four feet in length,
two and a half broad, and one foot thick; {185} it is very
transparent. It was used by the emperors as a throne or seat in the
divan. Now it is hidden behind the blank wall; and if I had not
known of its existence from books, and been very curious to see it,
it would not have been shown to me at all.
The mosque is indeed small, but, like the judgment-hall, it is of
white marble, and with fine columns and sculptures.
Immediately adjoining the mosque is the garden "Schalinar," which is
said to have been formerly one of the finest in India, but has now
quite fallen to decay.
Heaps of dust and rubbish were laying in the court-yards; the
buildings were almost like ruins; and miserable barracks stood
against dilapidated walls. On account of the emperor's residence,
it soon became necessary to build a new Delhi.
On my entrance to the palace, I had observed a group of men
collected together in the court-yard. An hour afterwards, when we
were returning from our visit, they were still seated there. We
drew near to discover what it was that so attracted their attention,
and saw a few dozen of tame birds seated upon perches quietly taking
their food from the hands of attendants, or else fighting for it.
The lookers-on were, as I was told, nearly all princes. Some were
seated upon chairs, others stood round, together with their
followers. In their home dresses, the princes are hardly to be
distinguished from their servants, and in education and knowledge
they are certainly not much in advance of them.
The emperor amuses himself with a diversion which is not more
commendable. His troops consist of boys about eight or fourteen.
They wear a miserable uniform, which in make and colour resembles
the English; their exercises are conducted partly by old officers
and partly by boys. I pitied the young soldiers from my heart, and
wondered how it was possible for them to handle their heavy muskets
and banners. The monarch generally sits for some hours every day in
the small reception hall, and amuses himself by watching the
manoeuvres of his young warriors. This is the best time to get
presented to his majesty. He is eighty-five, and at the time of my
visit was so unwell, that I had not the good fortune to see him.
The emperor receives from the English government a yearly pension of
fourteen lacs (1,400,000 rupees = 140,000 pounds). The revenues of
his own possessions amount to half as much more; but with all this,
he is not so well off as the Rajah of Benares. He has too large a
number of people to maintain: of the descendants of the imperial
family alone more than three hundred, as well as a hundred women,
and two thousand attendants. If to these are added the numerous
elephants, camels, horses, etc., it may be easily understood why his
exchequer is always empty.
He receives his pension on the first of every month. It has to be
brought to him under the protection of the English military, or it
would otherwise be seized by his creditors.
The emperor is said to be very discreet in raising his revenues by
various means. For example, he confers honorary posts and appoints
officials, for which he requires considerable sums of money; and--
can it be believed!--he always finds fools enough to pay for such
absurdities. Parents even buy appointments for their children. The
present commander of the imperial troops is scarcely ten years old.
The most remarkable fact, however, is that the vizier, who manages
the emperor's income and expenditure, not only receives no salary,
but pays the emperor annually 10,000 rupees for this office. What
sums must be embezzled to make up for this!
The emperor issues a newspaper in his own palace, which is in the
highest degree absurd and laughable. It does not treat of politics
or the occurrences of the day, but exclusively of domestic
incidents, conversation and relative affairs. It states, for
example, "that the sultan's wife, A., owed the laundress, B., three
rupees, and that the laundress came yesterday to ask for her money;
that the lady had sent to her imperial husband to ask for the sum.
The emperor referred her to the treasurer, who assured her, that as
it was near the end of the month, he could not command a penny. The
laundress was therefore put off until the next month." Or, "The
Prince C. visited at such an hour the Prince D. or F.; he was
received in such a room; stayed so long; the conversation was on
this or that subject," etc.
Among the other palaces of the town, that in which the college is
located is one of the handsomest. It is built in the Italian style,
and is truly majestic; the columns are of uncommon height; the
stairs, saloons, and rooms are very spacious and lofty. A fine
garden surrounds the back of the palace, a large court-yard the
front, and a high fortified wall encloses the whole. Dr. Sprenger,
as director of the college, occupies a truly princely dwelling in
it.
The palace of the Princess Begum, half in the Italian and half in
the Mongolian style, is tolerably large, and is remarkable for its
extremely handsome saloons. A pretty and hitherto well kept garden
surrounds it on all sides.
The Princess Begum attracted great attention at the time before
Delhi was under the English dominion, by her intelligence,
enterprise, and bravery. She was a Hindoo by birth, and became
acquainted in her youth with a German named Sombre, with whom she
fell in love, and turned Christian in order to marry him. Mr.
Sombre formed a regiment of native troops, which, after they were
well trained, he offered to the emperor. In the course of time, he
so ingratiated himself with the emperor, that the latter presented
him with a large property, and made him a prince. His wife is said
to have supported him energetically in everything. After his death,
she was appointed commander of the regiment, which post she held
most honourably for several years. She died a short time since at
the age of eighty.
Of the numerous mosques of New Delhi, I visited only two, the Mosque
Roshun-ad-dawla, and the Jumna Mosque. The former stands in the
principal street, and its pinnacles and domes are splendidly gilt.
It is made famous through its connection with an act of cruelty on
the part of Sheikh Nadir. This remarkable, but fearfully cruel
monarch, on conquering Delhi in the year 1739, had 100,000 of the
inhabitants cut to pieces, and is said to have sat upon a tower of
this mosque to watch the scene. The town was then set fire to and
plundered.
The Jumna Mosque, built by the Sheikh Djihan, is also considered a
masterpiece of Mahomedan architecture; it stands upon an enormous
platform, to which forty steps lead up, and rises in a truly
majestic manner above the surrounding mass of houses. Its symmetry
is astonishing. The three domes, and the small cupolas on the
minarets, are of white marble; all the other parts, even the large
slates with which the fine court-yard is paved, are of red
sandstone. The inlaid ornamental work and stripes on the mosque,
are also of white marble.
There are great numbers of caravansaries, frequently with very
handsome portals. The baths are unimportant.
We devoted two days to making an excursion to the more distant
monuments of Delhi. We first stopped at the still well-preserved
"Purana Kale." All the handsome mosques resemble each other much.
This one, however, is distinguished by its decoration, the richness
and correctness of its sculptures, its beautiful inlaid work, and
its size. Three lightly arched and lofty cupolas cover the
principal building, small towers adorn the corners, and two high
minarets stand at the sides. The entrance and the interior of the
domes are inlaid with glazed tiles and painted, the colours are
remarkably brilliant. The interior of every mosque is empty; a
small tribune for speakers, and a few glass lustres and lamps,
constitute the whole decoration.
The mausoleum of the Emperor Humaione, very much in the same style
as the mosque, was commenced by this monarch himself. But as he
died before it was completed, his son Akbar carried out his
intentions. The high-arched temple, in the centre of which stands
the sarcophagus, is inlaid with mosaic work of rare stones. Instead
of window-panes, the openings are furnished with artistically worked
stone lattices. In adjoining halls, under plain sarcophagi, rest
the remains of several wives and children of the Emperor Humaione.
Not far from this is the monument of Nizam-ul-din, a very sacred and
greatly venerated Mahomedan. It stands in a small court, the floor
of which is paved with marble. A square screen of marble, with four
small doors, surrounds the sarcophagus. This screen is still more
delicate and finely worked than that in the Taj-Mehal; it is
scarcely conceivable how it was possible to execute such work in
stone. The doors, pillars, and elegant arches are covered with the
most chaste reliefs, as fine and perfect as any that I have seen in
the most artistic towns of Italy. The marble used for them is of
remarkable whiteness and purity, worthy, indeed, of these great
works of art.
Adjoining this are several pretty monuments, all of white marble.
They are passed by with some indifference when the most perfect of
them all has been seen first.
A great deal has been said about a large water basin, which is
surrounded on three sides by cells, already much dilapidated; the
fourth side is open, and from it a beautiful stone staircase, forty
feet broad, leads to the water basin, which is twenty-five feet
deep. Every pilgrim would consider his pilgrimage of no account if
he did not step in here immediately on his arrival.
Divers plunge from the terraces of the cells to the bottom of the
basin, and fetch out the smallest pieces of money which have been
thrown in. Some are dexterous enough to catch the coin even before
it touches the bottom. We threw in several coins, which they
succeeded in bringing up every time, but I can scarcely believe that
they caught them before they reached the bottom. They remained long
enough under water each time, not only to pick the coin up, but also
to look for it. The feat was certainly surprising, but not, as some
travellers affirm, so remarkable that similar ones might not be seen
elsewhere.
Our last visit on this day was to the beautiful monument of the
Vizier Sofdar-Dchang, which is also a mosque. In this monument I
was especially struck by the inlaid work of white marble in red
sandstone upon the four minarets, it was so diversified and so
delicate; so chastely executed that the most expert draughtsman
could not have produced it more correctly and delicately upon paper.
The same may be said of the sarcophagi in the principal temple,
which is hewn out of a block of fine white marble.
The monument is surrounded by a tolerably well-kept garden, laid out
in the European style.
At the end of the garden, opposite the mausoleum, stands a small
palace, principally belonging to the King of Lucknau. It is at
present kept in good condition by the few European inhabitants of
New Delhi. It contains a few articles of furniture, and serves for
the accommodation of visitors to these ruins.
We remained here over night, and, thanks to the good-hearted and
amiable Mrs. Sprenger, found every possible convenience we could
desire. The first and most agreeable thing after our long
wandering, was a well-furnished table. Such attentions are doubly
deserving of thanks, when it is remembered at what a great amount of
trouble they are procured. It is necessary on such excursions to
take not only provisions and a cook, but also cooking utensils,
table-services, bed-linen, and servants, enough in short for a small
establishment. The train of baggage, which is always sent on before
on these occasions, resembles a small emigration party.
On the following morning we went on to Kotab-Minar, one of the
oldest and most beautiful buildings of the Patanas (from which
people the Affghans derive their origin). The most wonderful part
of this monument is the so-called "Giant's Column," a polygon with
twenty-seven sides or half-round corners, and five stories or
galleries, whose diameter at the basement is fifty-four feet, and
whose height is twenty-six feet. A winding staircase of 386 steps,
leads to the top. This building is said to belong to the thirteenth
century, and to have been built by Kotab-ud-dun. The column is of
red sandstone, and only the exterior is of white marble; decorations
and wonderful sculptures are wound in broad stripes around the
column; these are so finely and neatly chiselled as to resemble an
elegant lace pattern. Any description of the delicacy and effect of
this work would be far exceeded by the reality. The column is
fortunately as well preserved as if it had only been standing about
a hundred years. The upper part leans a little forwards (whether
artificially, as in the tower at Bologna, is not decided); its top
is flat, like a terrace, which does not correspond with the
remainder of the architecture. It is not known whether anything
formerly stood upon it. The column was in its present condition
when the English conquered Delhi.
We mounted as far as the highest point, and a most charming view of
the whole remains of Delhi, the Jumna, and the unbounded plain,
opened itself here before us. The history of the people who once
ruled Hindostan may here be studied in the ruins of imperial towns,
lying one close beside the other. It was a great and imposing
prospect.
Many places where magnificent palaces and monuments formerly stood
are now cultivated fields. Wherever the ground is broken up,
fragments of ruins show themselves.
Opposite the tower or column of Kotab-Minar stands a similar
unfinished building, the base of which is considerably larger in
circumference than that of the finished one. It is supposed that
these two towers belonged to a magnificent mosque, {190} of which
some courts, gateways, columns, and walls still remain.
These few remains of the mosque are remarkable for the perfect
sculptures which covered the walls, gateways, etc., both outside and
inside. The entrance-gateway has a considerable height. The
columns in the courts are of Buddhist origin; the bell with long
chain is sculptured on them in relief.
In the fore-court of the mosque stands a metal column similar to
that at Allahabad, except that there is no lion upon its summit, and
its height is not more than thirty-six feet. It is defaced by
several marks and slight injuries, which are ascribed to the
Mongolians, who, when they conquered Delhi, attempted in their
destructive rage to pull down these columns; but they stood too
firmly, and all their exertions were insufficient to destroy any of
the inscriptions on them.
The remaining Patan or Affghan temples and monuments which lie
dispersed among the other ruins, resemble each other as much as they
differ from the Mahomedan and Hindoo buildings. The monuments of
this kind generally consist of a small round temple, with a not very
high cupola, surrounded by open arcades supported on pillars.
Here also, in the neighbourhood of Kotab-Minar, a hospitable
dwelling is to be found. A ruined building is fitted up, and three
of the rooms are furnished.
On the way homewards, we visited the observatory of the famous
astronomer, Dey Singh. If that at Benares has been seen, this may
well be passed by. Both were built by the same architect, and in
the same style; but that at Benares is well preserved, while the one
here is already much dilapidated. Some travellers consider this
memorial as one of the most wonderful works of Indian art.
Near the observatory stands the old madrissa (school-house), a large
building, with numerous rooms for teachers and pupils, and with open
galleries and halls, in which the teachers sat surrounded by groups
of youths. The building is rather neglected, but is partly
inhabited by private persons.
Adjoining the madrissa stands a pretty mosque and a very handsome
monument, both of white marble. The latter was erected by Aurang
Zeb, in memory of his vizier Ghasy-al dyn Chan, the founder of the
madrissa. It is as perfect in its execution as that of the saint
Nizam-ul-din, and appears to have been erected by the same artist.
The palace of Feroze Schah is near New Delhi. It is indeed somewhat
in ruins, but there is much to be seen in the existing remains of
the building. The fore-court of the mosque was a short time since
cleared with great labour of the rubbish and masses of stone which
covered it, by the untiring zeal of Mr. Cobb, the esteemed editor of
the English Delhi News. It is in very good preservation. In this
palace stands the third metal column--Feroze-Schachs-Laht. The
inscriptions upon it show that it existed a hundred years before the
birth of Christ, and may therefore be considered as one of the
oldest monuments of India. It was brought here from Lahore at the
time this palace was built.
The Purana-Killa, or the old fortress of the palace of Babar, is
much decayed. From the height and style of the remaining fragments
of gateways and walls, an idea may be formed of the magnitude of the
palace.
The ruins of Loglukabad are in an advanced state of dilapidation,
and do not repay the trouble of a journey of seven miles.
The other numerous ruins are little more than mere repetitions of
those already described, with which, however, they cannot be
compared in size, elegance, and beauty. They may be of great
interest to antiquarians and historians; but by myself, I candidly
admit, they were not much valued.
I must not neglect to mention the English military station, which is
situated upon some low hills near New Delhi. The peculiar formation
of the ground renders a journey there extremely interesting: a
district of enormous blocks of red sandstone, between which
beautiful flowers were growing. There are numerous ruins here, much
the same as in Delhi.