_Kanchanamala._ Glory to your grace! The queen sends
you word that Samvarana Siddha, the magician, is
arrived from Ougein; will your majesty be pleased to
see him?
_Vatsa._ By all means; I take much pleasure in this
cunning; bring him hither.
_Kan._ Here is the king.
_Sam._ What are your majesty’s commands? Would
you see the moon brought down upon earth--a mountain
in mid air--a fire in the ocean, or night at noon?
I will produce them--Command.
HINDOO DRAMA.
To the proclamations which he had distributed amongst the chieftains of
the northern and western provinces of the empire, Chusero received so
many favourable answers, that by the time the adverse troops marched
from Delhi, he found himself at the head of a formidable army. He
proceeded from Lahore to meet them, and encamped a few leagues to the
south-east of that city, where he waited for the auxiliaries from
Cashmere.
The difficulty of procuring provisions for his army, in a country
already ravaged by the insurgents, compelled Jehangire to encamp in a
plain near Shahabad, and there await the fresh supplies, for which he
had issued orders to all the provinces still bearing him allegiance.
The ground was peculiarly favourable for the display of that superb
military spectacle, the halt of a grand army, within the neighbourhood
of the field on which a general engagement is expected to take place.
The principal quarter-master selected for the emperor’s tents a rising
ground, which was speedily prepared by the pioneers, and enclosed by
high screens of strong cloth, lined on the inside with printed calico,
representing gardens, and lakes, and vases of flowers, and other
objects agreeable to the eye of taste. The screens thus raised, formed
an ample square, and on the side on which the imperial entrance was
formed, festoons of rich silk drapery embellished the external side of
the temporary mural boundary.
Within this square the first tent erected was that called the Am-kas,
from the hall in the capital in which the emperor, attended by his
judges and nobles, gives public audience, and administers justice. The
tent is devoted to the same purposes, and near it was raised another
of scarcely less extent, to which the omrahs repaired every evening to
pay their obeisance to the sovereign, and when necessary to consult
with him upon the affairs of the empire. A lower boundary of screens,
lined with chintz, and decorated with deep silken fringes, secluded
the remainder of the square for the pavilions of the emperor and his
seraglio. The outside of all these habitations was covered with coarse
red cloth, ornamented with large variegated stripes, the roofs and
walls inside being lined with white velvet or flowered satin, richly
embroidered with gold and edged with fringes of azure silk. Cotton
mats, three or four inches thick, were spread on the floor, and covered
with Persian carpets, on which were disposed large cushions enveloped
in the most splendid brocade. These tents were supported by pillars of
massive gold.
On either side of the imperial gate, leading to this square, were
erected two long tents, where horses saddled and superbly caparisoned
were kept in readiness for the emperor, whenever he chose to ride forth
to the chase, or to review his troops. Before the tents several pieces
of field artillery, and trumpeters on high stages were stationed, in
order to salute the emperor as he passed through the gate. Here also
tents were arranged for the omrahs on guard.
Within a short distance from the other three sides of the great square
were the tents of the officers of the household, and those prepared
to contain the arms and harnesses belonging to the emperor, the vests
of brocade, and other materials given by him as presents upon state
occasions, the fruit, sweet-meats, Ganges’-water, wines, saltpetre for
cooling them, betel leaves, and other stores necessary for the use of
his table, his choice elephants, and the various animals employed in
hunting. The tents within and immediately without the great square
constituted the imperial quarters, and beyond these were laid out,
in long lines, the imperial bazaars, from which the emperor and his
household were supplied with provisions, and all other articles
of which they stood in need. These bazaars were distinguished by
extremely long poles, erected at a distance of three hundred paces from
each other, bearing red standards, surmounted by the tails of Great
Thibet cows.
Beyond the bazaars the great omrahs had their tents pitched, surrounded
also by screens, and near them those of their officers and cavaliers.
Then appeared the bazaars of the suttlers, who supplied forage for the
horses of the army, and rice, corn, butter, and bread for the great
body of the cavalry, artillery, and infantry. Each of these bazaars
had also long poles at both ends, distinguished by peculiar standards
floating high in air, in order that those which furnished the different
supplies might be the more easily distinguished. The remainder of
the ground was occupied by the tents of the inferior officers, the
artillery, cavalry, and infantry, the civil officers, trades-people,
and the multitudinous followers of the army.
Three of the emissaries commissioned by Chusero to watch the movements
of the hostile forces, met, on a cloudy night upon a hillock, from
which they beheld, for the first time, stretching far and wide before
them, the imperial encampment. They saw numerous fires blazing in
all directions, round which were collected groups of men employed in
cooking. They recognised the entrance to the imperial quarters by
the lantern which was suspended at the top of a very lofty pole, and
which at a distance looked like a star. Approaching nearer, in order
to penetrate as far as possible into the camp unperceived, they passed
the outer lines of tents and bazaars, when their apprehensions were
excited by seeing long rows of flambeaus suddenly kindled, amidst lanes
of tents, from which the omrahs, followed by their attendants, hastened
towards the imperial pavilion. They suspected that a council of war was
about to be held, and anxious to divine the results, they concealed
themselves from notice as well as they could, until the council broke
up. The trumpets at the imperial gate sounded as the omrahs passed in,
the shrill and oft-repeated notes incessantly echoing through the vast
encampment, while the lines of light, and the countless fires, threw
a lurid reflection on the dark clouds, portentous of the approaching
scenes of slaughter. After an absence of two hours, the omrahs returned
to their tents; the flambeaus were extinguished, the cooking fires
were permitted gradually to go out, and the emissaries, disappointed
in their hope of meeting any one who could afford them the information
they required, resolved to retire.
As they withdrew in different directions, they were obliged frequently
to lie down on the grass, to avoid meeting with the watchmen who
perambulated the quarters of the omrahs, and who cried out from time
to time, “Kaber-dar, kaber-dar” (have a care). Similar warnings were
uttered in peremptory voices by soldiers sent in all directions by
the grand provost, who visited the bazaars in search of thieves, and
sounded trumpets at assigned stations to denote that all was well. It
was not without difficulty that the spies made good their escape from
these guards, and also from the sentinels posted round the whole camp,
near guard-fires kindled at the distance of five hundred paces from
each other.
Having re-assembled at the hillock where they met the previous
night, the emissaries waited there until the dawn, when the sun
rising, unveiled by a single cloud, presented to their view the
whole encampment in all its magnitude and splendour. The red-striped
pavilions of the imperial quarters standing on an eminence, surrounded
by their screens, looked peculiarly superb and imposing. The bazaars
of the household, and many-coloured tents of the omrahs and their
officers, the bazaars of the suttlers, the hosts of tents assigned
to the great body of the army, stretching over the plain to the very
edge of the horizon, the long poles surmounted by Thibet cow-tails,
and by standards floating high over the encampment in all directions,
exhibited a spectacle of authority and strength, and a combination of
resources, which the emissaries began to apprehend their master was but
ill prepared to encounter.
They therefore consulted amongst themselves as to the course they ought
to take, whether to go back and represent the overwhelming numbers with
which the prince would have to contend, or to penetrate the camp again,
and observe whether any opportunities were presented by the habits of
the emperor which would enable a resolute man to take away his life,
and thus remove the only obstacle to Chusero’s ascent to the throne.
Could they accomplish that object, they doubted not that, besides the
plunder which they might possibly be able to carry away from the
royal tents, during the confusion which such an event would create,
they would receive, as their least reward, the principal provinces of
the empire. They were not ignorant of Chusero’s objection to the many
propositions that were made to him for the assassination of his father.
But the deed once consummated, and the throne opened to his acceptance,
they could not persuade themselves that he would refuse it, and that,
having the power, he would hesitate to bestow any compensation they
could reasonably require for such an important service.
“Who doubts,” said one of these debaters, “that the Orcha Rajaputs
were employed by Bochari to cut off Abul Fazeel on his way to the
Deccan? Who doubts, that whether this act was or was not suggested by
Jehangire, it was sanctioned by him, since he has elevated Bochari to
the first office in the state?”
“But the question now is,” observed another, while he looked upon the
splendour of the imperial quarters with the eye of the miser counting
over his ingots of gold--“how any of us could find the means of getting
near the person of the emperor, surrounded as he is by all those
tents, and bazaars, and screens, and lines of household guards. It
seems to me that even if we had resolved upon the course you recommend,
the accomplishment of it would be impossible.”
“Not impossible,” said the third emissary,--“if the proper means be
taken. You remember the Bengal Bauzigurs, whose tents we passed three
days ago. Let us go back to them, and say that we have been sent to
invite them to the imperial camp, where they may reckon on being well
received, for the emperor never loses an opportunity of witnessing the
performances of those wondrous magicians. We will, of course, accompany
them, as if we formed part of their train, and shall then stand a good
chance of being admitted to the imperial presence.”
“An admirable suggestion!” exclaimed at once both his companions--“let
us not lose a moment in carrying it into execution.”
The emissaries returned, without delay, through the bye-paths of the
country to the well, near which they had previously encountered the
Bauzigurs; but not finding them there, they made inquiries amongst the
shepherds, until they traced them to the high road towards Lahore.
Having at length, by great exertion, overtaken the magicians, they
stated that they were commissioned by the emperor, who had heard of
their extraordinary feats, to conduct them to his camp, where they
would be sure of receiving magnificent presents for the exhibition of
their skill.
The Bauzigurs, of whom there were seven in all, too much delighted
with this intelligence, and the invitation by which it was followed,
to think of putting many questions to their new acquaintances, were
easily prevailed upon to give up their intention of proceeding to the
northern provinces, and directed their steps towards the camp, attended
by the emissaries, who took care to make themselves useful as carriers
of part of the equipage with which those wonder-workers are usually
incumbered. Upon their arrival at the outskirts of the encampment they
were challenged by the sentinels, who refused to allow them to pass
without orders from the emperor. This difficulty had been foreseen and
provided against by the emissaries, who produced a memorial signed by
the Bauzigurs, setting forth some of the marvels which they had it
in their power to display, and praying his majesty’s permission to
appear before him. This memorial, which the emissaries represented to
the Bauzigurs to be an affair of court form, indispensable even where
an invitation had been previously given, was forwarded to the hands
of Jehangire, who read it with puerile transport, happy to have the
listlessness of the camp thus broken in upon for a day or two, and gave
instant directions for the admission of the strangers.
Advancing through the tents and bazaars, amidst the gaze of the curious
multitude, to whom they were obliged to promise a day’s amusement
upon their return from the imperial quarters, they entered the
imperial gate, passed the screens, and preceded by a guard of eunuchs,
approached the pavilion of the emperor. The report speedily went the
round of the tents in which the ladies of the harem were lodged, that
famous Bauzigurs from Bengal were arrived, and about to entertain the
court. They forthwith prayed and obtained permission to witness the
spectacle through latticed screens, which were speedily arranged for
the purpose. A space was cleared for the exhibition, in front of the
imperial pavilion, and the magicians having announced that all things
were prepared for their operations, the emperor came forth, attended
by Bochari and a number of his principal officers and omrahs, whom the
emissaries were well pleased to see unarmed. Immediately behind the
divan, however, upon which Jehangire was seated, they observed a number
of eunuchs, in close array, with drawn scimitars. A rustle of silks and
brocades, accompanied by low busy whispers, intermingled now and then
with gentle laughter, drew occasionally the attention of the younger
omrahs to the lattices, through which many bright eyes were beheld,
waiting, with intense eagerness, for the novelties of the day. The
emissaries, who were actively engaged in assisting in the marvels about
to be performed, now and then conveyed to each other, by their glances,
an expression of rejoicing at the success which had so far crowned
their scheme. But those glances had not altogether escaped the vigilant
eye of Bochari, from whose mind suspicion never was absent.
The first performances were little beyond the usual arts of manual
dexterity. One of the Bauzigurs plunged a red rose into water, and
brought it out a bright yellow. The next produced a bird-cage, which
at first appeared to contain a pair of sweet-singing nightingales. The
cage seemed to be without partition; but upon being turned around, the
nightingales were changed into a couple of beautiful green parrots,
and these vanishing were replaced by a brace of partridges, singularly
mottled. They exhibited a large ewer, filled with water. Reversing
it, they spilled the water to the last drop; but on turning the
vessel, with its mouth upwards again, it appeared as full of water as
before. They shewed a sack, open at both ends. At one end of this they
introduced a melon, which at the other was brought out a cucumber; then
the cucumber was converted into a bunch of grapes; and these into a
branch of a tree, laden with apples of the true Abbas sort.
One of the seven stood up, and setting open his mouth, the head of a
snake immediately came out of it. Another of the men seized the snake
by the neck, and drew it out to the length of four cubits. This being
cast to the ground, another and another followed, in the same manner,
to the number of ten, none of them being less than five cubits in
length. These being all flung upon the ground, were immediately seen
writhing in the folds of each other, and tearing one another with the
greatest fury.
They arranged twelve porcelain jars, which every body who looked into
them pronounced to be completely empty. The jars were then covered, and
the covers being removed a few minutes after, they all appeared to be
full, one of wheat, parched, and fit for use; another of sugar-candy;
another of citron; another of tamarind, and so on; each jar containing
a different eatable, which was tasted by the eunuchs. The jars were
again covered, and so remained for a few moments, when, upon the covers
being once more removed, the vessels appeared as empty and as clean on
the inside as if they had been washed with spring-water.
One of the men displayed a ruby ring on his little finger; he removed
the ring to another finger, when the gem became emerald, then to
another finger, when the emerald became a diamond; then to another,
when the diamond was transformed into a turquoise.
Jehangire expressed his astonishment at these various changes. At
the conclusion of each feat a buzz of admiration was heard throughout
the whole courtly circle, and from behind the lattices expressions
of wonder and delight became so audible, that it became necessary to
intimate in that quarter the expediency of lowering their voices a
little. Curiosity, however, was raised still higher, when the Bengalese
announced that they had still in reserve matters better worth his
majesty’s attention.
They held up a book, the leaves of which they turned separately over
before the whole court. Every body was convinced that the leaves,
which were of the purest white paper, were perfectly blank, containing
neither figures nor colours of any description. When the spectators
were satisfied upon this point, one of the men took the volume in hand,
and, opening the first page, shewed it a most elaborate vignette,
sprinkled with gold upon a bright red ground. The second leaf appeared
of a beautiful azure, sprinkled in the same manner, the margins being
illuminated with numbers of men and women in various attitudes. On
a third leaf were delineated herds of cattle, pursued by lions and
panthers, painted with such exquisite perfection, that they seemed
almost to live on the page. The fourth was of a beautiful green ground,
powdered with gold, on which was represented, in glowing colours, a
garden, with numerous cypresses, rose-trees, and flowering shrubs in
full bloom, and in the midst of the garden a sumptuous pavilion. The
next change exhibited a leaf of orange, also powdered with gold, on
which was pictured a battle. Two adverse hosts were seen engaged in
deadly strife, led on by two kings, who fought hand to hand against
each other, with a degree of frenzy that roused the enthusiasm of the
young warriors to the highest pitch.
The seven Bengalese armed themselves with bows, and quivers full
of steel-pointed arrows. One shot an arrow into the air, where
it remained, at a considerable height, as if fixed in some solid
substance. A second discharged an arrow at the first, to which it
became attached; and so with every one of the remaining arrows, to the
last of all, which, striking the united sheaf, the whole broke asunder,
and fell in a shower upon the earth.
The principal Bauzigur, placing himself at the emperor’s feet, asked
his majesty to mention the kind of trees which he would wish to see
composing a shady grove before his pavilion. The emperor named the
mango, the apple, the cypress, the fig, the walnut, the mulberry, and
several other trees. The seven, immediately placing themselves in
different parts of the open space, set seeds in the ground, and recited
over each certain prayers in language unintelligible to any of the
spectators. In a few moments plants were seen springing gradually up
from each of the seeds, small and slender at first, like saplings, then
rising higher, throwing out branches, the stems constantly acquiring
greater thickness, the branches becoming stronger, with buds coming
forth as in spring time, and then blossoms and leaves, and, finally,
fruits, until a dense grove appeared, composed of all the fruit-trees
which the emperor had named.
Jehangire could scarcely believe the evidence of his senses. Descending
from his divan, he plucked mulberries, apples, and figs, with his own
hand, and, tasting each, convinced himself that he was not deceived.
While the emperor and different members of the court were roving
beneath the shades of the trees, and partaking of the fruits which
were thus wonderfully placed within their reach, they were still more
astonished to hear the notes of different birds. Looking up among the
branches, they perceived them tenanted by crowds of yellow and black
nightingales, thrushes, cuckoos, goldfinches, and mocking-birds, of
such beauty, shape, colour, and melody, as they had never seen before.
They poured forth their different songs, hopped from spray to spray,
followed each other through the branches with playful indifference,
and seemed, in all respects, as if they had been familiarised to the
presence of their visitors. The fruits, after a while, gradually
disappeared; the leaves assumed the variegated tints of autumn; the
birds took their departure; the branches became bare as in winter;
the cold blasts howled through them, they were covered with snow, and
beautiful filagree work of hoar frost; and then diminished rapidly in
size, until they disappeared into the earth, from which they had been
so miraculously made to spring.
This exhibition every body pronounced most extraordinary. They believed
it to be the work of no mortal hand. The emperor asked his learned men
to account for it, but they acknowledged their inability to explain the
power thus exercised, without attributing it to super-natural sources.
The emissaries, in their astonishment, overlooked the purpose which
they came to attempt, and fearing that persons of such skill as the
Bauzigurs might divine it, and denounce them to the vengeance of the
emperor, resolved, at all events, to postpone their design until the
conclusion of the shows.