2"i(J IILSTOllY OF INDIA. [B^jok II.
AD 1015 This embassy, undcrtiikcn in accordance with one of tlie sti[)ulatiorw in the
treaty above mentioned, liarl the interest of the Company mainly for its oVjject, and was tlierefore maintained entirely at their expen.se. Sir Thoma.s Roe
Embassy of arrived in the end of 1615, and continued to be a resident at the Mogul wurt
Sir Thomas . _ ...
uoe. till the end of 1618. Though his recognized chanicter, and the judicious
manner in which he acted, gave him much more influence than HawkiiLS, it is impossible to tead his journal without being satisfied that the Company, in employing an ambassador at all, had committed a blunder. Points of eti(|uette which his position as ambassador would not allow him to yield, were apt to bring him into collision with the Mogul himself, or the higher members of his court ; and he gave it as his decided opinion, that as the object of his mission was onl}^ mercantile, a native agent duly authorized, and maintained at an expense of £100 a-year, would secure it better than ten ambassadors.
While thus candidly condemning the policy which had made him amba.ssa- dor, Sir Thomas Roe lost no opportunity of furthering the intei'ests of the Company ; and on several occasions, by counterworking intriguers, and obtaining redress of grievances, undoubtedly contributed to place the English trade on a stable footing, and prepare it for the larger development which it at last received. Still, it must be confessed that the most valuable service which he rendered, was in writing a journal which makes us intimately acquainted with all his transactions, and contains a most graphic description of Jehangir and liLs court. The subject has been already alluded to when mentioning the adven- tures of Captain Hawkins ; but the information of the journal, as well as that derived from other sources, will justify some additional details.
Character of Jehangir, after succeeding his father in 160.5, made great professions of e angir. jjjQf^gyat.ion, but liis bad habits soon resumed their ascendency ; and in the .second year of his reign, on the suppression of a rebelUon, headed by his eldest son Khosroo, who claimed the throne as the nominee of his grandfather Akber, he gave full scope to his ferocity, by ordering 700 of the captured rebels to be impaled in a line leading from the gate of Lahore. In the sixth year of his reign (1611), he contracted a maiTiage with Nur Jehan, a celebrated beauty, whose husband had perished in defending his honour against Jehangir's in- trigues. This event gave a colour to his future reign. Her ascendency over him was unbounded, and was employed by her less unworthily than might have been anticipated. In early life he had become excessively addicted to wine and opium, and while Hawkins resided at his court, was so completely enslaved by this vicious habit, that Ins daily routine is described as follows: — "His prayers being ended, foure or five soi-tes of very well dressed and roasted meats are brought, him, of which, as he pleaseth, he eateth a bit to stay his stomacke, drinking once of his strong drinke. Then he cometh forthe into a private roome, where none can come but such as himself nominateth. In this place he drinketh other five cupfiils, which is the portion that the physicians alot
