Jean-Baptiste Tavernier’s Travels In India

The different kinds of weights for weighing diamonds at the mines; the kinds of gold and silver in circulation; the routes by which one is able to travel; and the rule in use for the estimation of the prices of diamonds
(via Jean-Baptiste Tavernier’s Travels In India / V Ball / Edited by William Crooke)

I come now to some details as to the traffic in diamonds, and in order that reader may understand this easily—believing that no one has previously written of this matter I shall speak in the first instance of the different kinds of weights which are in use, both at the mines and in other places in Asia.

At the mine of Rammalakota they weigh by mangelins, and the mangelin is equal to 1¾ carats, that is to say, 7 grains. At the mine of Gani or Kollur the same weights are used. At the mine of Soumelpour in Bengal they weigh by ratis, and the rati is 7/8ths of a carat, or 3½ grains. This last weight is used throughout the whole of the Empire of the Great Mogul. In the Kingdoms of Golkonda and Bijapur mangelins are also used, but the mangelin in these places is only 13/8 carats. The Portuguese use the same weight name in Goa, but it is then equal to only 5 grains.

I come now to the kinds of money with which diamonds are purchased in India. Firstly, in the Kingdom of Bengal, in the territories of the Raja of whom I have spoken, as they are included in the dominion of the Great Mogul, payment is made in rupees. At the two mines in the Kingdom of Bijapur, in the neighborhood of Rammalakota, payment is made in the new pagodas which the King, being entirely independent of the Great Moghul, coins in his own name. The new pagoda does not always bear the same value, for sometimes it is valued at 3½ rupees, sometimes more and sometimes less, according as it is raised or lowered by the state of trade, and according as the moneychangers arrange matters with the Princes and Governors. At the mine of Kollur or Gani, which belongs to the King of Golkonda, payment is made in new pagodas of equal value with those of the King of Bijapur. But one has to buy them sometimes at from 1 to 4 percent premium, because they are of better gold, and because the merchants do not accept others at this mine.

These pagodas are made by the English and Dutch, who have obtained from the King, either by agreement or by force, permission to manufacture them, each in their own fortress. And those of the Dutch cost 1 or 2 percent more than those of the English, because they are of better quality, and the miners also much prefer them. But as the majority of the merchants are influenced by the false reports that the people at the mine are unsophisticated and almost savages, and that, moreover, the routes from Golkonda to the mines are very dangerous, they generally remain at Golkonda, where those who work the mines have their correspondents to whom they send the diamonds. Payments are made there with old pagodas, well worn, and coined many centuries ago by different Princes, who reigned in India before the Musalmans gained a footing in the country. These old pagodas are worth 4½ rupees, i.e. 1 rupee more than the new, although they do not contain more gold, and consequently do not weigh more; this will be a cause of astonishment if I do not explain the reason. It is that the Shroffs of Changers, in order to induce the King not to have them recoined, pay him annually a large sum, because they themselves thereby derive a considerable profit; for the merchants never receive these pagodas without the aid of one of these Changers to examine them, some being defaced, others of low standard, others of short weight, so that if one accepted them without this examination he would lose much, and would have the trouble to return them, or perhaps lose from 1 to even 5 or 6 percent, in addition to which he must pay the Shroffs 1/4th per cent for their trouble. When you pay the miners, they will also receive these pagodas only in presence of the Changer, who points out to them the good and bad, and again takes his 1/4th percent. But to save time, when you desire to make a payment of 1000 or 2000 pagodas, the Changer, when receiving his dues, encloses them in a little bag, on which he places his seal, and when you wish to pay a merchant for his diamonds you take him, with the bag, to the Changer, who, seeing his own seal intact, assures him that he has examined all the coins, and will be responsible if any do not prove good.

As for rupees, the miners take indifferently those of the Great Mogul and those of the King of Golkonda, because those coined by this King would have been the coinage of the Great Mogul if these monarchs had remained on good terms.

The natives of India have more intelligence and subtlety than one thinks. As the pagodas are small, thick pieces of gold of the size of the nail on the little finger, and as it is impossible to clip them without it being apparent, they bore small holes in them all round, found whence they extract 3 or 4 sols value of gold dust, and they close them with such skill that there is no appearance of the coins having been touched. Moreover, if you buy anything in a village, or if when you cross a river you give the boatmen a rupee, they immediately kindle a fire and throw the rupee into it, from whence if it comes out white they accept it, but if black they return it; for all the silver in India is of the highest quality, and that which is brought from Europe has to be taken to the mint to be recoined. I say also that those are very much deceived (as merchant tried to make me believe on my first journey) who imagine that is answers to take to the mines spices, tobacco, mirrors, and other trifles of that kind to barter for diamonds; for I have fully proved the contrary, and am able to assert that the merchants at the mine who sell the diamonds require good gold, and the best too.

Now let us say something as to the routes to be followed to the mines. Some modern rather fabulous accounts represent them to be, as I have said, dangerous and difficult, and frequented by tigers, lions and barbarous people; but I have found them altogether different from what they were represented to be—without wild beasts, and the people full of good will and courtesy to strangers.

As for Golkonda, one need know but little of the map to be aware of its position; but from Golkonda to Rammalakota, where the principal mine is, the route is less known, and this is the one which I followed. The measure of distance in this country is the gos, and a gos is equal to 4 French leagues.

From Golkonda to Canapour, 1 gos; Canapour to Parquel, 2½; Parquel to Cakenol, 1; Cakenol to Canol—Candanor, 3; Canol—Candanor to Setapour, 1; Setapour to the river, 2. This river is the boundary between the Kingdoms of Golkonda and Bijapur.

From the river to Alpour, ¾ gos; Alpour to Canol, ¾; Canol to Raolconda, where the mine is, 2½. Thus in all it is 17 gos, or 68 French leagues from Golkonda to the mine. From Golkonda to the mine of Coulour, or Gani, it is 13¾ gos, which amounts to 55 of our leagues. From Golkonda to Almaspinde, 3½ gos; Almaspinde to Kaper, 2; Kaper to Montecour, 2½; Montecour to Nazelpar, 2; Sarvaron to Mellaserou, 1; Mellaserou to Ponocour, 1¾. Between Ponocour and Coulour or Gani (Kollur) there is only the river to cross. I come now to an important subject which is little understood in Europe.

Jean-Baptiste Tavernier’s Travels India (continued)