Page 135 - Early English Adventurers in the Middle East_Neat

ENGLISH MISSION TO THE GREAT MOGUL 135

of his tedious and largely uneventful voyage to Surat. Suf­
fice it to say that he went out to India in the best equipped
English fleet that had up to that time sailed to the East.
On his arrival at Surat towards the close of 1615 he almost
at once came into collision with the new native govern­
ment. Zulfikar Khan was domineering and insolent, and
put all sorts of obstacles in the way of Roe’s mission. Roe,
with a complete appreciation of the native character,
took up a strong position from the first, put forward his
requests as demands and generally showed that he did
not intend to permit any barriers to be imposed either to
his own mission or to the trading operations of the ships.
Zulfikar Khan, when he found the land of man with whom
he had to deal gave in and he ended by making a humble
appeal for Roe’s friendship, offering on his own part to
give the ambassador “anything he would demand.”
Eventually a safe conduct was forthcoming from Jehangir,
and Roe, after a month’s detention, set out for Ajmere,
where the Court at that time was situated. On the road
the ambassador was stricken with fever, and the last stages
of the journey from Burhanpur were made under great
physical disability. It was not until January 10, 1616,
some days after his arrival, that Roe was able to have an
audience of the Emperor.
Roe gives an animated account in his diary of the man­
ner of his reception. On arrival at the outer court of the
palace he was conducted by the kotwal, or chief police
officer, to an inner court, where, “ high in a gallery, with a
canopy over him and a carpet before him, sat in great and
barbarous state the Great Mogul.” Proceeding towards
him through a lane of people Roe was met by an official,
who told him that he must touch the ground with his head