IT is difficult to give a complete account of royal travels and camping, but a few items that go along during hunting and pleasure trips have been described here.
GULALBAR: It is a unique canvass enclosure invented by the emperor, the doors of which are fastened with padlocks. It measures 100 square yards. The eastern corner of the enclosure has two doors with 54 compartments. This portion is 20 yards long and 14 yards wide. In the middle of this enclosure there is a wooden attic, which serves as the royal curtain.
Adjacent to the attic, there is a two-storey house in which the emperor offers his prayers. In the upper quarter of the house he appears in the morning and acknowledges the greetings of his courtiers. The servants cannot enter this house without permission.
On the outer side, there are 24 wooden attics, each measuring 10 yards in length and six yards in width that have been separated by canvass enclosures. Some special ladies stay here.
Apart from that, there are numerous tents and tabernacles meant for the servants. The royal pavilions have sun shades of brocade and velvet and next to the square a 64-yard enclosure is erected within which a few tents are pitched. Turkish and other devout women stay here. Outside this portion right up to the royal quarters a fascinating courtyard measuring 100 yards in length and 100 yards in width, called Mehtabi, is established. On both sides of this courtyard a tent is pitched, which is stretched on six-yard long poles. These poles, having brazen cupola, are fixed at a distance of every two yards and are buried one yard deep into the ground. The poles have two tent ropes, one inside and one outside the enclosure that strengthen the poles. The guards perform their duties from here.
A platform is made in the middle of this courtyard over which a canopy is stalled. In the evenings the emperor sits here and permits only the chosen courtiers to present themselves.
Adjacent to the Gulalbar, a circular enclosure is erected which has 12 compartments each measuring 30 yards in length. The door to this enclosure opens into the courtyard. In the middle of the enclosure there is a 10-yard long wooden attic under which a subterranean tent having 40 compartments is pitched. Over this tent, 12 canopies, each measuring 12 yards, are put up. Each canopy is separated by partitions. In every part of this enclosure well-designed latrines called Abchaki or Abchaki Khana have been made. The emperor himself addresses these washrooms by this name. Adjacent to the washrooms, a 100-square-yard royal tent is pitched. This has 16 compartments, each measuring 36 square yards. The royal tent too is supported by poles and has the cupolas of similar type as stated earlier. In the middle a place of audience is established by 1,000 chamberlains. This has 72 rooms and its entrance is 15-yard wide. Over the place of audience a tent type canopy is spread. , which is made of wax cloth or of such like light material which is very comfortable during rainy and summer seasons.
Around the place for the audience 50 tents of 12 yards are pitched and this special royal abode has swing doors. In this place the courtiers and officers of the army are ushered in to pay their respects only with the permission of army commanders. This permission keeps changing from month to moth. The exterior and interior flooring of the whole place is extremely well-decorated with beautiful designs and presents a fascinating sight.
Outside this place for the audience, tent ropes are put up at a distance of 350 yards and a wooden pole is pitched every three yards, which are guarded by sentries. This place is called the Diwan-i-Aam.
At the end of this luxurious place there is a drum house at a distance of sixty-yard tent ropes. In the middle of this area there is a lighted Akaas Dia. This lamp is put up on a very tall bamboo that is pitched in the ground.
A few tents are dispatched in advance but one tent is put up at a suitable place, which the stewards consider fit for the royal stay. The tent pitchers put up the tent and wait for the emperor’s arrival. In order to move every tentage from one place to the other 100 elephants, 500 camels and 400 long carts are needed. The tentage is accompanied by 500 functionaries and Indian soldiers. Apart from these 1,000 Persian, Turanian and Indian chamberlains, 500 labourers, 100 water carriers, 50 iron smiths, tent-makers, torch-bearers, 30 cobblers and 100 sweepers always remain present to render their services. The salaries of the footmen have been fixed at 100 to 200 Daams per month.
