27.03.2013 Views

ÖÖI 8x 3 ^c- 0 - Acehbooks.org

ÖÖI 8x 3 ^c- 0 - Acehbooks.org

ÖÖI 8x 3 ^c- 0 - Acehbooks.org

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

366 S U M A T R A .<br />

who were both his near relations. None of the royal family furvived<br />

in 1622 but his own fon, a youth of eighteen, who had been thrice banifhed<br />

the court, and was thought to owe his continuance in life, only<br />

to his furpaffing his father, if poffible, in cruelty, and being hated by<br />

all ranks of people. He was at one time made king of Pedeer, but<br />

recalled on account of his excefTes, put to ftrange tortures by his father<br />

and confined in prifon. h He did not outlive the king. The whole<br />

territory of Acheen was almoft depopulated by wars, executions, and<br />

oppreflion. He endeavored to repeople the country by his conquefts.<br />

Having ravaged the kingdoms of Johor, Paham, Queda, Pera, and<br />

Delhy, he tranfported the inhabitants from thofe places to Acheen, to<br />

the number of twenty two thoufand perfons. But this barbarous policy<br />

did not produce the effect he hoped; for the unhappy people being<br />

brought naked to his dominions, and allowed not any kind of maintenance<br />

on their arrival, died of hunger in the ftreets.' In the planning<br />

his military enterprizes, he was generally guided by the diftrefles of his<br />

neighbours, whom he ever lay in wait to make a prey of; and his preparatory<br />

meafures were taken with fuch fecrecy, that the execution alone<br />

unravelled them. Infidious political craft, and wanton delight in blood,<br />

united in him to complete the character of a tyrant.<br />

Leaving no male heirs he was peaceably fucceeded in the government<br />

by his queen ; k and this prefents a new .era in the hiftory of the kingdom,<br />

as the fucceffion continued for many years in the female line.* The<br />

nobles finding their power lefs reftrained, and their confequence more<br />

felt, under an adminiflration of this kind, than when ruled by kings,<br />

fupported thefe pageants whom they governed as they thought fit, and<br />

thereby virtually changed the confïitution into an ariftocracy. The bufinefs<br />

of the ftate was managed by twelve orang cayos, of whom the<br />

* Beaulieu. * Beaulieu. Colle&ion of Dutch voyages. k Vies dej Governeurs.<br />

* It has been a common error, repeated in many books of Geography, to fuppofe that queen<br />

Elizabeth correfponded with a queen, and not a king, of Acheen. But the female reigns did<br />

not commence till forty years after Elizabeth's death.<br />

Maharaja,

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!