Jean-Baptiste Tavernier
Jean -Baptiste Tavernier (also: Johann Baptista Tavernier, * 1605 in Paris, † July 1689 in Moscow) was a French traveler and Baron of Aubonne in Switzerland.
Life
His father acted with maps, in which he found instructions for his travels through France, England, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Poland, Hungary and Italy.
He then undertook, within 40/49 years 6 trips to Turkey, Persia and India and indeed to all on a sea voyage to the land. From there, he brought a large amount of diamonds to Europe, including only twenty stones between 30 and 50 carats. Some diamonds that had brought Tavernier from India should be later famous, among others, the Koh-i- Noor and the Hope Diamond, which he is said to have broken the legend of the statue of the Hindu god Vishnu. Tavernier rose to the courts of Europe to the prestigious diamond experts and traders of his time. There were no large diamond that he has not brought from India or at least examined for the princes and measured.
In 1668 he sold the Blue Hope diamond to King Louis XIV of France.
He won by his trade in precious stones much money and bought in 1670 for 60,000 livres the rule Aubonne in Switzerland. As much he paid for the restoration of the castle Aubonne.
He was in contact with Job Ludolf.
His cousin, whom he sent to the Orient with acquired in France goods worth 222,000 pounds per ship, cheated on him. As a result, he had to sell his rule Aubonne 1687 Henri Duquesne.
It is alleged that he made his seventh trip to come back to money. He died on the way in July 1689 in Moscow at the age of 84 years.
Work
- Les six voyages de Jean Baptiste Tavernier, baron d' écuyer Aubonne, qu'il a fait en Turquie, en Perse et aux Indes, pendant l' espace de quarante ans, & toutes les routes par que l' on peut tenir: accompagnez d' observations sur la qualité particulieres, la religion, le gouvernement, les coutumes & le commerce de chaque païs; avec les figures, le poids, & la valeur de monnoyes qui y ont court, Gervais highlight ornamental, Paris, 1676 ( digitized version of the English edition of " Travels in India", translated and with biographical sketch and comment provided by Valentine Ball, ed. by William Crooke: Part I, Part II)
- Recueil de plusieurs relations et traitez Singuliers et curieux de JB Tavernier, chevalier, baron d' Aubonne. Qui n'ont point esté mis dans ses premiers six voyages. Divisé en cinq parties. Avec la relation de l' intérieur du du Grand Seigneur serrail suivant la copie imprimée à Paris, Genève, Club of Libraires de France, Le cercle du bibliophile, 1970
- Les six voyages de J.-B. Tavernier en Perse et aux Indes, Gerard Monfort, Paris, 2004
- Les Voyages en Orient du Baron d' Aubonne, Editions Favre, 2005