Travels in the Mogul Empire (Bernier) 2.3.1

2.3.1

Rauchenara-Begum, the Mogol's younger daughter, was less beautiful than her sister, neither was she so remarkable for understanding; she was nevertheless possessed of the same vivacity, and equally the votary of pleasure. She became the ardent partisan of Aureng-Zebe, and made no secret of her enmity to Begum-Saheb and Dara. This might be the reason why she amassed but little wealth, and took but an inconsiderable part in public affairs. Still, as she was an inmate of the Seraglio, and not deficient in artifice, she succeeded in conveying, by means of spies, much valuable intelligence to Aureng-Zebe. Some years previous to the war, the turbulent disposition of his four sons had filled Chah-Jehan with perplexity and alarm. They were all married and of adult age; but, in utter disregard of the ties of consanguinity, each, animated by deadly hatred toward the others, had set up his pretensions to the crown, so that the court was divided into separate factions. The King, who trembled for his personal safety, and was tormented by sad forebodings of the events which actually befel him, would gladly have confined his refractory children in Govaleor, a fortress which had often received members of the royal family within its walls, and considered impregnable, situated as it is on an inaccessible rock and containing within its walls good water and sufficient wherewithal to support its garrison;