Travels in the Mogul Empire (Bernier) 2.4
Travels in the Mogul Empire (Constable) 2.4
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2.4.1
Although disappointed of his prey, Aureng-Zebe felt that there was no occasion for alarm, and that he might securely prosecute his endeavours to obtain possession of the King's person. The entire spoliation of the palace was his next act. He stript it of all its costly contents, but sent the women to the King, according to a custom most scrupulously observed amongst Eastern despots. He then determined to besiege the King in his fortress, but as he was without a supply of the necessary munitions of war the siege was protracted, and Chah-Jehan, two months after its commencement, peremptorily commanded his son to relinquish his enterprise, and return without delay to the Decan; so that, although the fortress had been reduced to the last extremities from the want of provisions and war material, he was obliged to retire.
2.4.2
Aureng-Zebe was aware that in issuing these orders, the Mogol was influenced by Dara and Begum Saheb, who foresaw that if permitted to pursue his designs against the King of Golkonda, he would become too powerful. The Prince, however, betrayed no resentment, but acknowledged the duty of implicit obedience to his father's commands. Before he retired he received ample indemnification for the expense of the armament, and stipulated that Emir-Jemla should have free permission to remove with his family, property, and troops, and that the silver coin of the realm should in future bear the arms of Chah-Jehan. Moreover, he married his son Sultan Mahmoud to the King's eldest daughter, exacted a promise that the young Prince should be nominated successor to the throne of Golkonda, and received, as the Princess's dowry, the fortress of Ram-guyre, with the whole of its appurtenances. These two great men, Emir-Jemla and Aureng-Zebe, were not long together before they planned great enterprises, and while returning to the Decan, they besieged and captured Bider, one of the strongest places in Visapour. They then proceeded to Daulet-Abad, in which city they lived upon terms of the closest intimacy, forming gigantic plans of future aggrandizement. Their union may be remembered as an important epoch in the history of Hindoustan: it prepared the way for the greatness and renown of Aureng-Zebe.
2.4.3
Jemla, who had by his address contrived to obtain frequent invitations to the court of Chah-Jehan, repaired at length to Agra, and carried the most magnificent presents, in the hope of inducing the Mogol to declare war against the Kings of Golkonda and Visapour, and against the Portuguese. On this occasion it was that he presented Chah-Jehan with that celebrated diamond which has been generally deemed unparalleled in size and beauty. He dilated with earnestness on the benefits which would accrue from the conquest of Golkonda, whose precious stones were surely more deserving of his consideration than the rocks of Kandahar, whither the Mogol was about to lead an army : his military operations in that kingdom ought not to cease, he said, until the conquest of his arms extended to Cape Comory. The diamonds may have produced their effect upon the mind of Chah-Jehan; but it is the more received opinion that he was glad of a pretext for raising an army which should restrain the growing insolence of his eldest son and that it was for this reason he entered into the views of Jemla.
2.4.4
Whatever were his motives, he resolved to send an army towards the Decan under the Emir's command. Dara had incurred his father's displeasure by his recent and undisguised attempts to become paramount in power and authority : but there was one act of his which Chah-Jehan regarded with peculiar horror and indignation, and which he was least disposed to forgive, — the murder of Vizier Sadullah-Kan, a nobleman whom the Mogol considered the most accomplished statesman of Asia, and for whom he felt a warmth of friendship that became quite proverbial. What was the offence which Dara judged worthy of death is not ascertained. Perhaps he apprehended that in the event of the King's demise, the powerful ascendency of the Vizier might leave the crown at his disposal, and that he would place it on the head of Sultan Sujah, whose party he seemed to favour : or it is possible Dara may have been influenced by the reports promulgated respecting the intentions of Sadullah-Kan, who, from being an Indian [Hindoo] by birth, had excited the jealousy of the Persians at court. One of these rumours was, that after the death of Chah-Jehan, the Vizier designed to exclude the Mogols from the throne, and either to restore the royal race of the Patans, or usurp the crown for himself or his son. His wife was a Patan; and it was pretended that he kept a well-appointed army of that people, cantoned in various parts, to aid him in accomplishing his project.
2.4.5
It was evident to Dara that to send troops to the Decan was in effect to increase, by so many men, the strength of Aureng-Zebe. He opposed the measure, therefore, with many arguments and entreaties, and by every art he could devise. Finding it, however, impossible to move Chah-Jehan from his purpose, he persuaded him to impose certain conditions, by which Aureng-Zebe should engage to abstain from all interference in the conduct of the war; fix his residence at Daulet-Abad; confine his attention to the government of the Decan; and also that the Emir should retain the absolute and undivided command of the army: leaving the whole of his family at court, as hostages for his fidelity. This last clause was extremely offensive to Jemla; but Chah-Jehan prevailed with him to yield compliance, assuring him that this stipulation was intended only to satisfy the caprice of his son, Dara, and that he should soon be followed by his wife and children. The Emir put himself at the head of a fine army, with which he marched into the Decan: and without tarrying in that country, entered Visapour, commencing his operations with the siege of Kaliane, a place of considerable strength.
2.4.6
Such was the state of Hindoustan when the Mogol, who had passed his seventieth year, was seized with a disorder, the nature of which it were unbecoming to describe. Suffice it to state that it was disgraceful to a man of his age, who, instead of wasting, ought to have been careful to preserve the remaining vigour of his constitution. The Mogol's illness filled the whole extent of his dominions with agitation and alarm. Dara collected powerful armies in Dehli and Agra, the principal cities of the kingdom. In Bengale, Sultan Sujah made the same vigorous preparations for war. Aureng-Zebe in the Decan, and Morad-Bakche in Guzarate, also levied such forces as evinced a determination to contend for empire. The four brothers gathered around them their friends and allies; all wrote letters, made large promises, and entered into a variety of intrigues. Dara, having intercepted some of these letters, showed them to his father, inveighing bitterly against his brothers; and Begum [Saheb], his sister, availed herself of so advantageous an opportunity to prejudice the Mogol against his three rebellious sons: but Chah-Jehan placed no confidence in Dara, and suspecting he had a design to poison him, swallowed no food without the utmost fear and caution. It is even thought that he corresponded at this time with Aureng-Zebe, and that Dara, being apprised of the circumstance, was transported with rage to such a degree as to threaten his father.
2.4.7
Meanwhile, the King's distemper increased, and it was reported that he was dead: the whole court was in confusion; the population of Agra was panic-stricken; the shops were closed for many days, and the four Princes openly declared their settled purpose of making the sword the sole arbiter of their lofty pretensions. It was, in fact, too late to recede: not only was the crown to be gained by victory alone, but in case of defeat life was certain to be forfeited. There was now no choice between a kingdom and death: as Chah-Jehan had ascended the throne by imbruing his hands in the blood of his own brothers, so the unsuccessful candidates on the present occasion were sure to be sacrificed to the jealousy of the conqueror.
2.4.8
Sultan Sujah was the first who took the field. He had filled his coffers in the rich country of Bengale by utterly ruining some of the Rajas or Kinglets of that region, and by plundering others. He was therefore enabled to raise a numerous army : and confiding in the support of the Persian omrahs, whose religious views he had embraced, advanced rapidly on Agra. He issued a proclamation which set forth the death of his father by poison from the hand of Dara, and declared his determination both to avenge so foul a murder, and to occupy the vacant throne. Chah-Jehan, at the instance of Dara, hastened to undeceive him in regard to the rumour of his decease ; the malady was giving way, he said, to the power of medicine, and he expressly commanded him to return forthwith to his government of Bengale. But as Sultan Sujah's friends at court represented the Emperors disorder as incurable, he continued his march toward the capital, pretending that he was too well convinced of the death of his revered parent, and that if, contrary to his expectation, he should be yet alive, he was desirous of kissing his feet, and receiving his commands.