Travels in the Mogul Empire (Bernier) 2.4.6

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.