Storia do Mogor 124: Death of 'Abd-ul-Karim.

124

Aurangzeb had shown that he was not afraid of the Persians. All the same, he had a certain amount of dread, for he recalled Shah 'Alam to court in great haste, and directed Rajah Jai Singh to make peace with the king of Bijapur. His intention was to enter on a campaign against the Persians. He still further exerted himself. He ordered the learned 'Abd-ul-Karim, master of theology, to take steps to ascertain what Shah 'Abbas was doing, and transmit to court clear information.
'Abd-ul-Karim was so energetic that it cost him his life. For, having seized some Persian merchants who were totally ignorant of the plans of Shah 'Abbas, he tortured them until they should tell him what they did not know. At last one of them, in despair at so much suffering, sought for death. Thus, the six Persian merchants being in the audience-hall under examination, one of them drew near to 'Abd-ul-Karim [112], who was seated upon a carpet, his sword lying in front of him, as is customary, and around him a number of persons. The man said he wished to confess the truth, and would therefore swear upon the sword to state what he knew. Placing his hand upon the sword, which was sheathed, he suddenly raised it and gave his torturer a mighty blow upon the head. 'Abd-ul-Karim was killed. The bystanders seized the other five merchants, who were lying chained in a corner of the hall, while the brave fellow who struck the blow managed to escape during the confusion.
Let it be learnt hereby that patience, when at last angered, is transformed into fury, and in pursuing an inquiry: 'Est modus in rebus, sunt certi denique fines, Quos ultra citraque nequit consistere rectum.'
By this event Aurangzeb was thrown into a great quandary, suspecting that the Persians had already decided to take possession of Hindustan by one method or another. He therefore ordered everyone to go about clad in shirts of mail.
Aurangzeb's apprehensions were added to when he opened the book of Coja Afez Xirazi (Khwajah Hafiz Shirazi). He is a Persian author much esteemed by Mahomedans, because he wrote good doctrine in verse. On the occasion of any important affair they open his book at a venture, or, as we are used to say, ad apertum libri. They regulate their conduct by the first words upon which their eyes rest, treating them as prophetic. He fell (I say) into greater anxiety, since on opening the said book he found the statement: 'I am greatly amazed that the black man should claim equality with his master.' This was as much as to say that he wondered that the King of Hindustan should assert his ability to resist the strength of the Persian king. For, as I said already more than once, the Persians call the Indians their 'slaves' or 'black men.' Aurangzeb flung the book on the ground in a great rage, and issued orders for all copies of the work to be collected and burnt. None was allowed to retain this book under pain of death.