Storia do Mogor 128: Death of Rajah Jai Singh.
Storia do Mogor (Irvine) 128
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Death of Rajah Jai Singh.
128.1
In the following year, one thousand six hundred and sixty-seven (correctly, 1666) Shiva Ji escaped in the way I have spoken of (II. 105). Aurangzeb, owing to the death of the Persian king, found himself no longer in need of Rajah Jai Singh's services [for a Persian campaign]; and he had suspicions that the flight of Shiva Ji had been manipulated by that rajah. He ordered Jai Singh to return to court, and on the road caused poison to be given to him, from which he died at Burhanpur; thus was he rewarded for the great services he had rendered. The rajah might have killed Aurangzeb when he came across him near the Lakhi jungle, during the king's march against Shah Shuja', and could have done the deed in perfect safety. He had been counselled to do it by his officers, as I have already said in the Second Book of my First Part (I. 220). Thus, too, was the rajah rewarded for deserting Sulaiman Shukoh, son of Dara, in obedience to a simple letter sent to him by Aurangzeb. Thus did Aurangzeb reward the fidelity with which this rajah governed Dihli while he was in pursuit of Shah Shuja'. Thus did he reward the skill with which the rajah obtained the delivery of Sulaiman Shukoh when he had sought shelter in the mountains of Srinagar. Thus did he reward the valour and determination with which the rajah went against Shiva Ji, and the expenditure by which Shiva Ji's submission was secured.
128.2
Thus did he reward the submissiveness with which the rajah made peace with Bijapur, under conditions favourable to the Mogul court. As a further piece of revenge for the flight of Shiva Ji, Aurangzeb ordered Ram Singh, the rajah's eldest son, to proceed upon the conquest of Assam, simply in the hope of getting rid of him, knowing what had happened there to the great Mir Jumlah. But, on the representations of several princes, he varied the order, and sent him (Ram Singh) to the farther side of the river Indus, to be under the orders of the governor of those lands, wherein to live is a severe punishment to Hindus, as I have already said (I. 223). When the news of Jai Singh's death reached the court, he who brought it believed he was the carrier of melancholy news to Aurangzeb. For the whole country knew the services rendered by the deceased rajah to Aurangzeb and his kingdom, and they supposed that the king could not but grieve greatly for him. But, although it be a truth that the great make no account of their subjects except when they have need of them, and when the service is finished make no payment but in the coin of neglect, Aurangzeb, most completely ungrateful of them all, held it a maxim to withdraw from before his eyes those who had done the most for him. Thus he publicly declared himself rejoiced at the death of that great leader, saying [116] at once to the bearer of the news that his greatest joy consisted in this death of Rajah Jai Singh.
128.3
Yet it had caused sorrow to everybody except Aurangzeb. The latter, rid of a rajah whose influence might have been dangerous to his kingdom, declared that very hour an open war against Hinduism. He sent orders at once for the destruction of the fine temple called Lalta, in the neighbourhood of Dihli. He also ordered every viceroy and governor to destroy all the temples within his jurisdiction. Among others was destroyed the great temple of Matora (Mathura), which was of such a height that its gilded pinnacle could be seen from Agrah, eighteen leagues away. In its place a mosque was to be erected, to which he gave the name of Essalamabad (Islamabad) — that is, 'Built by the faithful.' Not content with this, he expelled the jogls or sanyasis, who are the ascetics and saints of the Hindus. He directed that the higher officers at the court who were Hindus should no longer hold their charges, but into their places Mahomedans should be put. He hindered the Hindus from enjoying their merry-making (intrudo) or carnival, on which occasion Mahomedans also resort to pranks and filthy sports. The time of this festival or carnival falls ordinarily on the moon of March. It is their custom to disport themselves by throwing on each other's clothes scented oils and odoriferous dust, if they are personages of position, or dirty water and other stinking things if they are low people.
128.4
They run about in all directions, just as with us in Europe is done at carnival time, with noisy cries and obscene words.