Storia do Mogor 165: AURANGZEB ORDERS A SEARCH IN THE HOUSES OF THE PADRES AT AGRAH.

165

The death of Father Busee and the want of prudence of a Jesuit father were the cause of the padres undergoing many disagreeables. It ended in some of them being expelled from the kingdom. At this moment Aurangzeb was incensed by having his recollections of Jahangir revived on the sight of his mausoleum, and he (Jahangir) had been a great favourer of the priests. They said to the king that these priests had idols in their houses (thus did they designate the images that the fathers possessed), and that though there was no longer any heathen temple elsewhere in the realm, these men retained such idols in contravention of the royal orders. This was enough. Aurangzeb sent forthwith to have a search made in the house of the priests, fully determined to destroy them [176] if the searchers came across any figures in the said house. The priests were warned in time by some friends, and at once removed all the figures, leaving only the cross, which, as everyone knew, was our device. The men deputed went and searched diligently everywhere, but could not lay hands on any figure. Now, among them were some friendly and some inimical. The news-writer, who was opposed to the priests, wanted to record falsely that they had found two figures; but the other officials forbade him, saying that it was not just to write falsehoods against poor people who did harm to none. Thus this tempest passed over the padres.