Storia do Mogor 173: Prince Akbar Rebels.

Storia do Mogor (Irvine) 173

Language: English

Prince Akbar Rebels.

173.1

Seeing how much Aurangzeb was willing to risk in order to master his kingdom, the Rana, equally persistent not to attack Aurangzeb, resolved to arrange matters so that the Mogul's own sons should make war against such an unjust father. He found out that Akbar, although the youngest of all, was the boldest and most turbulent, as he had shown when quite small. To him (Akbar) selected persons were sent into the very camp of Aurangzeb. These men counselled him not to lose this chance of becoming king. If he did not act now, when his father was without his men and all the other princes were in the Rana's territory, at a much greater distance from his father than he was, it would not be easy a second time to capture the crown. He embraced this advice, being liked by his officers and soldiers, and began his march for the seizure and beheadal of his father.

173.2

Spies came to Shah 'Alam about this rebellion, but he would not put trust in them, or at any rate appeared not to attach credit to them. For, it being a matter of great importance, he would be obliged to inform his father, and he feared to write such matters to Aurangzeb, who from his love for Akbar would not believe his (Shah 'Alam's) letters. On the contrary, he would suspect that Shah 'Alam wrote them in order to carry out some plot of his own. Nevertheless, as such news was very important, he sent for his generals and captains, and in their presence caused the exact words of the spy to be written down. The man said that a commotion would arise, that Akbar had already publicly declared himself king, and with the intention of arresting his father had already begun his march. The generals and captains signed at the foot of the spy's statement. Thus the news was sent at once by Shah 'Alam to Aurangzeb. The latter, for the love he bore to his other son, would not believe Shah 'Alam's letter, and said they were mendacious tales and the rebellion non-existent.

173.3

But on the same day came in news from Akbar's own camp that he had in reality rebelled, and was advancing energetically with thirty thousand Rajputs belonging to the Rani, the widow of Rajah Jaswant Singh, commanded by two famous leaders, Durga Das and Sonoegi (Soning), besides the other troops that he had. Aurangzeb was thrown into great anxiety, and he arranged to put into a state of defence the house [191] he occupied, which stood upon a great lake. He refused to shut himself up in the fortress ; he distributed among the few men he had the charge of the windows and doors, enjoining great vigilance. He saw the time arrive for appreciating the saying, 'Per quæ quis peccat, per hæc et plectetur'; what he did he received, and he had to pay the penalty for what he had done to his father. But he sought every mode to evade that issue, and he fortified as well as he could the house, posting round it field-pieces, swivel-guns, and matchlock men.

173.4

He sent letters to Shah 'Alam, A'zam Tara, and other generals to reinforce him at once with the greatest haste. From this reason we turned right-about-face and came to rejoin Aurangzeb, who had already left Ajmer, and pitched his camp in the same place where Dara was encountered at the second battle. We reached the spot three hours before the arrival of the rebel prince. Aurangzeb, before he marched, had also written to Akbar, and told him that he had heard false reports about his loyalty, and how evil-designing people had written that he had rebelled against his father, one who held him dearer than his soul. He longed to know the truth. If it were the fact that he had rebelled, he asked him the cause of his rebellion. Let him remember that it was not a right thing for a beloved son to rebel, above all at a time when the father, for the glory of his sons, was busy with a grand enterprise. He admonished him that he ought now, at such a time, to abate his ardour and not throw the realm into disorder. Let him keep quiet at present, and allow progress against the Rana to be continued. At a fitting time he would let him see how much he loved him.

173.5

Akbar received the letter and demonstrated, even more clearly than was necessary, what were his intentions. For he wrote boldly to his father that he had really rebelled, that it was with firm resolve to fight that he had come forth from the mountain abysses. The cause of his revolt was the same that his father had himself taught him, for had he not risen against his father ? The whole realm was by this time tired at seeing his tyrannical acts, more especially the abrogation of the rights and privileges that his far-off ancestors had conceded to different persons in Hindustan. Therefore let him prepare for battle and mount his horse, for he was coming straight to fight him personally. On hearing this message, Aurangzeb began to be still more disquieted [192]. It was not so much his son that he feared, but the thirty thousand Rajput horsemen. He knew their object was to take vengeance, this being a good opening, for the insult done to their Rani and the sons of Jaswant Singh. Still, to show that he was not afraid, he wrote to Akbar to come on, and he would await him on horseback. For this purpose he ordered a long steel spike to be made and affixed to the head of a fine horse that he possessed.

173.6

When our armies became aware of this news there was great uproar ; those who were acquainted with Akbar's vigour and the small force round Aurangzeb began at once to deliberate whether they should not desert to Akbar's side, as that of the more powerful protagonist. I know myself that Shah 'Alam was thrown into considerable anxiety by this outbreak. Akbar's mistake was not to carry through his project. If he had only learnt from his father, along with the lesson of rebellion, that also of energy and of not losing time, it is certain that he would have made himself king, Aurangzeb having no men to defend himself. But as Aurangzeb had in Akbar's division men who loved him, he found means to make the astrologers order Akbar to wait some days before marching. The time was occupied in making thrones and preparing supplies for the coronation festival. This they did to give Aurangzeb time to gather men for his defence.

173.7

At this time Aurangzeb wrote a letter and made it over to the Master of the Horse, a big, tall man who attended the king when he rode out. It was this man himself who told me the story. He was directed to place the said letter between two tombs, and remain there on the alert to notice if during the night the tombs made any movement, as if striking each other. He put the letter between the two tombs, but saw no movement whatever the whole night through. Reporting this to the king, Aurangzeb declared that Akbar would never come to meet him with his army. All the same, he did not slacken his efforts, sending a flying camp on ahead to watch the movements of Akbar's force.

173.8

Some men came and said to the king that the vanguard of Akbar was advancing with such determination that they were too few to resist their fury and impetus. From this cause Aurangzeb, although still relying upon the sorcery, had already given himself up for lost [193], not having yet sufficient men, although more were coming in hour by hour. It was the period of the short rainy season in those regions — that is to say, it was the month of January one thousand six hundred and eighty-one. The rain and the wind gave us enough to suffer from, coupled with the mud and mire of the roads. All the same, we arrived (as I have said) (ante, II. 191) three hours before the appearance of Akbar and his army, although we had been much farther off than Akbar had been ; and he took four days in coming to execute his project, when he could have done it in two, at which time Aurangzeb was without soldiers and without strength. It looked as if the heavens wished to announce this rebellion, for on the vespers of the Nativity (December 24) of one thousand six hundred and eighty there appeared a large comet with a tail. It was at the time that we were encamped near the tank of which I spoke (Rana-sagar, ante, II. 187). From this occurrence (the comet) our camp became perturbed and concerned, not knowing what was about to happen.

173.9

Although we had joined him, Aurangzeb did not yet count himself safe, being in great dread of the Rajputs. He therefore resorted to his usual devices. Learning that on the next day battle would be offered, he wrote a letter to Akbar. In it he said that he had always found him to be an obedient son, above all was he so in this pretence at a revolt, but it was now necessary to complete the operation with the same dutifulness. Let him remember to post the Rajputs in the vanguard, and then during the battle he should carry out his part in their rear, slaying as many as he could. Aurangzeb and his army would kill all the others, and thus would he execute the wished-for vengeance on the Rajputs, and destroy them all. He wrote thus because he knew that the Rajputs of themselves had offered to fight in the vanguard, and when they intercepted the letter they would suspect Akbar and leave him. This came to pass; for the Rajputs, getting hold of the letter, feared they had been betrayed. Forthwith, without any warning to Akbar, they took to flight.

173.10

Akbar rose at midnight to make ready for the great attempt, when it was already too late to begin. Supposing the Rajputs to be still in their due place, he found instead the camp evacuated, for the rest of his army had also fled, leaving him with only a few soldiers. The prince fell into profound dejection [194] at finding himself abandoned, and felt unable to decide what ought to be done. Tahavvar Khan, who was in the king's service, seeing that the cause was lost, now staked his life on making Akbar king. He said to the prince that, since they had not men enough, the rebellion could not be carried to completion. Let him wait where he was with the few men he had left, while he went to assassinate the king. In pursuance of this design he entered the royal camp, clad all in mail, telling the sentries who challenged him that he was Tahavvar Khan, and, being a known man, he was allowed to pass without difficulty. During a storm of rain and wind he arrived close to the royal tent. If he had found entrance then, he and his companions could have killed the king and Shah 'Alam and his sons, who were quite unprotected, the rain and the cold having made the soldiers retire into their tents. At this time the guard on the royal tent consisted of only a door-keeper or two. Lutfullah Khan, son of Sa'dullah Khan, who commanded the guard, was inside the entrance to the tent.

173.11

He challenged the traitor and asked who he was, and the intruder responded freely that he was Tahavvar Khan, feeling confident that, being of the king's service, he would be sure to let him pass in without hindrance. But Lutfullah Khan made him wait till he had carried a message to His Majesty. He was given permission to enter on condition of giving up his arms. On hearing this message from Lutfullah Khan, Tahavvar Khan said that he could not give up the sword that this very king had attached to his side. Upon this Lutfullah Khan said he should never enter unless he left his sword, and there was between them some exchange of words. Men collected to hear the cause of dispute, and his blood getting heated, Tahavvar Khan laid hold of his sword to force his way in. But Lutfullah Khan and the others also seized their weapons, and a fight began. Tahavvar Khan, being clad in mail, made no account of them. In a few moments the king heard the disturbance, and shouted out orders to kill the intruder. Trying to escape, Tahavvar Khan became entangled in the horses' heel-ropes and the tent-ropes, and fell to the ground. The others cut off his head. When they told the king that Tahavvar Khan was dead, he issued orders to bury him at the entrance of the tent door. Thus died Tahavvar Khan in trying to make a king of Akbar.

173.12

The latter, when he heard of Tahavvar Khan's death, went into his tents, broke open his boxes of jewels and of [195] gold coin, and, disguising his women in men's attire, fled again into the Rajput territory. When the day dawned he met the Rajput captains and generals. By the time they had learnt the reason of his flight, and the deception played off on them by Aurangzeb, there was no longer any remedy either for the death of Tahavvar Khan or for the abortive result of their project. The sun rose, and it seemed as if heaven meant to congratulate Aurangzeb on having escaped from the net that his son had spread for him. Men were to be seen going and coming from Akbar's camp with their clothes and chattels. Others were arriving to demand pardon from Aurangzeb for what they had tried to do. They made excuse that they could not have done less, for if they had refused, Akbar would certainly have cut off their heads; and they had taken advantage of the darkness to flee from a son who had rebelled against his own father. But Aurangzeb's only reward for these good excuses was to send them prisoners to the fortress of Gwaliyar.