Storia do Mogor 176: XIX. Sultan Mu'izz-ud-din, Eldest Son of Shah 'alam.
Storia do Mogor (Irvine) 176
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XIX. Sultan Mu'izz-ud-din, Eldest Son of Shah 'alam.
176.1
service at his own expense. But these men had a bad name, and committed great oppression in the Mogul country; no one dared to interfere with them; they stole, buffeted, and slew, without anyone being able to question their acts. Aurangzeb therefore judged it to be of greater profit to the Moguls to dismiss instead of retaining such people. But not desiring to prejudice the rights he had over the Rana, he contrived that the Rana should undertake to give every year the necessary money for the pay of that number of soldiers, but should send no more horsemen. Thus the Rana's brother had his audience of leave-taking, and Aurangzeb was satisfied at having secured peace with a king who had spared his life once, and would be able to do him still greater harm by merely delaying to make peace.
176.2
During the time that these things were going on, it happened that Mirza Kuchak, of whom I spoke during my stay in Isfahan (I. 28), who had been expatriated, came to ask assistance from Aurangzeb. He gave this man various appointments, and in the end made him viceroy of Lahor. At this time it was reported to the viceroy that the qazi had killed two Hindu women in his house, and had [199] buried them in a pond. The governor, being zealous to see justice done, ordered the kotwal to institute a search in the qazi's house and discover the truth. But the qazi would not allow the kotwal into his house, not wanting to be prejudiced, and took arms in his own defence. The stiff-neckedness of the qazi having been reported to Mirza Kuchak, he directed an entry by force, and if necessary they were to fight. If anyone were killed, he would accept the responsibility.
176.3
Off went the kotwāl and fought with such vigour that the qāzī, too, fell along with the other dead. Thereupon the learned men assembled and wrote to the king about this mournful event, and said that never had it been heard of in Hindustan that anyone had ventured to put forth a hand upon the sacred person of a qāzī. None but a Persian would be guilty of such a deed, for, being of a different faith, he made no account of persons who professed and taught the true religion. Upon receiving this petition, Aurangzeb removed Mirza Kuchak and ordered him to court. Hardly had he arrived when he resorted to the royal presence. Aurangzeb, a subtle Mahomedan, said to him that he would have to talk to him about the qāzī's case. Mirza Kuchak understood, and was well aware that if the qāzī's case was in issue, he would die subjected to great shame and affronts. Therefore, leaving for his house, he took poison and died. This was the end of the man who pronounced the sentence that for a Mahomedan who killed a Christian it was sufficient punishment to make a slight cut on the end of the little finger until he had lost three drops of blood, and make him pay ten patacas.
176.4
Aurangzeb was determined, on various pretexts, to pursue Akbar, but foresight induced him to consider what might happen. He was afraid that the King of Persia might seize the opportunity to make some attack on the kingdom; therefore Mirza Baffa (? Wafa), grandson of the Sahedcan Bahadur (Sa'īd Khan Bahadur), of whom I spoke in Shāhjahān's reign (I. 145), was sent as ambassador in ordinary or resident to the King of Balkh. If there should be any movement of the Persians against the Mogul kingdom, he (the King of Balkh) was to take the field against them, and Aurangzeb would not only pay all the expenses, but give him a reward. The King of Balkh, in order to preserve the friendship of Aurangzeb, and attracted by the hope of lucre, accepted the proposal made to him by Aurangzeb [200]. As soon as the peace negotiations with the Rana were completed, Aurangzeb left Ajmer early in September of the year one thousand six hundred and eighty-one. His object now was a war against Sambha Ji, all unmindful of his fate — namely, that this departure was for ever, that there would be no return for him either to Agrah or to Dihli; for it is now nineteen years [i.e., in 1700] that he has been in camp without effecting anything against that rebellious people, the Mahrattahs. God only knows what will come to pass in the end! For the reports continually brought in to me are that he is in a very bad way, closely pressed by the aforesaid Mahrattahs.
176.5
Thus until this day he has not been able to accomplish the enterprise he intended (as he said) to finish in two years. He marched, carrying with him his three sons, Shah 'Alam, A'zam Tara, and Kam Bakhsh, also his grandsons. He had with him much treasure, which came to an end so thoroughly during this war that he was compelled to open the treasure-houses of Akbar, Niir Jahan, Jahangir, and Shahjahan. Besides this, finding himself with very little cash, owing to the immense expenditure forced upon him, and because the revenue-payers did not pay with the usual promptitude, he was obliged at Aurangabad to melt down all his household silverware. In addition to all this, he wanted to empty the great store-houses filled with goods left by deceased persons, or with property collected in Akbar, Jahangir, and Shahjahan's time from the men, great or small, who had been servants of the State. But afterwards he ordered these store-houses not to be opened, for he rightly feared that, he being absent, the officials would embezzle more than the half.