Storia do Mogor 176.4

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.