Storia do Mogor 210.3.5

210.3.5

By all that I have stated above it can be seen that the government of the Mogul empire is nothing but one vast disorder. Upon this it will not be, I think, inappropriate to recount another adventure concerning an old woman. This old woman complained to the king that the officials had taken her land ; and in reference thereto at six different times did the king give her his asbelocums (hasb-ul-hukm), or his written order, to get her back her property. In spite of all this, nothing came of it. When she came with a seventh rescript, the officials lost their temper, and had her thrust out with the words that, if she came again with orders like that, they would throw her into a place which they named plainly enough, but decency requires me to leave unsaid. Back went the good lady to complain to the king while he was seated giving audience ; she shouted out to him the answer she had got from his officials. Without getting angry, the prince replied that as they would not obey, he could do nothing, and she must lay her plaints before God. Yet it is by similar neglect that the kingdom has now been brought to ruin, for if Aurangzeb followed the course of his father, there would not be seen so much disorder as is to be found nowadays. For any such disobedience he (Shahjahan) had the man's head cut off, or took his life by means of venomous snakes.