Storia do Mogor 211.3.4

211.3.4

Aurangzeb could not ignore the fact that each of his children wanted to become king and made pretensions to the crown. But one day, out of curiosity, he asked them if they wanted to reign. Shah 'Alam replied that he would be glad enough to be king should His Majesty ever wish for repose and should cede the kingdom to him, and that to him it seemed only just that the eldest son should succeed — still more so when he was a good man, and endowed with habits and qualities which should rather lead him to, than exclude him from, the throne. In spite of this, it was his bounden duty to remain quiet during the life and good health of His Majesty. He meant to be understood as intending on his father's death to do his best to succeed him. A'zam-tara stated that he was born to be a king, even though he had an elder brother, for (said he) my father and my mother are both Mahomedans, and both of royal blood. Akbar's reply was that his birth took place at a propitious hour and moment. For was it not then that had begun the happiness and good fortune which had ever since followed in his (Aurangzeb's) train ? Was it not in that very year that he had won the victory over Rajah Jaswant Singh and Qasim Khan, and had also defeated Prince Dara? Briefly he had had many other lucky advantages that favouring Fortune had conferred on him ; and for all these reasons he believed that the crown was his by right.