[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Dark Ages](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages) › [Travellers (1500–1858)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel) › [Storia do Mogor](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci) › [Storia do Mogor (Irvine)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine) › 211.3 # Storia do Mogor 211.3 Storia do Mogor (Irvine) 211.3 - **Language:** English ### [211.3.1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.211.3.1) Adopting another style of life, he gave himself up to pleasure, but only in secret, his occupation being drinking and other pastimes, according to the whim of the moment. His father heard nothing of all that, for the son knew his father's disposition, and his love of seeing his children imitate his feigned strictness. Thus, to gain his approval the prince displayed as many signs of devoutness as ever he could. As he perceived that humility was also much to the taste of the old fellow, he showed the greatest contempt for the riches of this world. He ordered his bowls and dishes to be made of wood, and caused it to be noised abroad that he ate out of these. Further, the trappings of the horse he rode were of plain leather, devoid of all ornaments, although those of his retinue were not of that simple style. As for myself, I knew quite the contrary of all this ; and in his palace he led a jolly life of it, drinking and eating out of dishes and cups of gold. Above all, as to the drink, that I know to be exact, for he had charged me with procuring good wines of Persia and Europe. These I caused to be brought from Surat, and frequently, when he was out of them, he sent to my house for some, for he had more trust in me than in his Mahomedans. One day when he was elated I heard him say that despicable was that king who did not eat out of vessels of emerald. ### [211.3.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.211.3.2) His children were just as great hypocrites as he was, and all to propitiate their grandfather. For in secret they led the same life as their father. One day, as it happened, one of the spies reported to the king that he had seen a bottle of wine being taken into the house of Sultan Mu'izz-ud-dln. It was one that he had sent to me for. Upon this the old fellow made a long discourse to Shah 'Alam and Sultan Mu'izz-ud-dln. The latter said as his excuse that the wine was for some medicine to be given to a sick lady; while Shah 'Alam made it appear that he had no part in the matter. In order better to persuade and satisfy the king, he caused the uterine brother of his son to be ejected from his palace as the man who had sent the wine ; while I was thereby saved from the penalty which would otherwise have fallen on me had they known that the wine came from me. ### [211.3.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.211.3.3) The Prince A'zam Shah, or A'zam-tara, also drank wine ; but it was not in concealment like the others. On the contrary, frequently he even caused scenes while drunk, without paying any heed to his father. The latter was much chagrined at such conduct, but as he loved this son, he overlooked his faults. One day the prince was on his way to court in a boat ; he asked the rowers how many days it would take them to reach Bengal in that boat. The eunuch seated behind him signed to them to hold their tongues, so that they answered not a word. But directly they had reached the court, the eunuch intimated to the king that the prince had put such a question. No sooner had he entered the palace than he was arrested and locked up, and there he remained for a whole year, getting no wine to drink. But having been married to Janl Begam, daughter of Dara, he was released. From what is above stated, it will be seen that these princes are under surveillance, and if any servant of the king, or the princes themselves, should dare to open his mouth to make even the slightest objection, he would be forthwith exiled from court and turned out of the service. This is a sufficiently heavy punishment to induce them to hold their tongue, for they have no other means of gaining a living. ### [211.3.4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.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. ### [211.3.5](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.211.3.5) Kam Bakhsh answered that, without a doubt, the kingdom was his, as of right, because, said he, ' I am the son of a king, while the others are only sons of a prince.' Then, lifting his eyes to heaven, he added, ' But be it as God wills !' This last reason was extremely pleasing to the king, and on this account he esteemed this son more than ever, and raised his previous income. All the same, he did not allow his feelings to appear, but kept them hidden in his heart. Then he said, as a general answer to them all, that their claims were still in the remote future ; for the calculators had assured him that he was to reign one hundred and twenty years, and to their findings he accorded implicit faith. Nevertheless, the cunning monarch only said this in order to see if any one of the sons would say anything more, betraying any passion or grief at what he had said. But no one opened his mouth : the example of the imprisonment and death of Sultan Muhammad was more than enough to keep them within the limits of humility and of filial and prudent obedience. ### [211.3.6](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.211.3.6) Aurangzeb had more confidence in Shah 'Alam than in any of the others, for he knew him down to the ground, and had tested his not having enough boldness to try rebellion. When this prince was very young, he was performing the offices of nature, when a young rat passed in front of him. He was so frightened that he came out shouting, holding up his drawers with his hands. The eunuchs present thought at first that he had been bitten by a snake. His father, on being told what had happened, exclaimed that it was an astonishing thing that in the race of Taimur-i-lang should be born a prince who was such a poltroon. He added that the courage in which he was lacking was in excess in his brother, Sultan Muhammad. In spite of all this, however, as Aurangzeb himself counterfeited the bigot, he imagined that Shah 'Alam was counterfeiting the coward. With the idea of putting him to the proof, he said to him when he was somewhat older that the astrologers predicted that he would rebel. At those words the prince, all in a tremble, drew his sword and flung it at his father's feet, saying he would rather have his head cut off than that he should ever do such a thing. Having noticed his emotion at hearing such a remark, his father embraced him, restored his sword, and bound it on him, saying that he never expected any such action on his part. ### [211.3.7](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.211.3.7) The distrust among these princes is so acute that the father does not trust the son, nor the son his father. Here is an instance: Sultan Mu'izz-ud-din, eldest son of Shah 'Alam, was graciously pleased to act as intermediary, and to intercede for me with his father, to get me back into his service, as I have related more at length in my account of Goa, contained in my Second Part (II. 219). The father, without any other reason, commanded me not to go to the court of the said Sultan, giving him orders at the same time not to send for me. Let him, Shah 'Alam said, employ his own doctors and not me. Upon this subject they had some words, and thereupon separated. Some time afterwards Sultan Mu'izz-ud-din feigned the invalid, and no longer went to the court of his father. As soon as the latter heard of the illness, he sent him his Persian physicians, and these men reported that he was not in the least unwell. To give them the lie and show that he required my treatment, he made one of his women servants suck a place on his neck, and thereby raised a blue mark. On learning that he was suffering from this blue mark, Shah 'Alam, without knowing the cause of it, had the idea that he required bleeding. So he ordered me to see him at his residence, and with a view to satisfying his son, told me to go whenever he sent for me, and in this manner they made it up and were at peace. --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.211.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.211.3) · Pramāṇa