Storia do Mogor 338.22.2

338.22.2

In the Dakhin provinces there was no rain from 1702 to 1704, but instead plague prevailed. In these two years there expired over two millions of souls ; fathers, compelled by hunger, offering to sell their children for a quarter to half a rupee, and yet forced to go without food, finding no one to buy them. It is now twenty-five years since Aurangzeb came in person to the Dakhin to begin this war, as I have already stated (II. 200). Let the careful reader reflect on the enormous expenditure incurred, the unnumbered deaths during this time. Yet never did he (Aurangzeb) betray any sign of emotion. During any great peril or hardship that arrived he would say to the few generals with him that his great ancestor, Taimur-i-lang, gained his great fame as a conqueror precisely because similar contretemps had happened to him [219]. This king took a good many forts in the Cunção (Konkan) belonging to the Mahrattahs. These forts were situated at the foot of lofty mountains near the sea, which stretch from the vicinity of Goa up to the neighbourhood of Chaul (Chanwal). But there were very heavy expenses, great losses both of men and animals, and great dearness from want of supplies. Sometimes it happened that the officers were forced to go in person to the baker's and carry a little flour to be made into a loaf — for this they paid him two rupees ; while the few servants who stayed on subsisted on leaves and roots.