Storia do Mogor 344.1
Storia do Mogor (Irvine) 344.1
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344.1.1
SINCE God has preserved my life, I wish to finish the Fifth Part, already promised, of the reign of the existing king, Aurangzeb. The kind reader will have seen at the end of my Fourth Part (IV. 234) that this king was preparing for a new campaign after his fasting month, which fell in the said year in January, as above written. Cognizant that neither his craft nor his artifices would suffice to overcome the Prince Aguanguira (Wãkinkerah), he suddenly ordered his army to march, and attacked one of his fortresses which was situated near a great forest. Although at the first assault seven thousand soldiers were killed along with twelve valiant and famous commanders, while many other officers were wounded, Aurangzeb was not in the least discouraged. Continuing to invest the place more and more stringently, he forced it, after a siege of five months, to surrender. The loss of this fortress induced the Prince of Wãkinkerah to join himself to Shivã Jī, and carry on the usual plundering. Up to this moment things are in this condition. Until the time when the campaigns of Aurangzeb furnish me with matter for continuing the story, I will recount some events in the hope of amusing the inquiring reader.
344.1.2
The king has in his army a new commander called Chiniquiliscam (Chīn Qilich Khān), a Chacata (Chaghatãe) Tartar by race, and lord over seven thousand horse. This man is much esteemed, and a favourite of Aurangzeb by reason of being of his own race. But not for that reason alone has he given him the command of so many troops and elevated him to so conspicuous a station. The object is the more easily to make use of him on an emergency; principally in the hope that after his death this noble may adopt the side of his son, Prince Kām Bakhsh, who is powerless. This most prudent king saw very plainly that his other sons, Shāh 'Ālam and A'zam Tārā, with their sons, were powerful through their riches and governments, and he foresaw what grave disturbances would arise the moment he was dead. Therefore, not to leave this son, as much esteemed as loved, entirely forsaken, he raised this man, Chīn Qilich Khān, to the dignity of a great commander. In addition he promised him in marriage a daughter of the same prince, Kām Bakhsh, although this is opposed to the customs of the royal house, which from the time of King Akbar no longer allows such a practice. In this way Aurangzeb hoped to compel that commander to help Kām Bakhsh in case of necessity.
344.1.3
This grandee was treated by me for the stone during his infancy. He is the son of the great Quiliscam (Qilich Khān), who died before Gulkandah, struck by a cannon-ball. In the referred to Chin Qilich Khān was wounded in the inn by a musket-shot, and his horse was killed. I have already recounted in my Fourth Part (IV. 186) how the Dutch had blockaded the port of Surat. Since then some theirs have taken in the latitude of Malacca three barques, laden with valuable merchandise from China, which roperty of Surat traders. In spite of this loss the ,ul king gave no sign of a grievance, but rather concealed the insult. But the Dutch knew the king's intentions, which were to refuse them the satisfaction that they claimed. Therefore they decided that the general of their fleet should write a letter to the governor of Surat, of which the terms were as follow: 'Lord Governor,
344.1.4
'Several months ago we remained off this port incurring great expenditure, solely to the end that we might get justice for the robberies and injuries done to us. Once more we give you notice that we mean to be paid that large sum of money which we have detailed in various statements. As, moreover, we demand the return to us of the bond binding us for the security of the [Mogul] ships ; we shall take by force all vessels entering into and issuing from the said port, whether Mahomedan or Hindu. Furthermore, we demand, if you want to be left to live in peace, that you grant us permission to establish a factory near the sea, at the mouth of the river of Surat. We await an immediate reply, and if you are not prompt in rendering the desired satisfaction, we shall write to our prince and do as he orders us.' This letter was sent on by the governor to the court, but up to this time they have seen no reply, the king being busy with the above campaign. Meanwhile the Dutch are compelled, by the approach of the monsoon, to withdraw. When that season is over we shall see what will happen, nor shall I omit to give an account of it to the inquiring reader.
344.1.5
The Portuguese also took a Mahomedan ship leaving a port in Bengal on a voyage to Mecca laden with the finest goods to the value of five lakhs of rupees. Their reason for the capture was the absence of a Portuguese passport, and therefore they only liberated some females who were going to Mecca on pilgrimage. When the news reached Aurangzeb he issued orders to the general Cotopcam (Qutb Khān) to make raids in the neighbourhood of Daman and Bassain. He carried out the orders of Aurangzeb so exactly that after invading the territories of Daman and Bassain, he was not content with sacking them, but put them entirely to fire and sword. In this way Aurangzeb took vengeance for the injuries that he asserted he had received from the Portuguese when they attacked the Arab ships In the port of Surat. The Viceroy of Goa, when he saw all this destruction, wrote to the Father Rector of Agrah that in the guise of an envoy he should repair to the court and make efforts to negotiate peace. The father willingly undertook the task; but to this hour he has been unable to conclude the business, although actually present in the royal camp, suffering much hardship, both from the marchings and the dearth of food.
344.1.6
Already the benevolent reader will have observed in my Third Part (IV. yy to Si) what I had done to help the Christians of Tanjor during their persecutions. However, the Jesuits were not content with my action, nor would they acquiesce in my advice, but preferred that their own extreme opinions should be accepted. They enlisted the aid of the Lord Bishop of Mailãpur, Dom Gaspar Affonço. This prelate, during the visit he paid to Dã,ud Khãn (IV. 246a), begged him to write a letter to the Prince of Tanjor in favour of the Jesuit Fathers. They wanted the Nawãb to force the said prince to rebuild the churches and grant complete liberty in his territory to the said fathers for the exercise of their office; also that there should be no hindrance in passing along in palanquins, and other minutiae. Dã,úd Khãn, a man of high courtesy, wrote the letter, well foreseeing that by this conduct he stood to lose nothing. The prince sent him a valuable present, and replied to his letter by saying that he was a tributary and vassal of the Mogul emperor.
344.1.7
As his friend and protector he (Dā,ud Khān) ought not to allow foreigners with new customs and rites to impose themselves on his people and throw down [7] his own religion. Should he be forced to allow the building of churches and the exercise of that new religion, then he, too, must be permitted to thoroughly restore his ancient Hindu pagodas at Conjevaram and at other places in the Karnātik. In consequence, leave must be conceded to the Brahmans to live there and exercise their rites in accordance with ancient custom. Upon receipt of this reply, Dā,ud Khān willingly received the present, and wrote again to him at once that he must continue to pay his tribute to the Mogul; as for the rest, it seemed to him that his arguments were most judicious, and, as far as he was concerned, he would ever be found ready to favour the prince's interests. The aforesaid fathers made the same proposition also to me, attempting to persuade me to put such pressure on Dā,ud Khān as might induce him to declare war upon the prince in question, and to that intent they offered to give him at once 10,000 patacas; but I declined to interfere on any terms in such a business, as will have been already seen (IV. 81).
344.1.8
The above expression of opinion by Dā,ud Khān induced the Prince of Tanjor to impose on each Christian a heavy payment in money. Where they were unable to bear such heavy taxation, he forced them [8] under a severe penalty to frequent his pagodas, and through fear they obeyed. The same thing has already begun to be practised by the neighbouring princes, and this is the way in which the Christians of that territory are being treated. In this lamentable result has ended the indiscreet zeal of those who wished to force these powerful princes to bend to their will. Those zealots considered it beyond discussion and not open to doubt that they must obtain a fortunate issue for whatever they might dream of doing. At the present time there are no Jesuits in that mission, even the catechists have left, and thus the Christian congregation is already destroyed. Of this the following case will serve as an example.