Storia do Mogor 52: OF THE THIRD KING OF TAIMUR-I-LANG'S FAMILY, SULTAN ABUXAID (ABU SA'ID)
Storia do Mogor (Irvine) 52
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OF THE THIRD KING OF TAIMUR-I-LANG'S FAMILY, SULTAN ABUXAID (ABU SA'ID)
52.1
This king did not yield to his people the love and affection that his two predecessors had done. On the contrary, he was a great tyrant, and did much injury to his vassals, chastising them most rigorously and unjustly. This was the reason that, seeing themselves so oppressed, they resolved upon slaying their king and delivering themselves from such an encumbrance. Abu Sa'id learnt that not only the people, but also the nobles of the court, were resolved to kill him. He therefore decided to absent himself. Disguising himself in the garb of a mendicant, and taking with him two servants, he would beg alms in foreign lands, and thus escape with his life. He fled, and the nobles placed upon the throne his brother, expecting to secure better treatment from the second son of Miran Shah than they had obtained from the elder brother. But they were treated according to the proverb, 'Whoever flees from the lesser evil often finishes with falling into greater.' For this second son, without right or reason, ordered the beheadal of high and low, rich and poor, lords and serving-men, making no distinctions. Not content with robbing them of wealth and honour, he wanted in addition to drink the blood of the innocent.
52.2
Therefore they decided to go in search of Abu Sa'id, and request him to be good enough once more to take on himself the care of governing the kingdom. After much exertion they found him, and raised him to the throne. In place of giving thanks to his brother for the vengeance he had taken upon the rebels, and for the life which he had conceded to him, he (Abu Sa'id) was a cruel fratricide. For, forgetting the favours that he had received from God, he sent a tyrannical order to have his brother beheaded. Thus began the evil custom still followed in the Mogul realm, that on the death of their father one brother seeks the means of killing all his brethren, never failing in this if he finds a chance, as can be seen further on in my story.
52.3
The two servants who had accompanied Abu Sa'id in his misfortunes, seeing him once more king, looked forward to great rewards for the fidelity they had displayed. But the king overlooked their great love and affection. At length, receiving nothing at all, they decided to go in person to the king, praying him to be so good as to give them some office as a recompense for the fatigues, hardships, and pains that they had endured on his account. On hearing the request of these faithful servants, in which they set forth the burdens that they had borne on his account, and prayed for some reward, Abu Sa'id frowned, and in a harsh and menacing voice told them to go away and never come again into his presence. They were astonished at this kind of talk, and made petition most humbly that they desired to know the offences for which he was angry with them. For they were as faithful in his misfortunes as in his greatness [64], while others turned him out and persecuted him to the death. He answered that from this very cause he detested the sight of them, for beholding them brought to mind his sufferings, whereby he was made sad. Therefore they must depart. He did them a great favour in not ordering their heads to be cut off. But he warned them not to remain in his territories, for it would not be very long before he executed that design, which had been in his mind for a long time.
52.4
Besides hearing it from the chronicles, this story was frequently related to me by Mirza 'Adil, who was manager of the estate of the queen, wife of Aurangzeb and mother of Shah 'Alam, when I complained that Shah 'Alam did not carry out the promises he had made to me on the occasions when I was indispensable to him for the treatment of his women. I was III. ABU SA'ID. then, as will be seen in my second part, physician to his household. This man (Mirza Ad), who was a very great friend of mine, and a person without private interests to serve (a thing to be remarked on, as being so rare among Mahomedans), said to me that the Mogul kings were the descendants of the above king (Abu Sa'id). They bestow gifts on anyone when they require him, but the gifts and the memory of the benefits received cease directly the time of necessity has passed. This puts me in mind of the Italian proverb: Passato il ponto, gabato il fato ('The bridge crossed, Fate is mocked').
52.5
This king in his time did nothing of any value. He loved to be always at peace, and take his ease at home amidst the endearments of his women. Thus, after a reign of eight years, one month, and twelve days, he died, leaving behind him two evil precedents for the Moguls. The first was the assassination of brothers; and the second one, shared by almost all their great men, the speaking of fair words, and backing them by oaths upon the Alcorao (the Quran), when they are pressed by necessity, and declining to be bound by those promises when the necessity no longer exists.