[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) › 60.3 # Storia do Mogor 60.3 Storia do Mogor (Irvine) 60.3 - **Language:** English ### [60.3.1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.60.3.1) Akbar, who thought that the princess in her letter was speaking the truth, sent to her many times messages with presents of fruit and flowers, displaying his anxiety to behold her for whom he had such ardent longing. On the arrival of the messengers, the clever eunuchs received the gifts, and, approaching the palanquin, pretended to deliver the message and receive the reply, which they invented themselves and sent back to the king. Once they returned an answer to the king that he must relieve her from such constant gifts, for was she not already assured of his affection and goodwill? The only thing yet to be done was to say goodbye to her husband, when she would be at his disposal. So great was the anxiety of Akbar to see the beloved Padmini delivered into his hands that he feared she might take her life with her own hands, believing that she spoke the truth, and he was anxious that nothing should be done to displease her. He sent back word that she might advance in all confidence, that he gave her the liberty of going wherever she pleased. ### [60.3.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.60.3.2) On the day that she was to enter the town the king sent out a lovely litter for her to ride in after she had said goodbye to her husband, also a number of palanquins and carriages full of ladies, a great many eunuchs, and all the state retinue of a queen. But the men on guard over the princess, having well learnt their lesson, allowed no one to draw near to the palanquin. They made straight for the prison where Rajah Jai Mall was kept, taking with them the palanquin, into which they put two men to cut off the fetters of the prisoner. On reaching the place he was freed at once. In a very little time three men came out of the prison, one being the rajah, who mounted a good horse, kept ready at hand for the purpose. He placed himself in the midst of his Rajputs, who were waiting for him and gave him hearty salutations; then, without delay, spurring their horses, they rode off, leaving behind the empty palanquins and the astonished eunuchs and ladies who had come out to escort the princess to Akbar. ### [60.3.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.60.3.3) Akbar was waiting in a garden, where he intended to receive the princess. A messenger arrived in the greatest haste to acquaint him with what had happened. On seeing him, the king with a cheerful face asked him if the long-desired Padmini had arrived. The messenger hesitated, not liking to speak for fear the king might in a passion order his head to be cut off on hearing a report of the deception practised and the flight of the rajah. But upon Akbar repeating the question, he answered that the rajah had fled, and recounted the events. Akbar stood amazed at such a report, and pressing his head with both hands, said in a loud, heart-rending voice: 'I am deceived by those I had deceived!' Then he gave orders that the rajah should be pursued and seized. But before the order could be carried out the rajah had gone a long way, there being on the road many changes of horses. In a short space of time he arrived at the fortress of Chitor, where he was received with great rejoicing by all, more especially by the faithful Padmini, to whom was accorded the praise of being a clever, prudent, and experienced woman, who had known how with such finesse to regain her husband and deceive the man who imagined himself the astutest person in all the world. ### [60.3.4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.60.3.4) When the rajah found himself again within his fortress, he sent a letter to Akbar, wherein he at one and the same time denounced his treachery, and intimated that, since women could do so well against him, he had no fear in challenging him to come once more to attack the fortress. He ordered the erection at the highest point in the Chitor fort of a pillar, on which were inscribed words to the effect that no faith should ever be placed in the treacherous Moguls. Angered and aggrieved, Akbar marched a second time against the fortress of Chitor, resolved either to lose his life or to take the place. It was invested, and at the cost of much bloodshed he raised a wall with a tower (cavaleyro, a cavalier, or tower upon a wall), and fought on for a long time without doing any harm to the fortress, although on both sides many men were killed. It happened one day that Akbar was upon the tower (or cavalier), whence he saw a man appear in the fortress near the walls to make an inspection. He fired with his matchlock and killed the man. The following day he heard that the man he had killed was the Rajah Jai Mall, who, following the Rajput custom, was burned lying in the arms of the renowned Padmini. ### [60.3.5](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.60.3.5) This custom was introduced by a law of the great king Biguer-Majid (Bikramajit), founder of the city of Dihli, by reason of Rajput wives murdering their husbands by poison. By this glorious end was taken from the world the most beautiful woman of Hindustan, about whom there had been so many and such prolonged wars \[82\]. Thus Akbar with all his tricks could not achieve his designs, and her death put an end to the vain hopes of the enamoured king. He continued to invest the fortress, and the Rajputs defended it with the same valour as before. The Hindu king, the Rana, seeing that Akbar did not mean to raise the siege, while on his side he had no intention of surrendering the place to him, sent out to sue for peace on the condition that the fortress should belong to neither him nor to Akbar. Akbar accepted the offer, and as a memorial of so many wars a tablet was placed above the gate with an inscription to this effect : 'Neither yours nor mine for ever.' I have seen this stone several times, and up to this day it is in the same place ; but the fortress was a mere night-shelter for herdsmen until Aurangzeb ordered it to be repaired, as I shall recount hereafter (II., 189). ### [60.3.6](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.60.3.6) Although King Akbar found that his conquering star did not seem willing to accord him the mastery over Chitor, not in the least did he on that account desist from attempting other enterprises. He took from the hands of the Pathans and of the Hindus the kingdoms of Bengalla (Bengal), and of Tata (Tatthah) or Sindi (Sind). In the latter is the fortress called Bacar (Bhakkar), of which I shall speak further on, in connection with the war of Prince Aurangzeb against his brother Dara, the heir-apparent (I., 225, 251). It happened to Akbar, as it usually happens to conquerors, that he saw himself several times in peril of losing both his conquests and his freedom. But the fidelity of his soldiers prevented ill-luck from overwhelming him. Among other risks he ran, one of the chief was when some of his captains put it into the head of his only son Janguir (Jahangir) to rebel. Jahangir assigned as reason that he was already of an age that made him fit to govern, and he did not approve of waiting longer; he meant to demonstrate his ability as a governor, and adduced other reasons equally devoid of validity. Jahangir, then a youth, allowed himself, in spite of his natural goodness, to be led astray by the soft words of traitors, and rose against his father, hoping that Fortune, abandoning Akbar, would transfer herself to his side. But it was not so. Akbar was able to make such efforts that in a short time Jahangir was taken a prisoner. ### [60.3.7](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.60.3.7) The love which Akbar had to this his only son held him back from the severity with which he ought to have chastised him; still, he did not omit to give him somewhat of a lesson. Some days afterwards, when both were going out together to the chase, Jahangir saw on the roadside the impaled bodies of the rebellious captains. Akbar said to him: 'Thus are rebels dealt with; you knew well that I had no other son than you, and that you must inherit the whole of my conquests. Therefore, you set a very bad example \[83\], and historians will not fail to record you as the first of the great Taimur-i-lang's race who rebelled against his father. It may well be that the crime was not really yours, but that of those men there who gave you bad advice, for which they have received their reward. It very nearly happened that, as you had shared in the crime, so likewise you should have shared the penalty. But the love and affection that I have for you would not permit me to vent on you my just indignation.' Since the killing of these captains induced perturbation in the army, Akbar decided on taking a rest for a time, to give opportunity for the remembrance of their impalement to be effaced. He resolved to found a city as a memorial of his victories, and gave to it the name of Fateabad (Fathabad) — that is to say, 'Peopled by victory.' In this city he lived for some time. ### [60.3.8](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.60.3.8) Then, for certain reasons, chiefly in order to reduce some rebellious Rajput villagers, who objected to pay tribute until they had been overcome by force of arms, he (Akbar) decided to leave Fathabad and found another city twelve leagues off, on the bank of the river Jamana (Jamnah). For this purpose he selected the village called Agrah in the year one thousand five hundred and sixty-three. After the foundation of the city, it was renamed Akbarabad — that is to say, 'Built by Akbar.' Thus Fathabad became uninhabited. In spite of this, the rebellious villagers did not desist from their risings, chiefly round about the town of Matora (Mathura, Muttra), to which Aurangzeb gave the title of Essalamabad (Islamabad) — that is to say, 'Peopled by the Faithful.' Mathura is twenty leagues from Agrah in the direction of Dihll, and on the same side of the river Jamnah. The chief cause of these risings is their not wishing to pay the customary tribute. --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.60.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.60.3) · Pramāṇa