[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) › 60.8 # Storia do Mogor 60.8 Storia do Mogor (Irvine) 60.8 - **Language:** English ### [60.8.1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.60.8.1) The king ordered that the said snake should be kept and put in a glass phial ; and he confided to an official the duty of preserving poisons so that they could be produced when he gave the order. This practice has been passed on to all the Mogul kings, it being one of the bad examples that Akbar bequeathed to his descendants. The official has the care of various poisons, and when the king desires to take the life secretly of any grandee, he orders the poison to be applied on the hood and the cuffs of the cabayas (qaba, Persian, 'a long gown ') which are given at his audiences to those present at court ; or to those who are not there he sends a messenger with this kind of robe (serpao = sarapa), and thus, under the cloak of honour, abridges their lives. In this manner Akbar killed many princes, who either, afraid of his power, came voluntarily to offer their submission and pay him tribute, or, overcome in battle and warfare, were forced to submit themselves \[97\]. ### [60.8.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.60.8.2) The policy of thus getting rid of these great men he bequeathed to his descendants, who unto this day follow it with great exactitude. The practice consists in never showing any irritation, whatever be the offence committed by these princes or rajahs. On the contrary, at such junctures he made a show of being well-inclined towards them, gave them promotion to higher rank, and, if away from court, sent them friendly letters. Having thus put them off their guard, he took their life by poison, which was put upon the gowns or other presents. ### [60.8.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.60.8.3) He employed another method at court, whereby he finally met with his own death. The reader should know that the greatest honour that can be done by a Mogul king to a favoured person is to give him with his own hands a folded betel-leaf. Akbar did this honour to various persons at different times; but many, having been thus honoured, died shortly afterwards. This king had a box to hold betel with three divisions: in the first were the leaves; in the second, the restorative pills which he ate; in the third, other pills, poisoned but quite similar to the restorative ones. When the king was pleased to confer a very great honour, he gave a betel-leaf and then one of his restoratives. But when he meant to kill anyone, after offering the betel, he handed him one of the imitated pills, whereby without fail the man's life was sacrificed. It happened one day that the king wished to kill one of the grandees, and took by oversight one of the poisoned pills and ate it, taking it for one of the restoratives, with the object of giving confidence to the other man. After a little time he recognised the mistake he had made; but there was no remedy, and thus, through his own death, was disclosed the way that he had killed others. This was the well-earned chastisement of his crimes, and he received the measure that he had meted out to so many others. ### [60.8.4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.60.8.4) Leaving an only son, Janguir (Jahangir), he was buried in the tomb that he had himself prepared, as I have already said (I., 90), after having governed Hindustan for forty-nine years, seven months, and three days. There is no doubt that this king was the first who brought Hindustan into subjection, and was the most successful in war. He transmitted to his descendants several precepts of policy which, although not suitable for a mortal man with an immortal soul, who knows that he must give account before God for all his deeds, and there obtain their merited reward or punishment, were still in accordance with the faith of Muhammad. They demonstrated that Akbar was a man of good judgment, if we are to speak of him as a whole. With regard to Akbar's possession of artillery in Hindustan, and also in connection with the affair he had with the baniya, the opportunity is given me to speak first of the Chinese, secondly of the baniyas. I judge it appropriate to place here what I have to say on these two points, in order to afford the reader clearer and more distinct information as to how very probable it is that the Chinese were once the lords of Hindustan, and also to paint in accurate colours the astuteness of the baniyas \[98\]. --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.60.8](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.60.8) · Pramāṇa