Storia do Mogor 65.20.5

65.20.5

Another case I will bring forward in proof of what I say. A few days before we took the field against Aurangzeb the police seized a Genoese youth for having in his possession a bottle of wine, a thing not prohibited for Europeans. In order to petition for his release, I went off to the magistrate, who at once placed me alongside the youth. I made a sign to my servant, who rushed off to tell my friends, artillerymen in Prince Dara's service. These men came in a body, all of them armed, and, breaking down the doors of the prison, liberated us. The soldiers ran from the police-office, leaving the magistrate by himself in a state of astonishment at what was going on. Being aggrieved as I was, I thereupon went up to the magistrate and put a pistol to his breast ; I did not slay him, but took compassion upon him on his humbling of himself. This affair was brought before Shahjahan, who complained to Dara of what his artillerymen had done. To satisfy the king, Dara ordered the captain of the artillery to administer a reproof to the Genoese. We all went in a body to the captain to lodge a complaint against the magistrate for the disgrace done to us, the king having accorded us the right to drink wine. Now, if Dara had been as others say, no one would have had the audacity to displease his employes, nor to complain of them to Shahjahan.