Storia do Mogor 65.7
Storia do Mogor (Irvine) 65.7
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65.7.1
These goods were not sent by Shahjahan into his treasure-houses. Of these, in addition to the old ones, he constructed for himself two — one for gold and another for silver. The one for gold was called Zaura (? zakhlraJi) — that is to say, 'Treasure'; and that for silver, Baura (bhaunra) — that is to say, 'Horn-beetle.' These receptacles were two square cisterns seventy feet long and thirty feet high, with two handsome marble pillars in the middle. The treasuries were closed by trap-doors ; and above these cisterns were large halls, also used as special treasuries for the money to be expended. In the treasury for gold there were current coins worth each seven patacas. There were other coins, which were not current, of the value of seven hundred, of three thousand five hundred, and of seven thousand patacas. These were very beautiful, and the king gave them as presents to his ladies. When I was attending as physician on one of these, she made me a present of one of these coins. While Aurangzeb was king, the whole of these treasures, and the treasures of Queen Nurjahan, were expended, owing to the falling off in the revenue.
65.7.2
Out of policy Shahjahan refrained from disgracing one great plunderer, making use of an excellent proverb. He often left the fortress (palace) early in the morning, and as a recreation would gather fruit in the garden in company of his favourite pages. Among these was one called Fedai Can (Fida,e Khan), brother of Bader Can (Bahadur Khan), foster-brother of Aurangzeb, a man who at one time was a very great friend of mine. This Fida,e Khan was an enemy of the Wazir Vizir Can (Wazir Khan), and was in wait for an opportunity of calling the king's attention to the bribes taken by that official. Gathering the best of the fruit, Shahjahan placed them in the hands of Fida,e Khan, and when about to enter the door of the harem, he asked for them [141]. Fida,e Khan made excuses, and said that his majesty had given nothing to him. Shahjahan was displeased, and said to him : ' I gave you the fruit, and you have the temerity to deny it ?' Thereupon Fida,e Khan produced the fruit, and gave it to the king, saying: ' Your majesty observes the petty theft I committed, and overlooks the large amount of more than thirty thousand rupees that every day is robbed by the wazir ?' Shahjahan replied quietly : ' I know it well, and much do I desire to punish him, abhorring as I do all thieves, but sometimes it is necessary to dissemble in order to be well served.'
65.7.3
At the court of Shahjahan was a great Hindu prince, called Amarsin (Amar Singh) — that is to say, ' Lion-minded.' For several weeks he had failed to attend the court. It is the practice for the Hindu princes and the commanders to encamp with their tents for twenty-four hours every week below the royal fortress. The above rajah after a time came to court and entered the royal presence, and the wazir (Wazir Khan), who was very fond of him, went up quietly to him, and asked him why he had not come to court and performed his duties. Amar Singh, with his face all aflame, made no answer ; thereupon the wazir said to him some words which are offensive among the Rajputs — that is to say, 'May you be , you villain !'
65.7.4
Hardly had Wazir Khan pronounced the words, when Amar Singh, laying hold of his dagger, plunged it into the wazir's breast, and he fell dead in the royal presence. There stood Amar Singh, with the dagger still in his hand, looking at the king. All were in consternation at such an act, but Shahjahan dissembled, and rising, retired into the privacy of his harem without uttering a word. But he made a sign for them to kill Amar Singh, as was done. The officers then present leapt upon him, and with his dagger he wounded six of them. The cavalry and infantry of Amar Singh, who were outside the fortress, on learning the death of their lord, made use of their weapons, killing and decapitating whomsoever they encountered, getting away in safety. King Shahjahan afterwards granted the dignities of Amar Singh to his younger brother, named Jacont Sing (Jaswant Singh), whom he liked much ; and as to him, I will relate farther on what he did in the days of Aurangzeb.
65.7.5
Once Shahjahan was much incensed against a Pathan officer, whom he suspected of treachery, and he meant to order the man's execution. The officer got word of this and fled, with the whole of his troops. When the king learnt of this flight, he inquired wrathfully [142] from those present which of them would undertake to lay before him the head of that rebel. The son of the fugitive offered to produce it. Shahjahan gave him an army, and marching off, he overtook his father near the fortress of Gualior (Gwaliyar), where a great contest took place. The fugitive was defeated, and, worn quite out, he took refuge under a tree. There the son came up to him, but having compassion upon his father, offered him horses to continue his flight. He said he would make excuses to the king. The father would not consent; on the contrary, he requested that his head might be cut off, whereby the son might obtain reward at court and continue their race, for he knew well he could never escape. Listening to this advice, the son cut off his father's head, and carried it into the presence of the king. Thus he displayed more loyalty to Shahjahan than love to his father. Their descendants still exist in the Mogul country.
65.7.6
There happened in the reign of Shahjahan an event which will with difficulty be credited in our Europe, being a thing that may never have been heard of in that part of the world. It was this: The governor of Sindi (Sind) wrote a letter to the king offering congratulations on the prosperity of his kingdom, which he ruled with such care; nor had it ever been heard that any other king did so much to keep his realm in peace. Every day he (the governor) ordered proclamation by beat of drum that if anyone had a complaint he should present his plea in the royal presence. Months passed without a single complaint being heard of. But the midwives informed him that a girl only nine years of age had given birth to a male infant. Shahjahan ordered that the child should be forwarded to court, and gave him the name of Avalvast — that is to say, 'Before Time.' He was the son of an oilman. When he had reached a proper age he received charge of the lamp department at the royal court. Although it may be a very improbable thing, this [early child-bearing] was, nevertheless, not impossible, more especially in India, where the climate is so hot. There even the nobles are forced to go about with a simple cabaya (qaba, a long loose shirt), and nothing more; and they sleep uncovered in the dew, or on the damp ground upon a simple mat.
65.7.7
A Hindu prince called Champet Bondela (Champat Bundelah) rebelled against Shahjahan, and collecting sixty thousand Rajput horsemen, raised a disturbance in the king's territories, plundering in all directions, committing a thousand insolent acts, and refusing to pay tribute. The king intended to order out a large army against the rebel, while he himself remained among his women. But seeing that his officers were more or less afraid of Champat, Shahjahan asked [143] his astrologer, a Hindu, whether he ought or not to march in person to put down this rebellion. The astrologer replied that, if he wished to have any good result, he must go in person, otherwise the Rajputs would defeat his majesty's army. Having heard the words of the astrologer, the king left the capital at the head of a great army, resolved to attack Champat without delay. But finding the rajah showed a bold front, he halted, and had recourse to the tricks of policy, as counselled by his renowned wazir, Sadulacan (Sa'dullah Khan), a man of great wisdom, one of whose retorts I will relate a little farther on (I. 144). This wazir pledged himself to defeat the rebel without any battle. With this intent he opened a secret correspondence with Champat by friendly letters, sent him some presents, offering to serve him and to act towards him as a friend.
65.7.8
Champat placed confidence in him, assuming that things would be settled in a manner favourable to himself. The wazir wrote to him that the anger of the king against him being by this time abated, it would suffice if he retreated for one league. Champat answered that, the king having come in search of him, he could not retreat unless first of all the king retreated. Sa'dullah Khan replied that, as he was a feudatory of Shahjahan, it did not accord with the king's dignity to withdraw. But if he would retire, he pledged his word that the king also would move back and would forgive him his tribute-money.