Storia do Mogor 66: PEGU
Storia do Mogor (Irvine) 66
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PEGU
66.1.1
There remains a little for me to say about the kingdom of ii. This kingdom was independent, without any king, till there arose a kind of people called Baramas (Burmans), who go about with half the body painted. These men made themrs of the kingdom and of many other petty principalities, subduing and conquering so many territories that they placed one frontier over against China, another at Siam, and another at Arakan. This kingdom is very rich in rubies, emeralds, L; >ld, lutiw (? tin), copper, lead, iron, lac, honey, wax, sulphur, oil from trees and the earth, and has quantities of ivory. The Burman king takes no tribute from his vassals, and trades by sea with all the nations of Europe. He receives presents, but returns the double of what he receives, which is the object sought by the giver.
66.1.2
In this kingdom the priestly class, like that of Siam, call themselves Talapoes, who make profession of three virtues — that is to say, chastity, humility, and poverty. They wear a yellow alb with a stole of the same colour, a scarlet mantle and cap. They are much venerated by everybody, and all that they have they give to the necessitous. The women of the Burmans go almost naked, for [271] they wear no more than a veil of cloth all open in front, and walk with an immodest gait. At marriage the men buy their wives, and can eject the woman from their house whenever they like, and marry another. The wife can do the same. They venerate their king as God. When the nobles have any application to make to him, they k lying flat with their face on the ground. Should perchance the king order any prince or governor to be slain, a soldier is sent from the royal dwelling, and at a time when the other is seated in audience the soldier appears with a banner reads the sentence. On beholding the king's signature the Icmned man receives the congratulations of his relations and friends, seeing that his sovereign has done him this signal favour of recollecting him. Coming close up to the soldier, he himself bares his throat for the blow.
66.1.3
It is a kingdom governed by the pen, for not a single person can go from one village into another without a paper or writing, whereby the government is made most easy. This Burman king adorns himself with many titles, namely : ' Emperor of Emperors in the East, King of Kings in the West, Perfection of all Justice, First in Glory, Greatness, and Majesty, Noble in Grandeur, Crystalline in Simplicity, Firmament of all the Virtues, a Saturn in elevation, a Jupiter in good fortune, a Mars in valour, a Sun in intelligence, a Mercury in knowledge, a Venus in beauty, a Moon in abundance, Possessor of all others' possessions, Conqueror of all whom he beholds, Dominator of ebb and flood, he who cut off the head of the invincible Viravalamo, Lord of the Golden Hall and of the White Elephant.'
66.1.4
Among all the races of India there is none which has books of laws. But these Burmans keep books of the ordinances, applications, arguments, sentences, and appeals before the king's tribunal. It happened once to a Portuguese that he had bought a ruby of great value. He meant to sell it to the King of Seilao (Ceylon) at a profit. The lapidary on close examination found it had been joined, and with the consent of the Portuguese separated the one piece from the other and then joined them again as before. The Portuguese went off to lodge a complaint before the King of Pegu, without having recourse to the usual tribunal. The king, who was ignorant of the law, asked the Portuguese whether he would take the sentence he should give, without appealing or complaining elsewhere. The Portuguese, assuming the king to be educated and intelligent, said he was content with any finding the king should announce. His order was that he who had sold the stone should be deprived of both eyes as a cheat, and the Portuguese who bought it should lose one eye for being an inefficient trader [272]. Angered at such a judgment, the Portuguese threw down the stone, and coming out, said : ' A barbarous king, a barbarous sentence.' There is much that might be said of this kingdom, but as I am getting very far from my history, I cannot dilate further on it, having, as it is, quite enough to say of the Mogul empire, which is my text.
66.1.5
Some days after the arrival of Prince Shah Shuja' in the kingdom of Arakan, where he had been conducted with much honour, in conformity with the customs of those kings, to a palace outside the city, he was invited by the king to sit with him. But the prince, although a fugitive and in necessity, would not forsake his dignity, holding himself to be a much greater man than the King of Arakan. The latter could not compare in dignity, refinement, or pleasant habits with even a simple captain among the Moguls. Not liking to go and sit with him, Shah Shuja' sent his son, Sultan Bang, with the excuse that he himself was unwell. The Magh was delighted at the coming of Sultan Bang, expecting that he would offer him many jewels, stones of price, and costly pieces of cloth. When they had taken their seats, there appeared many dishes of food, among them a long basin of raw buffalo blood, a great delicacy with them. At this the prince was much revolted, and held his nostrils. The king had it placed in front of himself, and collected with his hands what was in the basin and ate it with great relish, licking his lips.
66.1.6
The temerity of this king arrived at such a pitch that he asked for a daughter of Shah Shuja' as wife for his own son. The prince Shah Shuja' awaited nothing but the monsoon season to make a start for Persia or Mecca. Its arrival was delayed, and he began to be irritated at the coarseness of the Arakan king, and his overweening conceit in asking for his (Shah Shuja's) daughter as wife to his son. He was afraid of some act of violence or insolence. His force of armed men was very small, but he found many dwellers in Arakan, Moguls and Pathans, who showed themselves well inclined towards him. He therefore planned an outbreak, intending to slay the king and take the kingdom, and then advance once more to test his fortune in Bengal, having thus previously made sure of a in case of failure. He confided this design to some of his people, by whom it was approved. But they were not able to carry out the project with the called-for secrecy, and through the delay they made there was time for the King of Arakan to hear of the plot. He planned the assassination of Shah Shuja' and all his adherents, and to this intent called to him his four principal captains, each of whom had three thousand armed men. On these four men he placed great reliance. Each captain with his three thousand men guarded the king for eight consecutive days, and when each had fulfilled his task, it came round to the first one again.
66.1.7
To these he issued orders that one morning at daybreak [273] they should all with one accord shout : 'Long live the King of Arakan ! Death to Shah Shuja' and all traitors !' Under cover of this they were to kill everyone. The captains carried out the order of their king, killing everybody they encountered. Upon this news reaching the unfortunate prince Shah Shuja', he tried to save his life by getting on his elephant, hoping that he might thereby impose some respect for his person. But it was grievous to see the fury with which the Maghs came on, throwing everything into disorder, with blows and shouts and cries, some saying, ' Death to Prince Shah Shuja' !' others, ' Death to his son, Prince Bang !' others, ' Slay those traitorous Moguls who fled here from Bengal !' Prince Bang was taken prisoner, while Shah Shuja' with a few men fled into the jungle. He made liberal use of his bags of jewels and pearls, which he scattered among these savages, attempting by use of these valuables to mitigate the rage of the soldiers and gain a free passage for his flight. But the Maghs paid no heed to his proffered wealth ; they pursued the poor prince like famishing wolves, cutting his body into pieces, stripping it bare, and plundering all his valuables. Such was the lamentable end befalling Prince Shah Shuja', the first who rose against his father, Shahjahan, the first cause of these wars in the Mogul Empire, the occasioner of so many ills, the raiser-up of so many misfortunes.
66.1.8
Enamoured of his own opinion and a slave of his own ideas, we see him end thus miserably, his field of battle the swamps of Arakan, and his only sepulchre the bellies of wolves and tigers.
66.2.1
Prince Bang remained for some time a prisoner, but afterwards he regained his liberty. Owing, however, to his attempting once more some treachery, the Magh ordered his head to be cut off with a hatchet. The women and daughters of Shah Shuja' were carried off to the palace of the king. But owing to the distrust aroused there among the other women of the king, he was obliged to expel them, and they moved as castaways from house to house until their miserable lives came to an end.
66.2.2
Rumours of the misfortune and disgrace of these princes reached the Mogul country through the Dutch factors. By this much-desired intelligence Aurangzeb was made very happy, but there being no certain news nor incontestable evidence of the said prince's death, and aware that the populace in Hindustan incredulous, he did all he could think of to ascertain the truth. For he suspected that under cover of this news there was some plot for a renewed rising in Bengal. On this account he ordered all the factors then in the city of Agrah to be sent for—namely, the English and the Dutch—also several others, private merchants and the priests. All were examined in much detail as to the case [274], and the circumstances of Prince Shah Shuja'. They all replied that Shah Shuja' and his son were dead. For the Dutch factor, called Jantac (Jan Tak) produced a letter from the Dutch factor in Arakan, wherein were minutely set forth the acts, disasters, and attempts of Prince Shah Shuja' up to his lamentable death. This letter was translated into the Persian tongue, for the greater assurance of King Aurangzeb. When he had finished its perusal, he raised his hands to heaven and recited this verse: 'Tacabar chunanas que aker care pexemanas Tavasey chisis que derars azisis' (Takabbur chunan ast, kih akhirkare pashiman ast;
66.2.3
Tawazu' chiz,ist, kih dar 'arsh 'aziz,Ist) — that is to say, 'Pride is in the end chastised, Humility is prized even in heaven.' He then ordered grand funeral obsequies, and gave alms, principally to those learned in the faith, praying them to supplicate God for that prince dying in the realm of Arakan, within a heathen and idolatrous land. Similar obsequies were ordered to be performed in all the principal cities of the empire. The cunning fellow made these demonstrations of piety, not for his love to the deceased prince, but to make known to all the people that Shah Shuja' was dead. Thus they would, he hoped, accept him (Aurangzeb) as absolute lord of the Mogul Empire. In spite of all these precautions, there subsisted for a long time in the Mogul kingdom grave doubts about the said prince's death, some affirming that he survived and had reached Persia in mendicant's disguise; others asserting they had seen him in the Mogul territory itself; and they named this, that, and the other detail, making the matter so certain that over a great part of the kingdom he was held to be alive, and they looked for his yet becoming king. Nor was there wanting a scribe who disguised himself as the prince Shah Shuja', and went off to the Pathans, where he gained over many people, as I shall relate (II. 148). But these uncertainties and expectations came to an end in time through the evidence of many persons coming from Arakan, who had been present at the unhappy prince's death.
66.2.4
The death of two brothers and of so many other people was not enough to assuage Aurangzeb's thirst for the blood of his relations. Learning that Sulaiman Shukoh, son of Dara, was in safety within the lands, and under the protection of the Rajah of Srinagar, he set to work to have him seized in some way or other. But being quite sure that the Rajah would pay no heed either to his promises and presents or to his threats, he planned with Rajah Jai Singh that he should be the intermediary for getting the Rajah of Srinagar to abandon Sulaiman Shukoh. With this purpose in view, Rajah Jai Singh wrote the Srinagar rajah a letter, saying how advisable it was for him to make over Sulaiman Shukoh to Aurangzeb. Thereby he would secure a friend in Aurangzeb, whom he would find of use sooner or later. From Sulaiman Shukoh nothing was to be hoped, a poor prince, whose father had already lost his head, one who had no means of ever prevailing. On the contrary, Aurangzeb was an absolute monarch, victorious and powerful, who was able to confer favours. If he declined to hear the words of a friend, let him not forget that Aurangzeb had generals, soldiers, and treasure wherewith to attain his just demands. He who protected his enemies was also against him. He (Jai Singh) wrote thus with no other object or desire than to secure peace in the rajah's territory, owing to his love for him and his family, they both being of the same religion.
66.2.5
The Rajah of Srinagar replied to Rajah Jai Singh that on no account could he do this harm to his reputation by making over to his enemy anyone who had sought his protection. He thankful for Jai Singh's friendship; as for Aurangzeb, he heeded neither his promises nor his menaces. He might inform the Mogul that he had no respect for either his power or his victories. He felt no need for his amity. Let him call to mind the occasion when his father, Shahjahan, sent the small army of thirty thousand horse and one hundred thousand foot into the country of Srinagar! Most of these issued from the said mountains without noses, the rest losing their lives. Further, let him know that he who could cut off noses could equally cut off heads. In this matter Aurangzeb might come to any decision he liked, but he would neither make over, nor permit the making over, to him of the fugitive prince. On being informed of the rajah's decision, Aurangzeb resolved to make use of the rajahs adjoining Srinagar to create a war against it, seeing he was not capable himself of doing it any harm. With this in view, he sent an order to Rajah Jai Singh [276] that by gorgeous presents and large promises, added to persuasive words, he should act on the minds of the said rajahs, so that they might wage war on the Rajah of Srinagar. He (Aurangzeb) said he would give him (Jai Singh) more territory if only he could compel the Rajah of Srinagar to surrender Prince Sulaiman Shukoh.
66.2.6
The Rajah of Srinagar was an old man with a youthful son. The latter, looking forward to a speedy succession, hoped for favours from Aurangzeb, and opened negotiations for the delivery of Sulaiman Shukoh, in opposition to the wish and opinion of his father. His plan was to make his delivery secretly into the hands of Aurangzeb's men, then actually present at the foot of the hills. Prince Sulaiman Shukoh heard of this plot of the rajah's son, and resolved to absent himself from Srinagar. He seized an occasion of going out shooting, as he ordinarily did, with the intention of making off into Tibet, a large province belonging to Great China. He went away with this intention. When his departure was reported to the rajah's son, he started after him with a sufficient number of men, giving no information of this project to the rajah his father. Overtaking Sulaiman Shukoh, he seized him, put irons on his feet and handcuffs on his wrists, then transferred his captive to the men of Aurangzeb. He sent by them a message that he had done this act of friendship to the Emperor of the Moguls against the wish of his father. If some day he had need himself of aid and favour, he hoped assistance would not be refused. The poor fugitive was removed a prisoner to Delhi, where they arrived with him at night. Upon receipt of the report, Aurangzeb ordered him to be locked up in the fortress of Salimgarh.
66.2.7
The next day he ordered the fetters to be taken off his legs, and had him brought into his presence, leaving the brass manacles on his wrists, which many imagined to be of gold. His object was to make sure that it was the real son of Dara, also because he had been told that this prince was endowed in every part with the good gifts of Nature. The tyrant gloated over the sight, this being the last thorn that could prick him ; all the rest were either already dead or languishing in prison. The unfortunate Sulaiman Shukoh began to weep, beseeching that his life might be spared. Let the king not forget that he was of his blood. But the heart of Aurangzeb was not so compassionate as to be moved by tears. He inquired from the nobles if of a truth this was Sulaiman Shukoh, and all replied that there was not the least doubt. Then he ordered him to be removed to the fortress of Gwaliyar, there to be given opium-water to drink, as had been done to Murad Bakhsh and Sultan Muhammad. One month after his arrival an order was sent to kill him by poison, and he was buried within the said fortress. This poor prince was the eldest son of Prince Dara [277], and endowed with all the gifts of Nature. He was the person who obtained the first victory over Prince Shah Shuja'. But adverse Fate, joined to the plottings and devices of Aurangzeb, forced him to retire into the hills.
66.2.8
There he suffered much in wandering amongst those rough, stony, and impassable mountains, travelling on foot or sometimes upon goats (cabras), as is the custom there. Many a time he had to traverse dangerous ravines from one hill to another at the risk of his life, in baskets pulled across by ropes. For several days he had to support himself on wild roots and fruits in default of other food. Then when he believed he was in surety, he was uselessly given over to the teeth of that insatiable beast of prey, for such Aurangzeb may be called, which spared neither great nor small.
66.3.1
The aged Rajah of Srinagar felt greatly the vileness of the deed carried out by his only son, and so great was his sorrow that in a short space he ended his days under the disgrace, saying he would sooner have lost his territory and all his wealth than that his son should be guilty of such an act of infamy. This rajah was a great friend of the Jesuit fathers, and had accorded them leave to build churches, and allowed everyone who chose to profess the religion of Christ. I knew two Italian priests, great friends of this rajah, Father Etanilao Malpique, and Father Chesco. Aurangzeb was still in need of confirmation by the chief qazi, who is their supreme pontiff, before he could become absolute monarch and judge in all criminal matters, with power of condemning to death or pardoning whomsoever he pleased. The reason was that the chief qazi, and the inferior qazis objected to his confirmation during the lifetime of the Emperor Shahjahan, and their sorrow still was fresh for the blood of his brothers that he had shed. He, therefore, created another qazi named Abdulbahab ('Abd-ul-wahhab), a man of humble origin, who, being under obligation to him for the dignity thus conferred, confirmed his right to the throne. Reasons for consecrating a king can never be wanting to an unjust judge who seeks only his own interests.
66.3.2
Aurangzeb was weighed down by the thought that, however hard he had worked to establish himself in the realm, there was still one difficulty left. Murad Bakhsh yet lived. Many at Gwaliyar fortress, they cut off Murad Bakhsh's head in the presence of the complainant and other witnesses. He was interred there and then. Thus came to an end the royal blood of the Mogul, leaving none but Sipihr Shukoh, son of Dara, and the son of Murad Bakhsh, of whom I will speak farther on ('Ezad Bakhsh,' II., 144). Aurangzeb remained absolute master of the whole empire. Thus with the blood of his competitors were assuaged the fears which perturbed the Mogul.
66.3.3
Now it remains to state how this king wreaked vengeance on those who laid hands upon those of royal blood. First of all, he who had claimed the head of Murad Bakhsh issued from the fortress to obtain the promised reward, but never again was he heard of. The slaves who first of all cut off Dara's head, and now that of Murad Bakhsh, never left the fortress but met their fate within it that very day. Then there remained Nazar Beg and Maqbula, captains of the slaves, but they did not long survive. One day Aurangzeb sent for Maqbula, the second captain, and in secret said to him: 'What can I do for you, and what do you expect? The command of the slaves belongs to you, and I had meant to give it to you; but this brute of a Nazar Beg, without tact and overbold, leaves me no peace; and for several reasons I cannot take the office from him. If it is your wish, it lies in your hands to become captain by killing him who unjustly holds the place to your detriment. To-morrow in my presence, while I am giving audience, kill him, and I forthwith declare you captain.'
66.3.4
The ambition [279] of Maqbula induced him to rely on the king's word, never anticipating what was to happen to himself. Going off home he communicated to his wife, in high delight, what the king had said to him. To effect his design, he provided himself with a dagger, and next day at the audience, when in the king's presence, he stabbed Nazar Beg in the breast with such quietness that he fell dead on the spot. Aurangzeb, feigning ignorance in a matter which he had himself directed, gave a signal to the bystanders, who, with their swords, slashed Maqbula into pieces before he could utter a word in his defence. He did this to conceal his tyranny on the pretext that he (Maqbula) had failed in respect by daring to kill his own officer in his king's presence. After the death of his brother Dara, Aurangzeb ordered them to bring to his presence Acermaad (Sarmad), the atheist, to whom Dara had been devoted (ante, I. 153), and asked him where was his devoted prince. He replied that he was then present, 'but you cannot see him, for you tyrannize over those of your own blood ; and in order to usurp the kingdom, you took away the life of your brothers, and did other barbarities.' On hearing these words, Aurangzeb ordered his head to be cut off.
66.3.5
Finding there was now nothing else to be seen to, he ordered his chroniclers to write all his battles, and make recital of his glories — how he vanquished such and such powerful adversaries, with all the events, disasters, and encounters up to his ascending the imperial throne. The chroniclers asked how they should record the causes of his father, Shahjahan, being in prison, of the banishment and death of Shah Shuja', and the deceptions practised on the princes Dara and Murad Bakhsh. The king smiled, and displayed his amazement, and said to them : 'Are you so ignorant as not to know the causes of such obvious and well-known events ? Cannot you see that the Mogul Empire was in complete anarchy through the bad government of King Shahjahan, my father, and his desire to make over the state to Prince Dara, an enemy of the Mahomedan faith ? It was a just punishment for the son to lose his life, he being an idolater, while the king was dispossessed of the kingdom and placed in confinement for being incapable of rule. As for the prince Shah Shuja', he was deprived of the kingdom because by his ambition he laid claim to the throne which did not belong to him. Then, having sought refuge in the realm of another, he tried ungratefully to rise against his benefactor, and by losing his life received the merited punishment for his revolt. In regard to Prince Murad Bakhsh, a man of good qualities and an excellent soldier, I am innocent of his death. It was due to the demands of justice.
66.3.6
Nor was he fit to reign, for he was a heretic, as I have ascertained since his death. If God made me emperor, it was from no other cause than that I had been ever a faithful defender of the Quran. Against my design and my will, which was to live as a poor faqir, I was exalted above other men, because that just Lord, who raises the meek and abases the haughty, had so determined.' I know quite well that some instructed reader will censure this history as not true, if I say to him that Aurangzeb killed the eunuch Shahbaz. I do not condemn the wisdom of a reader who so judges, for there are some historians who assert that the said eunuch continued alive and went to Bengal. Nor can I much blame those writers, for it was the opinion of many that so it was, as they will see in this my short narrative which I insert here, as it has little concern with what follows. To accomplish his wrongful acts Aurangzeb [280] had recourse to artifice. After he had become absolute, and Shah Shuja' was ruined, he gave certain orders to one of his eunuchs called Faim (Fahim). This man pretended to be Shahbaz, the eunuch of Murad Bakhsh, and went to live in the province of Bengal. Lands were assigned to him which yielded him a sufficient income to support himself in comfort. He ate and drank and amused himself with pastimes. He was fond of the chase and of conversations with Europeans and other foreigners. He always praised the valour of Murad Bakhsh, and claimed to have been faithful to his prince.
66.3.7
Aurangzeb acted thus solely that foreign nations should not speak against him, and say he had killed a eunuch so prudent and so loyal to his master. Be it known to the reader that if the said eunuch was sent to Bengal it was by reason of its being frequented by many traders of various nations. He was not sent to Gujarat or to the Dakhin for fear that he might be recognised, and then no one would give credit to his assertions. He might certainly have been sent to Kabul or Kashmir; but since in those places there were no traders from foreign nations, like there are in Bengal, he was therefore sent to that region, where to this day he lives, and thus gives further support to his words. The contests between the brothers which disturbed the Mogul Empire began in the year 1655 (correctly 1658), and lasted till the beginning of 1659. By that time Aurangzeb had become undisputed master of the empire, at the cost of so many of his subjects' lives and of the blood of his brothers. Although the empire is one of the most widespread in the world, still he was not satisfied, as I shall relate in the Second Part. For the proverb is true that 'Plus sunt potæ, plus sitiuntur,' or, 'The more one drinks, the more one wants to drink'; for the things of this world can never satisfy human appetites. What happened to Aurangzeb will be shown along with the history of the Mogul kingdom.