Travels in India (Tavernier) 55.1

55.1

I have mentioned in the fifth chapter that Aurangzeb ascended the throne as soon as he had disposed of his brother, Dara Shah, and I shall add here some details which preceded this ceremony, and are sufficiently worthy of record. Some days previously he boldly sent to present his compliments to Shah Jahan, his father, which he well knew would be displeasing to him. He begged him, as he was about to ascend the throne in a few days, to have the goodness to send some of his jewels to be used on that day, so that he might appear before his people with the same magnificence as the other Kings, his predecessors, had done. Shah Jahan, at this demand of Aurangzeb, which he regarded as an insult levelled at him in his prison by his son, became so enraged, that for some days he was like a madman, and he even nearly died. In the excess of his annoyance he called frequently for a pestle and mortar, saying that he would pound up all his precious stones and pearls, so that Aurangzeb might never possess them. But Begum Sahib, his eldest daughter, who had never left him, throwing herself at his feet, besought him not to proceed to such an extremity, and having full power over him in consequence of the intimate relations which existed between them, appeased him, rather with the object of keeping the precious stones for herself than to give pleasure to her brother, who might one day become their possessor, he having always been her mortal enemy.