New History of the Marathas v1.c19.s1.25

v1.c19.s1.25

7. Aurangzeb's death.—The last few months of Aurangzeb's life witnessed the final break-down. He had no money : no funds reached him from outside. The Marathas became aggressive. The Emperor's own wives and daughters came to the point of starving. With a united voice they all pitieously pleaded for a return to Agra. They said, "It is now thirty years since we have been wandering in foreign land, suffering the hardships of camp life all the while. We were then young and full of youth. Now we have grown old and decrepit. Let us go back to Agra and die peacefully in our homes, without the fear of these vultures tearing us. Let us have peace at least in death." The Emperor replied, "Don't fear, I have made every provision for your future." His sole companions were now, his daughter Zinat-un-Nisa, already an old maid and his last wife Udepuri Begam, a low animal type of a partner, whose son Kam Baksh broke his father's heart by freaks of insane folly and passion. These last years of the Emperor's life were darkened by domestic bereavements. His best loved daughter-in-law Jahanzeb-Begam died in Gujarat in March 1705. His rebel son Akbar had died in Iran in 1704 but the authentic news of his death reached the Emperor in 1705. His gifted daughter Zeb-un-Nisa ended her days in prison at Delhi. His eldest surviving and capable son was a closely watched prisoner for over ten years and now his youngest sister Gauhar-Ara Begam died in 1706. In May of the same year his daughter Mihar-un-Nisa and her husband both died together in Delhi and the next month died Buland Akhtar, the son of Akbar. Azam Shah, the Emperor's second son tried to murder Kam Baksh. So Aurangzeb sent both these sons away from his death-bed. Four days after sending away Azam Shah from his side, the aged and worn out figure now left in utter loneliness was seized with a severe fever: for three days he insisted on coming to the court-room and saying the five daily prayers in full congregation. On Thursday 19th February Hamid-un-din by the advice of astrologers, submitted a petition for giving away an elephant worth Rs, 4000 in charity for averting evil stars. The dying man wrote across the petition, "the giving away of an elephant in charity is a custom of the Hindus and star-worshippers. Give instead Rs. 4000 to the Chief Kazi for distribution among the poor. Convey quickly to the first station and consign to dust this heap of dust (his own body)." During these last days he dictated two pathetic letters to his sons Azam Shah and Kam Baksh entreating them to be friendly and loving. He also prepared a will and placed it under his pillow, proposing a peaceful partition of his Empire among his three surviving sons. On the morning of Friday 20 February Aurangzeb came out of his bed-room, went through his morning prayer. Gradually unconsciousness crept on, his fingers continuing to move over the beads of his rosary and his lips to gasp out the Kalimah till about 8 o’clock, when all was over. Thus perished one of the mightiest and most remarkable figures in the world’s history. His son Azam Shah arrived two days after and performed the burial of his father’s body at Khuldabad, now called Roza, in a low simple tomb without any marble platform.⁵