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History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v3.c40.s2: §2. Shah Jahan's futile attempts to regain liberty.

History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v3.c40.s2

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§2. Shah Jahan's futile attempts to regain liberty.

v3.c40.s2.1

Shuja's historian, Muhammad Masum, who lived in Bengal and heard only the most distorted versions of Court incidents, records what was probably no better than bazar gossip. According to him, Shah Jahan wrote a letter to Murad urging him to assassinate Aurangzib and Muhammad Sultan at a banquet, release his father and reign in his name; the careless Murad thrust the letter into a book and forgot all about it; but his librarian discovered it and sold the secret to Aurangzib, who promptly removed the danger by imprisoning his younger brother.

v3.c40.s2.2

We may reject these stories as false, but there is evidence of the fact that the fallen Emperor continued to address letters to Dara breathing undiminished affection and offering him help and advice. The eunuchs who tried to smuggle these notes out of the fort were intercepted by Aurangzib's men and severely punished. The captive made a last bid for liberty when Shuja was reported to be advancing from Patna to seize Agra. The old Emperor sent out letters blessing the enterprise and calling upon all loyal subjects to rally round his coming deliverer. A letter of encouragement written by him in Hindi reached Shuja, but only to draw that prince on to his doom at Khajwa.*

v3.c40.s2.3

All the attempts of Shah Jahan failed, and their only result was to tighten the bonds of his captivity. He became, in effect, a prisoner doomed to the strictest confinement. Immediately on getting possession of Agra fort, Aurangzib had posted a strong body of guards there. Prince Muhammad Sultan was soon afterwards ordered to take up his residence in the fort, and all the houses near it were compulsorily vacated by order of Government and given to the officers of the guard, "so that they might live close to the fort and be present at all hours." (Adab, 188a, 189a.)