History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v3.c40.s4: §4. Aurangzib's wrangles with Shah Jahan for the jewels in Agra fort.
History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v3.c40.s4
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§4. Aurangzib's wrangles with Shah Jahan for the jewels in Agra fort.
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The fall of the most magnificent of the Great Mughals was robbed of dignity by Aurangzib's insatiable cupidity. History records many sordid wrangles between father and son for the possession of the crown jewels worn by Shah Jahan or kept in Agra fort. The captive Emperor could never forget that he was their lawful owner and that his son was an usurper without any moral right to State property. To this argument Aurangzib replied, "The royal property and treasures exist for the good of the community, because these pay no tithe... The king is only God's chosen custodian and the trustee of God's money for the benefit of the people." All the crown property in Agra fort, therefore, belonged to him as the reigning sovereign, while Shah Jahan had not only lost his right to them, but, as he had now taken to a life of religious meditation and retirement, even the jewels he wore on his person were unseemly and inconsistent with his present character of a recluse!
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The gossipy Masum tells us that Aurangzib sent his eldest son to beg the Peacock Throne from Shah Jahan, and that the old man, under the pretext of having a last look at it, took away two of its panels which were most richly set with diamonds and rubies, but afterwards gave them up, partly at his grandson's entreaty and partly in fear of violence.
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Again, Dara at the time of his flight had deposited 27 lakhs of Rupees worth of jewels, belonging to his wives and daughters, in the strong room of the ladies' quarters inside Agra fort. Aurangzib demanded their surrender. Shah Jahan long resisted and remonstrated; but at last he yielded them. According to Khafi Khan and Manucci, Aurangzib's greed was insatiable: he asked for the rosary of 100 round pearls,—all of one colour, size and weight,—worth four lakhs of Rupees, and the thumb-ring (arsi) of diamond, which his father constantly wore on his person,—saying that they became a king better than a recluse such as Shah Jahan now was! The deposed Emperor sorrowfully gave up the ring, but said, "I use the rosary in saying my prayers. I shall give it up only after pounding the pearls in a mortar!"—at which Aurangzib desisted.*
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Again, Aurangzib demanded that Dara's women singers should be sent to him "as there is no skilled songstress with me whose music may soothe my heart, and as you have no liking for songs in these days." Shah Jahan flew into a rage at the proposal, but Aurangzib replied, "If your objection is due to their being Dara's concubines, well, other persons of the same class have been taken into my house. What harm is there if his servants live with me?" (Adab, 263b.)
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Immediately after the capitulation of Agra fort (8th June 1658), Aurangzib had sealed up all the rooms of royal apparel, furniture, plate, jewels and treasure,—both those attached to the Hall of Private Audience and also those in other places outside the harem. All the property was ordered to be "attached strictly and with every possible care." The jewels and jewelled ware, in particular, were ordered to be kept constantly under lock and seal in the rooms of the *Ghusal-khanah* in charge of Aurangzib's trusted eunuch Mutamad. They were opened very rarely and always in the presence of that eunuch and the responsible superintendent (*darogha*) and keeper (*tahvildar*), and immediately afterwards locked and sealed with triple seals.
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∗ Dispute about the Peacock Throne, Masum, 77a—79a. Dispute over jewellery, Bernier, 127; Storia, ii. 20-21; K.K. ii. 106. Adab, 261b (in December 1658 Aurangzib thanks Shah Jahan for presenting him with some jewels of Dara). A.N. 662 records, "On 10 Feb. 1662, Shah Jahan sent to Aurangzib jewellery worth 16 lakhs of Rupees." Cf. Bernier, 166; Storia, ii. 117
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At first out of consideration for Shah Jahan's feelings he was allowed to have a look at any of these carefully guarded articles at his pleasure. Prince Muhammad Sultan was directed to omit no caution when opening the store-rooms of the fort for taking anything out for Shah Jahan, but at the same time "to manage the affair in such a way that he might not be pained in mind by the occurrence." Evidently the rooms in the harem portion of the fort were always accessible to the captive, for he now lived within its bounds. Here his drinking vessels were kept.*
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On the departure of Muhammad Sultan, the eunuch Mutamad became all in all and treated Shah Jahan with great harshness and neglect. "He sometimes allowed it to be seen that he treated him (i.e.
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∗ Property in Agra fort how safeguarded, *Adab*, 137 (may be shown to Shah Jahan when desired), 262 (wardrobe), 262b (*abdar-khanah*.)
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Shah Jahan) as a miserable slave. Once an under-eunuch came to tell him that Shah Jahan was in want of slippers. . . The eunuch, immeasurably stingy, sent him shoes neither of eight Rupees nor of four nor of two, but the common leather shoes. He smiled over it as if he had done some great deed...One day he (Shah Jahan) sent him two violins he used, asking for them to be repaired, and sent inside again as quickly as possible. The eunuch did not trouble himself about having them repaired; then three days afterwards Shah Jahan sent to inquire. At this the eunuch flew into a rage." (*Storia*, ii. 77-78.)
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When Khwajah Mamur the keeper of the ex-Emperor's wardrobe died, the rooms of that department were kept sealed up for some days, and Shah Jahan experienced great difficulty and delay in getting a change of apparel, till a successor was appointed.