History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v3.c51.s1: §1. History of Prince Akbar.
History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v3.c51.s1
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§1. History of Prince Akbar.
v3.c51.s1.1
Sultan Muhammad Akbar, the fourth son of Aurangzib, was only 23 years of age at this time. Having lost his mother a month after his birth, he had been brought up by his father with special tenderness. Early in youth he had received the practical education of Mughal princes by being entrusted with the viceroyalty of provinces and the command of armies in the field, generally under the tutelage of some high minister of State. In the present Rajput war he had commanded in chief, both in Marwar and Mewar. The first Mughal invasion of Marwar had swept everything before it, as the Rathors had no time to organize a national defence. But his campaign in Mewar had been of a different character. There the Maharana had dealt some heavy blows at his force, and paralysed its movements by creating a terror. For these signal proofs of slackness and incapacity, the Emperor had sharply censured Akbar, and the prince had abjectly apologized (2nd June 1680), pleading, "I am merely learning the alphabet in the school of practical wisdom. Language can describe but a part of the shame and pain I feel at the cursed infidel's astonishing exploit. I have erred grievously through inexperience and human frailty. I beg your Majesty's pardon for these heavy faults, and promise that in future I shall not be the least remiss in caution and vigilance." (*Adab*, No. 655.) But two days later the Rajputs plundered a large caravan of grain, while the Mughal army "did not stir through fear."
v3.c51.s1.2
This was too much for Aurangzib. He at once removed Akbar from the Chitor command (14th June) and sent him off to Marwar. The prince, smarting under the disgrace, stopped writing to the Emperor for some days, which called forth further reprimands. In Marwar, too, he failed either to crush the roving Rathor bands or to penetrate into Mewar by the Deosuri Pass as planned by the Emperor. Indeed, his six months' stay there (July-December, 1680) was unrelieved by a single decisive military success, if we except the forcing of the Jhilwara Pass which was effected by a commissioner specially sent from Court for the purpose.