History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v4.c69.s3: § 3. Plague at Bijapur.
History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v4.c69.s3
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§ 3. Plague at Bijapur.
v4.c69.s3.1
When the rainy season ended and the imperialists were about to set out on a vigorous and extensive campaign for crushing the Marathas, a terrible epidemic broke out in the city of Bijapur and the imperial camp, at the beginning of November, 1688. "First a bubo appeared in the arm-pit and the corner of the thigh, then high fever and unconsciousness supervened; medical treatment produced no effect; few men lived beyond two days, but most died in less......Even the survivors, on seeing the prevailing state of things, considered themselves as dead. No one looked after anybody else. The half-dead people abstained from all worldly work and lay expecting death every hour ...Joyous practices ceased. All sat down sunk in mourning. Death wanted to remove even the seed-corn of the human race from this world. It was a Day of Judgment which made great and small alike lose their lives.”
v4.c69.s3.2
“Among the victims were the Emperor’s old and devoted wife Aurangabadi Mahal, Maharajah Jaswant’s son Muhammadi-Raj who had been brought up in the imperial harem and reached the age of 13, Fazil Khan the *Sadar*, and many other grandees. The middle class and poor people, both Hindu and Muhammadan, who died, cannot be counted, but are conjectured to have been not less than a lakh. Many [saved their lives] but had disorder of the brain or loss of sight, speech or hearing. Firuz Jang’s eyes were lost.” (*M.A.* 317-’18.)
v4.c69.s3.3
But the Emperor firmly set out on his campaign on the appointed date, 14th December, 1688, and a week afterwards the fury of the epidemic abated. He marched on to Akluj, 85 miles north of Bijapur, and there at the end of January he received the happy news that Shambhuji had been captured.