History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v5.c80.s4.31

v5.c80.s4.31

While dangers were thus thickening round Aurangzib's forces, the internal troubles of his camp became even more ominous. Muhammad Azam's inordinate vanity and ambition urged him to secure the succession for himself. Confident of his valour and of the money and men he had gathered when in Gujrat, and eager to increase them by seizing the treasure and troops in the imperial camp at the moment of his father's death,—he considered himself as senior to his elder brother Muazzam and regarded poor young Kam Bakhsh as "non-existent." In view of the Emperor's frequent fits of illness, Azam planned to remove all his rivals from his path. So, he poisoned the ears of the Emperor against Azim-ush-shan, the able third son of Muazzam and had him recalled from the government of Patna, where he was rumoured to have amassed a vast treasure. He also drew over to his side the prime minister Asad Khan and some other nobles. Then he looked out for an opportunity to make a sudden attack on Kam Bakhsh and kill him. Every day Azam's hostile designs against Kam Bakhsh became more evident, and therefore the Emperor appointed the brave and faithful Sultan Husain (Mir Malang) paymaster of Kam Bakhsh's forces, and charged him with that prince's defence. Whenever Kam Bakhsh came to his father's Court, Sultan Husain attended him with a strong body of comrades fully armed, and also stood guard round his tent day and night. Azam complained of these acts to the Emperor, but the latter gave no reply, till at last Azam wrote his grievances to his younger sister Zinat-un-nissa, saying, "Though it would not be very hard for me to punish the insolence of this rude fellow, yet respect for His Majesty hinders me from doing it." The letter was shown to Aurangzib, who wrote across it with his own hand, "The power of Husain is well-known, and yet you are overcome with so much terror and suspicion about him! I shall send away Kam Bakhsh elsewhere." The irony of the reply stung Azam, but he had no help except to wait patiently for the end. [K. K. ii. 546—548.]