Fall of the Mughal Empire v2.c21.s1.6

v2.c21.s1.6

The new Emperor was intelligent, sober and decorous in life, but utterly wanting in strength of character and capacity for leadership. He used openly to declare himself a puppet in the hands of his wazir, without any power to guide the government. The crown could give him in the winter of his life only the wealth and pleasure which fate had so long denied to him. He was encumbered with a large family,—five sons and one daughter of his own and six sons of his late brother whom he loved like his own offspring, one grandson and one grand-nephew, fourteen princes in all, who had hitherto shared his palace-prison of poverty and seclusion. These had now to be provided for in a style worthy of Emperor’s children, out of the treasury. But the treasury was empty and the mansab of 30,000 horse or so which was conferred on each of them remained mere orders on paper, without any chance of their being assigned lands yielding the pay of these grades. His queens eagerly snatched at the only sure source of revenue still left in the empire, namely, the salt-marts and grain-markets near the capital, which yielded a regular income from their tolls and import duties. [DC.]