Fall of the Mughal Empire v2.c30.s1.2

v2.c30.s1.2

Mirzā Abdullah, better known by his titles of Ali Gauhar (conferred on 16 Aug. 1754) and Shah Alam (conferred on 24 April 1756 and borne as Emperor), was the eldest son of Alamgir II. At the time of his father's death he had just completed his 30th year. Though he was not gifted with the extraordinary genius and energy required in the redeemer of a fallen monarchy, he was the ablest of the princes of Delhi then alive. The life of neglect and captivity that he had shared with his father till the age of 25 had prevented him from acquiring experience of men and affairs, or developing his latent faculties. But his character was as yet free from vice and sloth. He had learnt self-control in the school of adversity and was willing to improve himself by study and inquiry. Above all, he had not yet fallen under the deadly benumbing influence of that vacuity of life which springs from a sense of the impotence of one's position and the futility of all attempts to better one's lot, and which drives its victim into utter indolence and self indulgence as his only solace.