Aurangzeb

“ They could not wait until he was ready to relinquish power or until death took the scepter from his hand, but four of them rebelled against him, drove him from the throne and kept him a prisoner for the last eight years of his life. But scarcely had they overthrown him when they began to quarrel among themselves, and Aurangzeb, the fourth son, being the strongest among them, simplified the situation by slaughtering his three brothers, and was thus able to reign unmolested for more than half a century, until he died in 1707, 89 years old. ”

“ During the early part of his life and reign, Aurangzēb was employed in conquering and destroying the two independent kingdoms of Golconda and Bījāpur in the Deccan, which he formed into two provinces governed by viceroys. Each had had an army of above a hundred thousand men while independent. The officers and soldiers of these armies had nothing but their courage and their swords to depend upon for their subsistence. ”

“ These were the State prisons in which Akbar confined his rebellious cousins, and Aurangzēb the troublesome sons of Dārā and Murād, as well as his own more dangerous son Muhammad. During these times the fort was strictly guarded, and no one was allowed to enter without a pass' (A.S.R., vol. ii, p. 369) , Sulaimān Shikoh, whom Manucci credits with 'all the gifts of nature', was poisoned at Gwālior early in the reign of Aurangzēb, by order of that monarch, paternal uncle of the victim (Irvine, Storia do Mogor, i. 380) . ”

“ The courts of Chhatarsāl, rājā of Pannā in Bundēlkhaṇḍ, who was killed in battle with Aurangzēb in 1658, and of several rājās of Bāndhō (now called Rīwān or Rewah) in Baghēlkhaṇḍ, were famous for their patronage of poets; and the Mogul court itself kept up the office of Kabi-Rāy or poet laureate even during the fanatical reign of Aurangzēb. ”

“ It gives its name to a district. It was founded in 1610, under the name of Fatchnagar, by Malik Ambar, an Abyssinian, who had risen from the condition of a slave to great influence. Subsequently it became the capital of the Mogul conquests in the south of India. Aurangzeb, who erected here a mausoleum to his wife which has been compared to the Taj at Agra, made the city the seat of his government during his viceroyalty of the Deccan, and gave it the name of Aurangabad. ”

“ Letters addressed to Sultan Mahammad Aluazzam, Shah Alam Bahadur, the Crown Prince. [1]
LETTER I.
Eldest son of sovereignty, happy son, Muhammad Mūazzam, may God protect and save you. His Majesty, having his abode in paradise (Sháh Jehán, Aurangzebe's father) , had a great desire to conquer the provinces of Balkh, Badakhshán, Khorásán, and Hirát which were the ancient possessions of our ancestors. [2] . He often sent there the royal forces under the command of Mūrád Bakhsha. ”

“ On the death of Aurangzēb, which took place in the Deccan, on the 3rd of March, 1707 (N.S.) , his son 'Azam marched at the head of the troops which he commanded in the Deccan, to meet Mu'azzam, who was viceroy in Kabul. They met and fought near Agra. 'Azam was defeated and killed. The victor marched to meet his other brother, Kām Baksh, whom he killed near Hyderabad in the Deccan, and secured to himself the empire. On his death, which took place in 1713, his four sons contended in the same way for the throne at the head of the armies of their respective viceroyalties. ”

“ At Bherāgarh, [5] the high priest of the temple told us that Aurangzēb and his soldiers knocked off the heads, arms, and noses of all the idols, saying that 'if they had really any of the godhead in them, they would assuredly now show it, and save themselves'. But when they came to the door of Gaurī Sankar's apartments, they were attacked by a nest of hornets, that put the whole of the emperor's army to the rout; and his imperial majesty called out: 'Here we have really something like a god, and we shall not suffer him to be molested ”

“ Further on to the outside of the town on the south-east are two other dargábs raised to Makhdúm Shah, Muhammad Kázim, and Makhdúm Shah Turáb, Kandharia faqirs, in whose memory the annual urs festivals are celebrated, and a great fair held, at which great numbers from Lucknow and the neighbouring villages attend. On the west is the mosque of Azinat-ulla, built in the reign of Shah Jahan, to whose daughter Azmat-ulla was tutor, and who, his descendants say, also gave instruction to Aurangzeb himself. ”

“ Dārā Shikoh was executed by Aurangzēb in 1659, and it is alleged that with a horrid refinement of cruelty, the emperor, acting on the advice of his sister, Roshanārā Bēgam, caused the head to be embalmed and sent packed in a box as a present to the old ex- emperor, Shāh Jahān, the father of the three, in his prison at Agra. The prince died invoking the aid of Jesus, and was favourably disposed towards Christianity. He was also attracted by the doctrines of Sūfism, or heretical Muhammadan mysticism, and by those of the Hindoo Upanishads. ”

“ Hidáyat Mohi-ud-dín, Muzaffar Jang, third Nizám, 1750-51. The chief next in importance was the Nawáb of Arkát (Arcot) . After Aurangzeb had subjugated the Bijapur and Golconda kingdoms, he sent a force under Zulfikár Khán, with one Dáúd Khán as second in command, to reduce the fortress of Jinjí or Chenji [4] , then held by Ráma, son of Sivají. The place was carried by assault in 1698, but as it proved unhealthy, Arcot was in 1716 selected as the capital. The imperial deputy, Kásim Khán, having been assassinated, Zulfikár Khán was nominated as his successor, and after him Dáúd Khán ”

“ The easy-going Jahángír (1605-1627) on the whole treated him well. Sháhjahán (1627-1659) was more strict or less prudent, and during his reign there were several collisions between the imperial troops and the Guru's followers. Hargovind [Pg 177] was succeeded by his grandson, Har Rai (1645-1661) . The new Guru was a man of peace. Har Rai died in 1661, having nominated his younger son, Harkrishn, a child of six, as his successor. His brother, Rám Rai, disputed his claim, but Aurangzeb confirmed Harkrishn's appointment. ”

“ He [Pg 392] intercepted his father’s letter to that prince; and shortly after Mahommed, Aurangzebe’s son, seized within the citadel at Agra, Shah Jehan, who offered him the crown of the Moguls as the price of his release. It was declined by Mahommed. Morad having discovered the duplicity of Aurungzebe, in attempting to defeat it was seized by his crafty brother, and sent prisoner to Agra. The ambitious conqueror advanced to Delhi, and mounted the imperial throne. Dara fled to Lahore. ”

“ Most of the provinces were conquered but owing to impatience, that unfortunate man (Mūrád) returned (to the capital) without having been recalled by His Majesty and thereby lost the favour of the people and the grandees of those provinces. The kingdoms conquered and possessed were lost; and money was wasted on them. It is for this reason that it is said that "A daughter is better than an unworthy son". Attend to this (verse) that "If a father is unable to finish a work, the son must carry it out to completion". This mortal creature (Aurungzebe) has a wish which is still unfulfilled. ”

“ Shah Jehan appointed him governor of Berar in 1638 and governor of Gujarat in 1652. During Shah Jehan's reign he took part in the Deccan War with Aurungzebe who gave him the title of Khan Jehan in 1656. In 1658 his nephew conferred on him the title of Amir-ul-Umara when he came to his side by deserting Shah Jehan and Dara. (Cf. Introd.) . He was appointed governor of Agra in the same year. At the time of the victory gained over Shuja at Cujwá he was governor of Akbarabad (Agra) acting for Aurungzebe. Afterwards Aurungzebe made him viceroy of the Deccan (1659) and ordered him to punish Shivaji. ”

“ Governor of Akabarábád. [2]
1659. LETTER XCI.
Faithful friend of auspicious nature, may you live under the protection of the Exalted God. I am anxious for you. On Tuesday, the 20th inst. of Rabi-ūl-Awal [3] — the day of writing this letter to you—Shūjá [4] , whose lot was defeat, encountered the victorious army which was under the victorious stirrup of this most needy person (i.e., Aurungzebe himself) to God Whose name is glorious, and found the return of evil actions in (his) lap, full of his own misfortunes (i.e., he was defeated by me) . ”

“ In the eleventh year of the reign of Aurungzebe, Abdalla, King of the Lesser Bucharia, a lineal descendant from the Great Zingis, having abdicated the throne in favor of his son, set out on a pilgrimage to the Shrine of the Prophet; and, passing into India through the delightful valley of Cashmere, rested for a short time at Delhi on his way. He was entertained by Aurungzebe in a style of magnificent hospitality, worthy alike of the visitor and the host, and was afterwards escorted with the same splendor to Surat, where he embarked for Arabia. ”

“ Aureng-Zebe now assumed the throne, and advanced against Sultan-Sujah, his sole remaining brother; he seduced his chief commanders, routed the forces who remained faithful, and drove him out of Bengal into the Pagan countries adjacent, where, after several adventures, he perished miserably in the mountains. Aureng-Zebe also murdered one or two nephews, and a few other near relations ”

“ Murad Bakhsh: his character, 318—his wazir Ali Naqi, 320—is murdered on suspicion, 321—Murad sends an army against Surat, 323—siege of Surat, 324—booty at Surat, 325—Murad corresponds with Aurangzib for an alliance, 327—Murad proclaims himself Emperor, 329—chooses a stronghold to shelter his family in, 331—Murad's impatient ambition and Aurangzib's cautiousness, 332—intrigue with Persia, 333—partition of empire between Murad and Aurangzib, 335—sworn to by Aurangzib, 337—Murad starts, 338—and joins Aurangzib near Dipalpur, 339. ”

“ This was regarded by Aurangzib as an act of defiance, and in 1656 he set forth for Haidarabad to punish Abdullah. Abdullah, in order to appease his powerful enemy, sent Muhammad Amir and his mother to Aurangzib's camp, but, in order to retain his hold over Mir Jumla's family, still refused to deliver their property to them. Aurangzib accordingly pressed on, and, as he neared Haidarabad, Abdullah fled to Golconda with his ladies, leaving five or six thousand horse and twelve thousand foot to defend the capital, whence he had been unable to remove the valuable furniture of his palace. ”

“ Peace was now concluded on these conditions, coupled with the proviso that Muhammad Sultan, who was married at once to Abdullah's daughter, should be formally recognized as heir to the kingdom of Golconda, and Aurangzib left for Bijapur, capturing on his way the fortresses of Kaliani and Bidar. The Deccan was now unexpectedly reUeved of the disturbing presence of Aurangzib, who hastened back to Hindustan on receiving the news of the emperor's illness in order that he might take his part in the contest for the throne. ”

“ Since that Aureng-Zebe began to find himself in better health, it hath been constantly reported that he would make a voyage to Kachemere, to be out of the way of the approaching summer heats, though the more intelligent sort of men would hardly be persuaded, that as long as he kept his father, Chah-Jean (Shah Jehan) , prisoner in the Fort of Agra, he would think it safe to be at such a distance. ”

“ Aurungzebe did not condescend to reply. He was deeply incensed, and turning to the usher, ordered that the refractory prisoner should be taken from his presence. In spite, however, of this rude bearing, the Emperor was much struck with the unbending boldness of the mountain warrior. He could not but feel respect for the man who had for years defeated his armies, and raised himself to sovereignty from being chief of a mere band of robbers. The exploits of Sevajee had reached as far as Delhi, and public curiosity was excited to see this remarkable man. ”

“ The Princess, having taken leave of her kind father, who at parting hung a cornelian of Yemen round her neck, on which was inscribed a verse from the Koran, and having sent a considerable present to the Fakirs, who kept up the Perpetual Lamp in her sister's tomb, meekly ascended the palankeen prepared for her; and while Aurungzebe stood to take a last look from his balcony, the procession moved slowly on the road to Lahore.
Seldom had the Eastern world seen a cavalcade so superb. From the gardens in the suburbs to the Imperial palace, it was one unbroken line of splendor. ”

“ An English sloop prevented the Rajah from taking the fort of Tannah; and the garrison of Calcutta, consisting of fifty men, beat a body of his troops within sight of the town. The Dutch assisted the Nabob's troops to retake Hughley. The French did little, but appeared in arms, and fortified themselves, better than either of the other two.
The news of this rebellion alarmed Aurengzebe himself so much that he sent one of his grandsons, Azim-al-Shan, with an army, to superintend the three governments of Bengal, Behar, and Orixa. ”

“ Frank and impetuous, liberal in his opinions, he made enemies with one hand while he made friends with the other, while his open profession of the tenets held by his grandfather Akbar, and the writing of a book to reconcile Hindu and Mahomedan doctrines, alienated the orthodox from his cause. Shujah, by his father's estimate, was a mere drunkard; Morâd, the youngest, a sensualist. There remains Aurungzebe. He was an absolute contrast to Dâra. A small man, with a big brain and absolutely no heart. A man of creeds and caution, of faith and faithlessness. ”