AURUNOZEBE. 



AURUNOZEBE. 



i," and Alem-glr, that in, 'the conqueror of the world.' 

 M WM the third ion of Shuh-Jehan, the ton and successor 

 of the "celebrated emperor Jehan-gir. He was born on the 22nd o! 

 October 1818, and had just attuned hi* tenth year when, upon the 

 death of Jehan-gir. hi* father ascended the throne (lit of February 

 1688). Aurungxebe appear* from an early age to have aspired to 

 the throne of the Moguls; bat he concealed hu ambitiou* design* 

 under an amumed air of piety and devotednesa to religious duties. 

 Daring the lut eight yean of Shab-Jeban's reign, Anrungzebe wan 

 intruttrd with aereral high office* in the tat, both military and 

 civil, in the discharge of which be wa* distinguished alike for bi* 

 nlourand hi* diplomacy. At length, in 1657, the Emperor Shah- 

 Jehan WM Mind with an illneat o serious a* to leave no hope of hi* 

 recorery. Hi* four sons, the eldest of whom was in hi* forty-second 

 year, the youngest about thirty year* of age, now allowed their mutual 

 jealousies to hare full scope. Dara, the heir apparent, wa* a high- 

 spirited and generous prince, liberal in hi* opinions, and had he lived, 

 it is probable that be would hare trodden the footsteps of his great- 

 grandfather, the illustrious Akbar. He had laboured to diminish the 

 acrimony that existed between the followers of Mohammed and 

 Brahma; and had written a work to prove that the two religions 

 agreed in all that wa* good and valuable, and differed only in things 

 that were of no real consequence. Availing himself of Darn's laxity 

 of opinion, Aomngzebe avowed himself the champion of the 'true 

 faith,' being well assured of the support of the priesthood. Of his 

 brother*, Shujd and Murad, he had less to fear, a* neither of them was 

 very popular ; the former being of the Shift sect, and devoted to the 

 forbidden juice of the grape ; and tbc latter, though brave, addicted 

 to low and sensual pleasures. The illne-s of Shah- Jehan being consi- 

 dered mortal, IXra on taking the reins of government, acted very 

 precipitately towards his brother*, of whom Khujii was then governor 

 of Bengal, Aurungzebe of the Deocan, and Murad of Oazerat All 

 communication with them was interdicted on pain of death ; and 

 their agent*, papers, and effects at the capital were seized by bis 

 order. 8huj< at once took up arm*. Aumngzebe's policy was, in the 

 first place, to allow Dan and Shujii to exhaust their strength and 

 resources against each other ; and secondly, to play off Murad against 

 the victor. He accordingly persuaded Murad that bis own views were 

 entirely directed to heaven, not to a throne ; and that for the sake of 

 old affection, and for the promotion of the true faith, he was desirous 

 to aid Murad to his father's throne. Meanwhile Shujii was defeated 

 near the town of Mongeer by Suleiman, Ddra's eldest son, and at the 

 me time intelligence arrived of the advance of a powerful army 

 from the south, under the joint command of Aurungzebe and Murad. 

 The imperial army, flushed with success, wa* immediately led against 

 the rebels, but Aurungzebe's valour and policy prevailed. Dttra soon 

 after led bi* whole forces in person against his two brothers, but his 

 principal general* being gained over by the intrigues of Aurungzebe, 

 hi* army waa totally routed, and be himself compelled to seek shelter 

 in the city of Agra. But the aged emperor Shah- Jehan had in the mean- 

 time in some degree recovered from his illness. He was well aware 

 of Aurungzebe's crafty and ambitious character ; and with the hope of 

 drawing him into his power, he affected to overlook all that had 

 passed, and to throw the whole blame on his eldest son Dara, Aiming- 

 sebe, on the other hand, affected the utmost loyalty, and under 

 pretence of paying a visit to hi* father, in order to obtain hi* blessing 

 and forgiveness, be at the same time gave instructions to bis son 

 Mohammed, who, with a select body of troops, took posnession of the 

 palace, and thus toe aged monarch became a prisoner for life. Auruug- 

 zcbo now seized and confined his brother Murad; and Dura and 

 Shnja", after a vain struggle of two or three years' continuance, were 

 also second ; and all three were put to death. Thus the throne of 

 tb Oreat Mogul became the undisputed possession of the crafty 

 uawpar, *to however for some time affected to require importuning 

 before he would accept the imperial diadem. At length in the garden 

 of Iziabad, n--ar Delhi, on August the 2nd, 1678, Aurungzebe submitted 

 to receive the insignia of royalty, assuming at the same time the 

 pompon* title of 'Alem-glr, or "conqueror of the world." It must be 

 confessed however that Aurungzebe'* long reign of half a century, 

 notwithstanding the dishonourable mean* by which he acquired the 

 sovereign power, was upon the whole distinguished for it* prosperity. 

 from the time that he was firmly established on the throne, the 

 vigilance and steadiness of hi* administration preserved so much 

 internal tranquillity in the empire, that historians have recorded few 

 evente worthy of notice. The great drawback to the permanent well- 

 bring of the empire, was the intolerant spirit of the ruling power, and 

 the general want of confidence which the perfidy and insincerity of the 

 emperor bad engendered. Even his own sons seemed to emulate him 

 in disobedience to their father and distrust of each other. Of all his 

 Doble*, the one be dreaded most wa* Amir Jumla, with whom ho 

 had been connected in frequent intrigue* in the Deocan, and by whose 

 Mtnimrnulity be had been enabled to ascend the throne. On his 

 oosaaion, Aurungzebe appointed this able man governor of Bengal ; 

 but to kwp him in employment be recommended to him an invasion 

 i kingdom of Asam, whose ruler bad broken into Bengal during 

 itnotions of the empire, and still remained uncbastised. Jnmla, 

 who promised himself both plunder and renown from this expedition, 

 liniiiwlktely undertook the Uak; but after wool victories on the 



part of the Mogul troops, they were compelled to return, their number 

 greatly reduced by unfavourable weather and the violence of a itiscnno 

 to which their leader at the same time fell a victim. On hearing the 

 news, the emperor remarked to the son of Jumla, whom he had 

 recently made commander-in chief of the horse, " You have lost a 

 father, and I have lost the greatest and most dangerous of my friends." 



In the third year of Aurungzebe's reign a severe famine, by which 

 the empire was visited in consequence of an extraordinary drought, 

 gave occasion for the manifestation of the nobler features of Aurung- 

 zebe's character. He remitted the rents and other taxes of the hus- 

 bandinen ; he opened his treasury without reserve, and employed its 

 ample funds in purchasing corn in those province* where it could be 

 obtained, and in conveying it to such places as were most in want, 

 where it was distributed among the people at very r< duoed prices. At 

 hi* own court the utmost economy was observed, and no expense wa* 

 allowed for luxury and ostentation. From the day he began to reign 

 he had himself so strictly superintended the revenues and disburse- 

 ments of the state that he waa now in possession of ample resources, 

 which he applied to the relief of his people. In the seventh year of 

 Aurungzebe's reign his father Sbah-Jeban died ; and though the life 

 of the aged monarch had reached its natural period, yet Mill and some 

 other able historian* have expressed their suspicion that his death was 

 occasioned by a draught of the pouata, a specie* of slow poison ; but 

 the suspicion is unsupported by good contemporary authority, and 

 there appears little reason why at such a time Aurungzebe should have 

 a.lil. .1 to tho list of his crimes that of parricide. During the whole 

 reign of Aurungzebe the northern part of India, which constituted the 

 Mogul empire under Akbar, continued in a peaceful ami apparently 

 flourishing state; but the bigotry and illiberal policy of the ruler 

 towards his Hindoo subjects roused a powerful euemy in the south, 

 which ultimately triumphed over the proud house of Timur. Thu 

 Mahrottas for the first time began to show a formidable aspect under 

 the guidance of the renowned chief Sevagl, who had been originally a 

 leader of plunderers inhabiting the mountain district* between Canara 

 and Quzerat He bad acquired considerable power and influence during 

 the civil wars that desolated the country at the commencement of 

 Aurungzebe's reign. He at first tendered his allegiance to the usurper, 

 and was invited to court, where he was loaded with insult*, and virtu- 

 ally, though not literally, imprisoned. With great address he managed 

 to effect bis escape, and, in conjunction with other chiefs of his nation, 

 devoted the remainder of his life to the prosecution of a harassing and 

 successful guerilla war against Aurungzebe. 



As he advanced in years Aurungzebe gradually withdrew from hia 

 Hindoo subjects that toleration and kindness which bad so endeared 

 to them the beneficent reign of Akbar and his two successors. He laid 

 upon them a heavy capitation tax called the ' jazia,' and bis pious zeal 

 rioted in the destruction of their ancient and magnificent temples, and 

 in offering every insult to their religious feelings. By this ill judged 

 procedure he completely forfeited the allegiance and affections of the 

 Kifjpute, a brave, proud, and high-spirited class of Hindoos, occupying 

 the central provinces of the empire. When acting as governor of the 

 Deccau under his father, Aurungzebe hod employed his talents in 

 exciting discords and intrigue* between the Mohammedan kings of 

 Bijapnr and Oolconds, These kingdoms, in the course of hia reigu, 

 he was enabled to seize and add to his already overgrown empire. 



The latter years of the powerful monarch were passed in misery. 

 He was suspicious of every one around him, and more particularly of 

 his own children. The remembrance of Shah- Jehan, of Dura, of Shujii, 

 and of Murad, now haunted him everywhere. How much he was 

 influenced by remorse for bis share in their fate it is difficult to say, 

 but his actions sufficiently showed how much he feared that a like 

 measure might be meted out to himself. He expired iu the city of 

 Ahmednuggur on the 21st of February 1707, in the eighty-ninth year 

 of his lite and fiftieth of his reign. Under Aurungzubo the Mogul 

 empire hod attained its utmost extent, consisting of twcnty-oue pro- 

 vinces, with a revenue of about forty millions sterling. Yet with all 

 this outward show of prosperity the heart of the state was thoroughly 

 diseased. This was mainly owing to tho character and conduct of the 

 ruler, whose government was a system of universal mistrust, every 

 man in office being employed as a spy on the actions of his neighbours. 

 This cooled the attachment of his Mohammedan nobles, while the 

 Hindoos were estranged by bis intolerance to their religious system. 

 It is a curious fact tuut in the eleventh year of hia reign Auruugzube 

 imposed the strictest silence on all tho historians within his realm, 

 " preferring," as it is said, " the cultivation of inward piety to the 

 ostentatious display of his actions." Vet to this very prohibition wo 

 are indebted for the best and most impartial Indian history extant. 

 Uohammed Hilhim, a man of good family residing at Delhi, privately 

 compiled a minute register of all the event* of this reign, which he 

 published some yean after the monarch's death, in the reign of 

 Mohammed Shah. This work is a complete history of the house of 

 Timur ; giving, first, a clear and concise account of that dynasty, from 

 the founder down to the close of Akbar' s reign. The great body of 

 ,he work is occupied with the hundred and twenty years that suc- 

 ceeded the death of Akbar, where all the important occurrences of 

 each year are fully detailed. Mohammed Shah was so pleased with 

 this history that he ennobled the author with the title of Khiifi Khan 

 (the word khufl denote* 'concealer'}. This valuable work became 



