,., IHJ. 



30 



the 



where they are of this venial description, by 



INDIA. ' 



kind and flattering manner, and soon gained such an History, 



me cue, wnere wey are 01 uu* vmw uouipuw, uy m - y_ 



. Brett share of openness and incerit v ; in courage he ascendancy over him, that he found no difficulty in per- 



*un>M*e<l all hi* brothers. Of the daughters of Shall suading him to join in the attempt to deprive Dara of 



i . *!._ _i J__j l> tin*,.*... fif M**lnt 



M*kntb 



cult of hii 

 tlirooc. 



-Tcken ill. 



J.-han, two only require particular notice ; the eldest, 

 Jehanara, resembled Dara, in almost every respect; 

 an, I these two were, of all the emperor's children, the 

 most remarkable for filial piety, and for mutual affec- 

 tion, lloshcnnra resembled her brother Aurengzebe 

 in dispoMtion ; and this similarity induced her always 

 to support his interest and plans as far as lay in her 

 power. 



Shah Jehan, who had a clear insight into the charac- 

 ter* of his sons, was very apprehensive that on his death 

 disputes might arise among them: partial to Dara, not 

 more, perhaps, because he was the eldest, than on ac- 

 t mint i)l' his excellent qualities, he made him the asso- 

 ciate of his throne, and commanded cespect to be paid 

 to the signet of Dara, equal to thjit which was paid to 

 his own. In order, however, that this might not rouse 

 the jealousy of his brothers, he at the same time made 

 Siij.ih governor of Bengal, Aurengzebe governor of the 

 southern provinces, and Morad governor of Guzerat. 

 But this very measure, in one respect, defeated the ob- 

 ject which the emperor had in contemplation ; for Dara 

 being necessarily near his father, while his brothers 

 were at a distance, they were disposed to regard their 

 appointments as given them, not so much to place them 

 on a footing with Dara, as to remove them from the 

 seat of government, and consequently to deprive them 

 of the chance of contesting the throne with him, in the 

 event of their father's death. 



As long as Shah Jehan continued in health and vi- 

 A. D. 165T. gour, the authority of Dara was not questioned by his 

 brothers ; but in the year A. D. 1657, the emperor ha- 

 ving been seized with a stroke of the palsy, was obliged 

 to give up the entire government to his eldest son. 

 As soon as the other brothers heard of their father's il- 

 Conwquent ness, they immediately anticipated a fatal issue, and ap- 

 attempis of prehending the destruction of their power as soon as 

 Dara should ascend the throne, they each, without com- 

 municating with the other two, resolved to march with 

 the utmost expedition to Delhi. The intelligence of 

 the approach of Sujah first reached the seat of govern- 

 ment ; and as Dara did not deem it prudent to leave 

 Delhi himself, he dispatched his son to oppose Sujah. 

 The hostile armies met near Benares ; a battle was 

 fought, which terminated in the defeat of the invader, 

 who retraced his steps into Bengal for the purpose of 

 raising new forces. But the danger with which Dara 

 was surrounded was very little lessened by this defeat : 

 Sujah, from the position of his government, had been 

 obliged to commence hostilities without aid from his 

 brothers ; but they had it in their power to unite their 

 armies ; and this they actually did : Aurengzebe, on his 

 march from the Decan, being joined at Brampoor by 

 Morad, with his troops from Guzerat. While Aureng- 

 zebe possessed the government of the Decan, his ambi- 

 tion had not been asleep, nor had it been unaided by 

 those talents and habits, which were so well calculated 

 to attain its gratification in the most unsuspicious and 

 certain manner. Meer Jumla, a man of low origin, 

 but of an entcqir ising turn, had raised himself to great 

 power, and acquired immense wealth at the court of 

 the princes of Golconda ; but, in consequence of some 

 affront which he received, he fled to Aurengzebe, 

 bringing alonjj with him all his treasures. To make 

 this man his friend, Aurengzebe was incited, not less 

 by the consideration of his riches and forces, than of 

 his abilities ; accordingly he received him in the most 



tv MMi 



Autcng. 

 7tbe' in- 

 BfcM. 



the throne of Delhi. 



As the united forces of Aurengzebe, Morad, and 

 Meer Jumla were very numerous, Dara resolved to 

 oppose their progress by every means in his power ; 

 accordingly an army, under a general whom he could 

 depend upon, was stationed on the banks of the Ner- 

 budda, to contest the passage of that river ; but the at- 

 tempt was in vain ; the army of Dara was defeated, 

 and Dara then deemed it necessary to advance against 

 his enemies. The brothers met near Agra ; a battle 

 was fought ; victory seemed doubtful for a Considera- 

 ble time, and turned in favour of the invaders only in His victory 

 consequence of an apparently trifling circumstance. ovcr Dara - 

 Dara was obliged to dismount from his elephant from 

 different accidents ; and the soldiers no longer seeing 

 him at his station, were panic struck and fled. Au- 

 rengzebe and Morad thus gained a decided victory. 



The next objects which Aurengzebe had in view was 

 the capture of his father and his brother Dara ; to ac- 

 complish the latter, he marched without loss of time 

 after the battle to Agra ; and that city presenting the Enter; 

 prospect of a resistance, which he had not leisure or Agta. 

 means to overcome, he had recourse to stratagem, and 

 thus gained possession of it. His father consequently 

 fell into his power, and he imprisoned him, his daugh- 

 ter Jehanara, and the infant daughter of Dara, in the 

 fortress. In the mean time Dara had fled to Delhi, 

 and against that city Aurengzebe now directed his 

 march. Hitherto he had succeeded in persuading his 

 brother Morad, that it was for his sake alone he was 

 anxious to deprive their father and brother of the 

 throne; and that the only reward he sought for him- 

 self was a. hermitage, in which he might spend the re- 

 mainder of his life, at a distance from the cares and va- 

 nities of the world. But his real projects now became 

 apparent, and Morad regarded him with suspicion and 

 alarm. As Morad was the favourite of the troops, and 

 besides had a great number of personal friends, Aureng- 

 zebe resolved to remove him ; and this he did, not in 

 his accustomed dark , and crafty manner, but openly ; 

 for having invited him to a sumptuous entertainment, 

 he caused him to be seized and murdered. It does not 

 appear that this most violent measure created any dis- 

 turbance, for after its perpetration Aurengzebe imme- 

 diately marched to Delhi. He did not, however, as- 

 sume the sovereignty, without the mockery of appear- 

 ing to have it forced upon him, by the urgent repre- 

 sentations and entreaties of his friends : as soon as he ne 

 became emperor, he took the appellation of Alumghire, A> D 1658> 

 or conqueror of the world. 



As soon as Sujah heard of the death of one of his 

 brothers, the defeat of the other, and the. successful en- 

 terprize of Aurengzebe, he collected a large army,'and 

 commenced his march towards Delhi ; as he was now 

 the only obstacle which stood between Aurengzebe 

 and the entire and secure possession of the throne, the 

 latter immediately made preparations to oppose him ; 

 and as soon as he had completed such measures as were 

 necessary to keep Delhi quiet during his absence, he 

 left that capital with a powerful army. The two bro- 

 thers met at Kedgera, about 30 miles from Allahabad ; Battle of 

 the battle which ensued was obstinate and bloody, but 

 it terminated in the defeat of Sujah. Yet, notwith- 

 standing this defeat, Sujah was still a formidable oppo- 

 nent ; and his farther resistance was rendered peculi- 

 arly harassing to Aurengzebe, as well as dangerous, by 



