34 



INDIA. 



< .rictfr. 



Hbits aiul 



govrrn- 



mtiii. 



hi* very long reign, he was by no means unattentive to 

 tin- improvement of his empire, or the comforts of his 

 people. He uniformly, and without solicitation, re- 

 mitted the taxes in those districts which suffered from 

 a scarcity, inundation, or the ravages of war. And 

 during his repeated journies through every part of his 

 immense empire, he carefully noted the farms which 

 were cultivated in the most careful and productive 

 manner ; and, as a reward to the farmers, he either re- 

 mitted or lightened their taxes. He built colleges in 

 all the principal cities of Hindostan, and schools in the 

 inferior towns. He likewise established several public 

 libraries, nd gave rewards to learned men. Hospi- 

 tal*, caravanseries, and bridges, were built, and where 

 it was impracticable to build bridges/ ferries were esta- 

 blished. The administration, of justice was impartial ; 

 and though severe and cruel in many -of his measures 

 of foreign or general policy, he was by no means so 

 in the internal administration of bis empire. So averse 

 was-he, either from feeling, principle, or. policy, to pu- 

 nish crimes with death, that capital punishments were 

 nearly disused during his reign. 



His person was by no means remarkable ; nor was 

 his countenance handsome; but his features were mark- 

 ed with strong expressions of intelligence, and they 

 were by no means disagreeable. His manners were 

 prepossessing and simple, his voice was harmonious, 

 and he was a good orator, and an elegant writer. He 

 was well acquainted with the languages of Arabia and 

 Persia, and he wrote the Mogul tongue, as well as 

 the various dialects of India, with ease and elegance. 



His wealth was immense. His revenue exceeded 

 32,000,000 sterling, in a country where the products 

 of the earth are about four times as cheap as in Eng- 

 land. Even after many years of weak government, 

 and both public and private disturbances, Nadir Shah, 

 when he invaded India, carried back with him from 

 the royal treasury of Delhi above 80,000,000 Sterling 

 in gold and jewels ; most, if not all of which, must 

 have been collected by Aurengzebe. Yet notwith- 

 standing the immense wealth which he left behind 

 him, the magnificence of his court was unrivalled, even 

 in the annals of the East. His own dress was simple, 

 except on days of festivals, when he wore cloth of gold 

 and jewels. In the manners and habits of his private 

 life, he was free from parade and ostentation, but he 

 encouraged magnificence in his nobles, and required it 

 in the governors of his provinces. 



He rose every morning at day-break ; and after go- 

 ing into the bath, he spent half an hour at his devo- 

 tions, and the same time in reading. He then dressed. 

 At seven o'clock, he went to the chamber of justice, 

 where he expected to meet his judges. Here he heard 

 appeals from such of his subjec'ts as thought themselves 

 aggrieved, and overlooked the lastdecisions of the courts 

 of law. At this time every person was not only per- 

 mitted, but encouraged, to approach him. To those 

 who were poor and necessitous, he gave money, having 

 always a large sum lying on a bench beside him for that 

 express purpose. If a well-grounded complaint was 



peared at a balcony facing the great square of his pa- History, 

 lace. 1'he elephants were BOW brought out, ri % chly ca- 

 parisoned, as well as his state horses, to be reviewed 

 before him ; feats of horsemanship and combats of 

 wild beasts took place. At eleven o'clock he went to 

 the hall of audience, and mounted a throne covered 

 with jewels; before him all his nobles, in two ranks, 

 were arranged, on rich carpets, when the ambassadors, 

 viceroys, generals, and visitors, were introduced. Each 

 person on being presented, made an offering ; and if 

 he was in high favour, the king received it f orn his 

 own hand. The ceremonies of introduction consisted 

 in bowing three times, at three different intervals, on 

 approaching the throne, and the same om retiring. 

 When a new dignity was conferred on any noble, a 

 dress of state, two elephants, two horses, a camp-bed, 

 a sword, warlike instruments and ensigns, his patent, 

 and a sum of money, were given him by the emperor. 

 The hall of audience was a most magnificent and splen- 

 did apartment ; its roof was of silver ; the rails which 

 divided it from the courts were of gold, and the other 

 i xils of silver. It opened into a large square, where 

 Aurengzebe reviewed his troops. A second square was 

 occupied by the lower order of nobility ; a third by 

 artizans, who came to exhibit their manufactures, and 

 who received rewards according to their merits ; and a 

 fourth was filled by huntsmen, who presented wild 

 animals and game. The emperor spent two hours in 

 this hall, after which he retired to his bathing cham- 

 ber with his officers of state, and regulated the com- 

 mon affairs of the kingdom. He spent an hour at table, 

 and in the hot season slept half an hour after dinner. 

 At four o'clock he appeared in the balcony over the 

 great gate of the palace, when a mob usually collected 

 round him with petitions and complaints. From this 

 he retired to prayers, and thence to the bathing- 

 room again, where the vizier and other ministers as- 

 sembled. The council frequently sat late, but the 

 usual hour for the emperor's retiring was nine o'clock. 



Such was the mode in which Aurengzebe spent the 

 day while he was at Delhi, as described by Bernier. 

 Even when he was on a journey, the court of justice 

 was held in the camp, at the same hours as in the city. 

 But as it might have been inconvenient, or beyond the 

 means of many, to follow the king for the sake of ob- 

 taining justice, to these was granted a sum adequate to 

 defray their travelling expences. 



That most curious traveller, Bernier, who followed 

 the camp of Aurengzebe from Delhi to Cashmere, de- 

 scribes, with great accuracy, the immense moving city. 

 The guard of cavalry consisted of 35,000 men, that of 

 infantry of 10,000. It was computed that the camp 

 contained 150,000 horses, mules, and elephants; 50,000 

 camels; 50,000 oxen; and between 300,000 and 400,000 

 persons. Almost all Delhi followed the. court, whose 

 magnificence supported its industry. 



Such is the picture of the manners and magnificence 

 of the Mogul empire at the period of Aurengzebe's 

 reign, when it had attained its utmost extent and splen- 

 dour, and before the peculiarities of its manners were 



- I >T 1*0 v*wvi4 } unit wi.i\ji \, inv. i/t,\_ 11 1 in j Ai.it.o \ji 1 to j-iiajJiid a *v Cl t 



5 against any of his nobles, though they might be broken in upon by the intermixture of those of foreign 



>f great influence and consideration, or even his nations. 



ds they were deprived of their estates, Aurengzebe seemed sensible, before his death, that Convulsi. 



aded, were obliged to appear daily at the his empire, which had been extended so much by him- fter Au- 



ce, till they were restored to their rank self, by means not the most justifiable, and which was ****** 



iroperty, by offering full redress and compensa- composed in a great degree of parts so discordant and 



tion to the injured party ; but, if they continued con- 

 macious, they were banished. At nine o'clock, the 



V, ir j i_ i_ **..> UK ojiu uuuivjutUj auu uiia aupreueusiuii was increased 



kfasted wth ms family ; after this he ap- by his observation and experience of the character of 



distant, would, in all probability, not long remain quiet 

 and undivided ; and this apprehension was increased 



