THE SIX GREAT MUGHALS 123 



of India and the death of his sixth direct descend- 

 ant, Aurungzeb, in 1707. 



What a marvellous line of Emperors these 

 Mughals were, six of the greatest directly- 

 descended sovereigns in the history of the 

 world. Two, at least, were men of genius of 

 the very first rank. Babar, soldier and artist, 

 conqueror of Afghanistan and India, Prince of 

 autobiographers and gardeners, and his grandson 

 Akbar, dreamer and statesman, are the noblest 

 and most fascinating characters in all Eastern 

 history. For the rest of them, Humayun cer- 

 tainly lost ground, but he passed on the kingdom 

 to his son, the great Akbar. Jahangir, Akbar's 

 son, a weak man, the great Emperor's greatest 

 disappointment, still lives in his country's song 

 and legend in the strength of his romantic life-long 

 love for Nur-Mahal, his Queen. Shah Jahan, a 

 great administrator, ranks high, as must any king 

 who inspires and builds a nation's masterpiece, 

 and no less for that even greater scheme, the 

 dream of the second Taj, whose realisation 

 fate and the Emperor's bigot son frustrated. 

 Aurungzeb was a genius of a narrower order, 

 the Louis XI. of India ; but in spite of his 

 fanaticism he extended the Empire and held it 



