108 Travels in India. Part. II, 



The Great Mogul is without all queftion the rieheft and moll: potent Mo- 

 narch of uifia -, the Territories which he poilelfes, being liis own Hereditary 

 Pofleffion ; and being abfblute Mailer of all the Territories whence he receives Vis 

 Revenues. For in the Territories of this Prince, the great Lords are but the 

 Royal Receivers, who give an account of the King's Revenues to the Governours 

 of the Provinces, and they to the chief Treasurers and Controllers of the Ex- 

 chequer. 



CHAP. II. 



Of the Skknefs and fvPfos'4 r Death of Cha-jehan, King of India, and 



the Rebellion of the Princes his Sons. 



^PHis great King had reign'd afcove forty years, not fo much as a King over 

 A his Subjeds, but rather as a Father over his Family and Children. Infbmuch 

 thatduring his Reign there was Jiich a ftri&nefs in the Civil Government, and 

 particularly for the fecurity of the High-ways, that there was never any oc- 

 cafion to put any man to death for Robbery. In his declining years lie fanci'd 

 a young Lady of an extraordinary Beauty, that was not above thirteen years 

 of age 5 and becaufe the ftrength of nature would not permit him to fttishe 

 his paffion, he took certain provocatives, which were ib hot, that he fell there- 

 upon into a diitemper that had almoft kill'd him. This oblig'd him to fhut 

 himfelf up in his Haram i together with his Women, for two or three months- 

 during which time he appcar'd very rarely to the people, and that at a areat 

 diftance too, which made them believe he was dead. For they are obligM by 

 Cuftomto fhew themfelves to the people three times in a week, or in fifteen 

 days at molt. 



Cha-fehan had fix Children, four Sons and two Daughters. The Name of 

 the eldeft was Dara-Cha, the fecond was eallM Sultan Sujab, the third Aurtn£ 

 zsb, and the fourth Morad-Bakche, The eldeft of his two Daughters was calfd 

 KegHm-Sahcb, and the name of the fecond was Raucbetutra Begum. 



Cha-jehan Iov'd all his four Sons alike, and had made them Governours or 

 Vice-Roys of four of his principal Provinces or Kingdoms. Dara-Cha who 

 was the eldeft, frayM with his Father in Dshly, and had the Government of 

 tlie Kingdom of Sandi, into which he put a Deputy. Sultan Sujah had for his 

 flare the Government of Bengala. uiureng-z^eb was'vice-Roy of the Kingdom 

 of Decani and Morad-Bakche of the Kingdom of Guzsrat. But though Ckd- 

 jchan endeavour'd to give equal content to his four Sons, their Ambition was 

 not fatisfVd with this divifion, but ruin'd all the good defigns which fo kind a 

 Father had lay'd to preferve peace among his Children. 



Cha-jehan being thus fick, and retir'd into the Womens quarter without 

 ihewmg himfelf for many days; the report ran that he was dead, and that 

 Dara-Cha conceal'd his death, to gain time to provide for himfelf and to fe- 

 cure the Empire. True it is, that the King believing he mould dye, commanded 

 Dara-Cha to call together all the Omrahs or Lords, and to feat himlelf upon 

 the Throne which belong'd to him, as the eldeft of his Brothers. He alfo tefti- 

 fid the defire he had to fee him quietly fetled in the peaceable pofTeffion of 

 the Empire. And this intention of his was look'd upon as the more luir in re- 

 gard the other three Brothers had been for fome time obferv'd to have lefs 

 refpeftfor their Father, than Dara-Cha. Dara-Cha, who honour'd and reced- 

 ed the King with a real tendernefs, made anfwer to the King, that he defir'd 

 of Heaven nothing more than the prefervation of his Majefties life, and that fo 

 long as Heaven lhould continue that prefervation, he mould take it to be a 

 greater honour to continue himfelf a Sub/eel:, than to afcend the Throne. And 

 indeed he was never abfent from his Father, that he might be the better able 

 to ierve him in his ficknefs; and becaufe he would be prefent upon all occa- 



lions, 



