io8 Travels in India. Part. II. 



The Great Mogul is without all queftion the richeft and moft potent Mo- 

 narch of Afuk -, the Territories which he pofielfes, being his own Hereditary 

 Poffeftion ; and being abfolute Mafter of all the Territories whence he receives his 

 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 Treafurers and Controllers of the Ex- 

 chequer. 



CHAP, m 



Of the Sicknefs and fit££ds V 7)eath of Cha jehan, King of India, and 

 the Rebellion of the Trine es his Sons. 



THis great King had reign'd above forty years, not fo much as a King over 

 his Subjects, but rather as a Father over his Family and Children.' Infomuch, 

 that during his Reign there was fuch a ftriftnefs 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 he fanci'd" 

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

 of age; and beeaufe the ftrength of nature would not permit him to fatisfie 

 Ms paffion, he took certain provocatives, which were fo hot, that he fell there- 

 upon into a diftemper that had almoft k il I'd him. This oblig'd him to ftiut 

 Jiimfelf up in his Haram, together with his Women, for two or three months; 

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

 diftance too, which made them believe he was dead. For they are oblig'd by 

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

 days at moft. 



Cha-fchan Mad fix Children, four Sons and two Daughters. The Name of 

 the eldeft was Dara-Cha, the fécond was call'd Sultan Sujah, the third Aureng- 

 z.eb, and the fourth Morad-Bakche. The eldeft of his two Daughters was call'd 

 JSegum-Saheb, and the name of the fecond was Rauchenara 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, ftay'd with his Father in Dehly, and had the Government of 

 the Kingdom of Sandl, into which he put a Deputy. Sultan Sujah had for his 

 lhare the Government of Bengala. Aureng-z.eb was Vice-Roy of the Kingdom 

 of Decan- } and Morad-Bakche of the Kingdom of Guz,erat. But though Cha- 

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

 not fàtisfi'd 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, 

 fhewing himfelf for many daysj 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 Kinp believing he mould dye, commanded 

 Dara-Cha to call together all the Omrahf or Lords, and to feat himfelf upon 

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

 fi'd the defire he had to fee him quietly fetled in the peaceable pofleflion of 

 the Empire. And this intention of his was Jook'd upon as the more juft, in re- 

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

 refpecl: for their Father, than Dara-Cha. Dara-Cha, who honour'd and refpecT:- 

 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 thatfo 

 ïong as Heaven fhould continue that prefervation, he mould take it to be a 

 greater honour to continue himfelf a Sub;ed, than to afcend the Throne. And 

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

 to ferve him in his ficknefs 5 and becaufe he would be prefent upon all occa- 



