n6 Travels in India. Part IL 



For Dara-Cha being fent from fehanabat with a Guard to the place of his 

 imprifonment ; when he came to a fair place where he thought to reptfe him 

 felf, they drefs'd up the Tent where he was to leave his Head, After he had 

 eaten, Seif-Kan came and brought him the fentence of his Death. Dara-Cha 

 feeing him enter, told him he was very welcome, and that he was glad to lee 

 one of his moft faithful Servants. Seif-Kan made anfwer, that indeed he had 

 formerly been one of his Servants, but that now he was the Slave of Aureng- 

 meifi who had commanded him to bring him his Head. Muft I dye then ? faid 

 Dara-Cha. 'Tis the Kings command, reply'd Seif-Kan, and I am entrufted to' 

 execute it. Sepper-Chtkour, who lay in an anti-Chamber of the Tent, waking 

 upon this conteft , would have feizM upon certain weapons which had been- 

 taken from him, with an intention to have affifted his Father 5 but he was pre- 

 vented by thofe that accompany'd Seif-Kan. Dara-Cha would have made fome 

 refiftance himfelf, but feeing it was in vain, he only defir'd time for his devo- 

 tions, which was granted him. In the mean time Sepper-Chekour was taken from 

 him ; and while they held, him a ftory, a Slave took off Dara-Cha s Head, 

 which was carried to Aureng-z»eb by Seif-Kan. This bloody Tragedy being 

 thus a&ed, Sepper-Chekour was fent to the Caftle of Goualeor, to keep his Uncle 

 Morat-Bakche company. As for the Wives and Daughters of Dara-Cha,: 

 they were allotted an Apartment in Attreng-z.ePs Haram, 



CHAP. V. 



Flow Aureng-zeb cansd himfelf to be decLird King and of the Flight. 



of Su'tan-Sujah. 



AS it is the cuftom at the performance of that Ceremony, for the new King, 

 to feat himfelf upon the Throne ; there was not much time requir'd to 

 prepare one, in regard that Cha-jehan before his imprifonment had fmifh'd that 

 which the Great Tamerlane had begun; which was the richeft and moft magni- 

 ficent that ever was feen. But as the Grand Cadi of the Empire, and Chief 

 of the Law was to Proclaim the new King, Aureng-^eb found himfelf opposed 

 by him. For the Cadi told him, that the Law of Mahomet and the Law of Na- 

 ture equally forbad him to declare him King, while his Father liv'd 5 befides,i 

 that he had put his elder Brother to death, to whom the Empire belong'd af-, 

 ter the death of Cha-jehan their Father. This ftout refiftance of the Cadi did 

 not a little perplex Aureng-z^eb ; and therefore that he might not fèem to ap- 

 pear irreligious, he call'd all the Doctors of the Law together,* to whom he' 

 reprefented the incapacity of his Father to govern, through age and many infir-. 

 mities that troubled him j as for Dara-Cha his Brother, he had put him to death,' 

 becaufe he was a (lighter of the Law, drank Wine, and favour'd Infidels. Thofe r 

 reafons, intermix'd with threats^ caus'd his Council of Confeience to conclude, ; 

 that he deferv'd the Empire, and ought to be proçîaim'd King ; though the- 

 Cadi obftinately perfifted in his firft refblution. There was no other remedy 

 therefore, but to remove him from his employment, as a difturber of thei 

 publick peace, and to chufe another for the Honour of the Law, and the GoodU 

 of the Kingdom. The perfon who was elected by the Council was foon con- 

 firm'd by Aureng-z,eb $ in acknowledgment whereof, he proclaimed him King 

 the twentieth of October, 1660. This Proclamation being made in the Mofquee^ 

 Aureng-z.eb feated himfelf upon the Throne, and receiv'd the Homages of all 

 the Grandees of the Kingdom. 



However, Aureng-z.eb did not think his Throne faft enough, nor himfelf fe- 

 cure in the Empire, fo long as Sultan Sujah was railing a powerful Army in 

 Bengala to releafe his Father. Thereupon he fent a confiderable Force againft 

 him, under the Command of Sultan Mahomed his eldeft Son ; to whom he ap- 

 pointed for his Lieutenant the Emir-Jemla, one of the greateft Captains that | 

 ever came out of Perfia into India. His great Conduct; and Courage had ren- 

 der'd him a perfon to be reverene'd by all pofterity, had he been faithful to, 



the 



