Chap. II. 
Mogul Empire. 
long once more to change the Place of his Refidence, and 
accordingly he fet out for Labor , and in his Way thither 
died at Bimber on the 27th of October, in the Year of 
the Hegira 1038, A. D , 1627, having reigned twenty- 
two Years and fix Days, and lived fifty-eight Years, one 
Month and twenty-nine Days. 
He was much regretted by his Subjects, over whom he 
reigned with much Juftice, and with whom he lived in a 
manner fo familiar, that they loved him as a Father and 
a Friend, as much as they refpe&ed him as a Prince. 
He was far from wanting great Qualities, or good ones ; 
the Eafinefs of his Temper was his greateft Fault. 
The Death of the Emperor revived the Commotions in 
the Empire, and raifed them much higher than ever, as 
the Time was now come, when the Poffeffion of the 
Crown was the only thing that could give any of the 
Princes a fecure Title to his Life. There were immedi- 
ately three Parties formed, and in the Space of a very 
few Days, two Emperors proclaimed. The firft of thefe 
was Shehriar , the deceafed Monarch’s youngeft Son by a 
Concubine, then twenty-two Years of Age, whofe Domi- 
nions never extended farther than the Palate, and who 
owed the Shadow of Empire that attended him for a little 
■while, to the Influence of Nour-Jehan , whofe Daughter, 
by her firft Hufband, he had efpoufed. Sultan Bolaqui , 
the Grandfon of the late Emperor, and the true Heir of 
the Crown, was proclaimed by the Army, and foon after 
acknowledged by the City of Agra , by which Means the 
Emprefs and her Son-in-law fell into his Hands ; he im- 
prifoned them both, and to fecure himfelf more effectu- 
ally, put out the Eyes of the latter ; fo that his Empire 
ended almoft as foon as it began, and indeed, he was in 
every refpeCt fo weak a Prince, that his Mother-in-law 
bad no great Hopes of him, notwithftanding all the Arts 
flie had praCtifed in his Favour. The Conteft feemed 
now in a Manner over, and Sultan Bolaqui thought himfelf 
fo fecure of the Empire, that he took little or no Pains to 
ingratiate himfelf with the principal Omrahs, or to pro- 
cure the AffeCUons of the People, which are always a 
Monarch’s firmeft Support. Afapb and Mohammed , not- 
withftanding, had their Eyes upon Sultan Chorrom , but 
the Treafure and Forces of the Empire being in the 
Power of Bolaqui , they did not yet think it a proper Time 
to declare themfelves. 
Bolaqui refolving to found his Uncle’s Intentions, fent 
to demand a Tribute, and Homage, for the Kingdom of 
JDecan , and the other Dominions he held of the Empire. 
The Orniah, who was difpatched to Sultan Chorrom on 
this Occafion, was acquainted, that he was in fo ill a 
State or Health, that he could not poffibly tranfaft any 
Bufinefs j the Omrah ftill perfifted to fee him, which, 
with fonie Difficulty, he was at length permitted to do’ 
and found the Sultan in a very weak, languifliino- Condi- 
tion, as he apprehended, and vomiting Blood°m fuch 
Quantities, that he did not think it poffible he could live 
many Days, The Omrah thereupon immediately dif- 
patched a Courier to Agra with the News, which he 
knew would be very acceptable to the Court. But this 111 - 
nefs it items was all counterfeit, and the Blood he feemed 
to vomit, was only the Blood of a Kid he held in his 
Mouth: However, the Defign was ftill carried on, Sultan 
Chorrom difappeared on a hidden, and it was not only ffi- 
ven out, that he was dead, but his whole Court went into 
Mourning for him. 
i. he crafty Mohammed alio prevailed with the Omrah 
who came from Bolaqui , to write to his Mafter, to obtain 
Leave for the burying the Sultan in the royal Sepulchre at 
Agra, which was readily granted ; and upon the return of 
the Courier, a pompous funeral Proceffion begun, agreea- 
ble to the Quality of fo great a Prince. Mohammed-Khan , 
at the Head of a thoufand Officers of the deceafed, at- 
tended the Hearfe, and Sultan Chorrom himfelf followed 
in Difguife. Several Bodies of the Rajpoots , or Rafh- 
\ $ 0Ut L Allies of Sultan Chorrom , fell in with the Pro- 
Numb. XLIM 0 a 
Country 
ceffion, upon the Road, under Pretence of paying their 
laft Duties to the deceafed. Afaph Khan, who had not de- 
clared himfelf, but remained of Bolaqui s Council in Agra; 
treacheroufly advifed the young Emperor to meet his Un- 
cle’s Corps, as they drew near Agra , who thereupon 
marched out with an ordinary Guard, and fuch an Equi- 
page as was fuitable to the Occafion. He was furprized 
to fee fo numerous a Body of Troops attending the Hearfe, 
and fulpedling he was betray’d, turned fhort on a fiidden, 
and made his Elcape, never attempting to recover Agra 5 
and, indeed, he did not flop till he found himfelf in the 
Berfian Dominions. He looked upon the Infedlion to be 
univerfal, and very well knew, that the Conference of 
falling into his Enemies Hands, was Death, Or the Lois 
of his Eyes at leaft r „ This Tranfablion ffaews, that the 
Statefmen of the Eaft afe as able, and as refined Politici- 
ans as the Italians themfelves, and within a Trifle as 
wicked too. But let that pals, and let us fee how the Af- 
fair was conduced after this Flight of the fecond Emoe- 
ror, who reigned only a few Months. - 
10. Sultan Chorrom having thrown off Ms Difguife, 
mounted the Carriage which was fuppofed to contarn his 
Body, and which when ftripped of its funeral Ornaments, 
appealed to be a triumpnal Car, in which he entered the 
City, of Agra in Splendor, where • he was received with 
the loud Acclamations of the People, who began to be 
afraid of the bloody Difpofition Ihewn in fo ffiort a Space 
by his immediate Predeceffor. The firft thing he did 
was to enquire for Shehriar , and the reft of the Princes of 
the Blood, and being informed, that they were ail kept 
Prifoners in one of the Apartments of the Palace, he in- 
ftantly gave Oiders that the Gates of it fhould be walled 
up, and there left a Brother and three Nephews to perilli 
for want of Suftenance. This Piece of Cruelty was the 
more extraordinary, becaufe he had but the Moment be- 
fore, and out of the very next Apartment, delivered his 
own three Sons,^who being at Court with their Aunt the 
Emprefs, Nour-Jehan , had been imprifoned ever fince the 
' o] d Emperor’s Death. Whether this Aft of Severity dif- 
pleafed the old Minifter Mohammed-Khan , or whether he 
was grown fo weary of Courts, as to wilh he might breath 
his laft in a better Air, is uncertain ; but fo it was, that 
as foon as this great Revolution was over, he demanded 
Leave to retire, which was with fome Difficulty granted 
him, and he paffed the Remainder of his Days in^ari ho- 
nourable Retreat in Peace and Quiet. 
The Subjects of this Empire had now all the Reafon in 
the World to hope for an happy Adminiftration ; the Pn'nce 
was in the Flower of his Age, drawing towards his thirty- 
fixth Year, one who had Ihewn a martial Difpofitior 
great Intrepidity, and a Soul not to be broken by the 
Frowns of Fortune. Heaffumed with the Imperial Diadem 3 
a new Name, and caufed himfelf to be called thenceforward* 
Shababo 5 din Mohammed Shah Jehan , i. e. The bright Star 
Mohammed King of the World ; but; our European Hifto’ 
rians generally ckll him by the laft Part of this W 
Name, viz. Shah Jehan , and therefore it is by that we 
fhall mention him in the enfuing Account of his R e io- n 
The Dominions he poffeffed were larger in Extent, fid 
produced much greater Revenues than many of his Prcde- 
ceffors had enjoyed ; for all the vaft Extent of Countries 
between the Principality of Kandahar to the River Indus 
owned him for their Monarch ; neither was it barely an 
Acknowledgment of his Superiority, but they were con- 
tent like wife to pay him large Tributes, the Quantities of 
which, as well as the Title thereto, was now, through 
Length of Time, effectually eftablifhed. 
Yet he had ftill fome Difficulties to ftruggle with, not- 
withftanding this fair outfide of his Circumftances. The 
Rajahs, however fubmiffive they might be, were little to 
be depended on, tho’ Subjects they were Princes, and had 
Dominions of their own, no way defpicable either for 
their Size or their Situation. In order to underftand this 
Matter clearly, it is neceffary to obferve, that all the fiat 
8, A 
