Mogul 
Chap. II. 
which lie to the Eaftward of Bengal Emir Jemla being 
a Man of ambitious Spirit, joyfully accepted the Com- 
mand, propofing to extend his Conquefts as far as China ; 
or, however, being at the Head of fo powerful an Army, 
hoped to be in a Condition to give Lav/s to his Sove- 
reign. The General met with great Succefs in the Begin- 
ning of his Enterprize. The Rajah of Acham was defeat- 
ed, his Capital Chamdara plundered, and that Prince 
forced to retire into the Mountains ; but the rainy Seai'on 
coming on fooner than was expedit'd, the Country was 
immediately overflowed. The Army of Emir Jemla 
found it very difficult to fubfift in their new Conqueft, 
and not lefs difficult to retreat; however, Emir Jemla 
did at length find Means to return into Bengal , of which 
Province he was Governor, propofing the next Year to 
compleat his Conqueft of the Kingdom of Acham ; but 
his Army having contrafted the Bloody-Flux in that wet 
Seafon, were moft of them fwept away, and among the 
reft, Emir Jemla , to the great Satisfaction of Aureng- 
Zebe, who hardly looked upon himfelf to be Emperor 
while he lived. As this Officer was a Man of a very en- 
cerprizing Genius, his Mafter took the propereft Method 
to be rid of him, by feeding his Vanity, and feeming to 
expedt from his Zeal, Adtivity and Abilities, the Con- 
queft even of the Empire of China , though he was fenfi- 
ble, that the Countries which lay between him and that 
Kingdom, were impaffable for great Armies, and there- 
fore when Emir Jemla was dead, he made no farther At- 
tempts on that Side; but, to encourage others to ferve 
him, he gave Mohammed , the Son of Emir Jemla , all 
his Father’s Eftate, which by the Laws of the Empire de- 
volved to the Crown. 
The next confiderable Expedition in this Reign, was 
againft the Pirates, who infefted the Bay of Bengal , and 
had fortified themfelves at Chatagan , and other Places, on 
the Mouths of the Ganges , and in the Kingdom of Ara- 
can , which lies contiguous to Bengal. Thefe Pirates con- 
fifted of Europeans , or Franks , of all Nations, but chief- 
ly of Portugueze , who frequently made Slaves of the Mo- 
guls Subjedts, burnt and plundered the frontier Towns, 
and rendered both the Seas and the Shores very unfafe. 
Againft thefe, Aurengzebe fent another of his Generals, 
who fupprefTed the Pirates, and brought that Part of In- 
dia under as peaceable and regular a Government, as any 
other Part of the Empire. About the Beginning of the 
Year 1 666 , there happened fome Stirs in the Empire, oc- 
cafioned by the Ambition of fome of his own Children, 
but coloured with the fair Pretences of Zeal for the Con- 
ftitution of the Empire, and Pity for its lawful Monarch, 
the unfortunate Shah Jehan, which, however, had no 
other Confequence, than making the innocent old Man a 
Vidtim to the Terror of his cruel and unnatural Son, who, 
to fpare^ himfelf any farther Trouble, and to take away 
all fuch Pretences for the future, ordered the old Empe- 
ror to be poil'oned at the Age of Seventy-four e . 
This, however, did not make him the eafier, or dif- 
pofe his Sons to greater Obedience. Of thefe, excluding 
Sultan Mohammed , who lived and died in Prifon ; he had 
four, viz. Mohammed Mauzm , that is, the Illuftrious , was ex- 
ceffively ambitious, and began very early to form Defigns 
againft his Father’s Life ; once he was very near carry- 
ing his Point ; he caufed a Pit to be dug very deep, in 
the Place where his Father’s Tent was to be pitched, 
which was fo well covered, that Aurengzebe very narrow- 
ly mifs’d being buried in it, for which Sultan Mohammed 
was for many Years confined in a Dungeon, where he en- 
joyed not fo much as a Ray of Day- light. Shah Azem , 
i. e. the Glorious , had likewife engaged in Plots of the 
fame Nature, which proving unfuccefsful, and he fearing 
they might come to be detected, fled to the King of Vi- 
fiapour , where he remain’d till the Edge of his Father’s 
Empire. 649 
Refentment was worn off. But the greateft Hazard this 
Emperor ever ran, was from the Ambition of Sultan Ak - 
bar, whom he trufted with, a great Army, in order to re- 
duce one of the Rajahs, who had rebelled ; but the firft 
News that the Emperor heard, was, that his Son had 
joined the Rebel, and that they were marching toward 
him with feventy-thoufand Horfe, and a proportionable 
Number of Foot. The Troops which Aurengzebe had 
about him, were in no Capacity of difputing with fuch a 
Force, and therefore he had recourfe to his old Artifice ; 
that is to fay, he fent a Letter to the Prince, which he con- 
triv’d the Rajah fhould intercept, wherein he commended 
his Son’s Conduct, in drawing the Army of the Idolaters 
to that Piace, alluring him, he would advance the next 
Day to fuch a Poft, where, having the Rajah’s Forces 
between them, they might charge them on all Sides, and 
that it was not poffible any of them fhould efcape. The 
Eunuch, by whom this Letter was fent, being brought 
■Priloner to the Camp by the Rajah’s Out-guards, and 
the Letter read among the Officers of the Rajhpoots , 00 
cafioned a terrible Confternation in the Rajah’s Army, and 
notwithftanding Sultan Akbar fwore on the Alcoran it was 
a Contrivance of his Father’s, he found it impoffible tp 
remove thole Jealoufies the Letter had created, which 
gave the Mogul Time to reinforce his Troops. The Ra- 
jah was afterwards defeated, and Akbar fled with a Body 
of four-thoufand Horfe to another Pagan Prince ; but be-* 
mg cloiely purfued by his Father’s Troops, was forced to 
fly to the Poriugutze at Goa for Protection, who tranfport- 
ed him to Perfia , where he was very kindly entertained by 
the Shah, and afterwards, it is faid, married his Daughter; 
nor could the Mogul, either by Threats or Promifes, ever 
procure him to be delivered up. Aurengzebe , however, 
fell upon the Rajah Seva , who had affifted Akbar in his 
Rebellion, and having taken feveral of his Towns, be- 
fieged him in his capital City of Gingy , but they held out 
a Siege of many Years, nor was it taken while Seva 
lived, tho’ the Mogul, in the mean Time, fubdued both 
the Kingdoms of Vifiapour and Golcanda. The youngeft 
of his Sons was Sultan Kambukjh , who had as much Am- 
bition as any of the reft, but he knew better how to con- 
ceal it, and therefore never took up Arms againft him, 
but laboured all he could to gain his good Graces by 
Flattery f . 
In this Manner the Emperor fpent many Years of his 
Life, without lofing any Part of his Authority, which 
was in great Meafure owing to his florid Health, and his 
retaining the free and perfeCt Ufe of his Senfes. In 
order to preferve them, he led a Life as regular as that of 
a religious Perfon, reftrained by a certain Rule, and kept 
his Paffions under fuch Reftraint, that he was never 
known to Jfhew any Sign of an Alteration in his, Temper; 
fo that there was no gueffmg, either from his Counte- 
nance, the Tone of his Voice, or from his Geftures, at 
what pafled within. He loved Regularity extreamly, and 
obferved it himfelf with fuch Striftnefs, that every body 
about him knew his Duty, and knew when it was to be 
performed ; and all who had any Petitions to prefent, or 
Complaints to make, knew when they might have Ad- 
miffion. To gain Time for going through fuch a Variety 
of Bufinefs, and that one thing might not interfere with 
another ; this was the Emperor’s conftant Courfe of Life. 
Early in the Morning, before Break of Day, he bathed, 
and lpent fome Hours in his Devotions ; then having eaten 
a little Rice, or Sweetmeats, fhut himfelf up with his Secre- 
taries, and before Noon, he gave publick Audience to his 
SubjeCls. After which he prayed again, and then went to 
Dinner, his Table being turn iilied only with Rice, Herbs, 
Fruits or Sweetmeats ; for neither Fleffi, or Fifn, or.any 
ftrong Liquors, were ever brought before him. In the 
Afternoon he gave Audience again, which being over. 
e Authors differ very much in regard to this Faff ; for fome positively aflfert, that he compelled his Father to drink Pcifon ; and others, that Shah 
jfeban died of old Age and thofe Infirmities, which he had brought upon himfelf by his Vices. One thing is certain, that his being a Bigot to the 
Mohammedan Religion, expofed Aurengzebe to the Hatred and Calumnies ot the Miffbnaries. They very well knew* that the general Character of 
this Prince, would make any thing they faid of him believed; and in the Confidence of this, it is very poffible, they may have chared him with 
Crimes of which he was never guilty. 
f The Behaviour of thefe Princes plainly fhew, how much Example goes beyond Precept ; for moft certainly there never was a Father more care- 
ful of his Childrens Education than Aurengzebe. He did not fuffer his Sons, according to the general Cuftom of the Eaft, to remain till they were 
grown Men, in the Haranr or Women’s Apartment, but took Care that they fhou d not only be inftruffed in the Sciences, but alfo made acquainted 
with the World, and for this Reafon called them to Council, and employed them in his, Armies, tho’ for his own Safety he very feldom trufted them 
with independent Commands. In'lhort, he was a very bad Man, with very great Abilities. 
8C 
Be 
