6 S4 
The HIST O R T of the 
Book L 
ordered llim to be confined, and four Servants allowed to 44 me to be a faithful Servant, you laid afide the Expedi- 
attend him, and faid, 44 As for the young Sultan, he is 44 tion, and returned to Dehly , where, being fettled to the 
44 not to blame ; fhould he be puniflhed, it would diftract 44 Satisfaction of all People, you have now condefcended 
54 his poor Mother, let him remain with her. 35 46 to diftingtiifh me, the meaneft of your Slaves, with 
In Confequence of the great Services rendered him upon 64 this extraordinary Mark of your Favour, which I only 
this Occafion, the Emperor preferred all who had been 44 decline, as knowing myfelf unequal thereto, and that 
aftive, either in killing Hojfan , or in the War that fol- 44 there are many about your Court, more capable and 
lowed againft Abdallah. Khandoran was made High 44 defirous of fuch an Employment than I. 33 
Treafurer, with the Title of Emir al Omra , and Sirbullind But though he refufed to come to Court, he frill conti- 
j Khun, of whom we fhall have Occafion to fpeak at large nued in Poffefiion of the Government of Decan ; and the 5 
hereafter, was fent for from Cabul, and appointed one of he acknowledged himfelf a Subject, yet he made no Remit- 
the Vizirs, It was upon this fingular Revolution, that the tances to Court, but appropriated the Revenues to the re- 
Mother of the Emperor Mohammed Furrukhjtr , demanded maintaining of an Army, which he faid, was to keep in 
that Abdallah Khan fhould be delivered up to her as the Awe the Maharattas , or Ganims , the Sahou Rajahs, Sub- 
Murderer of her Son ; but the Emperor refufed to com- jedts in Decan , whom notwithftanding he permitted to 
ply with her Demand, telling her that his Brother had al- plunder and lay wafte feveral of the Emperor’s Provinces, 
ready buffered for that Offence, and therefore he would They impofed a Tribute of one Quarter-part of the Re- 
not lacrifice two Lives to expiate the Lofs of one. But this venues which they call Cho't, in many Places, and ibine 
w,as not all, for he treated his Prifoner not only with Hu- Parts they have taken entirely to themfelves. He well 
inanity, but with mold furprifing Kindnefs, in Gratitude, knew, that with the Maharattas Affiftance, he could defy 
as it may be prefumed, for the RefpeCt formerly fhewn any Attempts that could be made againft him from Court, 
him ; for he ordered that Abdallah Khan fhould lodge in The Character of this Man is truly' fingular, and de- 
in the Palace of Afof al Dowlat, have a Penfion of three ferves to be both written and read with CircumfpeCtion ; 
thoufand Rupees monthly, thirty houfholcl Servants, fe- he had not only great Power, but a very comprehenfive 
venty menial ones, with Provifions of all kind from the Genius, and was not fo much diftinguifhed by his Sima- 
Royal Kitchen, five Women to amufe him, and proper tion in the World, as by his great Merit and wonderful 
Guards over him. He did not live long to enjoy this Capacity ; but the Reader is to obferve, that Decan is to 
generous Allowance, dying a few Months afterwards of Debit or Agra, what the moft diftant Part of Wales or 
his Wounds. Five and forty Women, moft of them, his Scotland is to London , and fuch as pals’d the beft Part of 
Wives and Concubines, and fome of them his near Re- their Time there, are not the fitted to be made Dancing- 
lations, burnt themfelves in one Room the Night after he Matters when they come to Court. Our Governor had a 
died. good Head, but ipoke it feems in a Country Tone, could 
One cannot but obferve here, how ftrangely even the wild- execute the Functions of a Statefman or a General, but 
eft and worft-founded Cuftoms fpread, and that too againft would perhaps have made a bad Figure, if obliged to 
all the Principles, of Religion, Reafon.and common Senfe. open a Bail. In Compliment to his Power, he was with 
In ancient l imes, none but the Wives of Bramins , or much ado forced up to Court, when the Emperor’s Af- 
Indian Priefts, had the Privileges of burning themfelves fairs were in a very declining Way, and he was preferred 
with their deceafed Hufbands •, but fince the Government to the firft Place in the Government. All this, however, 
fell into the Hands of the Raj ap outs, ’tis cuftomary, when was meer Shew j for behind his Back, the Courtiers made 
any of their Princes die, for one or more of their Wives to a Jeft of him, and could fcarce forbear affronting him to 
be burnt with him. There is no Compulfion to this Sacri- his Face. He aCted at firft as became a Man of Honour ; 
flee as fome People groundlefsly imagine, it is' entirely of he took an Opportunity to lay before the Emperor a true 
their own Accord, and often they are difuaded from it ; State of his Affairs, and the Neceffity of his making a 
fometimes, indeed, when a vain-glorious Paffion prevails thorough Change in his Adminiftration, if he meant to en- 
over natural AffeCtion, theWidow’s Relations would gladly joy the Fortune, as well as the Throne of Aurengzebe. 
have her burn herfelf, as it raifes the Character of her Fa- The Emperor told his Favourites of this, who made a 
mily, by making it remarkable for virtuous and loving Jeff of this Stateftnan’s old fafhioned Notions, and re- 
Women ; yet, according to their Religion, it is more me- doubled their Impertinences, as to his clownifh Behaviour, 
ritorious to behave chaftiy and decently in their Widow- which piqued him at laft to that Degree, as to make him 
hood until Death, than burning, becaufe one is but a fhort refolve upon facrificing fuch a Neft of Fools and Knaves, 
Pain, and the other a State of Trial. The Moguls have without confidering that his Sovereign muff be facriflced 
endeavoured to difeourage this Cuftom as much as poffible; with them. He firft propofed his Scheme to the Vizir, 
but fince Money is omnipotent in that Country, as well as their Families being allied ; but he rejected it on this ho- 
rn many others, a fmali Bribe generally purchafes the Con- neft Principle, that the Publick ought not to be given up 
fent of the Governor or commanding Officer. Lately the to gratify private Prejudices. Nizam al Muluck , howe- 
Seyd and Rattan Families n , in feveral Parts of India , have ver, found enough to join with him in his Scheme, for a 
thro’ their exceffive Pride got into this Cuftom, and as it is wanton Court will never fail of raifing a Multitude of 
ftricftly forbidden by their Religion (which is the Moham - Malecontents, and fuch is the Nature of Men, that the 
medan) they do it privately, by letting an Apartment on far greater Part of them employ their Reafon only to gra- 
Fire about their Ears. tify their Refentments. Such therefore as fell in with the 
In the Year 1721-2, the Emperor wrote to Nizam al Schemes of this difgufted Statefman, refolved to call in 
Muluck, then at Decan, defiring his Prefence at Court, and Nadir Shah, fo weft known in Europe by the Name of 
that he would appoint him Vizir ; but, if he declined it ? he Lhamas Kouli-Khan , in order to rouze the Court, or in plain 
fhould nominate whomfoever he fhould judge to be the Englijh , to rid themfelves of a weak and corrupt Mimftry, 
moft deferving : To which he anfwered, 44 I am a Der- as vain and infolent in their Abufe of Power, as they were 
44 veifh, and not ambitious of fo high a Station; I was incapable of managing it for the Honour of their Prince, 
44 contented with the Province of Malva, when the Seyds or the Benefit of his Subjects. Rhus this great Empire 
44 intending to diftrefs me, I was obliged to take Arms, was betrayed, and expofed to numberlefs Mifchiefs, pure- 
44 By the Divine Affiftance I baffled their Defigns, and ly to gratify the Refentments of a few, who, to revenge 
44 fecured myfelf. At laft your Majefty, by their Inftiga- their own Wrongs, cared not what they brought upon 
44 tions, fet out againft me with a mighty Army. Here their Country. 
44 the Almighty proceeded me Jikewife. In the Begin- It muft be allowed, however, that they choie a fit 
44 rung, one of the Brothers was killed, and as you knew Time, and a fit Perfon, for executing their wicked Pur- 
• n I fhall take this Opportunity of obferving, that the fame People mentioned in ancient Writers by the Name of Pattans, are now called Afghans 
onrl oil flip Nm-them Port« nf TvJin hut more efeeeiallv fuch as are mountainous, are inhabited by bribes oftheie People, i hey are not originally 
