51 
HINDO 
with the utmoft rapidity; and, advancing constantly at 
the head of his army, he drank the fouleft water, ate the 
coarl'eft food, and fleet on the bare ground, like the meanelt 
-foldier. Sara, dreading to be overtaken by his implacable 
brother, quitted Lahore, and bent his courfe towards 
Mcultan. Relaxing, therefore, in his impetuous career, 
and thinking his prefence neceifary in the capital, Au- 
rungzebe dilpatched Khan Jehan, his favourite omrah, 
with eight thoufand horfe, in purfuit of the fugitive Dara, 
-while he himfelf returned with his retinue leifurely to 
Delhi. Here contemplating the rapid fuccefs of his career, 
he determined to reap the fruits of his hypocrify, by 
circling his head with the imperial diadem ; but this act, 
being fo direftly contrary to all his profeflions as a reli¬ 
gious devotee, required fome previous management. His 
friends, who were in the fecret, convened an afi'embly; 
and, from motives of public necejpty, propofed that he fliould 
be foliated to wear that crown, to the burthen of which 
no one elfe was equal. As all of them were alike inte- 
refted in the event, the propofal was received with accla¬ 
mation, and they went in a body to the palace, to intreat 
Aurungzebe to be reconciled to imperial honours. For 
a long time the crafty hypocrite refufed, and even put on 
the appearance of being highly incenled at fuch a propo¬ 
rtion. But when they urged it upon him as a matter of 
duty, and that the Deity might be ferved as faithfully amid 
the fplendour of a throne as in the gloom of a cell, he 
with religious reluctance feemed to confcnt. Without any of 
the pompous ceremonies ufual on fuch occafions, which 
he affefted to defpife, the humble Fakeer, or MuflTulman 
derveifn, Aurungzebe, on the fecond of Augult, 1658, 
afcended the throne of Hindooftan ; on which occafion 
he afiumed the title of Aulum-Geer, or Conqueror of the 
World. 
But, while Aurungzebe was thus intent upon fecuring 
to himfelf the regal dignity, his brother Sujah, in the 
rich and fertile province of Bengal, had been fuccefsful 
in raiflng another very confiderable army, and was on his 
march to difpute with the new emperor his title to the 
throne. Nor was Sujah the only competitor : in the fouth, 
Dara had efcaped the vigilance of the omrah Khan Jehan, 
and was rapidly increafing his army, and extending his 
influence. Soliman his fon, at Sirinagur, protected by its 
rajah, was enlifting under his banners the hardy inhabi¬ 
tants of the northern mountains. The Rajapouts, with 
JeiTwunt at their head, were ready to join either of thole 
armies againft him; while many parties, attached to the 
aged but dethroned king, Hood aloof, waiting a favoura¬ 
ble crifis to reftore his authority, in oppofition to that of 
either of his fons. Aurungzebe, wholly undifmayed at 
thefe furrounding perils, prepared to take the field. He 
fent orders to his fon Mohammed, at Moultan, to join 
him with all the forces under his command ; and to Emir 
Jemla, to halien towards Bengal with the troops from 
the Deccan. 
Sujah, in the mean time, advanced from Allahabad, and 
encamped in a ftrong pofition at Kidgwa, where he in¬ 
trenched himfelf, and waited the enemy’s attack. The 
emperor approached with rapidity; his fon Mohammed 
commanding the van, which confifted of five thoufand 
horle. Sujah, however, having a fine train of artillery 
which defended the front of his camp, and on which he 
placed great dependence, ventured not out of his lines. 
At day-break the following morning Aurungzebe com¬ 
menced the aftion ; but fo ftrongly was Sujah intrenched, 
that it was impoffible to force his pofition, while his ar¬ 
tillery made dreadful execution. The attack was repeat¬ 
ed feveral times with no better fuccefs ; and the afia.ilants 
were repulfed, difcomfited, and thrown into diforder. 
The army of Sujah, at this critical moment, rulhed by 
thoufands from their lines ; and, headed by their prince, 
attacked the enemy with fuch vigour, that they began to 
fait back on every fide. Aurungzebe, on this trying oc¬ 
cafion, evinced that fortitude and prefence of mind which 
was his peculiar chara&eriltic. He urged on his elephant, 
1 
O S T A N. 
carrying the imperial ftandard, into the thickeft battalions 
of the enemy; and, ftimulated by his example, the retreat¬ 
ing Moguls rallied round their prince. Sujah; on another 
elephant, ei'pied him at a diftance, and panted to meet his 
brother in combat; but the throng of elephants and ca¬ 
valry between them prevented their meeting. In the 
mean time, the conductor of the elephant of Aurungzebe 
was fliot through the heart. A ftorm of arrows was then 
directed at Aurungzebe from every quarter; but, being 
clad in complete armour, they recoiled from him, while 
his nervous arm darted deftruftion upon the aflailants. 
His confummate general and chief omrah, Jemla at that 
moment coming up with a powerful reinforcement to his 
lupport, and cutting his way into the hottelt part of the 
battle, gave adecifive turn to the fate of the day.. Sujah, 
after performing acts of heroifm that might have done 
honour to an Achilles, had yet the mortification to fee 
his army routed in every quarter; and it was with the 
utmolt difficulty that he efcaped to the ftrong fortrefs of 
Allahabad. Aurungzebe found himfelf in no condition 
to purfue the routed enemy. He was anxious to get back 
to Agra, where a report of his entire difeomfiture 'had 
thrown the city into great confufion. He now wrote a 
refpeftful letter to his father, ftating his viftory, and de- 
fire to vifit him. But Shah Jehan refufed to receive the 
letter, and returned it by the fame meflenger, with the 
filent difdain of an injured father and an infulted monarch. 
In the mean while, his elder brother Dara had concen¬ 
trated a freffi army in Guzerat, with which he directed 
his march towards Agra, and in a lhort time encamped 
near Agimere, where he threw up intrenchments, and 
waited in expectation of being joined by many omrans, 
his former friends. But in this the hopes of Dara were 
fatally difappointed ; yet he courageoufiy prepared, though 
with very inadequate forces, for that battle which was to 
decide his fate. The circumftances of this engagement 
are varioufly related ; but it is agreed by all writers that 
it ended in the total overthrow of Dara; who, flying for 
fuccour to the caftle of a Patan chief named Jihon Khan, 
whofe life he had twice faved, when doomed by Shah Je¬ 
han to be trampled to death under the feet of elephants, 
for rebellion, he was there received with every external 
mark of friendffiip and regard. This execrable villain, 
however, betrayed both him and his younger fon into 
the hands of their enemy, and lent them under a ftrong 
efcort to Delhi, where Aurungzebe at that time kept his 
court. The unfortunate Dara was committed to a ftrong 
fort in the neighbourhood of Delhi, where l'ome ruffians 
were foon fent to difpatch him. They entered his apart¬ 
ment in the dead of night, and ftriking oft' his head, bore 
it reeking with blood to Aurungzebe, who anxioufly 
waited its arrival. After fatisfying himfelf that there was 
no impofition, he ordered it to be taken from his fight, 
and buried with the body in the tomb of Humaioon. The 
youthful companion of his forrows, his youngeft fon, was 
on the following morning conveyed to Gwalior. 
In the midft of thefe unnatural and cruel atrocities of 
Aurungzebe, his own fon Mohammed, who had conceived 
a tender regard for the daughter of his uncle Sujah, and 
dreading the anger of his father on its becoming known, 
feized an opportunity of going over, with a confiderable 
body of friends, to join the ftandard of his uncle, Sujah 
gladly received the royal deferter, and confented to his 
immediate nuptials with his daughter, which were cele¬ 
brated wuth the utmoft magnificence ; he then, conftituted 
him general in chief of his army. 
The aftoniihed and offended Aurungzebe inftantly or¬ 
dered Jemla to purfue, with all the forces of the empire, 
his rebellious fon; and neither to quit him, nor Sujah, 
till they had accompliffied their deftraftion. The aftive 
vizier immediately opened the campaign, crofted the Gan¬ 
ges on a bridge of boats, and marched with all fpeed 
againft Tanda, where Sujah and Mohammed then lay 
with a confiderable army. Mohammed, in the ardour 
of youth, and accuftomed to victory, urged Iris father- 
