54 
HINDO 
Jhort will, which, for its moral and its hiftorical import¬ 
ance, is here recited; and which, while it demonftrates 
his willies in regard to their future deftiny, manifeftly 
expreifes his apprehenfion of the civil war which foon 
took place between them. 
Aurungzebe’s last Will.—“ I came empty-handed 
into the world, and empty-handed I quit it. Whoever 
of my fortunate children lhall chance to rule the empire, 
let him not rnolelt Mohammed Kamhukfly, fnould he reft 
contented with the two new foubahs of Viliapour and Hy¬ 
derabad.—There cannot be a better vizier, than Emir-al- 
Omra.—Let all the king’s fefvants be true and faithful to 
Mohammed Azem Shah.—Whoever ft*all chance to have 
the empire, let him not turn out or moleft thofe born or 
bred up in my houfe.—If the divifion I formerly made 
proves agreeable to my children, it will prevent a great 
deal ofconfufion and bloodlhed.—There are two imperial 
feats, Agra and Delhi; whoever fettles in Agra may have 
the province thereof, Deccan, Malva, and Guzerat.—And 
who refides at Delhi, may have Cabul and the other pro¬ 
vinces.—I came naked into the world, and naked I go 
out of it. Let no enfigns or royal pomp accompany my 
funeral; let Hamid-o’din-Khan,who is faithful and trufty, 
convey my corpfe to the place of Shah Zen-al-din, and 
make a tomb for it, in the fame manner as is done for 
derveilhes; low and plain, without any manner of orna¬ 
ment; let not my fortunate children give themfelves any 
concern about a monument.—There is in my private trea- 
fury 57,382 rupees; let 1000 rupees be diftributed among 
the poor at my funeral.” 
As another curious fpecimen of the mode of writing, 
and manner of expreffion in the epiftolary ftyle, among 
thefe extraordinary people, the following letter from Au- 
rungzebe to his fon Azem, when at the point of death, 
as hinted above, is alfo thought worthy of the reader’s 
attention 
To Azem Shah.— “ Health to thee! My heart is near 
thee. Old age is arrived: weaknefs fubdues me, and 
■ftrength has forfaken all my members. I came a ftranger 
into this world, and a ftranger I depart. I know nothing 
of myfelf, what I am, and for what I am deftined. The 
inftant which palled in power hath left only forrow behind 
It. I have not been the guardian and protector of the 
•empire. My valuable time has been palled vainly. I had 
a patroixin my own dwelling, (confluence,) but his glo¬ 
rious light was unfeen by my dim fight. Life is not tail¬ 
ing; there is no veftige of departed breath, and all hopes 
from futurity are loft. The fever has left me, but nothing 
of me remains but Ikin and bone. My fon Kambuklh, 
though gone towards Viftapour, is ftill near: and thou, 
my fon, art yet nearer. The worthy of efteem, Shah Au- 
lum, (or Mauzpn,) is far diftant; and my grandfon, Azeem 
Oolhaun, by the orders of God, is arrived near Hindooftan. 
The camp and followers, helplefs and alarmed, are, like 
myfelf, full of affliction; reftlefs as the quicklilver. Sepa¬ 
rated from their lord, they know not if they have a maf- 
ter or not. 
“ I brought nothing into this world; and, except the 
infirmities of man, carry nothing out. I have a dread 
for my falvation, and with what torments I may be pu- 
nilhed. Though I have ftrong reliance on the mercies 
and bounty of God, yet, regarding my actions, fear will 
not quit me; but, when I am gone, reflection will not 
remain. Come then what may, I have launched my vef- 
fel on the waves. Though Providence will protect the 
carnp, yet, regarding appearances, the endeavours of my 
Ions are indifpenlibly, incumbent. Give my laft benedic¬ 
tions to my grandfon, Bedar Bukht, whom I cannot fee, 
but the defire affeCls me. The begum his daughter ap¬ 
pears afflifted ; but God is the only judge of hearts. The 
foolilh thoughts of women produce nothing but dilap- 
pointment. Farewell! farewell! farewell!” 
The remains of this Great Mogul were fcarcely depo- 
Cted in the filent grave, before the thirft for empire which 
agitated the breafts of Ins two elder Ions broke forth into 
2 . 
O S T A N. 
open contention, and divided the interefts of the great 
omrahs of ftate. India had not for ages witnefled two 
fuch formidable armies as were now to be oppofed to each 
other by Azem Shah, and Shah Aulum, to' decide their 
right of fucceffion to the throne. Azem Shah, however, 
being on the fpot,loft no time in feizing upon the govern¬ 
ment ; and he afcended the throne in the Mohammedan 
year or hegira m 3 , or that of Chrift 1707, immediately 
after the interment of his father. He alfo affumed the 
command of the imperial army, which he confiderably in- 
creafed, and after feme time commenced his-march for the 
capital, Agra. His elder brother Shah Aulum, the inftant 
he received intelligence of his father’s death, marched 
from Cabul to Lahore, where he greatly augmented his 
forces; and font an exprefs to his fon Azeem Oofliaun, 
to haften with the troops belonging to his government of 
Bengal, and fecure Agra before Azem Shah could arrive 
from the Deccan; while he liimfelf, by forced marches, 
would take poffeffion of Delhi. Thefe fervices were com¬ 
pletely effeCled, while the tardy Azem Shah was fporting 
and hunting on the banks of the Jumna. So enveloped 
was he in the pride of his own importance, that he be¬ 
lieved no arm was fufficiently powerful to be lifted up 
againft him; and even when meffengers arrived with cer¬ 
tain intelligence of his brother's approach, he difmiffed 
them with reproach, infilling that Shah Aulum, inftead 
of daring to invade the unconquerable empire of Hin¬ 
dooftan, was more likely to fly for fafety and Ihelter to 
fome other clime. Immenfe clouds of dull, however, 
which feemed to darken the diftant horizon, convinced 
the too-confident emperor of his miftake; and with an 
ungracious and forbidding afpeCl he commanded the dif- 
perfed troops of his numerous army to colleCl together. 
His eldeft fon, Bedar Bukht, who had been bred to arras 
in the camp of his grandfather Aurungzebe, was direCled 
to march forward at the head of the lirft divifion to re¬ 
connoitre the enemy. His chief omrah or general, Zool- 
feccar Khan, was commanded- to bring up the rear divi¬ 
sion; while he himfelf put his elephants'and guards in 
motion in the centre. 
■ The day before the battle, Shah- Aulum font by an aged 
derveilh the following meffage to his brother Azem Shah: 
“ By the divine aulpices, we inherit from our anceftors an 
extenlive empire, comprehending many kingdoms. It 
will be juft and glorious not to draw the Iword againft 
each other, nor confent to died the blood of the faithful. 
Let us equally divide the empire between us. Though 
I am the elder, I will leave the choice in your power.” 
The vain-glorious and haughty Azem, miftaking this con- 
defcenfion for cowardice, replied, that “ he wouia anfwer 
his brother on the morrow in the battleand difmiffed 
the derveilh with contempt. 
The morning no looner dawned, than Shah Aulum pre¬ 
pared to take ample revenge for this coarfo affront; and 
commenced the fatal aft ion by a tremendous roar of can¬ 
non. His eldeft fon Azeem Oolhaun led on his right 
wing; while his principal general Monauim Khan, with 
two of the young princes, Ichander Shah and Jehan Shah, 
conduced the left; the pre-eminent ftation of Shah Au¬ 
lum was of courfe in the centre, where he contrived to 
place a chofen band of the moft undaunted of his chief¬ 
tains. His artillery played incefl'antly, which did great 
execution; and his fons, advancing, fired Ihowers of muf- 
quetry, which fell like hail. Thefe were oppofed by a 
line of rockets in the front of the army of Azem Shah, 
which, hurling fiery darts on the heads of the affailants, 
dealt confufion and death around them. The fun, ob- 
foured by dull and fmoke, was in the meridian, and the 
heat excelfive. Both armies with equal rage began to 
dole; and the carnage was unfpeakable. A valiant chief 
of Azem Shah boldly advanced on the right wing of the 
enemy, and, penetrating to the elephant of Azeem Oofliaun, 
lurried his lfear at the prince; but it miffed him, and 
ffuck in the thigh of an attendant; at which the prince 
in van inftant difcharged an arrow through the heart cf 
