When the news of that “unavoidable event,” the death of the Emperor Aurangzeb, reached Dehlí, an extraordinary commotion spread through Hindústán, and wonderful events followed. On the third day after it became known in Dehlí, on the 21st Zí-l ka'da, 1118 of the holy Hijra (18th February, 1707), after sunset and before the cry to evening prayer, such a noise arose on the west as might be taken as a sample of the noise there will be at the day of judgment. If hundreds of thousands of men were to collect together and simultaneously raise the most dreadful shouts, there would be no resemblance to that noise. It exceeds all my powers to describe it. Forty years have passed up to this time, but that strange noise is still in my ears, and whoever heard it must certainly remember it. The noise lasted for about half an hour, and then subsiding, nothing was heard of it after the lapse of two hours.
On account of the death of Aurangzeb, and in consequence of
the confusion in Hindústán, the price of grain in all the provinces
remained unsettled. In some places it was more, in others
less. Thus in the first year after the death of His Majesty, in
1119 of the Hijra, the price of grain in Dehlí became known to
Ásafu-d daula, viz. the rate at which it was sold for ready
money. Wheat was twenty sírs per rupee; barley twenty-
When Bahádur Sháh arrived at Burhánpúr (on his march against Kám Bakhsh), a severe pestilence (wabá) broke out amongst the royal troops. Those attacked suffered from such unnatural heat that they generally died in the course of a week, and those who lived longer than a week, after undergoing great pain and torment, recovered. The army continued its march towards Haidarábád. Twenty rupees was the hire paid to the porters for carrying a sick man for a march of three kos. Pioneers were sent on ahead of the camp to dig graves, and when the army reached its new camping ground, the tents were filled on one side, and graves upon the other.
At the time the army was marching southwards towards Burhánpúr, Guru Gobind, one of the grandsons of Nának, had come into these districts to travel, and accompanied the royal camp. He was in the habit of constantly addressing assemblies of worldly persons, religious fanatics, and all sorts of people. One day an Afghán, who frequently attended these meetings, was sitting listening to him, when certain expressions, unfit for the ears of the faithful, fell from the tongue of the Guru. The Afghán was enraged, and regardless of the Guru's dignity and importance, he gave him two or three stabs with a knife and killed him.
The son of Jahándár Sháh was Sultán 'Azízu-d dín. The sons of 'Azímu-sh Shán were Sultán Farrukh Siyar, Sultán Karímu-d dín, and Sultán Humáyún Bakht. The sons of Khujista Akhtar Jahán Sháh were Sultán Farkhanda Akhtar the eldest; the second Roshan Akhtar, afterwards the Emperor Muhammad Sháh; the third son was Sultán Mubárak Akhtar, also called Achhi Miyán. The son of Prince Rafí'u-sh Shán was Rafí'-d Daraja. The son of 'Álí Jáh was 'Álí Tabár. The sons of Bedár Bakht were Bedár Dil, Sa'íd Bakht, and Hayátu-llah. The sons of Prince Kám Bakhsh were Sultán Muhíu-s Sunnat, and Yahyau-s Sunnat. Of the grandsons of Sháh Jahán and sons of Dárá Shukoh were Dárá Bakhsh, Yazdán Bakhsh, and Sultán Sipihr Shukoh.