Some strange events happened during the Emperor’s residence in that city. As he was fond of the company of the learned and ingenious, and he passed himself for an acute profi­cient in the subtilities of sciences, and especially in whatever concerns law and divinity, (qualities in which he surpassed by far all the Princes of the House of Timur) so he loved to be surrounded with people skilled in those matters, and he discoursed with pleasure on those subjects; but as he had discovered, by the strength of his own genius, that the sect of the Imamites* was the only rightful one, and he had set his heart on it, he on his arrival at Lahor, assembled the learned of that city, most of them staunch Sunnies, and argued with them about the justice of the right of his Majesty, the King of Holiness, the Commander of the Faithful, Saint Aaly, son to Ab8-taaleb (on whom be grace and peace!). These men were all confuted; and the confusion in which he saw them, made him conceive the design of adding to the usual profession of faith, as uttered in the public prayers, and in the Qhotba, the words, “And Aaly is the Saint of God, and the Heir of the Messenger of God.” An affair of so much importance required a power absolute, and a great firmness of mind, qualities, which were never eminent in the characters of the Princes of the House of Timur, especially in those of the latter times; and, as on the other hand, the Emperor’s eldest sons, Azim-ush-shan, and Qhodjistah-aqhter, both men of cour­age and merit, were extremely zealous for the Sunni tenets, this innovation proved very unwelcome, and could take no root. The Emperor himself became apprehensive of a vigorous oppo­sition on that head; so that his will remained without effect. Still unwilling to abandon his design without making some trial of its practicability, he one day sent a Shijah reader to the main Mosque, after having put him under the safeguard of Azim-ush-shan’s company. The Prince, who was in his heart averse to such an innovation, took the man with him, out of respect to his father’s pleasure; but proved entirely passive when the congre­gation, which was mostly composed of Hanefies, having got information of the scheme, fell upon that innocent man, and hacked him to pieces, before he had time to utter the offensive words.

This commotion was followed by another. The men learned in the law, and some principal inhabitants, all men of the Sunni principles, having forthwith assembled in the Cathedral, sent a message, by which they invited the Emperor over to the right party, and required every inhabitant, Musselman or Gentoo, good or bad, to be assisting with their persons and fortunes; but the Emperor, without minding the invitation, continued during the remainder of his life, to promote the tenets of the Shïjahs, and to pass a great deal of his time in arguing with the Doctors of the opposite party; although to no purpose at all. And, indeed, if the promulgation of new principles depended entirely on argu­ment and reason, why should the Prince of Prophets and Chief of Messengers, (on whom, as well as on his posterity, be saluta­tion and peace to the end of time!) have received orders to fight from the Lord of the Creation—he who was confessedly the most eloquent man of his time, whether in Arabia or in Iran?

Five years had already elapsed since the Emperor’s acces­sion to the throne, and it was the third year since he was encamped on the Ravi, close to the city of Lahor, when some alteration was perceived in his mind. It was about the middle of Muharrem, in the year 1124 of the Hedjra. One day, he took into his head to give orders for killing all the dogs in camp, as well as all those in the city of Lahor. As such an order, from so sensible a Prince, could not appear but very strange, people were willing to account for it by supporting that some witch­craft or enchantment had been practised upon his person. Such a state of things was the more disagreeable, as the Sycks were becoming equally numerous and troublesome. Forbidden from coming into the city of Lahor, not one of them was to be seen in the day-time; but as soon as it was dark, they never failed to return to the houses of those that used to feed and cherish them; and this manege lasted during the whole night: for at day-break they would throw themselves in the Ravi,* and after having swam on the other side, they lurked in the neigh­bouring fields.

These manœuvres of the Sycks, as well as the tumult in the Cathedral, I have mentioned upon the faith of a letter which Amin-ed-do8la, of Sambal, had written to his children, and which I have found at length in the papers of his secretary. The latter says, that the Emperor incensed against the Doctors that had excited the tumult which had cost the reader’s life, had ordered some of them to be thrown into a prison, and some others to be sent to the fortress of G8aliar. Sometimes after, the Emperor The Emperor Behader-shah dies suddenly. having felt a slight indisposition of which no one suspected any ill, he at once fell into a swoon, in which he suddenly departed from this world, to hasten to a corner of the mansions of eternal mercy. It was the 19th of Muharrem, about two hours before night.

The Prince Azim-ush-shan, who happened to be present when the Emperor fell into a swoon, finding himself unable to stand such a spectacle, had quitted that spot, and retired to his own camp, after having recommended to Amin-ed-do8la to tarry a few hours more, in order to bring him a sure intelligence about so mournful an event. So that as soon as the Emperor expired, that nobleman had repaired to the Prince, and had informed him that his father was no more, and that all was over. The Prince wept bitterly; but Amin-ed-do8la having dried his tears with a handkerchief, bid him stand up, and take his party instantly, as not a moment was to be lost. “Ascend the throne,” said he, “at once, and order the Imperial kettle-drums* and music to strike up immediately;” and this being complied with, the few Azim-ush-shan assumes the crown. courtiers that chanced to be at hand, made haste to present their Nazers according to custom, and wished the Prince a long, happy reign. At this very time Amin-ed-do8la with Naamet-ollah-khan, and some others, represented that Zulficar-khan, the Generalissimo, as well as Hamid-ed-din-khan, who were both inimical to him, were actually busy in fitting up the imperial body, and would be taken up with that ceremony as far as the grave, and of course could afford a precious delay, in which they both might be seized and secured. The Prince seemingly unmoved by so important an advice, answered, “that the Imperial honor would suffer from such a hasty indecent proceeding; and that for his own part he trusted solely to his own right, and to God Almighty’s assistance; the more so, as after all, Zulficar-khan could do but little.” This answer struck his advisers and well-wishers dumb; and they said in a low voice: “May God turn this into some good!” In fact, the Prince was guilty of an enormous oversight, and that too, at the very threshold of his throne. Nevertheless, Naamet-ollah-khan, of his own motion, went away directly, and putting himself at the head of a numerous brigade of his own, he marched straight to the imperial paling; where having found the generalissimo already gone to his camp, and in the middle of his troops, he returned to the Prince, after having missed his blow.

It must be observed that Azim-ush-shan had always borne a great sway in his father’s life-time, under whom he had acted as his Lieutenant-General, whether in signing papers, or in dis­patching business; and as the whole household, to which he commanded, as grand-master, was devoted to him, he had found no difficulty in taking possession of his father’s treasures, and ascending the throne; a step which had afforded some assur­ance and some satisfaction to the troops in camp. But this was not the case of all. Numbers that looked more narrowly into the matter, were apprehensive of troubles and much bloodshed; so that whoever could provide himself with a carriage or a beast of burthen, made haste to send his family with his best effects into Lahor, during the whole night, whilst others went within the the Imperial paling and took their abode there.*

Whilst all this was going forward, the Physicians, Sadyc-khan and Hekin-el-mulk,* together with Mehabet-khan and all the Ministers of State, as well as all the Crown officers, went in a body to pay their homages to Azim-ush-shan. They were led by Shah-nevaz-khan and Hamid-eddin-khan. On the other hand, Rostem-dil-khan and some others acknowledged Qhodjis­tah-aqhter. But Zulficar-khan, the Generalissimo, who did not like this Prince, and was upon bad terms with Azim-ush-shan, repaired to the eldest son, Muëzzeddin, and asked him whether he had any commands to lay upon him? “None at all,” answered the Prince, “at least at present, for I have neither money nor troops, having added to the Imperial army whatever I could bring together, when I came to join my father. But I intend to retire into my Government of M8ltan, where I expect to col­lect forces as well as the means of appearing again upon the stage of the world, at which time I shall act as fortune shall point out.” The Generalissimo disapproved of such a dilatory party, offered money, troops, and artillery out of his own private stores, and proposed to join immediately both Qhodjistah-aqhter and Refi-al-cadr, by which junction they would disperse Azim-ush-shan’s party, after which it might be time for the three brothers to consult together about further measures. This proposal was not relished by Muëzzeddin, who trusting but little to the Generalissimo’s promises or power, desired him first of all to go and find his two brothers. Zulficar-khan returned directly to his own camp, where having assembled what money and effects he thought necessary, he sent the whole to Muëzzeddin, repair­ing at the same time to the quarters of the two other Princes, whose hearts he gained at the first interview, after having made them agree to an equal division of the treasures and effects of the late Emperor.