At the end of Zí-l hijja, 1069* (Sept. 1659), the order was given for Dárá Shukoh to be put to death under a legal opinion of the lawyers, because he had apostatized from the law, had vilified religion, and had allied himself with heresy and infidelity. After he was slain, his body was placed on a howda and carried round the city.* So once alive and once dead he was exposed to the eyes of all men, and many wept over his fate. He was buried in the tomb of Humáyún. Sipihr Shukoh was ordered to be imprisoned in the fortress of Gwálior.
[vol. ii. p. 87.] The movements of large armies through the country, especially in the eastern and northern parts, during the two years past, and scarcity of rain in some parts, had combined to make grain dear. To comfort the people and alleviate their distress, the Emperor gave orders for the remission of the ráhdárí (toll) which was collected on every highway (guzar), frontier and ferry, and brought in a large sum to the revenue. He also remitted the pándarí, a ground or house cess, which was paid throughout the Imperial dominions by every tradesman and dealer, from the butcher, the potter, and the greengrocer, to the draper, jeweller, and banker. Something was paid to the government according to rule under this name for every bit of ground in the market, for every stall and shop, and the total revenue thus derived exceeded lacs (of rupees). Other cesses, lawful and unlawful, as the sar-shumárí, buz-shumárí,* bar-gadí,* the charáí (grazing tax) of the Banjáras, the tuwa'ána,* the collections from the fairs held at the festivals of Muhammadan saints, and at the játras or fairs of the infidels, held near Hindú temples, throughout the country far and wide, where lacs of people assemble once a year, and where buying and selling of all kinds goes on. The tax on spirits, on gambling-houses, on brothels, the fines, thank-offerings, and the fourth part of debts recovered by the help of magistrates from creditors. These and other imposts, nearly eighty in number, which brought in krors of rupees to the public treasury, were all abolished throughout Hindústán. Besides these, the tithe of corn,* which lawfully brought in twenty-five lacs of rupees, was remitted in order to alleviate the heavy cost of grain. To enforce these remissions, stringent orders were published everywhere throughout the provinces by the hands of mace-bearers and soldiers (ahadí).
But although his gracious and beneficent Majesty remitted these taxes, and issued strict orders prohibiting their collection, the avaricious propensities of men prevailed, so that, with the exception of the pándarí, which, being mostly obtained from the capital and the chief cities, felt the force of the abolition, the royal prohibition had no effect, and faujdárs and jágírdárs in remote places did not withhold their hands from these exactions. Firstly, because throughout the Imperial dominions in the reign of Aurangzeb, no fear and dread of punishment remained in the hearts of the jágírdárs, faujdárs, and zamíndárs. Secondly, because the revenue officers, through inattention, or want of consideration, or with an eye to profit, contrary to what was intended, made deductions (for these cesses) from the tankhwáh accounts of the jágírdárs. So the jágírdárs, under the pretext that the amount of the cesses was entered in their tankhwáh papers, continued to collect the ráhdárí and many other of the abolished imposts, and even increased them. When reports reached the government of infractions of these orders, (the offenders) were punished with a diminution of mansab, and the delegation of mace-bearers to their districts. The mace-bearers forbad the collection of the imposts for a few days, and then retired. After a while, the offenders, through their patrons or the management of their agents, got their mansab restored to its original amount. So the regulation for the abolition of most of the imposts had no effect.
The ráhdárí in particular is condemned by righteous and just men as a most vexatious impost, and oppressive to travellers, but a large sum is raised by it. In most parts of the Imperial territories the faujdárs and jágírdárs, by force and tyranny, now exact more than ever from the traders and poor and necessitous travellers. The zamíndárs also, seeing that no inquiries are made, extort more on roads within their boundaries than is collected on roads under royal officers. By degrees matters have come to such a pass, that between the time of leaving the factory or port and reaching their destination, goods and merchandize pay double their cost price in tolls. Through the villainy and oppression of the toll-collectors and the zamíndárs , the property, the honour, and the lives of thousands of travellers and peaceful wayfarers are frittered away. The Mahrattas, those turbulent people of the Dakhin (before the peace and after the peace which I shall have to write about in the reign of Farrukh Siyar), and other zamíndárs upon the frontier, have carried their violence and oppression in the matter of the ráhdárí to such extremes as are beyond description.
[vol. ii. p. 90.] Prince Muhammad Sultán, with Mu'azzam Khán as his adviser and commander-in-chief, pursued Shujá' until he reached Dacca, where Shujá' busied himself in collecting munitions of war, men and artillery. The command of the Imperial army and the appointment of the amírs rested in a great degree with Mu'azzam Khán. This was a great annoyance to the Prince, and Shujá', having got information of this, conceived the idea of winning the Prince over to his side. So he opened communications with the Prince, and by letters and presents, and the arts which gain the feelings of young, inexperienced men, he seduced the Prince from the duty he owed to his father, and brought him over to his own side. Soon he offered the Prince his daughter in marriage, * * and at length the Prince was so deluded as to resolve upon joining Shujá'. Towards the end of the month Ramazán, at the beginning of the third year of the reign, he sent a message to Shujá', informing him of his intention, and in the night he embarked in a boat on the Ganges with Amír Kúlí, the commander of the artillery, Kásim 'Alí Mír-tuzak, who were the prime movers in this business, and with some eunuchs and domestic servants, taking with him all the treasure and jewels he could. When Shujá' heard of this step, he referred it to the favour of God, and sent his son Buland Akhtar with several boats and porters to conduct the Prince with his treasure and baggage over the river.
After the Prince had crossed over, and Shujá's men were
busy in carrying away his treasure and baggage, the fact
of his evasion became known, and was communicated to
Mu'azzam Khán. The desertion caused great uneasiness in
the Imperial army, * * and Mu'azzam Khán himself was much
annoyed and troubled, but he would not allow this to be seen.
He mounted his horse, inspected the lines, encouraged the
troops, and did all he could to counteract the effects of this
untoward proceeding. The rainy season had come, * * so, for
the comfort of his troops, he removed thirty kos from Akbar-
Shujá' passed over to Akbar-nagar by boats, and attacked
Mu'azzam unawares; and although the Imperial forces made a
splendid resistance, some of their allies were indifferent or disaffected,
so they were overpowered and compelled to retreat.
Mu'azzam Khán brought up some forces from his centre, and
encouraging the waverers, he renewed the resistance, and charged.
Two or three of Shujá's chief amírs were killed or wounded,
and his attack was eventually repulsed. There were several
other conflicts with similar results, until the rains and the rising
of the river put an end to all fighting. * * Muhammad Sultán
married Shujá's daughter, and it was announced that after
spending a few days in nuptial pleasure at Akbar-nagar, the
attack on the Imperial army would be renewed. * * Mu'azzam
Khán received reinforcements after the cessation of the rains,
and it would be a long story to relate all his bold and skilful
movements. Suffice it to say that in the course of fifteen to
twenty days there were some sharp conflicts, in which Shujá'
was defeated, and eventually put to flight, and escaped in the
war-boats, by means of which he had been enabled to make
his attacks on the army of Mu'azzam, * * Many of the war-