When Aurangzeb received the intelligence of Muhammad Sultán's going over to Shujá', and of Mu'azzam Khán's obstinate fighting, he thought it prudent and necessary to go himself to the seat of war, and on the 5th Rabí'u-l awwal he set out for the East. * * About the middle of Rabí'u-s sání intelligence arrived that Prince Muhammad Sultán had left Shujá', and had again joined Mu'azzam Khán. The Prince repented of the step he had taken, * * and communicated to one of the commanders in the royal army that he desired to return. * * He escaped with some of his servants and jewels and money on board of four boats, but he was pursued by the boats of Shujá'. * * The boats were fired upon, and one was sunk, but the Prince escaped. His return gave great joy to Mu'azzam Khán, who reported the fact to the Emperor, under whose orders he was sent to Court* [and his associates to prison].
When the Prince returned to his father's army, Shujá' meditated flight, but still some hard fighting went on. At length Shujá' despaired of success, and retired leaving Bengal to the occupation of Mu'azzam Khán.
[vol. ii. p. 101.] Many letters passed between the Emperor Sháh Jahán and Aurangzeb, full of complaints and reproaches on one side, and of irritating excuses on the other. There is no advantage to be gained from recording this correspondence, and the copies of the Emperor's letters are not in the author's possession; but two or three* letters which Aurangzeb wrote to his father are here reproduced verbatim, and the contents of Sháh Jahán's letters may be inferred from them.
[p. 104.] The third letter is in answer to one written by Sháh Jahán to Aurangzeb, pardoning his offences, and sending some jewels and clothes, belonging to Dárá Shukoh, which had been left in his palace.
“After discharging the observances of religion, it is represented
to your most august presence. The gracious letter which
you sent in answer to the humble statement of your servant*
conferred great honour upon him at a most auspicious time.
The glad tidings of the pardon of his faults and sins has filled
him with joy and gladness. Through the gracious kindness of
his fault-forgiving and excuse-accepting father and master, he is
filled with hope. Thanks be to God that Your Highness, listening
to the suggestions of equity and merit, has preferred mercy
to revenge, and has rescued this wicked and disgraced sinner
from the abyss of sorrow and misery in both worlds! His firm
hope in the mercy of God is that in future no unworthy action
will proceed from this humble servant! God, who knows the
secrets of the hearts, who, according to the belief of the faithful
and the infidel, and according to all religions and faiths, takes
note of lies and falsehoods, He knows that this servant is not
and has never been acting in opposition to the will and pleasure
of his august father, as evil-judging men have supposed, but that
he has considered himself the deputy of his father, and continues
firm in this important service and duty! But the due ordering
of the affairs of the State and of the Faith, and the comfort of
the people, are impossible under the rule of one who acts as a
deputy. So, unwillingly, for the safety of the State and the good
of the people, he is acting, for a few days, in the way which his
heart disapproves. God knows how many regrets he has felt in
this course of action! Please God, the moment that peace shall
dawn upon the country, and the clouds of strife shall be dispelled,
all Your Majesty's wishes shall be gratified to your heart's desire!
This humble one has devoted the best part of his life entirely
to performing good service and rendering satisfaction (to God);
how then can he be satisfied that, for the fleeting trifles of the
world, the august days of Your Majesty, to whose happiness the
life and wealth of your children are devoted, should be passed in
discomfort, and that the people of your palace should be separated
from you! Shujá', not knowing the value of safety, came to Alláh-
The author heard from a trustworthy person, who was formerly superintendent of the jewel-house, that Dárá Shukoh left jewels and pearls worth 27 lacs of rupees, belonging to the inmates of his harem, in the jewel-room inside the palace, with the cognizance of the Emperor. After his defeat he found no opportunity of removing them. Sháh Jahán, after much contention, perquisition and demanding, sent them to Aurangzeb, with the letter of forgiveness which nolens volens he had written.
[vol. ii. p. 107.] The third year of the reign began on the 24th Ramazán. * * Despatches about this time arrived from Mu'azzam Khán, reporting his successive victories and the flight of Shujá' to the country of Rakhang (Arracan), leaving Bengal undefended. It appeared that there had been several actions in which Shujá' was invariably defeated, and that after the last, he loaded two boats with his personal effects, vessels of gold and silver, jewels, treasure and other appendages of royalty. * * His son had been in correspondence with the Rája of Rakhang, (Arracan), * * and when Shujá' saw that he had no ally or friend anywhere left, and that those whom he had deemed faithful had deserted him, he conceived the idea of occupying one of the fortresses on the frontiers of the Rája of Rakhang, and addressed the Rája on the subject. * * But he was unable to carry his design into execution, and at length, in the greatest wretchedness and distress, he fell into the clutches of the treacherous infidel ruler of that country, and according to common rumour he was killed, so that no one ascertained what became of him.*
[vol. ii. p. 110.] I now relate what I have heard from trusty
men of the Dakhin and of the Mahratta race about the origin
and race of the reprobate Sivají. His ancestors owe their origin
to the line of the Ránás of Chitor. In the tribe of the Rájpúts,
and among all Hindús, it is the settled opinion, that to have a
son by a woman of a different caste, or to beget one upon a slave-