1 The king's crown.
2 The royal throne.
3 The last days of Ak-
4 ber embittered by the
5 refractory conduct of
6 the Crowu prince.
7 Death of Prince
8 Danial, 1605,
9 The emperor's last
10 moments.
11 His death, 1605.
12 His burial-place.
13 Hig character.
14 148 HISTORY OF THE PANJAB.
15 brocades, tapestries, bullion, and manuscripts, valued at nearly seventy
16 millions sterling.. The crown resembled a Persian diadem. It had twelve
17 points, surmounted by diamonds of the purest water, and of the most
18 brilliant colour, the centre being set with a pearl of extraordinary size
19 and value. It was valued at above two millions sterling. The throne
20 was reached by silver steps, on which four silver lions supported a canopy
21 of gold, adorned with jewels, the whole valued at thirty millions of English
22 money.
23 The last days of Akber were embittered by the profligacy of Salem, the
24 Crown prince, and an influential body of the grandees, among whom was
25 R4jé Man Singh, formed the design of elevating his son Khusrow, a minor,
26 to the throne; but Akber nipped the project in the bud. A melancholy
27 event occurring about the same time, the emperor sank fast under the weight
28 of his grief. This was the death of Prince Dénidl, in the town of Burhan.
29 pur, from excessive drinking, on April 8th, 1605. His majesty, finding that
30 his last moments had come, summoned all his Omerahs to his bed-side.
31 When they were assembled round his couch, he delivered to them a suitable
32 speech, and, wistfully looking round at them, asked them to forgive any
33 offence of which he might have been guilty towards any of them. He then
34 gave them a sign to invest his son Salem with the turban and robes which
35 had been prepared for him, and to gird him with his favourite scimitar. He
36 entreated his son to be kind to the ladies of the family, and never to neglect
37 or forsake his old friends and dependents. The grandees prostrated them-
38 selves before their dying lord and did him homage. The dying sovereign
39 bowed himself also. The priest was then introduced. The king repeated
40 the confession of faith, closed his eyes, and died in all the forms of a pious
41 Musalman. his happened on October 13th, 1605. Akber had reigued
42 fifty-one years and some months. The words
43 sls pe | 98
44 “Tho death of King Akber”
45 give the date of his death. He was buried at Sekandra, near Agra,in a
46 mausoleum that had been commenced some time before.
47 “Akber was the contemporary of Queen Elizabeth, and, like her, was en~
48 dowed by nature with the wisdom and insight which enables its possessor
49 to collect able statesmen round the throne. The main features of his life
50 bore a strong resemblance to those of Asoké, the Buddhist prince, who had
51 ruled India eighteen centuries before him. He was a born statesman and
52 soldier. He had never received an education, or even learnt to read or write.
53 But he had pondered over histories, and grand ideas seethed in his majestic
54 and philosophical mind. He was endowed with a marvellous memory, judi-
55 cious forecast and deep judgment. He ignored distinctions of race and
56 creed, and wished to mould the Rajput and Musalman into one imperial!
57 system. By taking the daughters of R4jput princes in marriage, his policy
58 was to break the Rajput league which had existed for twenty centuries, and
59 to hold the empire together by cementing-a: political alliance: between
60 Musalmans and Hindus. He married the daughters of the rdjds of Jeypurs
61 fas yi- fy 7 ° * °
62 _ Jodhpir and Bikanir, was much attached to his Hindu wives, and, on their
63 Fils person.
64 account, joined in the Brahminical worship and sacrifices. He was handsome
65 in his person and engaging in his manners; of rather more than middle stature;
66 and stont of body ; his complexion was a ruddy nut brown; his eyes were full
67 and dark and his eyebrows meeting ; his forehead was open. He was possessed
68 of prodigious strength, which was probably due to the -great breadth of his
69 Sri Satguin git Indie | BisbARy sincwy armantananeistary@gméiecoleft side of