1 The siege of Kandahar,
2 1652.
3 Failute and retreat
4 of Dara Shakoh.
5 The visit of the
6 Italian physician,
7 Manucci.
8 His account of the
9 emperor.
10 Shah Jahdn's four
11 sons.
12 Dara.
13 Shuja.
14 Aurangzeb.
15 Mordd.
16 The emperor's two
17 daughters.
18 Jahanara,
19 Roushanara.
20 Death of Allami
21 Saadallah Khan, 1656.
22 170 HISTORY OF THE PANJAB.
23 command. The armies assembled at Léhore in the winter of 1652 and
24 commenced their march in the spring of the following year, the emperor
25 himself following the army to Kabul. The operations were commenced at
26 the hour prescribed by the royal astrologers as the most auspicious, The
27 siege was prosecuted with great vigour for five months, but was destined to
28 end in the same disappointment as had been experienced twice before. Dara,
29 after losing the best of his troops, was compelled to return with no greater
30 success than had been achieved by his brother. This was the last attempt
31 of the Moghals to recover Kandahar, which thenceforward ceased to be an
32 appendage to the court of Delhi. ‘
33 It was about this time that the court of Shah Jahdn was visited by the
34 Italian physician, Manucci. He describes the emperor as a man of about
35 sixty years of age, fond of gaieties, but of enlightened ideas and majestic and
36 stately deportment. The peacock throne was still surrounded by the members
37 of the’royal family, and the most perfect harmony reigned between them and
38 the emperor. His majesty had lost his valuable ministers, Asif Khan and
39 Mohdbat Khan, but this only induced him to become more active in the
40 discharge of his public functions. He had four sons, all accomplished and
41 well fitted to adorn the throne of the greatest of empires. The eldest son,
42 Dara, the favourite of the aged monarch, was kept about his person and
43 admitted to a considerable share of the government. He was a high-spirited,
44 liberal prince, a free-thinker, like his great-grandfather, with a taste for the
45 cultivation of Hindu learning and for European manners and modes of
46 thought. Shuja, the second son, viceroy of Bengal, professed the Shié creed.
47 He was greatly addicted to pleasure and, though of a mild disposition, was
48 yet brave, and from his youth accustomed to civil and military command.
49 He corresponded with the Shah of Persia, and maintained a secret under-
50 standing with the leading Hindu rdjds. The third son, Aurangzeb, viceroy
51 in the Dekkan, possessed a character quite different from that of any of his
52 brothers. He was able, cautious, ambitious and designing. He maintained
53 a reserved deportment, and, shunning pleasure, applied himself closely to
54 business. He held religious discourses with pious men and affected to be
55 more ambitious of obtaining a reputation as a fagir, or saint, than as a
56 great lord. He spent his time mostly in meditation, prayer, and reading the
57 Qurén, and went even so far as to pretend that he subsisted on the earnings
58 of his manual labour. He subsequently declared his resolution of renounc-
59 ing the world and proceeding on a pilgrimage to Mecca, but was deterred
60 from doing so by his father, who was quite unconscious that the crafty young
61 man would afterwards prove himself a dangerous opponent. Aurangzeb
62 concealed his ambitious designs behind the veil of religion. Mordd, viceroy
63 of Gujrdt, was magnificent, proud, brave and generous. By the same wife
64 (the lady of the T'4j), who was the mother of the four sons, the emperor had
65 also two daughters, both unmarried and living with him at the time of the
66 visit of Manucci, the Italian physician. The eldest, Jahanara, called the
67 Shah Begum, or the princess royal, was devotedly attached to her imperial
68 father. She is described as being over thirty years of age. She possessed
69 fascinating beauty and great accomplishments, and was the supporter of the
70 interests of DaraShekoh. The younger, Roushanara, less attractive, was most
71 subtle and astute in her knowledge of the secrets of the harem, and was of
72 great use to Aurangzeb in keeping him informed of the transactions of the
73 palace in most critical times.
74 The emperor suffered an irreparable loss in the death of Allami Saddullah
75 Khan, which took place on 9th April 1656. He was the most able and
76 Sri Satthls pag ht SRBHSHRaEIDFARI? hed produqed pimenictinsradpas gofatitertolerant