1 182 HISTORY OF THE PANJAB.
2 was compelled to wage a war which proved disastrous to his defiant brother.
3 When Rustam Dil Khan, commander of Shah Alam’s escort, ascending the
4 incapacitated elephant of Muhammad Azam in the battle-field, cut off that
5 prince’s head with his sword and hastened to the camp of his master with
6 his prize, in the exulting hope of great reward, the compassionate Shah
7 Alam, seeing the head of his slaughtered brother, shed tears of affection and
8 . bestowed upon Rustam Dil Khan nothing but reproaches, He forbade the
9 march of victory to be beaten, and treated the ladies of the harem and the
10 young princes with the utmost respect and tenderness.
11 Tis court. His court vied in splendour and magnificence with that of Shah Jahdn.
12 The peacock throne was surrounded by seveuteen princes of the blood-royal.
13 Wis family. Jahdndar Shah, the eldest son, with his three sons, his third son, Rafi-ush-shan,
14 with his three sons, and Bedar Dil, son of his nephew, Bedar Bakht, sitting
15 on the right of the throne; and his second son, Azim-ush-shan, with his two
16 Sents in the dar ar. Sons, Jahan Shah, his fourth son, with his son, Ali Tabar, the only surviving
17 son of Azam Shah, and the two sons of Muhammad Kdm Baksh, being
18 seated an the left. Behind the royal princes, on the right, stood the sons of
19 conquered sovereigns, such as Sikandar Ali Shah, of Bijdpur, and Kutb
20 Shah, king of Golconda, from the rank of seven to three thousand, such as
21 were allowed to be on the platform between the silver rails* It was
22 customary with the emperor to distribute betel and perfumes, on the Jds
23 and other important festivals, to his grandees with his own hand, according
24 to rank, and the recipient received the gift with bows and salutations.
25 _Munificence of his According to his historian, his gifts in jewels and rich dresses were truly
26 es royal. In his dress in private he was plain, like a devotee, and he never
27 omitted to read prayers in company. He took much interest in presiding
28 jobads Shaha over the Friday service himself in the great tent of audience, and repeated
29 ‘ the Quran “ with a tone and sweetness which captivated the most eloquent
30 Arabians,”
31 Notwithstanding his religious innovations at Lahore, which, it must be re-:
32 ry Zilf Papalanity in membered, were unattended by a single act of oppression, he was most po-
33 anjab, pular in the Panjab, and ove of the gateways f of Lahore, the Shah Almi
34 gateway, was called after his name. “ The fact,” according to Thornton,
35 “is some testimony of the popularity of this prince.” It has been truly
36 observed that had Bahadur Shah, and not Aurangzeb, succeeded Shah Jahau
37 on the throne of the Moghal, the dynasty of that race would not have
38 become extinct as soon as it did.
39 g
40 CHAPTER XVIII...
41 MUHAMMAD MOZ-UD-DIN JAHANDAR SHAH.
42 The struggle for
43 sovereignty. i Mase death of Bahddur Shah was followed by the usual struggle for sover-
44 eignty among his four sons. The first and second had already, during:
45 the lifetime of the emperor, manifested signs of grave suspicion towards each
46 other. One day, as they were in attendance on their royal father, and sit-
47 ting close to his bed, Azim-ush-shan, esteemed at the time for his warlike
48 ® Memoirs of the Moghal Empire, by Ivadat Khan.
49 4 It was formerly called the Bherwala gatewa
50 Sri Satguru J agjit Singh Ji eLibrary Namdhani library@ gmail.com