Storia do Mogor : or, Mogul India, 1653-1708 / by Niccolao Manucci, Venetian ; tr., with introduction and notes, by William Irvine.

Storia do Mogor, or, Mogul India, 1653-1708 / by Niccolao Manucci, Venetian ; tr., with introduction and notes, by William Irvine.

  • Manucci, Niccolò, 1639-approximately 1717.
Date:
1907-08
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Storia do Mogor, or, Mogul India, 1653-1708 / by Niccolao Manucci, Venetian ; tr., with introduction and notes, by William Irvine. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    478/512 (page 356)
    the opinions of the principal men. He asked from all of them advice as to what was the best thing, whether to kill Darà or send him to the fortress of Gwàliyàr. In his own mind he had firmly resolved to have his prisoner’s life taken. As the nobles knew this damnable wish of Aurangzeb, the proposition made being only a feigned deference to them, all of them were of opinion that the unfortunate prince must die, alleging as reason that if he did not die the people would be ever looking for his release. Thus would his majesty never be well served; and, further, his death was required by reason of his being an idolater, without any religion, and an enemy of the Mahomedan faith. Danisbandcan (Danishmand Khàn)^ alone did not share this opinion, although in no way attached to Darà. Those who most insisted that the prince should be put to death were Shàistah Khàn, Muhammad Amin ^àn, Bahàdur IQiàn, and the physician, Daut (Dà,ùd).“ The last named in a short time saw himself in disgrace with Aurangzeb, and died miserably : God’s just chastisement being that he who so actively procured another’s death to please his master, should by means of the same master come speedily and miserably to his own end. She who more than all the rest clamoured for the death of Dàrà was Roshan Àrà Begam, his sister but his mortal enemy. She died, as I shall relate, by poison administered to her by her well-beloved brother—i.e., Aurangzeb. Aurangzeb, who desired nothing more ardently than the death of Dàrà, was delighted at the opinion of the nobles. On the twenty-sixth of October (1659) he gave orders to Quelis can (? lOiàlis Hiàn)^ to remove the prince Sipihr Shukoh from his father, Dàrà’s, company, and carry him off to the fortress of Gwàliyàr, conceding as a favour that he should not be given opium-water to drink. Prince Dàrà, finding his son was sent to Gwàliyàr fortress without any mention of himself, recognised that he had only a few days to live. He therefore planned to seek [257] the only 1 This is Bernier’s patron and ‘ Agha ’ (see ‘Travels,’ p. 100), 2 Hakim Da.ud, or Taqarrub Khan (see Bernier, ‘Travels,’ 100, and note 2). He died 1073 H. (1662-63) (see the ‘M.-ul-U.,’ i. 490. and ‘ Tarikh-i-Muhammadi,’ relying on ‘ Ma,asir-i-‘Alamgiri ’). This may be meant for QilTch IHian or Mukhlis ^àn, but the “Alamgir- namah,’ p. 432, states that Saif Khan executed the order.