up to be a confiderable state: and at one time, were of fome confideration, in the politics of upper Hindoostan. Aurungzebe died in 1707, in the 90th year of his age, at Amednagur, in the Deccan; which he had fixed on for his refidence,' when in winter quarters. Under his reign, the empire attained its full measure of extent. His authority reached from the roth to the 35th degree of latitude; and nearly as much in longitude: and his revenue exceeds 32 millions of pounds fterling, in a country where the products of the earth are about four times as cheap as in England. But fo weighty a fceptre could only be wielded by a hand like Aurungzebe's: and we accordingly find, that in a courfe of 50 years after his death, a fucceffion of weak Princes and wicked Minifters, reduced this aftonishing empire to nothing. Aurungzebe obviously forefaw the contefts that would arife between his fons, for the empire: and it has therefore been afferted, that he made a partition of it, among them. This account, however, is not warranted by the memoirs of a nobleman of Aurungzebe's Court, lately published, in this country*; nor by the best living authorities that I have been able to confult. Two letters, written by Aurungzebe to two of his fons, a few days before his death, indicate no intention of dividing the empire; but express in doubtful terms, his apprehenfions of a civil war +. He left behind him, four fons: Mauzum, afterwards Emperor, under the title of Memoirs of Eradut Khan, translated from the Perfian by Capt. J. Scott, 1786. This valuable fragment of Mogul hiftory, contains an account of the revolutions that happened in the Mogul empire, from the death of Aurungzebe, in 1707, to the acceffion of Ferokfere, in 1712. It contains much curious matter; and fully developes the political character of a Mogul courtier. + Thefe letters are preferved in one of the notes to the above work (page 8) and furnish this ftriking leffon to frail mortality; that, however men may forget themfelves, during the tide of profperity, a day of RECOLLECTION will inevitably come, fooner or later. Here we are prefented with the dying confeffion of an aged monarch, who made his way to the throne, by the murder of his brethren, and the imprisonment of his father: and who, after being in peaceable poffeffion of it, perfecuted the most inoffenfive part of his fubjects, either through bigotry, or hypocrify. Here we behold him in the act of refigning THAT, to obtain poffeffion of which, he incurred his guilt: and prefented to us, a mere finful man, trembling on the verge of eternity; equally deploring the paft, and dreading the future. How awful muft his fitua tion appear to him, when he fays, "Wherever I look, I jee nothing but the DIVINITY.". Bahader Bahader Shah; Azem, and Kaum Bukh, who feverally contested the empire with their elder brother; and Acbar, who 30 years before had been engaged in rebellion and fled to Perfia. The death of their father, was the fignal of hoftility between Mauzum and Azem; the former approached from Cabul, and the latter from the Deccan, and difputed the poffeffion of the whole empire (for Azení had propofed a partition of it) with armies of about 300,000 men each. Near Agra, it was decided by a battle, and the death of Azem and Mauzum took the title of Bahader Shah. His title, before his acceffion, was Shah Aulum; by which name he is conftantly mentioned in the memoirs of Eradut Khan. Bahader Shah reigned about five years, and was a Prince of confiderable ability, and great attention to business: but the convulfions with which his elevation had been attended (notwithstanding his pretenfions, as eldest son of the late Emperor) added to the various diforders that had taken root, during Aurungzebe's long abfence in the Deccan, had reduced the government to fuch a ftate of weakness, as required not only the exertion of the best talents, but also much time, to restore. The rebellion of his brother Kaum Bukh, foon after his acceffion, called him into the Deccan ; and this being quelled by the death of Kaum Bukh, and the total difperfion of his followers, he wifely quitted this fcene of his father's mistaken ambition; although the Deccan was far from being in a fettled ftate. He had in contemplation to reduce the Rajpoot Princes of Agimere, who had formed a very strong confederacy; to which the long abfence of Aurungzebe had been too favourable; and they appeared to act with much confidence and fecurity. However, an evil of a more preffing nature, drew the Emperor's attention to another quarter. The Seiks, a new fect of religionists, appeared in arms in the Lahore province; and ravaged the whole country from thence to the banks of the Jumna river. The Seiks. had filently established themselves, along the foot of the eastern mountains, during the reign of Shah Jehan. They differ from moft most religionists, in that, like the Hindoos, they are perfectly tolerant in matters of faith; and require only a conformity in certain figns and ceremonies: but unlike the Hindoos, they admit profelytes; although thofe from among the Mahomedans, are the least esteemed. They are now become one of the most potent states in Hindooftan. Thefe, the Emperor marched against in perfon, and after much trouble and delay, reduced them; but their Chief efcaped. The Emperor then took up his refidence at Lahore, and feems to have continued there a very long time: probably, to check the remnant of the party of the Seiks; and to fettle the affairs of the province, in general. Here he died, after a fhort illness, in 1712: and, it would appear, that he never had an opportunity of vifiting Agra, or Delhi, during his reign. He also, left four fons: among whom, a war for the fucceffion, commenced on the fpot. The fecond son, Azem Oofhawn, took poffeffion of the treasures; but was oppofed by his three brothers, who agreed to divide the empire among them. A battle, in which Azem was killed, decided matters in their favour; chiefly by the addrefs and bravery of the youngeft, Jehaun Shah, who seemed refolved to abide by the agreement, to divide the empire; and as a proof of his intention, directed the treafures to be divided. But Zoolfecar Khan, an Omrah in high traft, intrigued to prevent it; intending to raise to the throne, Jehaunder Shah, who was the best fitted for his purposes. A fecond battle was fatal to Jehaun Shah; and left his two remaining brothers to difpute the empire, by a third battle; which left Jehaunder, who was originally the eldeft, in poffeffion. He did not long enjoy his dignity: for at the end of nine months, he was dethroned by Ferekfere, (or Furrockfere) fon of the deceafed Azem Oofhawn'; and, of courfe, great grandfon of Aurangzebe. The weakness and meannefs of Jehaunder, is almost without parallel, in the annals of Kings and * occafion to the gave * His hiftory is given in the abovementioned Memoirs. Syeds Syeds (or Seids) Houffein Ali Khan, and Abdoolla Khan, two brothers, and Omrahs of great power, to fet up Feroksere Having been poffeffed of governments in the eastern provinces, their influence enabled them to collect an army, with which they defeated that of Jehaunder, near Agra, in the fame year, 1712. The Seiks appeared again in arms, during the following year: and in 1716, they were grown fo formidable, that it appeared neceffary to march the grand army against them, with the Emperor at its head; but we are ignorant of the particulars of the campaign. It was in this reign that the English East-India-Company, obtained the famous FIRMAN, or grant, by which their goods of export and import, were exempted from duties, or customs; and this was regarded as the Company's CoMMERCIAL CHARTER in INDIA, while they ftood in need of protection, from the Princes of the country. In the year 1717, Ferokfere was depofed and blinded by the Seids who raised to the throne Ruffieh-ul-Dirjat, a fon of Bahader Shah. Both this Emperor and his brother, Ruffieh-al-Dowlat, were, in the course of a year, raised to the throne; and afterwards depofed and put to death by the Seids; who had now the difpofal of the empire and all its concerns. Thus, in 11 years from the death of Aurungzebe, five Princes of his line, who had mounted the throne, and fix others who had been competitors for it, had been difpofed of: and the degraded state of the regal authority, during this period, had introduced an incurable anarchy, and a disposition in all the Governors of provinces, to: shake off their dependency on the head of the empire. From this time, affairs declined very rapidly : and the empire, which had acquired fome degree of confiftency under the house of Timur, was now about to be difmembered, in a degree beyond what it had experienced, even before the era of the Mahomedan conquefts. Mahomed Shah, grandson of Bahader Shah, was placed on the throne by the Seids, in 1718. This Prince, warned by the fate of his predeceffors, and having very early in his reign acquired power fufficient for the purpose, got rid of the Seids: but not without a rebellion and a battle. Nizam-al-Muluck, Viceroy of the Deccan, had for fome time been rifing into power; and the times being favourable, he meditated independency. He had received fome affronts from the Seids, which furnished him with an excufe for withdrawing to his government: from whence, in 1722, he was invited to Court, and offered the post of Vizier. This offer, however, he declined, as not fuiting his projects: which had for their object, fovereignty, instead of ministry; in the Deccan, at leaft. The Mahrattas too, whofe power had progreffively increased, and who even held their ground against fo martial and perfevering a Prince as Aurungzebe, were, as might be expected under a fucceffion of weak ones, grown truely formidable to the reft of the empire: and their vicinity to the Nizam, afforded him a complete pretence for increafing his army. When the Princes of the houfe of Timur were fo eagerly pursuing the conqueft of the Deccan, it feems to have escaped their penetration, that this region, which poffeffed ample refources within itself, and innumerable local advantages in point of fecurity from an enemy without, was alfo fituated at fuch a distance from the capital, as to hold out to its Viceroy, the temptation of independence, whenever a favourable opportunity might offer. Perhaps, if the Deccan had been originally left to itself, the pofterity of Timur might still have swayed the fceptre of Hindooftan. While the Nizam continued fo formidable in the fouth, the Mahrattas directed their attacks against the middle and northern provinces. Malwa and the open parts of Agimere were over-run by them and their detachments infulted even the capital of the empire. The weak Mahomed, had in the early part of his reign, endeavoured to fatisfy their demands, by paying them a tribute amounting to one fourth of the net revenue of the invaded pro- vinces but this, as might have been expected, only increafed |