hibits history:

reasons.

the Mahrattas; some large concessions were made to CHAP. VII. Sivaji. To all appearance Sivaji was bribing Moghul and Rajpút generals to leave him alone, while he pursued a predatory career in the Dekhan and Peninsula. In 1668, after Aurangzeb had been ten years on Aurangzeb prothe throne, he issued an edict prohibiting his subjects from writing the history of his reign. This prohibition is another mystery in the life of Aurangzeb. A religious reason was assigned; men were to set their hearts on heavenly things, and not on things of this world. All this, coming from the lips of Aurangzeb, was mere flummery. Every Moghul sovereign took a special interest in the history of his own reign; he sought to exaggerate what was good, and extenuate what was evil. All the so-called memoirs of Moghuls, from Timúr to Jehangir, bear marks of being garbled. But the reign of Aurangzeb could not be glossed over. He was strongly suspected of the murder of his father, of having shown the white feather to Shah Abbas, of having concluded a disgraceful peace with the Mahratta Raja. Such may have been the secret reasons which induced Aurangzeb to prohibit history. He had already abolished music in order to suppress satirical songs, and it is easy to believe that he abolished history for a like purpose. The edict was certainly obeyed. Khafi Khan confesses that after the tenth year of the reign. he relies for his facts chiefly on memory and hearsay. Henceforth the chief authorities for the history of the reign of Aurangzeb are the memoirs of Manouchi as told by Catrou, and the English records as preserved in the Madras Presidency.50

so The English records are invaluable as fixing dates. So, too, are many of the Mahratta records quoted by Grant Duff. This is all the more im

CHAP. VII.

The current of history now reverts to the NorthAfghan affairs. West. Kábul was nominally a Moghul province, but the Afghans were most refractory subjects. The Moghul governor of Kábul resided at Peshawar; he was cut off from Kábul by the Khaibar Pass, and yet he was supposed to keep the Afghans of Kábul in their allegiance to the Moghul. During the advance of the Persian army under Shah Abbas, the Afghans had been especially turbulent, and were probably ready to side with Persia.

Moghul invasion of Kabul.

Afghan strategy.

Attack in the
Khaibar.

After the death of the Shah, Amín Khan, son of the deceased Amír Jumla, was appointed governor of Kábul. He employed the army which had been raised to repel Persia to engage in an expedition to punish the Afghans. He left Peshawar, pushed through the Khaibar Pass, and entered the plain of Kábul. The Afghans retreated to the mountains, and Amín Khan could not follow them. In his contempt for the Afghans, he had brought the ladies of his seraglio with him, mounted on elephants. Failing to bring the Afghans to an engagement, and running short of provisions, he resolved on returning to Peshawar.

The Afghans saw that the Moghuls were at their mercy. Whilst Amín Khan was vainly trying to penetrate their mountain defiles, they had gone off by secret tracks to cut off his retreat through the Khaibar.

The Khaibar Pass is a valley enclosed by sharply pointed rocks. The Afghans concealed themselves

portant as Catrou has made some mistakes in the chronology. Mr. Elphinstone also furnishes important dates from Muhammadan authorities, which serve to clear up serious difficulties. The author owes his first introduction to the records of the Madras Presidency to Sir Charles Trevelyan, the Governor of Madras, in 1860.

51

behind the heights, and suffered the Moghuls to enter CHAP. VII. the valley. Suddenly, as night was coming on, they rushed down the sides, sword in hand, uttering the most horrible cries. Amín Khan employed a holy Santon, who was reverenced by both parties, to arrange a peace. The Afghans were so blind with rage that they beheaded the Santon. There was no way of escape for the Moghuls. The Afghans were cutting their way to the elephants. Amín Khan slid down his elephant, leaving his secretary in the howdah. He cut down an Afghan, assumed his dress and arms, and got off in the darkness and confusion.

Amin Khan saved nothing but his life. His secre- Moghul disaster. tary was cut to pieces; his army was massacred; his treasures were rifled; his chief wife was slaughtered; his mother, sister, and daughter were carried away captive. The daughter was doomed to a hard fate. She had been betrothed to Akbar, third son of Aurangzeb. She was recovered from the Afghans, but deemed unworthy to become the bride of Akbar.

Peshawar.

Aurangzeb showed his marked displeasure. He Changes at recalled Amín Khan; he sent Mahábat Khan to govern Kábul. The new governor had known the Afghans of old. He remained quiet at Peshawar, and for some time there was a lull in Afghan affairs. All this while Hindustan was tranquil. Palace life Tranquillity. at Delhi was undisturbed by Afghans or Mahrattas. Aurangzeb was easy in his mind.

51 No reference has been made to modern geography. The description of the Khaibar is given in the language of Manouchi as reported by Catrou. It shows that Manouchi was well acquainted with all the details of the expedition.

52 It will be remembered that Aurangzeb had not dared to execute the Santons who had joined Dara. The Afghans must have been driven frantic by the prospect of revenge before they could have ventured on murdering a Santon.

CHAP. VII.

Mission from
Mecca.

The Christian

Sultana,

Aurangzeb's favourite.

About this time the Sherif of Mecca began to repent that he had refused Aurangzeb's money. Now that Shah Jehan was dead, there certainly was no objection to his accepting Aurangzeb's donation. He sent a present of holy relics to Aurangzeb, such as the top of the broom that was used to sweep the tomb of the Prophet, and other small matters. The relics were taken to Delhi by a pious Imám. Aurangzeb received them with every mark of respect; he overwhelmed the ambassador with honours; he never referred to the money. At last the Imám broke the matter to one of the ministers; he was told that the money had all been spent on works of mercy. He was compelled to return empty-handed to Mecca.

A new story came from the seraglio. Aurangzeb was fascinated by a fair-complexioned Christian lady, named Udipurí. She was a native of Georgia. When a child she had been brought to India by a slave dealer, and bought by Dara, the eldest brother of Aurangzeb. She grew up to be so exceedingly beautiful that she became a great favourite with Dara. Probably she was one of the secret causes that led Dara to declare himself a Christian.

When Dara was put to death, Aurangzeb demanded the two favourite ladies of his elder brother; he piously remarked that he was bound by the Koran to marry his brother's widows. One lady was a Rajpút; she took poison rather than obey the summons. Udipurí was more complaisant, she surrendered at discretion, and became the favourite of Aurangzeb.

53

The Sultanas were accustomed to give magnificent

53 There was another story, that she seamed her face with a diamond. All gossip at Moghul courts is of this vague and contradictory character.

seraglio.

fêtes to each other in the halls and gardens of the CHAP. VII. seraglio. They vied with each other in the splendour Fêtes in the of these fêtes. Aurangzeb was always present; consequently they vied with each other in their dresses and adornments. But Udipurí always carried away the palm; Aurangzeb was infatuated with her. The other ladies grew bitterly jealous and plotted her ruin.

favourite.

As Udipurí was a Christian, she was allowed to drink Mishap of the wine; occasionally she abused the privilege. One day there was a grand fête, but Udipurí was absent. Aurangzeb called for his favourite; he was told that she was indisposed. He saw a malicious smile on the faces of the ladies; he hastened to her apartment, and found her far from sober. He was inclined to wrath, but her beauty disarmed him; he was more angry with the Sultanas who had forced him to see her in such a plight. He ordered that no more wine should be brought into the seraglio, but continued to show his preference for Udipurí.

ladies.

Indulgence in wine was the vice of Muhammadan convivial seraglios. Mussulman ladies are said to have urged that, as they were to be kept out of paradise, they were not bound to refrain from wine. Begum Sahib revealed the extent of feminine intoxication to her brother Aurangzeb. She gave an entertainment to the wives and daughters of grandees and divines; she plied them with wine and then admitted the Emperor. Next day there was an edict issued forbidding all women from drinking wine."

54 Manouchi through Catrou. The court scandals related by the Venetian physician in the seventeenth century are in harmony with all the ancient traditions of India, Rajpút aud Moghul. There are pictures of such convivialities in Ferguson's "Tree and Serpent Worship." There is a story in the Rámáyana of Sitá amusing her husband Ráma by her intoxication. Bühler has preserved a similar scene in the introduction to his Life of Vikramaditya.