the next, in right of primogeniture, fucceeded under the title of Jehanguire.

Jehanguire reigned about 22 years. Under him, the conqueft of the Deccan was not loft fight of, though but faintly purfued. War was made on the Rajpoots, and the Rana, or chief Prince, brought to terms. The rebellions of the Emperor's fon, Shah Jehan, embittered the latter part of his reign; and the influence of his mistress Noor Jehan, rendered his councils weak, and conftrained his government. However, the provinces having been held together for near 70 years, the empire had acquired a degree of confolidation; and was not fo liable to be fhaken, as it would have been at some former periods, under the operation of fimilar events. It was in this reign, and in the year 1615, that Sir Thomas Roe was fent as the firft English Ambassador to the Emperor of Hindooftan. The Portuguese, had by this time, acquired confiderable fettlements in Bengal and Guzerat; but only thofe in Guzerat, where they alfo poffeffed fome extent of territory, attracted the notice of the court: and it is curious to obferve what the author of the Ayin Aebaree fays of them, about the year 1560. Speaking of the lands of Guzerat, he fays, "By the neglect of the King's Governors, feveral of thefe diftricts are in the hands of Europeans." Ferifhta, alfo, fpeaking of the fite of an ancient Hindoo temple, near Diu, fays that it was fituated in the districts, that were fubject to the Idolaters of Europe."

Shah Jehan fucceeded his father in 1628. The conqueft of the Deccan was purfued with more vigour in this reign: and the plunders and devastations perpetrated there, occafioned most, or all of its Princes, to make fubmiffion, and acknowledge the Emperor, lord paramount. Golconda was in part, actually taken poffeffion of: but Visiapour and the Carnatic, together with the regions of the Gauts, remained in the hands of their ancient poffeffors.

Candahar, a fortrefs fituated on the common boundary of Perfia, and of the Mogul provinces beyond the Indus, was, at this time, a fub

son.

as fubject of contention, between the two Monarchs of Perfia and Hindooftan. The firft ferious quarrel between the Europeans (Portuguefe) and Moguls, happened during this reign, 1633: when the Portuguefe were expelled from Hoogly, in the Ganges In 1658, the civil wars commenced between the Emperor and his fons; as well as between the fons themselves: which ended in the elevation of Aurungzebe, the youngeft; after he had deposed his father, and murdered or expelled his three brothers. The account of these transactions may be feen at large, in Bernier and Dow!: and is a very curious piece of history. In 1660, Aurengzebe (who took the name or title of Allumgire and was the first of that name) was in peaceable poffeffion of the throne: and from that period, until the year 1678, there prevailed, throughout Hindooftan in general, the most profound peace that had ever, perhaps, been known: but the remainder of the Deccan, was still a defideratum; and Aurangzebe difdained to have any other boundary, on the fouth, than the ocean. Accordingly, the conqueft of the remote part of the Deccan employed a very confiderable part of his leifure during the latter part of his reign: when the whole of that region, together with the peninfula, a few mountainous and inacceffible tracts only excepted, were either entirely fubjected, or rendered tributary to the throne of Delhi. What might appear to Aurungzebe to render this ftep of fubduing the Deccan,, neceffary, was, the determined spirit and growing power of Sevagee, the founder of the Mahratta ftate; who, by his conquefts in Vifiapour, appeared almost in the character of a rival to Aurangzebe....

A rebellion of the Patans beyond the Indus, in 1678, called for the prefence of Aurungzebe, there: which was no fooner quelled, than his perfecution of the Hindoos ftirred up the Rajpoot tribes in Agimere. He undertook this war alfo, in perfon: but was hemmed in with his whole army,, between the mountains,, and the Empress herself, was taken prifoner: fhe was afterwards, however, permitted to efcape, as well as the Emperor. This did not dif

courage him from carrying the war into the Rajpoot country again, in 1681 when he took and destroyed Cheitore, the famous capital of the Rana; as well as all the objects of Hindoo worship found there. The fpirits of these gallant people, were, however, ftill unfubdued and Aurungzebe was neceffitated to grant them a peace *.

Sevagee died in 1680, and left his rifing state of Mahrattas, to his fon Sambajee; who was afterwards betrayed into the hands of Aurungzebe, and barbarously put to death. Still, however, the mountainous parts of Baglana were unfubdued; and although the kingdom of Vifiapour was reduced in 1686, and Golconda, in the following year; yet he found great difficulty in profecuting his conquests on the west: as appears by his camp being fixed on the Kiftna river, about 200 miles to the north-eastward of Goa, in 1695 I fay, appears: for we have at prefent, no regular history of any later period, than the 10th year of Aurungzebe: that is, to the year 1670; when Mr. Dow's hiftory finishes: all the events that are fubfequent to this date, are from other authorities.

It is faid that Aurungzebe was employed in the Deccan from the year 1678, to the time of his death, and was actually in the field, during the greatest part of the last 15 years of his life. This dereliction of his original empire and capital for nearly 30 years, occafioned various diforders in them: and laid the foundation of many more: among others, the second rebellion of the Rajpoots in Agimere; that of the Patans towards the Indus; and of the Jats, or Jates, in the province of Agra. This was the first time that the Jats appeared, otherwise than as banditti: fince which, they grew

The reader may find in the 49th note to Mr. Orme's Hiftorical Fragments of the Mogul empire, a letter written by Jefwont Sing, Rajah of Joudypour, to Aurangzebe, expoftulating with him on the unjuft measures he was pursuing, with respect to the Hindoos. This letter breathes the most perfect spirit of philanthropy, and of toleration in matters of religion: together with the most determined refolution to oppofe the meditated attack on the civil and religious rights of the Hindoos. The elegant tranflation of this letter was made by Mr. Boughton Roufe.

up o to be a confiderable state: and at one time, were of fome confideration, in the politics of upper Hindooftan.

Aurungzebe died in 1707, in the 90th year of his age, at AmedHagur, 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 exceeded 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 course of 50 years after his death, a fucceffion of weak Princes and wicked Minifters, reduced this aftonishing empire to nothing.

毁

Aurangzebe 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 exprefs 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, tranflated 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 bi gotry, 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 sion appear to him, when he fays, " Wherever I look, I fee nothing but, the DIVINITY.”

要

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 Azem had proposed 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 con¬ ftantly mentioned in the memoirs of Eradut Khan.

*』

Bahader Shah reigned about five years, and was a Prince of con fiderable ability, and great attention to business: but the convuls fions with which his elevation had been attended (notwithstanding his pretenfions, as eldeft fon 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 such a state of weakness, as required not only the exertion of the best talents, but also much time, to reftore, The rebellion of his brother Kaum Buksh, foon after his acceffion, called him into the Deccan and this being quelled by the death of Kaum Buksh, and the total difperfion of his followers, he wifely quitted this scene 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 ftrong 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

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