History of Aurangzib Vol-Iii

PERSIAN SOURCES mainly based on MA.. iadunath sarkar. {BtM Educational SerOtce, Indian VOL. Ill 16S84681 Northern India* Corre<êo Revised and Third B^hion. S. C SARKAR ^ SONS LTD. 1-1-10, College Square ; Oalontta. Ftibliahea by S. C, SAKKAfl, %/2A, Harrison Road, Calcniia. S 7 o' H Printer: S, C. MaJUMDAK, sm GOURANCA PIRE33, ?///, Mirzapw Street, CakvUtt' PREFACE 3rd edition, {July, 1928.) The new mateiials that have come into my hands between the publication of the second and third editions of this volume are (I) an old Assamese Buranji, edited 1:»y H. C, Gosvami, (Gauhati, 1922), (2) two MSS. (both incomplete and only partly overlapping) of the letters of Hainid-ud-din, who was originally a servant of the house- hold of Aurangzib'a father-in-law, Shah Nawaz Khan, and latterly became a Mughal faujdar in Malwa, (3) the Rajasthani poem Raj-vilas by Man, printed by the Nagari Prachtuini Sabha, (4) a summary in Hindi of the unpub- lished Rajput bardic chronicles and traditions relating to the birth and early years of Ajit Singh, prepared for me by Rao Gopal Singh Rathor {the Chief of Kharwa), (5) all the daily bulletins of Aurangzib’s Cowl still pre- served at Jaipur, f.c., the residue of what Cob James Tod setrl to the Royal Asiatic Society of London, and (6) the Persian lelteis included in Kaviraj Shyainal Das’s Hindi History of MeVvar, entitled Vira-oinod, 4 vols. But the additional information supplied by these sources to the present volume has been disappointingly small. 7'he Assamese Buranji is much less full and authentic than the Ahom chronicles previously used by me. The letteis of Hamid-ud-din tell us only of petty raids and minor alarms. The Raj-otlas has been alteady abstracted by Tod, and it is after all a Couft-poet’s exaggerated eulogy and not a sober hi.slory. The mass of Ak^barai discovered at Jaipur unfortunately com- mences just where this volume ends and throws no light on the war in Rajputana before Aurangzib’s departure for the Deccan. The current Rajput account summarized by Rao Gopal Singh cannot be always reconciled with the contemporary Persian sources ; the local bards’ poems 11 are matked by iheLoiic and hyperbole, thcii soutcesj ase unknown, and their authors mostly belonged to times lalei than the events described and wrote in a credulous eulogistic vein, giving a loose rein to their imagination or feeding local and 1 amity pride. In short, they embody uncritical popular tradition and trot authentic facts. In the broad outline.? and the general result, however, they, agree with tire narrative I have constructed front the contemporary Persian records- The Vira-oinod aloire is of value, but only with reference to Mewar affairs. The war in Marwar forma only a small portion of the subject matter of this volume, which embraces the events of Northern India during 23 years, and therefore the serrse of proportion and the lack of space have pre- vented me from including many interesting brrt minute details (which are evidently true) from the narrative sup plied by Rao Gopal Singh. My ihenre is the history of the Delhi empire and not that of a provincial tribe. Subject to these remarks, minute corrections and additions have been made in this edition. A new appendix (X) has been added, giving the current Rathor narrative of the war, necessarily in an abridged form. The second Bibliography which appeared in the first two editions has been now omitted, as I intend to give one consolidated list in the proposed sixth volume of this work, which will also contain the index, First edition, 1916, Second edition {1921.) Many minute corrections have been made and two arrd a half pages of additional matter inserted. Appendix Vlll of the first edition (Prrirce Akbar^s letters chronologically arranged) has been here omitted to save space. ]. Sarkar — — CONTENTS Chapter XXVI. The First Half of the Reign, 1 —42 Two halves of the reign, their general features, 1 — variety of incidents in the first half, 3—’Organic unity of Deccan history, 4—Âurangzih’s movements, 5—dates of his enthronement in different years, —dates of coronation festivity, 9—hia illness in 1662, 10—^visit to Kashmir, 14—his shikar, 15—conquest of Assam, 16—suzerainty of Tibet, 1 8-—lawless risings: their causes, 19-20—rebellions in Mathura and Agra, 21 —minor risings, 21 —Idar, 23 counterfeit Dara and Shuja, 25—expedition against Rajah of Bikanir, 26—Champat Rai Bundela, his history, 27— rebellion, 28—is hunted down, 29—Palamau described, 30—its Rajahs, 32—Mughal invasion of Palamau, 34 conquest and annexation, 39—Kathiawad disturbances, 40i—Kumaun invaded, 41. Chapter XXVII. Imperial Family and Court, 43—77 Aurangzib’s sons : Muhammad Sultan, 43'~Mimzzam, 44—Âzaro, 47—dispute between Muazzam and Azam, SO—Akbar, 52~-Kam Bakhsh, 53’—Zeb-iin-nisa, 53—other claughter.s, 54—his sister Jahanara, 55—first lady of the realm at Mughal Court, 57—Raushanara, 59—marriages of his children, 6! —chief officers, 61 Waxirs, 62’^Rajah Raghunath, 64—’Jafar Khan. 65—Âsad Khan, 67—princi- pal Bakkshis, 69—Khan-i-samans, 70—chief Sadara, 71-™ chief Qazis, 72—Abdul Wahhab, 73—Shaikh-ul-lslam, 75™-Censor of Public Morals, 77. 1 —— IV Chapter XXVI 1 1. Moral and Religious Regulations, 78— 100 Desolation of country and famine, 73—transit duties on grain and octroi on food-stuffs abolished, 79—other taxes prohibited, 80—but secretly levied, 80-—Islamic ordinances issued by— Aurangzlb, 81 —duties of Censor of Public Morals, 82 “Burial of Music," 85—-puritanical simplicity of Court, 87—^hig moral reforms ineffectual, 90—treatment of Data after death, 92—-persecution of 94-— Dara’a favourite theologians ; Shah —Muhammad, Sarmad ; his life, 95—his teachings, 96 ^his execution, 99, Chapter XXIX. Relations with the Outer Muslim World, 101 — !2I Aurangzib seeks to gain good opinion of other Muhammadan States, 101 —presents to Mecca, 103 Sharif of Mecca's greed, 104—relations with Persia, 105- embassy from Persia, 107—letters between Shah Abbas II. and Aurangzib, 108—quarrel with Per.sia, 112-—envoys from Central Asia, 1 4 —ex-king of Kaahg'har a 'refugee in India, ! 15—Turkey and its true position in the Muslim world, 118—Abyssinian embassy, ]20. Chapter XXX. Last Years of Shah Jahan, 122—145 Shah Jahaii depo-sed and confined in Agra foil, 122— strictly isolated, 123—his plots for recovering liberty, 124^—rigorous treatment by jailor, 126—forbidden to write letters, 126—Aurangzib demands hi,s Jewellery, 128 and Dara’s women, 129—insolence of eunuch guards, 130—Aurangzib Justifies his own conduct, 132—Shah Jahan’s recrimination, 135—patience of Shah Ja'han, 138—- his last years, 1 38-—his companions in captivity, 139—^last illness, 139—death, 140—burial, 143—public indignation against Aurangzib, 145, —— Chapter XXXI. invasion of Kuch Bihar and Assam, 146— 182 Geogi'aphy of Assam, I•f6—connection with north Bengal, 147—Rajahs of Kuch Bihar, 148—Ahom race, 150 —Ahom society and Government, 150—Bengali influence on Ahoms, 152—Ahom wars with Mughals, 154—Ahoms take Ganhati, 155—Mir Jumla opens campaign, 157 annexes Kuch Bihar, 158^—advances into Assam, 159 enters Garhgaon, |6I —distribution of rival forces, 162 Mughal army isolated during rainy season, 164—attacks by Ahoms, 166—siege of Garhgaon, 169—pestilence and famine in Mughal army, 171 —success of Mughal navy, 173 —Mughal army advances again, 175—reaches Tipam, 176—peace with Ahom king, 177—Mir Jumla’s retreat, 178—his achievement, 179—and character, 181 —his strict control of troops, 182. Chapter XXXIL Eastern India after Death of Mir jumla, 183—213 Ahom war indemnity, hoVv paid, 1 83-—causes of friction, 184—Ahoms renew war, 186—Rajah Ram Singh Kachhwa fights in Assam, 187—Mughals recover Gauhati, 190—Ahoms finally reconquer Kararup, 19 1 —Mughal wars with Kuch Bihar, 19 1 —tribute, 192—gain of Kuch 194 territory, 193—Arrakan ; relations with Bengal, Chatgaon in Magh hands, 194—Feringi adventurers in Arrakan, 195—their piracy in East Bengal rivers, 197 their ravages, 198—routes of pirate ships, 200^—Bengal navy, 202—renovated by Shaista Khan, 203—Sondip con- quered hy Mughals, 204—Feringis of Chatgaon desert to Shaista Khan. 206~'Mug'haI expedition against Chatgaon starts, 207-—naval victories, 209—fort Chatgaon captUred, 210^—Chatgaon in Mughal hands. 212. Appendix IV. Who was the captor of Chatgaon? 213—215. Chapter XXXIII. Afghan War, 216—247 Strong administration by Aurangzib, 216—early history of frontier Pathans, 217—their social system and — VI character, 218—Yusufzais of Peshawar, 219—robbery and invasion, 219—no lasting peace possible, 221 —Yusufzai rising of 1667, 223—Mughal measures of punishment, 224—North Peshawar district pacified, 226—Afridi rising of 1672, 228—Md, Amin Khan plundered in Khaibar Pass, 229—Mughal losses, 230—Khush-hal Khan, the Khatak chieftain, 231 —general rising of all Pathan clans, 233— disaster to Shujaet K'han in Karapa Pass, 235 Aurangzib goes to Hasan Abdal, 237—peace restored on the frontier, 238—Aghar Khan’s victories, 239—disasters and successes, 239~Amir Khan, governor of Afghanistan, bis policy and success, 243—Khush-hal Khan continues to resist, 246—effect of Afghan war on Aurangzib'a affairs in India, 247. Chapter XXXIV. Islamic State-Church, 248—279 The Muslim State is a theocracy, hetree toleration is impossible, 248—jihad a duty, 249— ideal of a Muslim Stale, 250—disabilities of non-Muslims, 25 1 —the Canon Law sanctifies plunder and massacre of unbelievers, 255 evil effects of this policy on the condition and character of Muslims, 257—economic decay of the State under Islam, 260—Ke3^serling on Islam and its effects, 260—formation of nation impossible, 261 —toler.ation illegal according to Muslim Law, 253—Aurangzib's early bigotry, 265—general order for temple destruction, 267'—jaziya ; its theory, 268—its rale, 270—sternly levied, 271 —-its yield, 274— custom duties on Plindus doubled, 275—Hindus excluded from public offices, 277—bribes for conversion, 278— me/cis put down, 279, Appendix V.

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