'Collections of travels through Turky into Persia, and the East Indies. Giving an account of the present state of those countries, as also a full relation of the five years wars, between Aureng-Zebe and his brothers in their father's life time, about the succession. And a voyage made by the Great Mogul (Aureng-Zebe) with his Army from Dehli to Lahor, from Lahor to Bember, and from thence to the Kingdom of Kachemire, by the Mogols, call'd, the Paradise of the Indies. Together with a relation of the Kingdom of Japan and Tunkin, and of their particular manners and trade. To which is added a new description of the Grand Seignior's Seraglio, and also of all the Kingdoms that encompass the Euxine and Caspian Seas, being the travels of Monsieur TavernierBernier, and other great men.' [‎21] (692/1024)

of the Emfire of the M O G O L.
no man doubts, but all his great Omrahs would have followed him > nor would An-
reng-Zebe himfelf have had the boldnefs nor the favagenefs to fight againif his own
Father in Perfon, efpecially fince he mull have apprehended, that all the world would
have abandon’d him, and poffibly Morad-Baiqhe himfelf. And ’tis indeed the great
fault which Chah-Jeban is obferved to have committed after the Battel, and*" the
flight of Vara, not to have come out of the Fortrefs. But yet I have converfed
with many, who maintained that Cbah-Jehan did prudently in it. For this hath been a
queftion much agitated among the Politicians, and there are no reafons wanting to
countenance the Sentiment of the latter fort j who alfo add, that Men almolf always
judge of things by the Event > that often very foolifli Enterprifes have been obfer
ved to fucceed> and which therefore are approved by all» that if Chah-Jeban had
profpered in his deilgn, he would have been efteemed the moil prudent and the molt
able Man in the World * but now being taken, he was nothing but a good old Man
that fuffer’d himfelf to be led by a Woman, his Daughter Begum Courteous or formal title for (usually Muslim) women of elite status, especially of Turko-Mongol lineage. ■ which was blind
ed by her pailion, and had the vanity to believe,- that Aureng-Zebe would come to fee
her, that the Bird of it felf would fly into the Gage, or at leaf, that he would never
be fo bold as to attempt the feifure of the Fortrefs, nor have the power to do fo.
Thefe fame Reafoners maintaining alfo ftifiy, that the greatefl fault that Sultan
Mahmoud could poflibly commit, was, that he knew not how to take the occafion to
allure himfelf of the Crown, by the rarefl and the moft generous A&ion that ever was
to put his Grandfather at liberty, and thus to do himfelf Right and Jultice, as the So-
veraign Umpire of Affairs j whereas, as things now Hand, he mull one day go and
dye in Goualeor. But Sultan Mahmoud (whether it was that he feared his Grandfa
ther would not keep his word with him, or that he fhould be himfelf detained with
in, or that he durlt not play tricks with his Father Aureng-Zehe)vjo\x\d. never hearken to
anything, nor enter into the Apartment of Chab-Johan, anfwering very clofely, that
he had no order from his Father to go and fee him, but that he was by him com
manded not to return, without bringing him the Keys of all the Gates of the Fortrefs,
that fo he might come with all fafety to kifs the Feet of his Majefly. There palled
almoft two whole days before he could refolve to furrender the Keys', during which
time, Sultan Mahmoud ftaid there, unalterable in his refolutions, keeping himfelf up
on his Guard night and day, with all his Troops about him, till at length Chab-
Jehan, feeing that all his people that were upon the Guard at the little Gate, little by
little disbanded, and that there was no more fafety on his fide, gave him the Keys,
with an order to tell Aureng-Zebe, that he Ihould come prefently if he were wife, and
that he had moft important things to difeourfe with him about. But Aureng-Zebc
was too cunning to commit fo grofs a fault: On the contrary, he made his Eunuch
BLtbarkan Governor of the Fortrefs, who prefently (hut up Chah-Jehan, together with
Bcgum-Saheh, and all his Women j cauling divers Gates to be walled up, that fo he
might not be able to write or fpeak to any body, nor go forth out of his Apartment
without permiftion.
Aureng-Zebe in the mean time writ to him a little Note, which he (hewed to every
body before he fealed itin which, among other things, he told him with dry expreft-
iions, that he knew from good hands, that notwithftanding thofe great proteftations
of efteem and aifedfion hqmade to him, and of contempt he made of Vara, he had,
(or all that, fent to Vara two Elephants charged with Rupies of Gold, to raife him
again, and to re-commence the Wan and that therefore, in truth, it was not he that
imprifoned him, but Vara, and that he might thank him for it, as the caufe of all
thefe misfortunes, and if it had not been for him, he would have come the very ftrft
day to him, and paid him all the moft dutiful refpedts he could have looked for from
a good Son: That, for the reft, he begged his pardon, and a little patiencev as foon
as he fliould have difenabled Vara from executing his evil defigns, he would come him
felf and open the Gates to him. '
1 have heard it faid concerning this Note, that Chah-Jehan in very deed, the fame
night that Vara departed, had fent to him thefe Elephants laden with Rupies of Gold,
and that it was Rauchenara- Begum Courteous or formal title for (usually Muslim) women of elite status, especially of Turko-Mongol lineage. that found a way to difeover it to Aureng-Zebe as
(he alio had deteifed to him that Plot, which was laid againft him with thofe Tarta
rian Women ^ and that Aureng-Zebe himfelf had intercepted fome Letters of Chah-Je
han to Varai
l have