224 Hamilton’s -account op the east indies,

thither,’His Majefty demanded what he would have. He anfwered, that what he hadfaid to his wife, was the greateft honour that he was capable to do his King, who, afterhe had honoured his wife with his embraces, thought, himfeif unworthy ever after to co-habit with her.-- The King, paufing a little, ordered him to be unbound, and broughtto his own room, where, as foon as he came, the King embraced him, and ordered aSerpaw or a'royal fuit to be put. upon him, and gave him the command of 5000 horfemore, but took his wife into his own harran or feraglio, and about nine months after,the famous Aurengzeb came into the world. How long the charter held for continuingthofe markets, I know not, but it feems Cha Jehan grew fonder of this lady than ofany he had before, though he had three fons by them, the elded of whofe names Ihave forgot. Aurengzeb was brought up and educated by his mother, till he wasabout twelve years of age, and then he had prieds and philofophers to inftrucf him.

Cha Jehan finding his empire too large, defigned to divide it amongd his fons, andfo placed his elded foil in the northern provinces of Candahaar and Uzbeck, to fuper-intend there, and make him acquainted with thofe people and their cudoms, that hedefigned fhould be his fubje&s. The fecond fon Morad Bucks he fent to Decan, togovern there. The third, Sudan Sujah, he fent to Bengal, to govern that country;and Aurengzeb he defigned for Guzerat, being a fmall province in comparifon of theothers : but when Aurengzeb came to be about eighteen years of age, and had donewith the fchool, he difiembled his ambitious thoughts, and declared that he defired tolive a private life in the province allotted him, and fo took up the Fakire habit andway of life, contemning the honours and riches of the world, and zealoully kept thecanonical hours of prayer, which, by the Alcoran, is five times a day. In this Pha-rifaical way he fpent eight or ten years, till his father began to be old and weak ; andnews being fpread abroad that he was fick, the eldeft fon began to raife an army inliis province, to march towards Agra , in order to feize the crown on his father’s de-mife. Morad Bucks knowing the cruel cuftom of his country, which is either to die,or be fent to an hill near Agra , called Goulour, and there drink the Pouft, (which isan infufion of poppy feeds in water, that provokes fleep) and fpend his days in a le-thargy ; but to avoid both, he alfo raifed a good army in his province, and marchedalfo towards Agra , and Sultan Sujah raifed one in Bengal, but kept within his own-province. Aurengzeb continued in his retirement and holy exercifes, and neither dif-turbed his father’s repofe, as the reft had done, nor was fufpected by his brothers to-have any defign to rule. Aurengzeb had a filter, called Neur Mahaal, that was con-tinually about her father Cha Jehan, and he had a great efteem for her, as Ihe had forAurengzeb ; and as Ihe was a woman of great genius and vivacity, floe filhed out allthe defigns of her father and brothers, and acquainted Aurengzeb with them by letters,and promifed her afiiftance to fet him on the throne.

Cha Jehan fent letters to h'is fons, who were in arms, to difband their forces, upontheir allegiance, but not one obeyed, alledging that they kept in arms for their own fe-curity in cafe of his death. Ihe two eldeft made daily approaches towards Agra , andAurengzeb raifed a fmall but good army, pretending it was to keep the peace of hi&own province. However, as Morad Bucks was on his march towards Agra , he wasobliged to pafs through fome part of Aurengzeb’s territories, and they had an inter-view, and agreed, that if the eldelt fon would not be advifed to retire back with hisarmy to his own province, but continue difobedient to their father’s commands, thenAurengzeb would join Morad Bucks, and compel him by force j but ftill Aurengzebpreached up peace and contempt of worldly grandeur. They wrote preflingly to theirelder brother, to honour their father’s commands, but to no purpofe j fo Aurengzeb

4 marched