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THE FIGHT FOR THE THRONE
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sure (amounting to 17 lacs of rupees), and the same day set out in pursuit of his fugitive brother. Murád-Bakhsh, who had all this time been enjoying the honours of kingship, and had revelled in the title of Hazrat, Your Majesty, which Aurangzíb lavished upon him, accompanied the latter in all the glory of mock sovereignty and twenty-six lacs of rupees in his money bags. They had not put many miles between their camp and Agra, when Aurangzíb connived in making his boorish brother disgracefully drunk, and, virtuously expressing his horror at the sight, and his conviction that so indiscreet a violator of the law of Islam could never be permitted to sit on the throne, threw him into chains (5th July). That night he was secretly conveyed to the state prison in the island fortress of Salímgarh, opposite Delhi. It needed all Aurangzíb's smooth eloquence and a lavish expenditure of bakhshísh to 'square' the army, who had all the soldier's respect for a brave officer and the seasoned trooper's toleration of a drunken man: but it was done, and the successful diplomatist led the combined forces in the footsteps of Dárá.

He went by forced marches, day and night, with his usual unflagging energy; lived the life of a common soldier; ate nothing but meal, drank bad water, and slept on the bare ground. His endurance of hardships awed his followers; but Dárá's own fatal tendency to political suicide saved his brother further trouble. The misguided prince, when aware of Aurangzíb's pursuit, instead of seeking to build up a for-