ministers in his confidence had access to the
Emperor. Even the people of Delhi, therefore,
had reason to suspect that Shah Jahan was no
more. The rumour spread to the farthest provinces with the proverbial speed of ill news. The
evil was aggravated by Dara's injudicious action.
To smooth the path of his own accession, he set
men to watch the ferries and stop all letters and
messengers going to his brothers in Bengal,
Guzerat, and the Deccan. He also kept their
Court agents under watch lest they should send any report to their masters.[1]
But this only wrought greater mischief. Ignorance and uncertainty are more Alarm, suspicion and confusion throughout the Empire. dangerous than the knowledge of truth. The princes and people in the distant provinces, with their regular news-letters from the Court suddenly stopped, naturally concluded that the worst had already come to pass. What letters they got indirectly only confirmed the belief. While their official news-writers and Court-agents at the capital were being guarded by Dara, other people of the city contrived to smuggle letters out to the princes, offering their devotion and reporting the gossip of the market-place about the condition
- ↑ Alamgirnamah, 28. Kambu, 8b. Faiyos-ul-qawanin, 418. Masum, 30a and b.
