a religious cloak on their war of personal ambition, that his letters assume a sanctimonious
tone calculated to raise a smile in those who
knew of his private character. Taking the hint
from Aurangzib, the gay reveller of Ahmadabad
poses as the champion of Islam; he threatens
Dara with extirpation as the enemy of the holy
faith; he refers to his eldest brother as the
Mulhid (Idolator),-the
very term adopted by Aurangzib and his Court-historians; and
he professes confidence about his future
success in "reliance on the strong religion of
Muhammad."[1] In short, he was familiarising
himself with the phraseology of one who would
soon become a Padishah Ghazi, or Emperor
waging war on infidels."
While his diplomacy was thus making haj progress and Shahbaz had sent him the first fruits of the loot of Surat city, Murad felt thatMurad sits on the throne further delay was a mere waste of opportunity. His action was also hastened by the astrologers who declared with one voice that at 4 hours 24 minutes after the sunrise of 20th November there was such a conjunction of auspicious planets as would not happen again for many years to come. The moment was too precious
- ↑ Faiyaz-ul-qawanin, 427, 432.
