Page:Letters of Aurungzebe - tr. Bilimoriya - 1908.djvu/15

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Letters addressed to Sultan Mahammad Aluazzam, Shah Alam Bahadur, the Crown Prince.^[1]

LETTER I.

Eldest son of sovereignty, happy son, Muhammad Mūazzam, may God protect and save you. His Majesty, having his abode in paradise (Sháh Jehán, Aurangzebe's father), had a great desire to conquer the provinces of Balkh, Badakhshán, Khorásán, and Hirát which were the ancient possessions of our ancestors.^[2]. He often sent there the royal forces under the command of Mūrád Bakhsha.^[3]

↑ Aurungzebe's second son, born in 1643, of a Rajput princess. He was sent by his father against Shivaji in order to arrest him, but was afterwards recalled. Then he was appointed governor of the Deccan. 1667. In 1686 he took Haiderabad. Afterwards he marched against Golconda, but he made a convention with the king, Abul Hasan, and communicated with him. Aurungzebe was displeased with him on this account and imprisoned him, 1688; but released him five years later. In 1700 he was appointed governor of Cabul. He was an obedient son and was generous and kind. Most of the seven letters addressed to this prince seem to have been written between 1700 and 1707 when he was viceroy of Cabul. In 1684 he was honoured with the title of Shah Alam Bahadur. After the death of his father he ascended the throne under the name of Bahadur Shah (the First) in 1707 and ruled for five years. He was a wise and able ruler. Had he lived longer his reign would have been accounted prosperous and illustrious. During his rule the Sikhs were subjected to much persecution. It was also in his reign that Nizam-ul-Mulk, the founder of the dynasty of the Nizams of the Deccan, and Sa'adat Ali Khan, the ancestor of the nabobs of Oude, came into prominence. He died in 1712.
↑ Provinces in Persia and Afghanistan conquered by Timur and Babar. Balkh was the cradle of the Zoroastrian religion and a great capital of some of the ancient Persian kings. Badakhshan is known for its ruby mines. Hirat is the gate of India and was many times besieged by the Persians.
↑ Younger brother of Aurungzebe, who was sent by Shah Jehan to assist Ali Mardan Khan in Balkh. He returned to Delhi without the emperor's leave and was consequently disgraced. 1644. He was replaced by his brother Aurungzebe who retreated with great loss. 1647. Then Murad was appointed viceroy of Gujarat. When his father fell ill he joined his brother Aurungzebe and defeated Raja Jasvant Singh and Dara successively. 1657. Afterwards he was imprisoned (1658) by uAurngzebe at Gwalior where he

[1] Aurungzebe's second son, born in 1643, of a Rajput princess. He was sent by his father against Shivaji in order to arrest him, but was afterwards recalled. Then he was appointed governor of the Deccan. 1667. In 1686 he took Haiderabad. Afterwards he marched against Golconda, but he made a convention with the king, Abul Hasan, and communicated with him. Aurungzebe was displeased with him on this account and imprisoned him, 1688; but released him five years later. In 1700 he was appointed governor of Cabul. He was an obedient son and was generous and kind. Most of the seven letters addressed to this prince seem to have been written between 1700 and 1707 when he was viceroy of Cabul. In 1684 he was honoured with the title of Shah Alam Bahadur. After the death of his father he ascended the throne under the name of Bahadur Shah (the First) in 1707 and ruled for five years. He was a wise and able ruler. Had he lived longer his reign would have been accounted prosperous and illustrious. During his rule the Sikhs were subjected to much persecution. It was also in his reign that Nizam-ul-Mulk, the founder of the dynasty of the Nizams of the Deccan, and Sa'adat Ali Khan, the ancestor of the nabobs of Oude, came into prominence. He died in 1712.

[2] Provinces in Persia and Afghanistan conquered by Timur and Babar. Balkh was the cradle of the Zoroastrian religion and a great capital of some of the ancient Persian kings. Badakhshan is known for its ruby mines. Hirat is the gate of India and was many times besieged by the Persians.

[p1_3-3] Younger brother of Aurungzebe, who was sent by Shah Jehan to assist Ali Mardan Khan in Balkh. He returned to Delhi without the emperor's leave and was consequently disgraced. 1644. He was replaced by his brother Aurungzebe who retreated with great loss. 1647. Then Murad was appointed viceroy of Gujarat. When his father fell ill he joined his brother Aurungzebe and defeated Raja Jasvant Singh and Dara successively. 1657. Afterwards he was imprisoned (1658) by uAurngzebe at Gwalior where he

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