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APPENDIX I
Regarding Dryden's Tragedy of Aureng-Zebe
Aureng-Zebe, A tragedy. Acted at the Royal Theatre. Written by John Dryden, Servant to his Majesty is entered in the Stationers' Register on November 29th, 1675, and Malone is of opinion that it had probably been acted in the spring of that year. The dramatis personæ and plot are as follows, from which, and from what follows, will be seen what poetical licence the Author has taken with the text of the History he used:
| The old Emperour [in love with Indamora]. | |
| Aureng-Zebe, his son [in love with Indamora]. | |
| Morat, his younger Son [son of Nourmahal]. | |
| Arimant, Governour of Agra [in love with Indamora]. | |
| Dianet, | Indian Lords, or Omrahs of several Factions. |
| Solyman Agah, | |
| Mir Baba, | |
| Abbas, | |
| Asaph Chawn, | |
| Fazel Chawn, | |
| Nourmahal,[1]: the Empress. | |
| Indamora, a captive Queen [of Cassimere, in love with Aureng-Zebe]. | |
| Melesinda, wife to Morat. | |
| Zayda, favourite Slave to the Empress. | |
Scene, Agra, in the year 1660.
The Emperour, who is 70 years of age, had been so ill that his death was expected—his four sons had taken up arms to contend for the Empire—Aureng-Zebe, who remains loyal to his Father, defeats
- ↑ Núr Mahúl was the wife of the Emperor Jahíngír, and died, aged 72, in 1645. Mumtáz Mahál was Sháh Jahán's wife, and she died in 1631, and is buried in the Taj. Many compilers of books of Indian History have confounded the one with the other. Dryden has of course availed himself of a poet's licence.
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