on October 28, 1627, in the sixtieth year of his age, and the twentysecond of his reign, and was interred in the mausoleum he had prepared for himself at Lahore. Shah Jehán crowned at Agra, 1628. The empress CHAPTER XXI. OF THE REIGN OF THE EMPEROR SHAH JEHÁN, IMMEDIATELY on the receipt of the news of his father's death, Shah Jehán proceeded to Agra, and ascended the throne on January 26, 1628. Between that period and the death of Jehángeer there had been an attempt by Prince Shahriar to gain the throne; but it had been suppressed by Asof Khan, the prime minister, who defeated and imprisoned him. And the empress, after this event, retired into privacy, from which she never again emerged. She was allowed a pension pensioned. of 250,000l. a year; and, according to Khafie Khan, the historian of the period, abstained from all entertainments, became profuse in her charities, and wore no colour but white, to the period of her death. The emperor's accession was the occasion of splendid rejoicings at Agra; and there being no war in progress, in any part of his dominions, he devoted himself to his favourite pursuit-architecture-and commenced those famous buildings by which his name is perpetuated. An invasion of the Uzbeks, and the insurrection of Rajah Nursing Déo of Bunkelkund, gave employment to portions of the army; but the rebellion of Khan Jehán Lody, the commander-in-chief and viceroy of the Deccan, was of more moment, and became ultimately the foundation of a greater interference in, and control over Deccan affairs, than had ever yet been exercised. It may be presumed that, from the first, Khan Jehán Lody had determined His antece- upon achieving independence. He was originally an Afghan adventurer, and had risen by his personal valour and skill to the highest rank. He declined to accompany the emperor to Agra; but was invited to court after his accession to the throne, and treated with the utmost consideration. So far, however, from receiving these attentions in a pleasant spirit, Khan Jehán viewed them with the utmost jealousy and alarm; and suddenly quitting his palace at Agra, with all his family, escorted by 2,000 of his veteran retainers, marched southwards. He was pursued and overtaken at the Chumbul river; but he checked the advancing force in a sharp skirmish, Rebellion of dents. Escapes from crossed the river, and plunging into the woody country of Bundelkund and Gondwana, made his way into the Deccan. As soon as his position was ascertained, a Moghul force from the army of the Deccan was sent against him; but Lody had made friends of the local Mahratta authorities, who rose Moghul in his defence, and repulsed the Moghuls with severe loss. Defeats the troops. anxiety. proceeds to Campaign Jehan Lody. The position and character of Khan Jehán Lody were now a subject of much anxiety to the emperor, whose ex- The perience of Deccan politics led him to fear the effect emperor's which a powerful character like his general's might have upon the Kings of the Deccan. If they could be brought into a confederacy, and their united armies led by Khan Jehán Lody, it would be difficult to oppose them; for the contest with Ahmednugger alone had already required all the power of the empire, and that State was still powerful, while Beejapoor and Golcondah were both in a high condition of prosperity. In this The emperor state of affairs, Shah Jehán trusted the Deccan to no the Decean, one; he proceeded to that country in 1629, and divid- 1629. ing his army into three portions, remained himself at Boorhanpoor, to direct the general policy of the campaign. Of the three officers employed, Azim Khan proved the most against Khan efficient. He drove Khan Jehán Lody from place to place, and forced him to retreat to the south, while Lody's cause was much weakened by the defection of his hitherto friend and ally, Shahjee Bhóslay, a Mahratta chieftain of much power and influence, who had been in possession of a great portion of the western dominions of the Ahmednugger State since the death of Mullik Umbur in 1626. It was evident to Shahjee Shahjee that, in the present condition of the Deccan, Khan Bhoslay Jehán had no chance of success; and he accordingly emperor. proceeded to Boorhanpoor, paid his respects to the emperor at the head of 2,000 of his retainers, and was taken into the service as a commander of 5,000, which involved a patent of nobility, and the confirmation of the estates he possessed. This example was followed by his cousin Kelloojee and other Mahratta chiefs, and it is evident that, by this conciliatory and practically useful policy, Shah Jehan not only materially strengthened his own position, but weakened that of his opponents. joins the Beejapoor. Khan Jehán Lody, driven southwards, took refuge at Beejapoor, where he endeavoured to incite the king, Mah- Khan Jehán mood Adil Shah, on pretence of checking the Moghul proceeds to progress, to assist him. But Mahmood could not be induced to do so. He was a peaceful monarch, who devoted himself to civil affairs, and to architecture, in King Mah mood Shah interfere. declines to missed. Khan Jehán 1630. forces which he was a scientific proficient; and all that he could hope for was to preserve what he already possessed, which he considered would be impossible under a Moghul attack. This was perhaps a shortsighted policy, and indeed proved to be so in the end; but Khan Jehán Lody had nothing to offer to induce Mahmood Adil Shah to break his already existing engagements Lody is dis- with the emperor based upon the previous treaties, and Lody was dismissed. He returned to Moortuza Nizam Shah III., then defending himself against the emperor's attacks; and finding no chance of assistance, endeavoured to break through the imperial posts and reach Bundelkund, and incite its ever lawless chiefs to rebellion. Here, however, he was disappointed; so far from assisting him, the local chiefs opposed his Lody killed, progress, and he was finally slain, fighting bravely to the last, near the fort of Kalinjer. The imperial operations were delayed for nearly a year, owing to famine, The Moghul which followed a scarcity of rain; but in 1630, when forage was once more available to some extent, Azim Dowlatabad, Khan marched upon Dowlatabad. Here he was encountered by Moortuza Nizam Shah III. and his army: but the king was defeated in a general action fought near the fort, and the Moghuls following up their adThey occupy vantage, took possession of the country as far as Dharoor. Dharoor. Moortuza III. now dismissed his minister, Tukurrib Khan, who immediately joined Azim Khan, and released Futteh Khan, the son of Mullik Umbur, who had been confined. The defeat of Moortuza III. by the Moghuls, and their occupation of Dharoor, now alarmed Mahmood Adil Shah, and an alliance between him and Moortuza followed, Moortuza and Ahmed- ceding to him the fort of Sholapoor and its dependencies, with some districts in the Koncan. This alliance, however, came too late. Moortuza Nizam Shah was put to death by his minister, who then proffered his allegiance to the emperor; and the army of Beejapoor, before it could effect a junction with that of Ahmednugger, was defeated by Azim Khan. advance on and defeat Alliance between Beejapoor nugger, 1632. The Beejapoor army defeated. Beejapoor besieged, 1632. His open defiance of the Moghuls now drew upon Mahmood Adil Shah the whole brunt of their power; and he was besieged in his capital by Asof Khan. Beejapoor was bravely defended, and the light troops of the State cut off all the supplies of grain and forage from the Moghul army, which was eventually obliged to abandon the siege. These operations had prolonged the emperor's residence The emperor in the Deccan, and he was now (1632) obliged to return to Agra. Mohubut Khan was left as viceroy and But without result. returns to Agra, 1632. Khan viceroy in commander of the forces, and the war was prosecuted with vigour. When Futteh Khan of Ahmednugger made over- Mohubut tures to the emperor, he had been required to give up Khan the State elephants and jewels of the Nizam Shahy Deccan. kingdom. This, however, he had evaded, and shut himself up the fort of Dowlatabad. Here he was eventually confirmed as regent of the State; a proceeding which disgusted Shahjee Bhoslay, who made overtures to Beejapoor through Morar Funt, a Mahratta Brahmin, who was the chief minister, and he joined the Beejapoor army in an advance upon Dowlatabad, while Mohubut Khan proceeded to its relief. Meanwhile, Futteh Khan had again changed sides, and refused to give up the fortress. Mohubut Khan now invested it, and the place was Dowlatabad surrendered after a siege of fifty-eight days. He also taken by the defeated the Beejapoor army, which was weak, and followed it for some distance; but it eluded him. After this, Futteh Khan entered the Moghul service; and the boy whom he had created king was sent as a State prisoner to End of the Gwalior, in February 1633. Thus ended the Ahmed- Nizam Shaby nugger kingdom; but the Deccan was by no means pacified. The King of Beejapoor could not be subdued. Mohubut Khan failed in the siege of Purainda, which he had undertaken with the Prince Shujah, who had been sent as his coadjutor; and the Moghul army having retired to Boorhanpoor, both were superseded in their command, and returned to court. Taking advantage of their discomfiture, Shabjee Bhóslay now set up another prince of the Ahmednugger house, and in his name re-occupied the whole of the western portion of the old dominions, as far as the sea. Moghuls. kingdom. the Deccan, fails. to: These events necessitated the return of the emperor to the Deccan in 1635. He now divided the army into two The emperor portions; one to act against Shahjee-the other, under returns to the command of Khan Dowrán, was directed against 1635. Beejapoor, which was again besieged; but the mode of defence which had been successful before was again resorted the districts around the capital were deserted, the Second siege reservoirs of water beyond the fort emptied, and the of Beejapoor weils poisoned; while Rendoolla Khan, at the head of the cavalry, harassed the imperial army. He could not, however, save the country, which was mercilessly plundered; and in 1636, Mahmood Adil Shah sued for peace. By the treaty Peace with which ensued, he received a considerable portion of Beejapoor, the Ahmednugger dominions, including Sholapoor, Purainda, part of the Koncan, and the country on the banks of the Bheema and Neera; and in return engaged visions. 1636. And its pro Shah to pay twenty lacs of pagodas, or 800,000l., per annum. jee was also to be reduced; but seeing the futility of resistance, he submitted to the emperor, and in 1637 was pardoned, and re-admitted into the imperial service. The emperor III. emperor of Germany. Kandahar regained. Expedition against Balkh, 1644. The Deccan being thus pacified for the time, the emperor returned to Agra in 1637. Several minor affairs had occurred during his absence, in which his troops had been successful; but the most important news he received was the recovery of Kandahar, which had been given up to him by Ally Merdan Khan, its governor, who, having come to court, was taken into the imperial employ, and rendered excellent service in many capacities. A canal which supplies Dehly with water still bears his name. In 1644, in concert with Rajah Jugut Singh, who brought 14,000 Rajpoots of his own clan, Ally Merdan Khan invaded Balkh ; and despite of the severe climate, and stupendous mountain-passes, these brave Indian warriors achieved splendid successes. The service was, however, so arduous, that the emperor moved to Kabool in support, and despatched his son Moorád to operate with his general. The campaign was crowned with success, but tranquillity did not ensue. The Prince Moorád rereplaces him. turned without leave, and was disgraced, and his brother Aurungzebe sent to replace him; the emperor, who had returned to India, again proceeding to Kabool. Aurungzebe was at first triumphant ; but reverses ensued, and he was obliged to take up his position in Balkh. The emperor, perceiving the waste of life and means which these campaigns involved, made over the province to Nuzzur Mahomed, who had originally tempted him to undertake the war, and Aurungzebe was directed to withdraw from Balkh; but his retreat was very disastrous: many of his troops perished in the snow, and by the unceasing attacks of the mountaineers, and the remnant of the army reached Kabool about the end of 1647, in a pitiable condition. Prince Moorád's bad conduct. Aurungzebe The emperor Disastrous retreat of Aurungzebe. Kandahar retaken by the Persians. Is besieged by Aurung zebe without effect. In the year 1648, Kandahar was retaken by the Persians. Aurungzebe had been dispatched to relieve it, but arrived too late; and the siege of the place was undertaken in 1649. The Persian king sent a force for its relief, and the prince was ultimately obliged to raise the siege; but it was renewed in 1652, with a similar result. The artillery employed was in fact insufficient, and Aurungzebe returned to Kabool, to be sent as viceroy to the attempt. Deccan. The Prince Dára Shekoh, the emperor's eldest son, now besought his father to allow him to attempt what had resulted in such signal failures, and a splendid army was Prince Dara's |