Indian Antiquary Vol 40

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 82

THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[MARCH, 1911.
III.--Years 1 to 23 of Boign, 1858-1681. The long reign of fifty years wbich followed may be divided conveniently into two parts--1, the first twenty-three years 1658-1681, during which, the emperor remained in Northern India or Hindūstan ; and II, the remaining twenty-seven years, 1681-1707, which he spent continuously in the Dakhin, or India south of the Narbada. We proceed to give a résumé of events in the former of these periods.
Aurangzēb began his reigo with the issue of various somptuary laws which betoken the strict literalness with which he constrned his religious obligations. The final sabsidence of the contest for the throne was marked by the surrender of Salaimán Shukoh, son of Därä, by the rajah of Garhwal, with whom he had sought a refuge; and the recalcitrant rajah of Bikāner was punished by an expedition into his territory, 1660-1. Of greater importance was the campaign in Assam undertaken by Mir Jumlah, to whom the government of Bengal had been confided. By great efforts the invader resobed Gbargāņw on the Brahmaputra, but was soon forced to beat a retreat by the beavy rain and the absence of supplies. Mir Jumlah died at Dbākä on April 10th 1663, much to the relief of Aurangzēb. About this time the emperor fell ill, May to A gust 1662, aud to restore his health paid a short visit to Kashmir, Dec. 1662 to Oct. 1663, his first and last visit, for he disliked the country.
Just as in the second half of the reign the Dakhin absorbed almost the entire energies of the emperor, so in the first half it demanded a great deal of his attention. Shivāji (6th May 1627), the son of Sbābji, first a Nizâm-al-malki and then a Bijāpuri officer, had now begun to carve out for himself a kingdom in the Mahārashtra country lying in the western half of the Indian peninsula and stretching from Sürat to the confines of Maisūr. In the end of 1662 this able and ambitious man extended his raids into Maghal territory, and with his habitual romantic, reckless, bravery, broke his way at night into the quarters of the governor, Sbā,istab Khan, wounding him and killing one of his sons, April 9th 1663. Shaistab Khan and his colleague, Rajah Jaswant Singh, Rathor, had quarrelled, and seeing the resulting weakness, Aurangzēb superseded them by his son, Mahammad Mu'azzam, transferring Sbâ,istah Khan to Bengal. About this time Shivaji farther distinguished himself by the sack, 15th Jamaţă II, 1074 H. (Jan. 5th, 1664), of the rich city and port of Sarat. Ma'agram having succeeded no better than his predecessor in sappressing the disorders, he was recalled and Rajāh Jai Singh, Kachhwähah, was sent, with Diler Khan, Di,ūdzai, to assist him. On the strength of promises made by Jai Singh, Shivaji surrendered on the 8th 20,1 Hijjah 1075 H. (June 23rd, 1665), and was sent on to court.
Looking on Shivaji us a mere rustic, Aurangzēb hoped to overawe him by a display of hauteur and received the Mahrattah chief in an ungracious manner. Shivaji took the earliest opportunity of escaping, 27th Safar 1077 H. (Aug. 29th, 1666), and after much wandering including, tradition says, an incogoito visit to Banaras, he reached his own couatry, Dec. 1666. Rajah Jai Singh was recalled to court, but died on his way, 20th Muharram 1078 H. (July 11th, 1667), from poison administered by his son, Kirat Singh. The next governor was prince Ma'aggan, again supported by Rajah Jaswant Singh, Rāthor. The prince succeeded in coming to terms with Shivaji, and there was peace for a time. Thon, under his father's instructions, Mu'angem pretended to rebel and tried to inveigle Shivaji into joining him. Shivaji was too quick-witted to be deceived and kept aloof. In 1670 the peace was broken by the Mahomedans, and shortly afterwards Mahübat Khan was placed in command of a large army acting independently of prince Mu'axzam, little or no success, however, attending his efforts. Khan Jahan (Bahadur Khăn), the emperor's foster brother, was now placed in command, but was equally unsuccessful in subduing Shivaji. Twenty years of almost contingous warfare had made the Mahrattah power stronger instead of weaker,