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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
The series of atrocious crimes by which Shahjahân (Khurram) had cleared his way to the throne is narrated on pp. 30-35, and summed up as the murther of Father, three Brothers, three Nephewes, and two Cozen Germans. Since which, his Queene (Assaph Chawn's. Daughter) died, and he hath taken his own daughter to be his wife. These crying sinnes have apparently drawne down God's heavy judgments upon those Countries; by those immediate and late Plagues of Pestilence and Famine, never heard of the like in those parts before, the Sworde will doubtless follow in God's appointed time. For he will have glory by punishing those from whom he cannot have glory. And Curroon (or Shaw Iehan) is not yet sensible of those castiga. tions.'
Herbert, like De Laët, evidently kept up communication with India, most probably with Surat, and continued to be informed of events which had happened since he came home. There is nothing in the wording of the passage cited from the 1st edition to suggest indebtedness to De Laët's .book.
The second edition, entitled Some Yeares Travels into Divers Parts of Asia and Afrique, etc., etc., revised and enlarged by the Author, appeared in 1638, with an expanded version of the Mughal history. On p. 105 we are told of the death of Jahangir, (suspected of poison) the twelfth of October or Ardabehish, in the yeare of our accompt 1627 and of the Hegira 1007.'3
"
Page 107 gives details of the murder of sight princes, relatives of Shahjahân, all of whom were without any respect buried in a garden in Lahore, near the entrayls of Jangheer; but their heads (as an assurance of their death) sent to Curroon, to glut his eyes (by so horrid a Spectacle) with infernall ambition.'
[NOVEMBER, 1914
nature that that yeare [1634 in margin] his whole empire was so wounded with. God's arrowes of plague, pestilence and famine, this thousand yeares before never so terrible: The sword also seems to threaten him,' etc.
On the same page the author proceeds :-' Thus
has Curroon (through a sea of blood) attayned the highest post and dignity of the eastern world
... but these sinnes he makes nothing of, have apparently in these our times drawn down the heavy Judgments of God Almighty, both, in taking his beloved wife away the week of his inauguration, since when he has made his daughter (by that dead Lady) his wife: incest of so high a
This passage clearly shows that the author had perused De Laët's second impression, which, consequently, cannot be dated later than 1634. The words by that dead Lady, in particular, are obviously a translation of De Last's e defuncta ills."
The whole passage, with some slight verbal changes, is repeated in the fourth edition of 1677, p. 99.
I conclude, therefore, that in 1633 or 1634 Herbert heard of the scandal independently of De Laet's book, although in all probability he obtained his information from Sirat, as the Dutch author did. Between 1634 and 1638 Herbert evidently saw the second impression of De Laët's book, and borrowed its language, which he continued to use in later editions. He never quotes his authorities, but there are other indications that he was familiar with De Laat's work, which in 1638 was the best available book on the subject of the Mughal history.
The scandal is referred to by Bernier, who was in India from 1659 to 1667, by Tavernier, whose Indian travels extended from 1640 to 1667, by the Dutch author, Valentyn, whose book was published in 1726, and by Manucci (1653-1708). The author. last named discredits the accusation.
Bernier writes: Bêgum-Saheb, the elder daughter of Chah-Jehan, was very handsome, of lively parts, and passionately beloved by her father. Rumour has it that his attachment reached a point which it is difficult to believe, the justification of which he rested on the decision of the Mullahs, or doctors of their law. According to them, it would have been unjust to deny the King the privilege of gathering fruit from the tree he had
himself planted.
Mr. Constable appends the note:-'This statement is repeated by Valentyn, in his Beschryving... van de Levens der Groote Moguls, Dordrecht and Amsterdam, 1726, in these words:"Bégum Saheb, die om haare schonheit van haaren Vader zer, ja te veel, bemind wierd;" that is to say:Bêgam Sahib, who, on account of her beauty was
3 The Hijra year was 1037, for which 1007 is a misprint. According to the Badshah-Nama (E. 2 D., VII, 5), the date was Safar 28-Oct. 28. Such differences in dating are met with constantly in the authorities.
