Travels in the Mogul Empire

by François Bernier

This anecdote may serve as a specimen of the spirit which animates the women of this country.

I might mention several instances of the same kind, having seen many wives burn themselves after the death of their husbands: but these are details which I reserve for another place; where I shall, at the same time, show the ascendency which prejudice, ancient habit, hope, the force of public opinion, and the principle of honour, have over the human mind.66

Chah-Jehan was now reduced to a state of hopelessness and misery.

He was not in a situation, however, to resist the wishes of Dara, for he still continued to labour under the influence of disease, and was the servant rather than the sovereign of his eldest son. To

It is not surprising, therefore, that this Prince was enabled to assemble a numerous army, finer than perhaps had ever trod the plains of Hindoustan.

The lowest calculation makes it amount to one hundred thousand horse, more than twenty thousand foot, and eighty pieces of cannon; besides an incredible number of camp-followers, and those bazar dealers,

Unquestionable it is, that the force under Dara’s command was sufficient, in point of physical strength, to overwhelm two or three such armies as Aureng-Zebe’s, whose utmost number could not exceed forty thousand men of all arms, and these harassed and nearly worn out by long marches under a vertical sun.

This scheme was admirably adapted to preserve peace, and to arrest the progress of that haughty prince: neither he nor Morad-Bakche would probably have felt disposed to fight against their father: or, if they had ventured upon such a step, their ruin must have been the consequence; for Chah-Jehan was popular among all the Omrahs, and the whole army, including the troops under the two brothers, was enthusiastically attached to his person.

Failing in their attempt to prevent an appeal to the sword, Dara’s friends exhausted every argument to dissuade him, at least, from acting with precipitancy, and to induce him to delay the battle until the arrival of Soliman-Chekouh, who was hastening to his assistance.

But the quick-sighted and wily Fakire, who was everywhere provided with spies, fully aware of the difficulty of passing the river when thus defended, came indeed, and encamped sufficiently near to have his tents descried by Dara, but was at the same time intriguing with a Raja of the name of Chempet,70 whom he gained over by presents and promises, and through whose territory he obtained permission to march his army for the purpose of reaching speedily that part of the river where it is fordable. Chempet even undertook to be his guide through forests

The position chosen by him was five leagues distant from Agra, the name of the place which was formerly called Samonguer,72 is now Fateabad, that is to say the Place of Victory.

The only answer returned by Dara to these letters was, that three days should not elapse ere he brought Aureng-Zebe and Morad-Bakche, bound hands and feet, to his father, who might pass such judgment upon his rebellious sons as to him should seem meet.

He placed the whole of his cannon in front, linked together by chains of iron, in order that no space might be left for the entrance of the enemy’s cavalry.

Immediately in the rear of the cannon, he ranged a line of light camels, on the forepart of whose bodies small pieces of ordnance, somewhat resembling swivels in our vessels, were fixed:74 these the rider could charge and discharge at pleasure, without being obliged to dismount.

Behind these camels was posted the most considerable part...

The rest of the army consisted principally of cavalry, armed either with sabres, and those kind of half-pikes used by the Ragipous; or with sabres and bows-and-arrows; which latter weapon is generally used by the [Page 48] Mogols, that is (according to the present acceptation of the term Mogol) foreigners whose complexions...

The army was formed into thre...

excepting that among the troops of the Omrahs, stationed on either flank, a few pieces of field artillery were intermixed and concealed; a stratagem invented, it is said, by Emir-Jemla, and attended with some success.

It cannot be denied that the cavalry of this country manoeuvre with much ease, and discharge their arrows with astonishing quickness; a horseman shooting six times before a musketeer can fire twice.

They also pre- [Page 49] serve excellent order, and keep in a compact body, especially when charging the enemy.

But, after all, I do not think very highly of their proficiency in the art of war as compared with our well-equipped armies, for reasons which I sh...

the artillery of both armies opened their fire, the invariable mode of commencing an engagement; and the arrows were already thick in the air, when suddenly there fell a shower of rain so violent as to interrupt the work of slaughter for a while.

And not only the body which he led to the attack, but those by which he was followed, were thrown into disorder. Still did he retain an admirable calmness, and evince his immoveable determination not to recede. He was observed on his elephant looking about him with an undaunted air, and marking the progress of the action.

but the greater part seemed to have imbibed Dara’s spirit, and followed their intrepid commander, until the cannon were forced, the iron chains disengaged, the enemy’s camp entered, and the camels and infantry put completely to the rout.

It was now that the cavalry of both armies coming in contact, the battle raged with the greatest fierceness. Showers of arrows obscured the air, Dara himself emptying his quiver: these weapons, however, produce but little effect, nine out of ten flying over the soldiers’ heads, or falling short.

During the whole of this tremendous conflict, Dara afforded undeniable proofs of invincible courage, raising the voice of encouragement and command, and performing such feats of valour that he succeeded at length in overthrowing the enemy’s cavalry, and compelling it to fly.

Aureng-Zebe, who was at no great distance, and mounted also on an elephant, endeavoured, but without success, to retrieve the disasters of the day; He attempted to make head against Dara with a strong body of his choicest cavalry; but it was likewise driven from the field in great confusion.

Here I cannot avoid commending his bravery ...

the number which remained unbroken and collected about his person not exceeding one thousand—I have been told it scarcely amounted to five hundred,—he found that Dara, notwithstanding the extreme ruggedness of the ground which separated them, evidently intended to rush upon his remaining little band; yet did he not betray the slightest symptom of fear, or even an inclination to retreat; but calling many of his principal officers by name, called aloud to them,

What hope can we find in flight? Know ye not where is our Decan? Koda-hé! Koda-hé! And then, to remove all doubt of his resolution, and to show that he thought of nothing less than a retreat, he commanded (a strange extremity surely!) that chains should [Page 51] be fastened round the feet of his elephant; a command he would undoubtedly have seen obeyed, if all those who were about him had not given the strongest assurances of their unsubdued spirit and unshaken fidelity.

Certainly he ought to have felt that without the destruction or capture of his brother, victory would be incomplete; nor should he have suffered any consideration to move him from his purpose of attacking Aureng-Zebe, now that he was so clearly incapable of offering effectual resistance.

Dara perceived at this critical moment that his left wing was in disorder; and some one then brought him intelligence of the deaths of Rustum-Kan and Chatresale, and of the imminent peril into which Ramseingue Routlé was placed in consequence of having valiantly burst through the enemy, by whom he was, however, entirely surrounded.

Meanwhile Ramseingue Routlé was opposed to Morad-Bakche, and performing prodigies of valour. The Raja wounded the Prince, and approached so near as to cut some of his elephant’s girths, hoping in that way to bring his antagonist to the earth; but the intrepidity and adroitness of Morad-Bakche did not permit him to accomplish his object. Though wounded and beset on all sides by the Ragipous, the Prince disdained to yield: he dealt his blows with [Page 52] terrible effect, throwing at the same time his shield over his son, a lad of seven or eight years of age, seated at his side; and discharged an arrow with so unerring an aim that the Ramseingue Routlé fell dead on the spot.

Calil-ullah-Kan, who commanded the right wing, consisting of thirty thousand Mogols, a force which alone was sufficient to destroy Aureng-Zebe’s army, kept aloof from the engagement, while Dara, at the head of the left wing, fought with courage and success.

Calil-ullah had suffered the indignity of having been shoebeaten82 at the hands of Dara, and he considered the hour arrived when he might gratify the resentment which had never ceased to rankle in his bosom.

The traitor, therefore, had recourse to another expedient. He quitted his division, followed by a few persons, and riding with speed towards Dara precisely at the moment when that Prince was hastening to assist in the downfall of Morad-Bakcke, he exclaimed, while yet at some distance, ‘Mohbarek-bad, Hazaret, Salamet, Elhamd-ulellah: May you be happy!

Had Dara considered the consequences of quitting the back of his elephant on which he had displayed so much valour, and served as a rallying-point to the army, he would have become master of the Empire; but the credulous Prince, duped by the artful obsequiousness of Calil-ullah, listened to his advice as though it had been sincere.

The troops having missed their Prince, a rumour quickly spread that he was killed, and the army betrayed; an universal panic seized them; every man thought only of his own safety, and how to escape from the resentment of Aureng-Zebe.

Aureng-Zebe remained during a quarter of an hour steadily on his elephant, and was rewarded with the crown of Hindoustan: Dara left his own elephant a few minutes too soon, and was hurled from the pinnacle of glory, to be numbered among the most miserable of Princes:—so shortsighted is man, and so mighty are the consequences which sometimes flow from the most trivial incident.

These immense armies frequently perform great feats; but when thrown into confusion it is impossible to restore them to discipline. They resemble an impetuous river which has burst its banks; and whose waters, unrestrained in their course, disperse over the surrounding country, while no means can be devised to arrest them in their career of desolation.

I am no longer incredulous, or even astonished, when I read of the exploits of the ten thousand Greeks, or of the achievements of the fifty thousand Macedonians under Alexander, though opposed to six or seven hundred thousand men; if, indeed, it be true that the armies of Darius amounted to so many, and that the servants,

and various other persons employed to procure provisions, were not comprehended in this number.

By receiving the onset with their usual steadiness, the French troops would throw any Indian army into consternation; or they might, as Alexander did, direct their chief effort to a particular part of the line; and the success attending such a movement would fill t...

The Prince thanked him, and loaded him with promises, but was cautious not to receive him in his own name.

During this interview Aureng-Zebe addressed his brother as his acknowledged King and Sovereign, observing to Calil-ullah-Kan that it was Morad-Bakche alone who was qualified to wear the crown, and that the victory was gained only by the skilful conduct and irresistible valour of that Prince.87

Aureng-Zebe concealed under the garb of disinterestedness and purity of intention his raging passion for sovereignty.

the present, I advise you to take the road to Dehli, where you will find a thousand horses in the royal stables; and the governor of the fort has my orders to furnish you with money and elephants.

He sent several messages to Begum-Saheb, and departed at midnight, with his wife, daughters, and his youngest son Sepé-Chekouh,90 accompanied, and this is almost incredible, by not more than three or four hundred persons.

One of his first measures was to gain over, or at least to sow the seeds of disunion, among the victorious troops commanded by Soliman-Chekouh, and thus destroy Dara’s last hope of retrieving his fortunes.

He counselled them to consult their best interests by joining his army, and bringing with them Soliman-Chekouh, whose person they might easily seize.