CHAPTER IV. moved one complication; but it led to the question of advance. The imperial officers urged a retreat. Abul Fazl refused to retreat. He had been bred in a cloister; he was approaching his fiftieth year; he had never before been in active service; but he had the spirit of a soldier; he refused to retreat from an enemy's country; he pushed manfully on for Ahmadnagar. His efforts were rewarded with success. The queen regent was assailed by other enemies, and yielded to her fate. She agreed that if Abul Fazl would punish her enemies, she would surrender the fortress of Ahmadnagar. Akber invades the Dekhan. Military operations. Tidings had now reached Akber that his son Murád was dead. He resolved to go in person to the Dekhan. He left his eldest son Selim in charge of the government. He sent an advance force under his other son Danyál, associated with the Khan Khanán. The advance force reached Burhanpur. There the disloyalty of Bahadur Khan was manifest; he refused to pay his respects to Danyál.79 Akber was encamped at Ujain when the news reached him. He ordered Abul Fazl to join him; he ordered Danyál to go on to Ahmadnagar; he then prepared for the subjugation of Bahadur Khan. The story of the operations may be told in a few words. Danyál advanced to Ahmadnagar. Chánd Bíbí was slaughtered by her own soldiers. Ahmadnagar was occupied by the Moghuls. Meanwhile Bahadur Khan abandoned Burhanpur and took refuge in the strong fortress of Asírghur. Akber was joined by Abul Fazl and laid siege to Asírghur. 79 This is a well-known game with the feudatory princes in India. When inclined to grow disaffected towards the paramount power they begin to show a want of respect. They excuse themselves under the plea of sickness. The siege lasted six months. At last Bahadur Khan CHAPTER IV. surrendered; his life was spared; henceforth he fades away from history. So far Akber had prospered; he had conquered Revolt of Selim. the great highway into the Dekhan—Malwa, Khandesh, Berár, and Ahmadnagar. He raised Abul Fazl to the command of Four thousand. He resolved on conquering the Dekhan. He was about to strike when his arm was arrested. His eldest son Selim had broken out in revolt. He had gone to Allahabad and assumed the title of Padishah. Fazl. Akber returned alone to Agra; he was fall- Murder of Abul ing on evil days. He effected a reconciliation with Selim; he saw that Selim was still rebellious at heart; that his best officers were inclining towards his undutiful son. In his perplexity he sent to the Dekhan for Abul Fazl. The trusted servant hastened to join his imperial master. But Selim had always hated Abul Fazl. He instigated a Rajpoot chief of Bundelkund to way-lay Abul Fazl. This chief was Bir Singh of Urchah. Bir Singh fell upon Abul Fazl near Nawar, killed him, and sent his head to Selim. Bir Singh fled from the wrath of the Padishah; he led the life of an outlaw in the jungle until he heard of the death of Akber. Akber was deeply wounded by the murder of Evil days. Abul Fazl. He thereby lost his chief support, his best and trusted friend. Henceforth he seemed to yield to circumstances rather than to struggle against the world. Other misfortunes befell him. His mother died. His youngest son Danyál killed himself with drink in the Dekhan. His own life was beginning to draw to a close. The last events in the reign of Akber are ob 1605 investi CHAPTER IV. Scure. Outwardly he became reconciled to Selim. Death of Akber, Outwardly he abandoned scepticism and heresy; ture of Selim. he he professed himself a Mussulman. At heart he was anxious that Selim should be set aside; that Khuzru, the eldest son of Selim, should succeed him on the throne. It is impossible to unravel the intrigues that filled the court at Agra. At last Akber was smitten with mortal disease. For some days Selim was refused admittance to his father's chamber. In the end there was a compromise. Selim swore to maintain the Mussulman religion. He also swore to pardon his son Khuzru, and all who had supported Khuzru. He was then brought into the presence of Akber. The old Padishah was past all speech. He made a sign with his hand that Selim should take the imperial diadem, and gird on the imperial sword. Selim obeyed. He prostrated himself upon the ground before the couch of his dying father; he touched the ground with his head. He then left the chamber. A few hours passed away, and Akber was dead. He died in October, 1605, aged sixty-three.00 Burial of Akber. The burial of Akber was performed after a simple fashion. His grave was prepared in a garden at Secundra, about four miles from Agra. 80 The disease of which Akber died is a mystery. It should be explained that Selim succeeded Akber on the throne under the name of Jehangir. There is a diffuse account of the sickness and death of Akber in the Autobiography of Jehangir; it is obscure and unsatisfactory; there is evidently something which the author of the Autobiography wishes to conceal. Father Catrou reveals the fact; Akber had taken one of the poisoned pills. This is confirmed by Tavernier. Whether the pill was taken by accident or given to Akber by design can never be positively known. The language of the Autobiography excites dark suspicions. Hakim Ali, the doctor of Akber, was accused of having grossly erred in his prescriptions. Jehangír refused to have him punished. (See Autobiography, page 71.) It is impossible to avoid the conclusion that the pill was given to Akber by Hakim Ali at the instigation of Jehangir. That Jehangir was capable of such a crime will be proved by the history of his reign. The body was placed upon a bier. Selim and his CHAPTER IV. three sons carried it out of the fortress. The young princes, assisted by the officers of the imperial household, carried it to Secundra. Seven days were spent in mourning over the grave. Provisions and sweetmeats were distributed amongst the poor every morning and evening throughout the mourning. Twenty readers were appointed to recite the Koran by the grave every night without ceasing. Finally, the foundations were laid of that splendid mausoleum, which is known far and wide as the tomb of Akber. empire. The death of Akber brings the first act of State of the Moghul history to a close. The Moghul empire was a thing accomplished; for a century and a half it was held together by the prestige of its name. Meantime the British were beginning to appear in India. Throughout the previous century the Portuguese had held the monopoly of the Indian trade. Before the death of Akber they were in friendly alliance with the Great Moghul. But Dutchmen and Englishmen were already spying out the land. In 1599 the merchants of London subscribed a capital of thirty thousand pounds. In 1600 the East India Company obtained its first charter from Queen Elizabeth. In 1601 the first ships were despatched from England to open up a trade in the Eastern seas. It was not, however, until the year 1608 that an Englishman of any mark reached the court at Agra. Meanwhile the Moghul empire moved along. Selim ascended the throne at Agra under the name of Jehangir," the conqueror of the world." The people filled the air with acclamations. The Amírs and Rajas of the empire prostrated |