"When Aurangzeb learnt that the head of Dara had arrived, he ordered it to be brought to him in the garden on a dish, with the face cleaned of the blood on the surface and a turban on the head. He called for lights to be brought so that he might see the mark borne by the prince on his forehead, and might make sure that it was the head of Dara, and not that of another person. After he had satisfied himself, he told them to put it on the ground, and gave it three thrusts in the face with the sword he carried by way of staff, saying, “Behold the face of a would be king and emperor of all the Mogul realms. Take him out of my sight.” He gave secret orders to place it in a box, to be sent by runners to the eunuch Atbar can [Iti’bar Khan], who had charge of Shahjahan’s prison, with orders to deliver it to him when seated at table. It was to be offered in his name as a plat… On receipt of Aurangzeb’s orders, Iti’bar Khan, to comply with them, waited until the hour when Shahjahan had sat down to dinner. When he had begun to eat, Iti’bar Khan entered with the box and laid it before the unhappy father, saying: “King Aurangzeb, your son, sends this plat to your majesty, to let him see that he does not forget him.” The old emperor said: “Blessed be God that my son still remembers me’. The box having been placed on the table, he ordered it with great eagerness to be opened. Suddenly, on withdrawing the lid, he discovered the face of Prince Dara. Horrified, he uttered one cry and fell on his hands and face upon the table, and, striking against the golden vessels, broke some of his teeth and lay there apparently lifeless."
Quote Details
Added by wikiquote-import-bot
Unverified quote
0 likes
Original Language: English
Available Languages (1)
Sources
Niccolao Manucci quoted from Jain, M. (editor) (2011). The India they saw: Foreign accounts. New Delhi: Ocean Books. Volume III Chapter 16
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Dara_Shukoh
Revision History
No revisions have been submitted for this quote.
Categories
Dara Shukoh
Dara Shukoh, also known as Dara Shikoh (20 March 1615 – 30 August 1659), was the eldest son and heir-apparent of the fifth Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. He was favoured as a successor by his father, Shah Jahan, and his older sister, Princess Jahanara Begum, but was defeated and later killed by his younger brother, Prince Muhiuddin (later, the Emperor Aurangzeb), in a bitter struggle for the imperial throne.
12 quotes on TrueQuotesView all quotes by Dara Shukoh →
Related Quotes
"In one of his letters Aurangzeb himself writes: “The fate of Dara Shukoh excited the passions of the misguided citize…"
"..Paradise is only at a place where no mulla lives, Where no uproar and clamor from mulla is heard, May the world rid…"
"“When I had gone through the Persian translation of this book (the Joga-Vashishta), which is attributed to Shaikh Suf…"
"After gradual research; I have come to the conclusion that long before all heavenly books, God had revealed to the Hi…"
"Bigger in nature was the protest lodged by the citizens of Delhi when the vanquished Prince Dara Shukoh was humiliate…"
"When that the impious seed of heresy, By Akbar nourished, sprang and sprouted fresh In Dara’s soul, the candle of the…"
"The Hindus' sense of gratitude knows no bounds to Muslim rulers like Zayn al-‘Abidin (1420-70) of Kashmir, ‘Alau d-Di…"
"“So long as you held the reins of government I never did anything without your permission, nor did I ever step beyond…"
"“When Aurangzeb learnt that the head of Dara had arrived, he ordered it to be brought to him in the garden on a dish,…"
"Canonical Law and Faith apprehended many kinds of disturbance from his life. So, the Emperor, both out of necessity t…"