Chapter IX

They suffered justly according to their own wickedness; for they
exercised a more detestable hospitality than any: others indeed
received not strangers unknown to them, but these brought their
guests into bondage, that had deserved well of them.

BOOK OF WISDOM.

While the imperial army continued their march towards the ground occupied by the insurgents, Jehangire, finding that the unavoidably slow progress of so large a force gave him the opportunity of paying a visit to Serhind, proceeded to that city attended by a numerous escort of his household guards. Serhind was, at that period, a city of great extent, famed for its wealth, the number and splendour of its temples, and other public edifices, and the magnificence of its private mansions and gardens. It was the abode of men of every nation and faith. Its women, proverbial for their beauty, were not strictly confined within harems, as in other parts of Hindostan; and abounding as it did in luxuries of every description, the great business of life there seemed to be the pursuit of pleasure under all its most alluring forms.

The periodical reports of the local authorities addressed to the emperor had, for some time, noticed the frequent disappearance from the bosom of their families, of females belonging to the better classes of society. Although the members of the families thus deprived of their best ornaments, and the officers of the police had combined their incessant exertions, in order to discover the source of this most serious evil, they had hitherto failed to make out even the slightest clue which might assist them in the accomplishment of their object. The exactions, also, of the principal farmer of the revenue were complained of. Both these matters the emperor had resolved to inquire into personally, with the view of affording his subjects all the redress that was in his power.

On arriving at Serhind, where his majesty was received with every mark of affectionate loyalty and respect, he sent immediately for the chief collector of the revenue, and called upon him to answer to the charges of rapacity and oppression that were made against him, and, especially, to shew upon what ground he had dared to continue the tax of the Zekkaut, which the emperor, upon his accession to the throne, had most strictly forbidden to be levied any more. This was a tax previously imposed upon all the subjects of the empire, the Moslems only excepted. The collector, arrayed in a turban wreathed with diamonds, and a chaplet of large pearls hung round his neck, of the value of at least a lak of rupees, attended by a numerous retinue, also clad in sumptuous attire, paid his homage to the emperor in the most obsequious style, and then proceeded to defend his conduct, upon the plea that the Hindoos being idolaters and infidels, it was fitting that they should pay the Zekkaut for the toleration they enjoyed, and that, moreover, they had amassed great wealth, of which a due proportion, he conceived, ought to go to the treasury of the state, under whose protection they had risen from poverty to affluence.

“Idolators and infidels!” exclaimed the emperor, glad of an opportunity to display his knowledge on this subject. “Such the ignorant amongst them may be, but it is no part of my duty to condemn a whole nation for the ignorance of the poor and the uneducated. If they be in error, and if it be the will of the Supreme Being to punish them for that error, am I called upon to augment the measure of divine justice? If He pardon them, am I to be so presumptuous as to stand between them and His mercy? Their Pundits may have in former ages fallen into some mistakes as to the adoration which the Hindoos pay to images. But in my late conferences with those learned doctors, I have convinced them that an idol cannot be a God, the Almighty being eternally exempt from change or decay, having neither length nor breadth, nor any shape visible to mortal eye. I shewed them that to consider figures, moulded in brass, or carved in wood, as the immediate objects of worship, was a most fearful doctrine, since worship is due to God alone, supreme in glory. It is true, that they still retain in their temples the idols to which I suppose you allude, but it is only because the mind, being in itself so liable to be distracted while at prayer by external objects, they find it necessary to have images before them, solely dedicated to God and his attributes, as otherwise they would find it impossible to settle their attention to a steady contemplation of the perfections of the Omnipotent. Of this no Moslem has a right to complain.

“Besides, what was the language addressed to me by my father, (now in Paradise!) when in the ignorance of youth, I asked him why the haunts of idolatry, as I then deemed them, were not to be overthrown? ‘My dear child,’ said he, ‘I find myself a puissant monarch, the shadow of God upon earth. I have seen that he bestows the blessings of his gracious providence upon all his creatures, without distinction. Ill should I discharge the duties of my exalted station, were I to withhold my compassion and indulgence from any of those entrusted to my charge. With all of the human race, with all God’s creatures, I am at peace; why then should I permit myself, under any consideration, to be the cause of molestation or aggression to any one? Moreover, are not five parts in six of mankind, either Hindoos, or aliens to the Mahometan faith? Were I to be governed by motives of the kind suggested in your inquiry, what alternative can I have but to put them all to death? I have thought it therefore my wisest plan to let these men alone.’

“Neither is it to be forgotten, that the class of men of whom we are speaking, in common with the other inhabitants of Serhind, are usefully engaged, either in the pursuit of science or the arts, or of improvements for the benefit of mankind, and that there are indeed to be found in this city men of every description, and of every religion on the face of the earth.”

The collector, a man far advanced in years, and full of the pride of that superiority which his Moslem faith gave him, as he supposed, above all those who professed a different doctrine, held up his hands in astonishment when he heard these words fall from the lips of his sovereign. He was proceeding to enlarge upon his tried zeal for the throne, for the house of Acbar, for the preservation of the faith, and on the dangers in which such novel doctrines must involve the empire, especially if the zekkaut were to be given up; when Jehangire demanded what proportion of the tax the collector reserved to himself, and how much of it entered the exchequer? This question the official said he could not answer without the production of accounts, which he had never before been called upon to render. They should however be made out, if such were the wish of the “Safeguard of the world.”

Upon the accounts being examined, it turned out that for every rupee of the zekkaut paid into the imperial treasury, five were pocketed by the collector. In order to escape from the difficulty in which this discovery placed him, he offered, as the emperor was now embarked in a war, necessarily attended with great expense, if the zekkaut were continued, to pay in advance the assessment of three whole years, amounting to as much gold as five hundred camels heavily laden could carry.

Jehangire, considering himself fully justified, under the circumstances, in getting possession at all events of the treasure thus tendered, ordered the collector to bring him the money forthwith. In the course of a few hours he re-appeared, himself leading the foremost of five hundred stout camels, all laden with gold to the utmost ounce they could bear, each load covered in wrappers of the finest scarlet of Irâk. Ten of the loads the emperor ordered to be distributed amongst his escort, the remainder to be conveyed to his exchequer at Agra.

“It would be satisfactory to me,” said the emperor, “now to know, whether the whole of this gold, which you have laid at my feet, was exclusively your own property, or whether it belonged in part to others, who wish to share with you in the profits arising out of the collection of the zekkaut.”

“Sire,” replied the extortioner, deeply hurt at the supposition, “my cellars still retain more than double the quantity which you now see before you.”

“What! all your own property!”

“Inherited from my father--now in the bosom of the prophet! When on the eve of death, he disclosed to me that in a certain secret place under ground he had concealed, in large jars, a mass of treasure, which, in the hour of distress, he might employ to relieve himself. I was therefore under no necessity for bringing discredit on my name by borrowing.”

“Impossible! I cannot believe it.”

“I know it, sire, to be the truth that I say.”

“If so, then you cannot hesitate to let one of my officers see the treasure you speak of.”

The collector acceded, without hesitation, to the emperor’s proposal. An officer was forthwith appointed to inspect the vaults, who, upon his return, reported the collector’s statement as by no means exaggerated, for that in his judgment fifteen hundred camels could not convey, at the rate of one load each, the jars filled with gold, which he had seen in the subterranean stores in question.

“It would not be just,” thought Jehangire, “if I were to take possession of the treasures remaining in the jars, as they manifestly belong to this man’s children. But his attempt to continue the zekkaut is not to be forgiven.”

The emperor retired to his closet, where he ordered the immediate attendance of Kuly, his chief executioner. That formidable minister of vengeance in a few minutes presented himself before the sovereign.

“You will find the collector of Serhind,” said Jehangire, “at his own house,--bow-string him. His turban, and chaplet, and dress, are yours. Bind round his loins a linen scarf, and set him, in all other respects naked, on a camel, and so conduct him through all parts of the town, at the same time proclaiming, in a loud voice--‘Such is the punishment to which that man is doomed, who, when his sovereign, from a paternal regard to his people, has remitted the impost of the zekkaut, dared to continue it, and to advise its legal restoration, thus violating the most sacred laws, and attempting by his counsels to give the thoughts of the sovereign a direction, replete with evil to the subject, and dishonour to himself.’”

The order was carried into execution the same evening, amidst the plaudits of the inhabitants of Serhind.

Amongst the personages of distinction, who waited the next day upon the emperor, to return his majesty thanks for this signal mark of his attention to the welfare of his people, was Abdul, generally known at Serhind as a Mogul employed in the pursuit of commercial concerns, and possessed of wealth to an amount, which it was said even he himself could not calculate. His palace, the galleries containing his collections of works of art, his gardens and fountains, all surrounded by a lofty wall of enormous thickness, were the principal ornaments of Serhind, rich as that city was in edifices of excelling splendour.

Abdul, on taking leave, expressed a hope, that before his majesty quitted Serhind, he would deign to permit the shadow of his celestial presence to be seen within his humble abode. Jehangire accepted the invitation; and when the business of the day was concluded, attended by Auzeem, and his ordinary suite, proceeded to the residence of the Mogul.

Embarking on the river, in a twelve-oared galley belonging to Abdul, they were landed on a flight of marble steps, white as snow, which led to a massive bronze gate, moving in a solid frame of porphyry, richly inlaid with gold and lapis lazuli. The master of the mansion was on the marble stairs, waiting to receive them. The gate, which flew open at his command, was immediately closed with a ringing sound, like that of a bell. They immediately found themselves in a covered avenue of sycamores, affording a most delicious shade, planted on each side with scarlet roses. Beyond the avenue were groves of cypress, firs, plane-trees, and evergreens, so disposed as to leave between them all a wide circle, which formed a garden, laid out in beds that teemed with every flower under the sun, each the most perfect of its kind. In the midst of the garden played a fountain of limpid water, which, when occasion required, cast its refreshing dews upon the flower-beds surrounding it. The fragrance of this garden, and its seclusion amidst the groves; the murmurs of the pellucid waters, and the songs of many birds, hid in the adjacent shades, filled the heart of the emperor with transports of delight. “Ah!” thought he, “if Nourmahal were here!”

An ascent, through one of the groves, led the visitors to an elevated terrace, planted with lines of orange and citron-trees on each side, between every pair of which were seen, on pedestals of red granite of Egypt, statues of exquisite workmanship in bronze, gold, and silver, in alabaster, and in marble that rivalled alabaster as to the spotless purity and freshness of its colour. In an alcove, a colossal warrior in bronze held on his left arm a golden shield, of well-proportioned dimensions, upon which the exploits of Acbar were delineated in bold relief, with a degree of accuracy, elegance, and animation, that astonished even the practised eye of Auzeem.

The terrace led to an octagonal pavilion, raised two stories high, surrounded by a double colonnade of jasper pillars, exhibiting from a gallery that ran round the dome, an enchanting view of the neighbouring country. The interior of the pavilion was painted in various compartments, in which were seen processions of slaves captured in battle, and bearing to their conquerors offerings of all the fruits of the earth, the interstices being filled with figures of birds engaged in flight or pursuit, so as to display their character and plumage in the most striking point of view.

This pavilion was composed of two saloons, each capable of affording accommodation to a thousand guests. Four round towers graced and strengthened the outer walls of the edifice. Through one of these towers visitors ascended, by a spiral staircase, to the upper saloon; a second tower was reserved for the visitors descending; and the other two yielded each a small circular apartment, lined by mirrors, and permitting the sky to be seen through a roof of glass. In the lower saloon, coffee, sherbet, and ices, were served to all those for whose enjoyment the Mogul threw open his gardens once a week. The upper saloon was devoted to music and dancing, and the mirrored apartment to tête-a-tête conversations.

Abdul’s mansion was of the castellated form, and occupied a spacious square beyond the pavilion. It had not been for many years open to public view. The interior apartments, those especially of the harem, were said to be furnished in a truly regal style, the floors covered with gold-woven carpets, the walls hung with cloth of gold from Khorassan, with velvets from Gujerat, and figured tapestry, both European and Chinese.

The Mogul appeared to experience no small measure of pride, as he led the emperor along the terrace to the pavilion, where, after pipes and coffee, iced wines, sweetmeats and confectionery were presented to his majesty, on salvers of massive gold, by a numerous train of attendants. Jehangire next expected to be shown through the Mogul’s house; but the latter excused himself on account of its being under repair, and not in a state to receive the sovereign of Hindostan.

Auzeem threw out some hints about the number and beauty of the ladies, whom so much wealth, and such distinguished taste could not fail to have assembled in the harem; but, to his surprise, he learned that Abdul had no wives, and that from some disappointment of the heart, in the early part of his life, he had uniformly declined all the advances of those parents, who, in compassion for his misfortune, tendered their daughters, to share in his unbounded opulence.

On his return from the garden of the Mogul, the emperor, assisted by Auzeem, had a long conference with the civil officers of justice upon the disappearance of so many females of rank and station, as noticed in their reports, and upon the ineffectual steps that had been adopted in order to detect the mode in which it took place. On looking carefully through the reports, and comparing the dates of those mysterious occurrences, it struck Auzeem as singular, that they pretty generally coincided with the evenings on which Abdul’s gardens were opened for the reception of his numerous visiters, comprising, indeed, all the families of Serhind above the caste of artizans and secondary merchants. It seemed not an improbable supposition, that upon their return from the gardens, which was generally late in the night, sometimes accident, inevitable in narrow and crowded streets,--sometimes young men heated by wine, taking advantage of the obscurity to possess themselves of women on whom they had fixed their affections,--sometimes the revenge of rejected lovers,--sometimes the propensity to suicide or murder, had combined to produce these deplorable results. But in answer to these hypotheses it was stated, that there was scarcely an evening in the week, during the fine season of the year, when assemblages equally numerous had not taken place, either in private or public gardens, and that no similar consequence had been observed to distinguish them one from the other.

Another peculiar feature marked these mysterious occurrences. The victims were uniformly those females whose apparel was most costly, no matter of what age, or whether beautiful or deformed. The conclusion was obvious, that the value of their attire had some connexion with the cause of their abstraction, and it was therefore surmised, that a band of criminals must be confederated for the purpose of enriching themselves upon the spoil taken from the persons whom, probably with that view alone, they deprived of life. But then, where were the remains of the females so murdered? These had never been discovered in any one instance. The farther the inquiry extended, the more perplexing it became. The officers of justice confessed that they could throw no light upon the matter.

“Do you happen to know,” asked Auzeem, “whether the artizans engaged in the repairs of the Mogul’s mansion are Hindoos or foreigners? If foreigners, it is barely possible that they might, in this manner, supply themselves with rich wives, whom they may have some means of sending out of the country.”

The officers replied, that they were not aware of the mansion in question being under repair, and that it was impossible any considerable number of artizans, native or foreign, could be engaged in any such occupation without their knowledge, as all such persons, and the places where they were employed were regularly entered on the registry. An answer, however, on this point might be easily obtained from the Mogul himself. A kotewaul was immediately despatched for this purpose, who returned with intelligence, that the Mogul was not at home, but that, from all the inquiry he could make amongst the artizans of the neighbourhood, he had no doubt that there were no repairs going on in Abdul’s house, which had, indeed, been shut up for more than ten years.

This account was inconsistent with the statement made by the Mogul to the emperor. Jehangire expressed his surprise. Auzeem suggested that before they proceeded farther, this matter should, at all events, be cleared up. There was, perhaps, nothing in it; however it seemed to require explanation: for if workmen were employed there unknown to the police, it was against the law.

Two of the officers were despatched to investigate this point. They proceeded to the gardens, where they found Abdul, walking on his terrace alone, enjoying the evening breeze. To their inquiries he answered, without hesitation, that they must have been erroneously informed, as he had had no repairs done to his house for many years, and had no artizans then in his employment. They said, that it was their duty to satisfy themselves by a personal inspection of the house, to which he could, of course, have no objection.

Abdul, they observed, turned deadly pale at this suggestion, and trembled violently. He complained of not being well, adding, that if they presented themselves the next morning, he would be happy to comply with their desire. The officers retired, having fixed to return at sun-rise.

Soon after that hour they appeared before the emperor, and reported to him the interview which they had had with Abdul the previous evening; they then said, that they proceeded to his house at the time appointed, but that they could not gain admission. Jehangire began to suspect that there was something more in this inquiry than he had at first apprehended. He therefore directed the officers to apply again at the gates, and if they were not opened, to cause them to be forced. The officers, in obedience to his orders, went again to the residence of the Mogul, but all the gates were closed against them. They proceeded accordingly to use force; with the assistance of the pioneers they scaled the walls of the gardens, and effected an entrance into the mansion, which they found apparently uninhabited, though furnished in the most sumptuous style. A noise, as of something having fallen on the floor, attracted their attention to an apartment, the door of which was shut. They tried to open the door, but it resisted their efforts until, by applying their united strength, they burst it open. Here they found the Mogul stretched lifeless on the floor, and on the divan near him, a large cup half full of a liquid, which upon examination, turned out to be essence of poppies. The vital spark appeared to have just fled, as, although the heart was still, the colour of life had not wholly deserted his cheek.

One of the officers having acquainted the emperor with the intelligence of this event, Jehangire, attended by Auzeem, hastened to the spot, and further researches having been made, a subterraneous chamber was at length discovered, in which chests were found filled with rich female dresses, to the number of seven hundred. In the same chamber were discovered other chests, replete with wreaths of diamonds and other precious stones, necklaces of pearl, and gold trinkets.

From this chamber they made their way through a long winding passage to another, from which emanated a most disagreeable odour. By the feeble light which reached it, from a narrow window near the ceiling, they perceived a spacious fire-place nearly filled with ashes; intermixed with which, they found an amazing number of fragments of human bones. No further evidence was necessary, to shew the diabolical species of commerce in which the Mogul merchant must have been for years engaged. It was only to be regretted that, by inflicting the penalty of his crimes with his own hand, he had anticipated the decrees of justice.

One of the officers, suspecting that there might be a communication between this chamber of death and the pavilion on the terrace, searched narrowly all round, until he groped his way through a short narrow passage to a staircase. Ascending the staircase, until he was stopped by a door, he pushed it open, and found himself, when the door was shut, completely surrounded by mirrors, the arched-roof being composed of glass, through which he saw the sky.

Further examination enabled the pioneers to ascertain that this mirrored alcove was capable of being elevated by the simple machinery of ropes, pullies, and weights, and that, when raised to its utmost height, it gave admission to the upper story of the pavilion, through one of the four round towers of that beautiful building.

Entering the other mirrored apartment, in the opposite tower, after several experiments, they found, that by pressing a spring, concealed in the divan, which ran all round, the apartment imperceptibly sank to the bottom of the tower; whence, also, there was a communication to the sepulchral chamber.

While the festivities of the evening were at their height, the Mogul, or one of his associates, doubtless engaged a devoted victim to converse with him in either of these apartments; a group of his confederates gathered, in the meantime, at the door leading to it, would divert attention from his proceedings. Having descended to the bottom of the tower, he would lead her to the spot where she would be sacrificed in an instant, stripped of her apparel, and then consumed. The alcove would, in the meantime, be restored to its place by his assistants. He would speedily rejoin the gay throng in the saloons, and in this manner it must have been, that he dispatched as many as five or six splendidly dressed women in the course of an evening.

The dresses and ornaments discovered in the chests, were publicly exhibited, and most of them were recognised by the families of the unhappy persons, by whom they had been worn. The inmates of the mansion were undoubtedly participators in the guilt of the Mogul, and acted, when necessary, ostensibly in the capacity of his servants. They had all fled, justly apprehensive of the vengeance of the emperor, who ordered the mansion to be demolished, its furniture to be sold for the benefit of the poor, and the gardens to be preserved at the expense of the state, for the use of the inhabitants of Serhind. Thus were the two grievances pointed out by the Dervish, effectually redressed by Jehangire.