History of Gujarát: Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency, Volume I, Part I.Campbell, James M.
History
History of Gujarát: Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency, Volume I, Part I.
Campbell, James M.
Gujarat (India) -- History
[Prince Muhammad Aurangzíb Twenty-fifth Viceroy, 1644-1646.] Prince
Aurangzíb's rule in Gujarát was marked by religious disputes. In 1644
a quarrel between Hindus and Musalmáns ended in the prince ordering
a newly built (1638) temple of Chintáman near Saraspur, a suburb of
Áhmedábád, above a mile and a half east of the city, to be desecrated
by slaughtering a cow in it. He then turned the building into a mosque,
but the emperor ordered its restoration to the Hindus. In another
case both of the contending parties were Musalmáns, the orthodox
believers, aided by the military under the prince's orders, who was
enraged at Sayad Ráju one of his followers joining the heretics,
attacking and slaughtering the representatives of the Mahdawiyeh
sect in Áhmedábád. Sayad Ráju's spirit, under the name of Rájú
Shahíd or Rájú the martyr, is still worshipped as a disease-scaring
guardian by the Pinjárás and Mansúris and Dúdhwálas of Áhmedábád. [849]
[Sháistah Khán Twenty-sixth Viceroy, 1646-1648.] In consequence of the
part he had taken in promoting these disturbances, prince Aurangzíb
was relieved and Sháistah Khán appointed twenty-sixth viceroy of
Gujarát. In the following year Muiz-zul-Mulk, who had till then acted
as minister, was recalled, and his place supplied by Háfiz Muhammad
Násir. At the same time the governorship of Surat and Cambay was given
to Áli Akbar of Ispahán. This Áli Akbar was a Persian horse merchant
who brought to Agra seven horses of pure Arabian breed. For six of
these Sháh Jehán paid Rs. 25,000. The seventh a bay so pleased the
emperor that he paid Rs. 15,000 for it, named it the Priceless Ruby,
and considered it the gem of the imperial stud. In A.D. 1646 Áli Akbar
was assassinated by a Hindu and Muiz-zul-Mulk succeeded him as governor
of Surat and Cambay. [Prince Muhammad Dárá Shikoh Twenty-seventh
Viceroy, 1648-1652.] As Sháistah Khán failed to control the Gujarát
Kolis, in A.D. 1648 prince Muhammad Dárá Shikoh was chosen viceroy,
with Ghairat Khán as his deputy and Háfiz Muhammad Násir as minister,
while Sháistah Khán was sent to Málwa to relieve Sháh Nawáz Khán. While
Dárá Shikoh was viceroy an ambassador landed at Surat from the court of
the Turkish Sultán Muhammad IV. (A.D. 1648-1687). [850] In A.D. 1651,
Mír Yahyá was appointed minister in place of Háfiz Muhammad Násir,
and in A.D. 1652 prince Dárá was sent to Kandahár. On [Sháistah Khán
Twenty-eighth Viceroy, 1652-1654.] the transfer of the prince Sháistah
Khán became viceroy for the second time, with Mír Yahyá as minister
and Sultán Yár governor of Baroda with the title of Himmat Khán. Mírza
Ísa Tarkhán was summoned to court from his charge of Sorath and his son
Muhammad Sálih was appointed his successor. In A.D. 1653 an ill-advised
imperial order reducing the pay of the troopers, as well as of the
better class of horsemen who brought with them a certain number of
followers, created much discontent. During this year several changes
of governors were made.
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