in a box as a present to the old ex-emperor, Shah Jahan, the father of the three, in his prison at Agra.  The prince died invoking the aid of Jesus, and was favourably disposed towards Christianity.  He was also attracted by the doctrines of Sufism, or heretical Muhammadan mysticism, and by those of the Hindoo Upanishads.  In fact, his religions attitude seems to have much resembled that of his great-grandfather Akbar.  The ‘Broad Church’ principles and practice of Akbar failed to leave any permanent mark on Muhammadan institutions or the education of the people, and if Dara Shikoh had been victorious in the contest for the throne, it is not probable that he would have been able to effect lasting reforms which were beyond the power of his illustrious ancestor.  The name of the unfortunate prince was Dara Shikoh (’in splendour like Darius’), not merely Dara (Darius), as Bernier has it.

17.  The ‘great diamond’ alluded to is the Kohinur, presented by the ‘Persian adventurer’, Amir Jumla, to Shah Jahan, who was advised to attack and conquer the country which produced such gems, (Ante, Chapter 48.) The decisive battle between Dara Shikoh, on the one aide, and Aurangzeb, supported by his brother and dupe, Murad Baksh, on the other, was fought on the 28th May, 1658 [O.  S.], at the small village of Samugarh (Samogar), four miles from Agra.  Dara Shikoh was winning the battle, when a traitor persuaded him to come down from his conspicuous seat on an elephant and mount a horse.  The report quickly spread that the prince had been killed.  ‘In a few minutes’, says Bernier, ’the army seemed disbanded, and (strange and sudden reverse!) the conqueror became the vanquished.  Aurangzeb remained during a quarter of an hour steadily on his elephant, and was rewarded with the crown of Hindustan; 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 short-sighted is man, and so mighty are the consequences which sometimes flow from the most trivial incident.’

According to another account the prince’s change from the elephant to the horse was due to want of personal courage, and not to treacherous advice. (Bernier, Travels, ed.  Constable, and V. A. Smith (1914), p. 54.)

18.  Battle fought between Tours and Poitiers, A.D. 732.

19.  The principal mosque of every town is known as the Jami Masjid, and is filled by large congregations on Fridays.  The great mosque of Delhi stands on a natural rocky eminence, completely covered by the building, and approached on three sides by magnificent flights of steps, which give it peculiar dignity.  It is, perhaps, the finest mosque in the world, and certainly has few rivals.  It differs from most mosques in that its exterior is more magnificent than its interior.  The two minarets are each about 130 feet high.  The year A.H. 1060 corresponds to A.D. 1650.  The mosque was begun in that year,