CHAPTER XXXII.
The Palace of the Seven Stories still exists as one of the most nobleand picturesque ruins of the Fort of Beejapoor. Of the Seven Stories,only five are now traceable; the two upper have been destroyed, perhapsby lightning, or have fallen from decay and disrepair; and it is onlyin the third that the remains of the beautiful chamber still existentthere convey an idea of the effect of the whole structure when it wasperfect. Even this has been much damaged. The gilding of the walls,of the groins of the arches and fretted roof, and of its delicatearabesque borders, has all been scraped off, and the fresco paintingsare so destroyed by exposure, that but little exists to tell thehistory of the beautiful Bhagiruttee, the mistress of the monarch whobuilt the palace for her.
Enough, however, remains to show what the general design and executionof the work were; enough to prove the exquisite taste which haddirected its completion, and the skill and boldness of the architectwho had raised the dizzy tower so high. Then, the spacious arches andoriel windows were filled by richly carved panels and shutters of teakwood, which admitted sufficient light and air: now, these are all gone,the windows are open, and the rain and sun and wind are rapidly causingdecay and destruction of what remains. The upper stories are so brokenthat they cannot be ascended; but in the one of which we speak, thetraveller will be tempted to sit a while looking over the masses ofruins beneath him: and over the still perfect walls of the citadel.Beyond, the undulating plain studded with mounds, shows lines ofstreets, with broken arches, minarets, and some still perfect mosques,mausoleums, and palaces, which have withstood the effects of time andthe spoiler, and remain as proofs of the splendour which once prevailed.
At the period of our tale all these were perfect. The city spreadaway to the south and west, covering many miles of plain with thosestreets and houses of which the lines of mounds alone remain. They areinterspersed with villages, which are probably portions of the oldcity, never entirely deserted, and to which the descendants of thepopulation of those days have clung through all vicissitudes. To theeast and north, after looking over the greater part of the citadel,the eye followed the plain beyond--the proper esplanade of thefort--and the undulating rising ground to the north-east, from whichthe Moghul batteries had so recently poured a storm of shot upon thedefences, yet happily with no effect.
The King's apartment opened to the west; and, like Afzool Khan aboutthe same time, he sat courting the breeze, which played gently roundthe rich clustered mullions of the oriel window, and refreshed andsoothed him. The storm had died away, and the night was clear andfresh; while, from the garden below, ascended the mingled perfumeof champas, limes, tuberoses, jessamine of various kinds, and othersweet-scented flowers, which loaded the air almost to excess.
A silver lamp, on a tall silver stand, stood in a recess sheltered fromthe open casement, and its seven wicks burned brightly, illuminatingthe chamber, and by their strong light causing the gilded roof,arches, and groins, with all their delicate colouring of rose-colour,yellow, light-green, and blue enamel, to assume a soft harmony ofeffect--different from the light of day, yet perhaps more beautiful.
Furniture there was none; but in the space enclosed by the orielwindow, there was spread a rich, soft, Persian carpet, which filled itsarea, on which, in the corner near where the young King was sitting,lay a thick quilted mattress of green satin brocaded with gold, and alarge pillow of the same material, both covered with fine muslin. Thishad been the King's seat, and it was thickly strewn with papers--somePersian, some Mahratta--which, to all appearance, had been underexamination, and he had evidently just left it and placed himself bythe casement which he had opened. He was alone, but, by the frequentglances towards the doorway, which was covered by a heavy curtain, someone seemed impatiently expected.
The events of the night had aroused unusual energy in the young King;nor, since his accession to the throne, had any occurrence excitedhim like the discovery of treason in the man he had, perhaps, mosttrusted--his prime minister, Khan Mahomed. It was so unprovoked, soundeserved. Early in life great ability and aptitude for business hadbeen remarked in the Abyssinian slave, Rehan, by the late King; andhe had risen, as favourites among Asiatic princes often do, rapidlyto rank and wealth, with every honour which an attached and gratefulprince could bestow upon him. Finally he had reached the rank of primeminister or Wuzeer, as we have already mentioned, and, amidst all thedistractions and intrigues of faction, had succeeded in preserving hismonarch's attachment.
In this position he was maintained by the young King on his accessionto the throne, notwithstanding the insinuations of many that theWuzeer was unfaithful. The King had not heeded these suspicions, nor,indeed, beyond mere rumour, was there anything which could lead toconfirmation of them; and as the Wuzeer desired it as a proof of hisfidelity, the Abyssinians under his command had been pushed on tothe north to watch the Moghul armies; for it was better to submit tothe turbulence of the Dekhan chieftains at the capital, who could becontrolled by neutral forces like those of Afzool Khan, than to riskthe possible misconduct of the others. Again, the Dekhanies could notbe trusted with the frontier; and the King, impressed with the fidelityof Khan Mahomed, had left him at has post.
At this period the Dekhanies and Abyssinians were rival factionsin the state. The latter were more amenable to discipline than theformer, who were descendants of those Mahomedan warriors--Toorks,Tartars, and Affghans--who, at the close of the thirteenth century,under Alla-oo-Deen, had invaded the south of India, and wrested theterritory in which they had settled from the Mahrattas of Deogurh andthe Canarese dynasty of Beejanuggur. They had founded, and maintainedthe dynasty of Gulburgah, against the attacks of powerful Hindu states,and, when they separated from it, had attached themselves to thefounders of other dynasties, which rivalled, and, indeed, exceeded insplendour, the parent one.
Those who were in Beejapoor had joined Ibrahim Adil Shah, when hedeclared and established his independence of the Bahmani dynasty ofGulburgah, and they had risen to rank and wealth with the state. Theyhad been led to victory by that monarch and his successors; they hadconquered province after province from the infidels of the southernHindu states, and they had at last finally subdued and overturned theancient Hindu monarchy of Beejanuggur, which, for several generations,was their bitter enemy and rival. Was it wonderful that they at lengthbecame arrogant, and that, to maintain an equipoise against them,another element, the Abyssinian, was admitted into this state? It isthe old story in the history of the world of exclusive military power;the old play which has always been played out when the characters arebrought together.
There were proud names among these old Dekhan families, which stillexist, Tartars and Toorks, who ill brooked the control of slaves likeAbyssinians. They were free, and held themselves equal in rank to theirown king--proud barons in fact, who seldom accepted administrativeservice, and were rarely fit for it; men "who could fight, butcould not write," as they boasted; turbulent, arrogant, quarrelsomeamong themselves, split into as many factions as they were familiesand tribes. The "Dagtorays," "Alla-ool-Moolks," "Bhylmees," "KallaChuttrees," "Safed Poshs," and a host of others, were faithful to theirown state, while they were an unceasing source of anxiety, and oftendistress, to its administrators.
So long as the Moghul armies had threatened the capital, or there wasemployment daily in the field to meet a common danger, these tribes andtheir chiefs had found occupation against the common enemy, and hadfought valiantly and successfully. The best cavalry of the Moghul armywas no match for these fiery Dekhan cavaliers. Reckless of life, wellmounted, each tribe and appellation vying with each other, wheneverthere was a chance in their broad plains, they had not neglected it,and were ever in advance of the more disciplined though slower movingbodies of Abyssinian horse and foot, whom they despised as slaves.
Between the extremes of party were those who, like Afzool Khan,belonged to neither, who held a common interest and faith in thedynasty they served, and whose arms had often been turned againstAbyssinians, and aga
inst Dekhanies, whenever revolts or mutinies ofeither rendered it necessary.
Among these contending factions, and ever present rivalries, the courseof the young King had been difficult and devious since his accession;but respect to his father's memory and experience, for he had been awise prince, a successful administrator, and a valiant warrior in thefield, had, in the end, induced him to continue the predominance ofthe Abyssinian element in council; and to allow the Dekhanies scopefor their ambition in military commands and active service in distantprovinces of the kingdom, retaining those only at the capital who wouldprove a counterpoise to the Abyssinians, in case of need. Influencedby personal esteem, and even affection, for the man who had been hisfather's most trusted counsellor and friend, he had retained KhanMahomed in office, notwithstanding the evil reports of his Dekhanofficers; and under these circumstances the distress, and even dismay,of the young King at the discovery of the treachery, which had longexisted, was hard to endure. It was his first bitter lesson in life,and there were few to fall back upon for advice or consolation.
In his extremity his thoughts had turned to Afzool Khan first, perhaps,of all: but again, his known intimacy with the Wuzeer; the report thatthe families would soon be united by the marriage of Khan Mahomed'sson to the old Khan's daughter; the notorious friendship of the youngmen; and, above all, a certain reticence in Afzool Khan's expressionswhenever the Wuzeer's character or actions were discussed--recurredto the King, and his thoughts turned from Afzool Khan to others insuccession, yet finding rest nowhere.
Of all his officers, on whom could he depend? Jehandar Beg, who shouldhave been his executive in any arrest of the Wuzeer, was known to behis dependent: and thus speculating on each, he estimated bitterly howreally weak he was in personal adherents.
At first all appeared to be decided in his favour, but graduallyrequests were made under one pretext or other, which disclosed thetrue objects of his courtiers, and the young King had sufficientdiscernment to estimate their professions at their full value. Itwas these experiences which threw him back upon himself, and uponthe Wuzeer, who was, at least as he thought, moderate and unselfish.Moderate, certainly, to him; yet, at heart, more grasping and moretreacherous than any.
There was no doubt of that now. Again and again had the King taken upthe letter we have before read, and examined it closely, and had eachtime laid it down with increased conviction that it was genuine. Therecould be no doubt either as to the seal or the writing. Khan Mahomed'sown hand was too peculiar to be imitated; yet he had doubted--stilldoubted. It is hard to admit conviction of guilt when one's affectionsare pleading innocence, but here it was not to be resisted; and, asmost generally follows such conviction, those very affections were fastbecoming the most unrelenting judges.
"Let them but confirm this," said the King, aloud, as he looked out,and again turned to the papers, selected the letter, looked over it,and hastily put it down with a shiver. "Let them but confirm it, andthen----O, my father! wert thou here it would be the same, and your sonwill not flinch from the necessity, be it what it may."
Tara: A Mahratta Tale Page 34