124             REMARKABLE OCCURRENCES

captivity; that Mohabet-kan, who had at length acknow¬
ledged Aureng-Zebe's authority, had quitted the govern¬
ment of Kaboul, passed already through Lahor, and was
rapidly marching on Agra, at the head of three or four
thousand horse, with the same intention; and that the
eunuch Etbar-kan, under whose custody the aged monarch
was placed, felt impatient for the honour of opening the
door of his prison.

On the one hand. Sultan Mazum intrigued with the
Omrahs, and endeavoured by bribes and promises to attach
them to his interest. He even went one night in disguise
to the Raja Jesseingue, and entreated him, in the most
respectful and humble language, to declare in his favour.
On the other hand, a party formed by Rauchenara-Begum
was supported by several Omrahs and Feday-kan} grand
master of the artillery, in behalf of the young Prince,
Sultan Ekbar, the third son of Aureng-Zebe, a boy only seven
or eight years of age.

It was pretended by both these parties, and believed
by the people, that the sole object they had in view was
to set Chah-Jehan at liberty; but this was merely for the
sake of gaining popularity, and to save appearances, in
case he should be liberated by Etbar, or by means of any
secret intrigues on the part of other grandees. There
was in fact scarcely a person of rank or influence who
entertained the wish of seeing Chah-Jehan restored to the
throne. With the exception, perhaps, of Jessomseingue,
Mohabet-kan, and a few others who had hitherto refrained
from acting flagrantly against him, there was no Omrah
who had not basely abandoned the cause of the legitimate
Monarch, and taken an active part in favour of Aureng-
Zebe. They were aware that to open his prison door
would be to unchain an enraged lion. The possibility of
such an event appalled the courtiers, and no one dreaded

' Fidai Khan, foster-brother to Aurangzeb. About 1676 he was
honoured with the title of Azim Khan, and appointed Governor of
Bengal, where he died in 1678.