Page:History of India Vol 4.djvu/92

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66
THE GREAT MOGHUL

medans over Rajputs for posts of honour and command, and partly to his innate cruelty. Jahangir took pleasure in seeing men executed or torn to pieces by his elephants, and the dangerous sport of elephant fights was his favourite spectacle on five days in the week. He was said to have killed his secretary with his own hand on mere suspicion, and to have flogged a man almost to death for breaking a dish. He delighted in combats between men and animals, and made an unarmed man fight with a lion till he was torn to shreds. At last the keepers contrived to tame fifteen young lions, who played before the king, "frisking betweene men's legs," and with these animals as opponents the combats became comparatively bloodless. All this cruelty, added to a rapacious and severe government, produced disaffection among his subjects. Thieves and outlaws infested the roads, and many rebellions broke out.

The daily life of the Emperor Jahangir was scarcely edifying. "About the breake of day, he is at his Beades, with his face turned to the westward in a private faire room," in which was "the picture of Our Lady and Christ, graven in stone." Then he showed himself to the people, who flocked to bid him good-morrow. Two hours of sleep ensued, then dinner, after which the emperor retired to the harem. At noon he again hold public levee till three, and witnessed the elephant fights and other sports. The nobles at Agra all came and paid him homage, and he heard all causes and complaints. He then said his prayers, and had a