338 Readings in European History the field twenty-five thousand horse, better troops than the Mogul's. These cavaliers are called rajipous, or children of the rajahs. These are men who, as I have said elsewhere, carry swords from father to son, and to whom the rajahs allot land on condition that they be always ready to appear on horseback when the rajah commands. They can endure much hardship, and they want nothing but good order and discipline to make them good soldiers. . . . The Mogul is obliged to keep these rajahs in his service for sundry reasons : the first, because the militia of the rajahs is very good (as was said above) and because there are rajahs (as was intimated also) any one of whom can bring into the field above twenty-five thousand men ; the second, the better to bridle the other rajahs and to reduce them to reason, when they cantonize, or when they refuse to pay tribute, or when, out of fear or other cause, they will not leave their country to serve in the army when the Mogul requireth it ; the third, the better to nourish jealousies and keenness among them, by favoring and caressing one more than the other, which is done to that degree that they pro- ceed to fight with one another very frequently. Aurangzeb, who died in 1707, was the last Great Mogul of importance. He saw in his old age that anarchy was likely to come when he was gone, and his farewell to this vain world is sad indeed. He thus writes to a friend : 369. Au- Health to thee ! My heart is near thee. Old age is rangzeb fore- arr i ve d : weakness subdues me, and strength has forsaken dissolution a ^ m Y members. I came a stranger into this world and a of the stranger I depart. I know nothing of myself, what I am, or Mogul's £ or w h at j am destined. The instant which has passed in empire. . power hath left only sorrow behind it. I have not been the guardian and protector of the empire. My valuable time has been passed vainly. I had a patron in my own dwelling (conscience), but his glorious light was unseen by my dim sight. Life is not lasting ; there is no vestige of departed
