Even now the deluded Adham Chan counted still upon the
Emperor's forbearance and upon the influence of his mother. Akbar was
aroused by the noise and leaving his apartments learned what had
happened. Adham Chan rushed to the Emperor, seized his arm and begged
him to listen to his explanations. But the Emperor was beside himself
with rage, struck the murderer with his fist so that he fell to the
floor and commanded the terrified servants to bind him with fetters
and throw him head over heels from the terrace of the palace to the
courtyard below. The horrible deed was done but the wretch was not
dead. Then the Emperor commanded the shattered body of the dying man
to be dragged up the stairs again by the hair and to be flung once
more to the ground.[7]
[Footnote 7: J.T. Wheeler, IV, I, 139, 140; Noer, I, 143, 144.]
I have related this horrible incident in order to give Akbar's picture
with the utmost possible faithfulness and without idealization. Akbar
was a rough, strong-nerved man, who was seldom angry but whose wrath
when once aroused was fearful. It is a blemish on his character that
in some cases he permitted himself to be carried away to such cruel
death sentences, but we must not forget that he was then dealing with
the punishment of particularly desperate criminals, and that such
severe judgments had always been considered in the Orient to be
righteous and sensible.
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