Page:Aurangzíb and the Decay of the Mughal Empire.djvu/142

136 Believers. With this object the temple of Vishnu at Benáres was destroyed and a splendid shrine at Mathura was razed to the ground, to make room for a magnificent mosque. The idols found in the temples were brought to Agra and buried under the steps of the mosque, so that good Muslims might have the satisfaction of treading them under foot.

Three years later the fanaticism of the Hindús found vent in an insurrection of four or five thousand devotees, who called themselves Satnámís, in Mewát, which gave the imperial officers no little trouble to subdue. The quarrel arose from a blow given by one of the Government inspectors, but the hostility of the sect must have been already at fever-heat to fire up at so slight a provocation. The Satnámís assembled in their thousands, wreaked their vengeance on the officials, occupied Nárnól, and began to levy the taxes and administer the district themselves. The ordinary provincial forces were repeatedly worsted; even several expeditions despatched from Delhi only met the rioters to be discomfited and put to flight. 'It was said that swords, arrows, and musket balls had no effect on these men, and that every arrow and ball which they discharged brought down two or three men. Thus they were credited with magic and witchcraft, and were said to have magic wooden horses like live ones, on which their women rode as an advanced guard .' The neighbouring Rájputs and other Hindús began to become infected with the spirit of rebellion,