I wish you to recollect that the greatest conquerors are not always the greatest kings. The nations of the earth have often been subjugated by mere uncivilized barbarians, and the most extensive conquests have, in a few short years, crumbled to pieces. He is the truly great king who makes it the chief business of his life to govern his subjects with equity.

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Emperor Aurangzeb, retorting in a letter to his father the recently dethroned Shah Jahan for criticising the newly crowned emperor for ineffectively deploying troops in Bengal and the Deccan, see Aurangzeb:The Life and Legacy of India's Most Controversial King by Audrey Truschke. Also see Emperors of the Peacock Throne: The Saga of the Great Mughals by Abraham Eraly

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Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Aurangzeb (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.