Aurangzeb (Muḥī al-Dīn Muḥammad): Biography, Reign, Accomplishments, and His Religious Policy

PWOnlyIAS February 22, 2024 04:39 2222 0

Aurangzeb (Muḥī al-Dīn Muḥammad) also known as Alamgir I (Conqueror of the World), was the sixth Mughal emperor, reigning from 1658 until he died in 1707.

Aurangzeb (Muḥī al-Dīn Muḥammad): Biography, Reign, Accomplishments, and His Religious Policy

Aurangzeb (Muḥī al-Dīn Muḥammad) also known as Alamgir I (Conqueror of the World), was the sixth Mughal emperor, reigning from 1658 until he died in 1707. Under his emperorship, the Mughal Empire reached its greatest extent with territory spanning nearly the entirety of the Indian subcontinent. In 1663, Aurangzeb issued a decree prohibiting the practice of Sati, regardless of whether or not the female was being forced to do the Sati. Aurangzeb moved the capital back from Delhi to Akbarabād. Later he shifted it to Aurangabad in the Deccan in 1653.

Aurangzeb Or Alamgir I (Muḥī al-Dīn Muḥammad): Reigned 1658-1707

Aurangzeb

In the year 1658, Emperor Shahjahan fell seriously ill. He had four sons – Dara Shikoh, Aurangzeb, Shuja and Murad. All four brothers wanted to succeed to the throne. Shahjahan declared his eldest son Dara as his successor. But the other three sons refused to accept this. Each of them marched with their armies towards Agra, the capital, to seize the Mughal throne. A number of battles took place between the brothers, and in the end, Aurangzeb emerged successful in the Battle of Dharmat (1658). However, his father recovered from his illness. Although Shahjahan lived on for another 12 years, Aurangzeb declared himself to be the emperor and kept his father in prison till his death.

Also Read: Mughal Emperors List

Notable Conflicts During Aurangzeb’s Tenure

Execution of Sikh Guru Teg Bahadur during Aurangzeb’s reign

Role of Guru Teg Bahadur:
- Guru Teg Bahadur, who was a follower of Guru Nanak’s teachings, would travel from village to village to preach teachings of Guru Nanak.
- This created an atmosphere encouraging peasants to stand up to the jagirdars and rajas.
- The rulers became anxious about the increasing possibility of peasants’ revolts.
Execution of Guru Teg Bahadur:
- To check the growing impact of Guru Teg Bahadur, Aurangzeb had him brought to Delhi and put Guru Teg Bahadur into prison.
- Later, in 1675, Guru Teg Bahadur was executed.
Role of Guru Gobind Singh:
- Subsequently, his son Guru Govind Singh organized the followers of Guru Nanak and called them Sikhs.
- He formed an army of Sikhs and went to battle with the Rajas of Punjab.
- As these rajas were under Mughal suzerainity, Aurangzeb gave them all the help they needed to keep the Sikhs under check.

Conflict With Afghans

Role of Afghan Tribes: Another problem that Aurangzeb faced was from Afghan tribes who believed in the Roshania sect of Islam.
Demand for Seperate Kingdom: They lived in the northwestern part of the Mughal empire, and they wanted to set up their separate kingdom, free from the Mughals.
Role of Aurangzeb: In 1665 they started revolting against the Mughals. He suppressed the Roshanias with the help of the Rajputs.
Revenue Loss: As a result of these rebellions, the jagirdars began getting less revenue from their jagirs

Conflict Between Marathas and Aurangzeb

Areas of Conflict: The Marathas were living in the areas of what is now Maharashtra and Karnataka.
Capable Maratha Warriors: They had good warriors who used to be enrolled in the armies of the Bijapur, Golconda, and Mughal kingdoms.
Role of Shahji Bhonsle:
- Shahji Bhonsle was one of the Maratha chiefs who had many jagirs.
- He gave his jagir in Pune to his son Shivaji.
Role of Shivaji Maharaj:
- Shivaji was a bold and courageous man and,he captured many forts.
- As Mughal rule spread in southern India, Shivaji also had to fight the Mughal army.
- On the strength of his small army, Shivaji defeated the huge and mighty armies of the Mughals many times.
- He had a unique way of fighting against large armies.
War Strategy: Instead of just engaging the enemy in a direct battle, Shivaji Maharaj would attack suddenly, damage them, and then withdraw quickly to hide in the hills.
Swift Movement: His small army could move swiftly from one place to another, while the immense Mughal army would lumber along more slowly.
Guerrila Warfare:
- With repeated sudden small attacks, Shivaji would tire the Mughal army and then finally defeat it in a direct battle.
- This way of fighting is known as guerrilla warfare.

Also Read: Maratha Military Landscapes Of India

Shortage of Jagirs

Shortage of Jagir Lands: The number of officials and amirs in the service of Mughal emperors was increasing year by year. But as time went by, there were not enough jagirs for them.
Declining Revenue: The jagirs that did exist were not yielding the revenue that was due from them.
Rising Discontent: Due to this shortage, discontent and tension was growing among the jagirdars.
Expanding Area under Cultivation: One way out of this situation was to expand the area under cultivation within the jagirs. This way the income of the jagirdars could increase.
Stagnant Agriculture: However, the jagirdars had little interest in developing the agriculture of their jagirs since the jagirs kept getting changed and transferred between different jagirdars.

Mughal Empire Under Aurangzeb: Zenith of Mughal Empire

Aurangzeb

Aurangzeb had one other alternative way to tackle the problem of scarcity of jagirs. That was to expand his empire and annex other kingdoms into his own. To the east of the Mughal Empire was the kingdom of Ahom. This was in present-day Assam. In 1663 an amir of Aurangzeb, Mir Jumla, defeated the Ahom king and annexed his kingdom into the Mughal empire. But in just a few years, the Ahom king was able to drive the Mughal army away and become free once again.

There were two important kingdoms to the south – Bijapur and Golconda. Both these kingdoms were conquered in 1686 and annexed to the Mughal Empire.
Thus the Mughal empire reached the zenith of its size and power, extending from Afghanistan to Tamil Nadu.

Aurangzeb Religious Policy

It is generally accepted that Aurangzeb was a Sunni Muslim.
He was intolerant towards other faiths, especially Hindus. He was also against Shia Muslims.
Aurangzeb’s religious policy had two aspects i.e:
- To promote the tenets of Islam and to ensure that the people led their lives accordingly.
- To adopt anti-Hindu measures.
Imposition of Jizya:

Akbar had abolished this tax on the Hindus but Aurangzeb again levied this tax. The objective of the tax was two-fold; first

To fill up his treasury which had begun to shrink on account of expenditure on his various military campaigns;
Secondly to force the Hindus to embrace Islam.

Social Restrictions: Aurangzeb issued orders that except Rajputs, no Hindu could ride an elephant, a horse and a palanquin.
- Holi and Diwali festivals were allowed to be celebrated with certain restrictions.
- The Hindus could no longer put on fine clothes.
- The Hindus were not allowed to burn their dead on the banks of the river Sabarmati in Ahmedabad. Similar restrictions were placed in Delhi on the river Jamuna.

Administration Under Aurangzeb

Centralized Administration: Aurangzeb’s administration was a centralized personal despotism where every minister took orders from the Emperor into whose hands all authority was concentrated.
Distrust with Ministers: Aurangzeb was, like Louis XIV of France, his prime minister and would never share counsel with any of his ministers or officers.
- The policy of the government and the principles of administration were all determined by him.
- He was extremely industrious and looked into the minutest details of administration.
- He went through the petitions submitted to him and either dictated orders or wrote them.
Element of Suspicion: There was an element of suspicion in Aurangzeb’s excluding all his ministers and officers in initiating or formulating plans or policies of the government.
- He could not reconcile himself to the presence of rival authority within the state or in the administration and was even suspicious of superior intellect.
Strict Court Laws:
- Aurangzeb took punctilious care to see that rules of etiquette and royal prerogatives were observed and not transgressed by anybody.
- He banned drinking and singing in court.
- Public drinking was also prohibited.
Muhtasibs: This was appointed to ensure that people do not drink in public places and follow sharia, a traditional Islamic law.
- However, Muhtasibs were not allowed to interfere with the lives of people in the state.
Decline of Todar Mal’s Revenue Policy:
- Revenue assessment and revenue collection introduced by Raja Todar Mai under Akbar, fell into disuse and introduced the system of revenue farming.
- It allowed middleman, to realize revenue from the peasants, instead of entrusting the state officers to do so under the supervision of the state government.
Revenue Farming: The revenue farmers would be required to pay a stipulated amount to the imperial treasury and the balance after meeting the expenses of collection would be enjoyed by them.
- Foreign trade did not constitute an important source of revenue to the state under Aurangzeb.
- Agriculture and manufacture of cotton piece goods and cloth were the occupations of most of the people and the items of export were mainly indigo and cotton goods.

Also Read: Mughal Painting

Architecture During Aurangzeb

Islam Structures: Mughal architecture during Aurangzeb was one of the most unusual, which had become evident since Aurangzeb’s early years.
- Indeed, becoming too much devoted and fervent in the propagation of Islam and the rather ‘Islamisation of the Mughal architectural style‘,
Badshahi Mosque: Aurangzeb’s Badshahi mosque also reveals ornateness in his architectural style.
- Adjoining the Lahore Fort, the Badshahi mosque remains the largest mosque in the subcontinent.
- An inscription over the east entrance gate indicates that it was built in 1673-74 by Aurangzeb under the supervision of Fidai Khan Koka, the emperor’s foster brother.

Aurangzeb

Idgah in Mathura: Impressive red sandstone Idgah in Mathura, was sponsored by Aurangzeb.
- This Idgah, a mosque for the annual Id celebration, had replaced the temple of Keshava Deva, destroyed in 1669-70 by Aurangzeb’s command to avenge on-going insubordination by Jats.

Aurangzeb

Bibi ka Maqbara: King Aurangzeb constructed Bibi Ka Maqbara in Aurangabad, Maharashtra, in the late 1700s as a loving monument to his first spouse, Dilras Bano Begum.
- According to other stories, it was afterward taken care of by Azam Shah, Aurangzeb’s son.
- It was conceived by Ata-Ullah, the son of Ahmed Lahori, the Taj Mahal’s chief designer, and is a duplicate of the Taj Mahal

Aurangzeb

Mughal Empire After Aurangzeb

Aurangzeb

Reasons for Decline of Mughal Empire

Regional Conflict: Aurangzeb’s failure to deal effectively with the opposition of the Marathas, Rajputs, Jat etc.
Wars of succession: After the death of Aurangzeb and every one of his successors.
Lack of Strong Leadership: Absence of a competent ruler after Aurangzeb,
Worsening Jagirdari System: The system of the grant of jagirs steadily worsened, grant of jagirs was unnecessarily delayed.
Internal Conflict Among Jagirdars: Scramble for the best and the most profitable jagir among the nobles,
Court Matters: Competition between different parties for leading positions in the court, particularly by securing the posts of the Wazir and the Mir Bakshi,
Lack of mutual trust: Between the parties and individual nobles at the court.
Aurangzeb’s Despotism: Over-confidence in his strength and ability which generated a distrust and suspicion of officers
Alienation of Rajputs: One of the major causes of Aurangzeb’s failure was the alienation of the sympathy and friendship of the Rajputs
Peasant Uprisings: Problem was from the peasants and zamindars like the Jat peasants and zamindars around Agra and Bayana had started rebelling.

Also Read: Later Mughal Painting

Aurangzeb Sons: Race for Succession

Three sons of Aurangzeb were:

Muhammad Azam Shah
Muhammad Akbar
Muhammad Sultan

Muhammad Azam Shah:

He was the eldest son of Aurangzeb and was born in 1653. Azam Shah was appointed as the governor of Bengal at the age of 17. He was a capable military commander and led campaigns against the Marathas and the Rajputs. Azam Shah died in 1707 while fighting against his half-brother, Prince Shah Alam.

Muhammad Akbar:

He was the second son of Aurangzeb and was born in 1657. Akbar rebelled against his father and fled to Persia in 1681. He later returned to India and fought against his father in the Battle of Jajau in 1707. Akbar was defeated in the battle and was imprisoned until his death in 1709.

Muhammad Sultan:

He was the youngest son of Aurangzeb and was born in 1696.
Sultan was imprisoned by his father for rebelling against him.
He died in prison in 1719.

Overall, Aurangzeb’s sons were unsuccessful in their attempts to gain power and their infighting contributed to the decline of the Mughal Empire.

Also Read: The Decline And Aftermath Of The Mughal Empire

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Frequently Asked Questions

He also known as Alamgir I (Conqueror of the World), was the sixth Mughal emperor, reigning from 1658 until he died in 1707.

Under his emperorship, the Mughal Empire reached its greatest extent with territory spanning nearly the entirety of the Indian subcontinent ranging from Afghanistan to Tamil Nadu and up to Assam.

Three sons of Aurangzeb were: 1. Muhammad Azam Shah 2. Muhammad Akbar 3. Muhammad Sultan

Bibi ka Maqbara (Maharashtra), Idgah in Mathura and Badshahi Mosque near Lahore fort are some of the monuments.

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Aurangzeb (Muḥī al-Dīn Muḥammad): Biography, Reign, Accomplishments, and His Religious Policy

Aurangzeb Or Alamgir I (Muḥī al-Dīn Muḥammad): Reigned 1658-1707

Notable Conflicts During Aurangzeb’s Tenure

Execution of Sikh Guru Teg Bahadur during Aurangzeb’s reign

Role of Guru Teg Bahadur:

Execution of Guru Teg Bahadur:

Role of Guru Gobind Singh:

Conflict With Afghans

Conflict Between Marathas and Aurangzeb

Shortage of Jagirs

Mughal Empire Under Aurangzeb: Zenith of Mughal Empire

Aurangzeb Religious Policy

Administration Under Aurangzeb

Architecture During Aurangzeb

Mughal Empire After Aurangzeb

Reasons for Decline of Mughal Empire

Aurangzeb Sons: Race for Succession

Muhammad Azam Shah:

Muhammad Akbar:

Muhammad Sultan:

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the reign of Aurangzeb’s Rule?

What was the extent of the Mughal Empire during Aurangzeb’s Rule?

Who were the three sons of Aurangzeb?

Name some Architecture Monuments constructed during the reign of Aurangzeb.

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