Aurangzeb

Lore & Background

Aurangzeb was born in Dahod on 3 November 1618. He was the sixth child of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal. In June 1626, after an unsuccessful rebellion by his father, eight-year-old Aurangzeb and his brother Dara Shikoh were sent to the Mughal court in Lahore as hostages of their grandfather Jahangir and his wife, Nur Jahan, as part of their father's pardon deal. After Jahangir died in 1627, Shah Jahan emerged victorious in the ensuing war of succession. Aurangzeb and his brother were reunited with Shah Jahan in Agra in 1628. On 28 May 1633, a war elephant stampeded through the Mughal imperial encampment. Aurangzeb rode against the elephant and threw his spear at its head. He was unhorsed but escaped death. For his courage, Aurangzeb's father conferred on him the title of Bahadur (brave) and presented him with gifts. He served as viceroy of the Deccan in 1636–1637 and governor of Gujarat in 1645–1647. He jointly administered Multan and Sindh in 1648–1652. In September 1657, Shah Jahan nominated Dara Shikoh as his successor, a move repudiated by Aurangzeb, who proclaimed himself emperor in February 1658. After defeating Shikoh at the Battles of Dharmat and Samugarh, Aurangzeb imprisoned his father and had Dara Shikoh executed.

Reader's Guide

Aurangzeb’s reign saw the Mughal Empire expand to its greatest territorial extent, covering nearly the entire Indian subcontinent. Militarily, he was an accomplished commander who had held administrative and military posts under his father Shah Jahan, serving as viceroy of the Deccan and governor of Gujarat, and jointly administering Multan and Sindh while leading expeditions into Safavid territories. He seized power after his father nominated the liberalist Dara Shikoh as successor, defeating Shikoh and the Kingdom of Marwar at the Battle of Dharmat, then decisively winning the Battle of Samugarh. He declared his father incompetent, imprisoned him, and had Shikoh executed. Under Aurangzeb, the Mughal military became one of the world’s strongest, and the empire surpassed Qing China as the largest economy and biggest manufacturing power. A staunch Muslim, he built many mosques, patronized Arabic calligraphy, and imposed the Fatawa-i Alamgiri as the empire’s principal legal code, prohibiting activities forbidden in Islam. He suppressed local revolts but kept cordial foreign relations. His legacy is deeply contested: he is criticized for demolishing non-Muslim schools and temples and reimposing the jizya tax on non-Muslims, which had been suspended for a century by his great-grandfather Akbar, and for abandoning the earlier Mughal tradition of pluralism and tolerance.

Did You Know?

• Aurangzeb was the sixth child of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal.
• In June 1626, eight-year-old Aurangzeb and his brother Dara Shikoh were sent as hostages to Lahore.
• For his bravery against a war elephant on 28 May 1633, Aurangzeb was given the title Bahadur.
• Aurangzeb served as viceroy of the Deccan from 1636 to 1637 and governor of Gujarat from 1645 to 1647.

Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)

"An emperor ought to stand midway between gentleness and severity." — Aurangzeb "In the region of Hindustan, this scrap of bread [i.e., the Mughal Empire] is a generous gift from Their Majesties, Timur and Akbar." — Aurangzeb "Take heart, my friends! There is a God! There is a God!" — Aurangzeb "The demolition of a temple is possible at any time, as it cannot walk away from its place." — Aurangzeb