Aurangazeb

Muhi-ud-Din Muhammad [3] (3 November 1618 - 3 March 1707), [1] best known by the sobriquet Aurangzeb (Persian: اورنگزیب, lit. 'Ornament of the Throne') [3] or by his regnal Alamgir (Persian: "Conqueror of the World"), [4] was the sixth Mughal emperor to rule the Indian subcontinent for 49 years. [5] [6] [7] Considered widely regarded as the last active ruler of the Mughal Empire, [8] Aurangzeb included Fatawa-e-Alamgiri, and was one of the few kings to fully establish Sharia law and Islamic economics throughout the Indian subcontinent. [9] [10] [page needed] He was a successful military leader [11] whose reign has been lauded, though he has also been described as the most controversial ruler in Indian history.

He was a remarkable breeder; During his reign, the Mughal Empire reached its peak, dominating much of the Indian subcontinent. [13] During his lifetime, the conquest of the south extended the Mughal Empire to 4 million square miles, [14] and ruled over an estimated 158 million subjects. [13] Under his rule, India surpassed Qing China as the world's largest economy and largest producer, accounting for about a quarter of global GDP and over the whole of Western Europe, with its largest and richest piece, Bengal Subah, [15] proto-industrialization. [16] [17] [18] [page required]

Aurangzeb is known for its religious devotion; he memorized the entire Quran, read hadiths, and adhered to Islamic traditions. [19] [20] Unlike his predecessors, including his father Shah Jahan, Aurangzeb considered that the royal heir would be held captive by citizens of his empire. [20] [page required] [21] [page required] He did not enjoy a luxurious life and his own personal expenses and the construction of small temples was covered by his income, which included sewing caps and trading in his written copies of the Quran. [22] [23] He also defended Islamic and Arabic calligraphy activities. [24]

Many interpretations of Aurangzeb's life and domination over the years by critics have led to a very complex legacy. Critics say his policies left a legacy of his predecessors of plurality and religious tolerance, citing his introduction of jizya tax and other policies based on Islamic morals, demolition of Hindu temples, assassination of his older brother Dara Shikoh, Maratha king Sambhaji [25] [26] and Sikh Guru Te Bahadur, [27] [28] [a] Prohibition and control of unlawful conduct and activities in Islam such as gambling, prostitution, and alcohol and drug abuse. [29] [30] Some historians are skeptical of the claims of his critics, claiming that his destruction of the temples was exaggerated, [31] [32] and noted that he built more temples than he destroyed, [33] paid for their care, and was heavily employed by Hindus. in his administration of the state than those before him, and opposed the discrimination against Hindus and Shia Muslims.

early life



Drawing from c. 1637 shows brothers (left to right) Shah Shuja, Aurangzeb and Murad Baksh in their younger years.

Aurangzeb was born on November 3, 1618, in Dahod, Gujarat. He was the third and sixth son of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal. [35] In June 1626, after the tragic revolt of his father, Aurangzeb and his brother Dara Shukoh were held captive under the court of their ancestors (Nur Jahan and Jahangir) in Lahore. On February 26, 1628, Shah Jahan was officially proclaimed Governor of Mughal, and Aurangzeb returned to live with his parents at Agra Fort, where Aurangzeb received his formal education in Arabic and Persian. His daily allowance was kept at Rs. 500, spend it on religious education and history study.

On May 28, 1633, Aurangzeb escaped death when a powerful elephant trampled the Mughal Imperial camp. He rode the elephant and hit its trunk with a rope, [36] and successfully defended himself from being crushed. Aurangzeb's bravery was admired by his father who gave him the name Bahadur (brave) and weighed him with gold and presented gifts worth Rs. 200,000. The event was celebrated in Persian and Urdu verses, and Aurangzeb said: [37] [clarification required]

If the (elephant) war were to end for me, it would not be a disgrace. Death lowers the curtain even for rulers; it's not a shame. Shame on the brothers!

Death

See also: Aurangzeb Tomb



Bibi Ka Maqbara, the funeral of Aurangzeb's wives Dilras Banu Begum, was sent by him



Aurangzeb's grave in Khuldabad, Maharashtra.

In 1689, the defeat of the Golconda, the Mughal conquest of the south expanded the Mughal Empire to four million square miles [4 million sq km], [14] with an estimated population of over 158 million. [13] But this rise was short-lived. [195] Jos Gommans, Professor of Colonial and Global History at the University of Leiden, [196] states that ... [197]

Unlike his predecessors, Aurangzeb envisioned a royal treasurer to be held by the citizens of his empire. He made caps and copied the Quran to earn money. [22] [23] Aurangzeb built a small marble mosque known as the Moti Masjid (Pearl Mosque) at the Red Fort complex in Delhi. [198] However, his ongoing struggle, especially with the Maratha people, led his empire to the brink of extinction such as personal spending and the squandering of his predecessors. [199]



Aurangzeb reads the Quran

Indologist Scholar Stanley Wolpert, an emerging professor at UCLA, [200] states:

the conquest of the Deccan, to which Aurangzeb surrendered 26 years of its existence, was a Pyrrhic conquest in many ways, costing an estimated 100,000 lives a year during the last decade of useless chess ga