The Life and Times of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb: a Comprehensive Guide

Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb was one of the most powerful and influential kings of the Mughal Empire. His reign lasted for over half a century initially under the guidance of his father and during this time he made decisions that changed India forever. He kept himself busy throughout his life with military campaigns.

He ascended the throne at a young age, but it is his rivalry with his brother Dara Shikoh that is most talked about. Even though he ruled for a long time, he met with a rather untimely end and died in the way that he lived. The entire period of Aurangzeb was full of battles and conquests. This article looks at the life and times of this fabulous and formidable Mughal ruler.

The early life of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb: 

Aurangzeb was Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal’s third son. He lacked the passion and intoxication of a Mughal sultan. He grew up with a great desire for power and a military and administrative background, which he shared with his father’s intended successor, Dara Shikoh. Aurangzeb excelled in every position he had after 1636. During his two viceroyalty tenure (1636–44 and 1654–58), two Muslim Deccan kingdoms were practically conquered.

During Shah Jahn’s illness in 1657, it seemed that a power war between his two sons was inevitable. Neither of Shah Jahan’s sons could withdraw by the time Shah Jahan suddenly recovered. When Aurangzeb struggled for power between 1657 and 1659, he was a master of military strategy and subtlety. In May 1658, he captured Dara and imprisoned his father in Agra after defeating him at Samugarh. Four of Aurangzeb’s relatives were slain to strengthen his grip on power.

The rise to power of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb:

Aurangzeb ruled for two periods of time. As the ruler of a Hindu-Muslim country, he was revered and feared for his tenacity and talent. Fearing the Persians and Central Asian Turks, he showed little regard for Maratha leader Shivaji, who twice besieged Surat’s main harbour (1664, 1670). Aurangzeb’s great-grandfather Akbar’s successful approach was to form alliances with his enemies. At Agra, Shivaji was vanquished, reconciled, and crowned as the king (1666). Due to a Deccan deadlock, Shivaji died in his own Maratha dominion in 1680.

There was a major shift in both philosophy and policy in the year 1680. In contrast to the southern Mughal domains, subservient Hindus were seen as subordinates rather than colleagues. As of 1679, non-Muslims had to pay the “poll tax,” or jizya for non-Muslims (a tax that had been abolished by Akbar). After a Rajput insurrection headed by Aurangzeb’s third son, Akbar, Aurangzeb put an end to it in 1680–81. Hindus, on the other hand, remained faithful to the dynasty. In 1686–87, the economic downfall of Bijapur and Golconda was aggravated by Maratha warfare. After Shivaji’s death in 1680, his son Sambhaji became the heir apparent. A swift onslaught by the Marathas led to the capture of most of southern India, which was inhabited by friendly people. Aurangzeb devoted the rest of his life to futile Maratha hill-country sieges.

During the time Aurangzeb was away from the south, he lost control of the north. Under the weight of Mughal grants paid by land revenue allocations, the government collapsed. Religious movements in the Punjab, such as the Satnamis and Sikhs, were also affected by agrarian upheaval. As a result of Aurangzeb’s beheading of Sikh Guru Tegh Bahadur in 1675, Gobind Singh remained defiant for the rest of his reign. Revolts in rural areas, such as the Jats’, were predominantly non religious in nature.

As a Sunni Muslim ruler, Aurangzeb instituted stricter moral codes, which were enforced by muhtasibs, or moral police. It was forbidden for courtiers to salute in the Hindu style, and the Muslim faith was wiped off all coinage. Destroyed along with them were several Hindu temples and shrines.

The southern extension of Aurangzeb’s dominion encompassed Tanjore and Trichinopoly (now Tiruchchirappalli). That menacing exterior hid huge flaws. The prolonged Maratha struggle drained imperial resources. The Sikh and Jat militancy damaged the northern empire. Hindus and Rajputs were enraged by the new Islamic agenda. The administrative structure was harmed by the land’s financial problems. Aurangzeb died after almost 49 years in rule, leaving an empire that was not yet doomed but faced major problems. Because of this, the empire collapsed in the mid-18th century.

The military campaigns and conquests of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb: 

As a 15-year-old, Aurangzeb showed courage in 1633. The entire Mughal court was watching an elephant combat when one of the elephants lost control and stampeded the other. Aurangzeb using his Lance, defended himself from getting crushed, which gained him honour.

Because of Aurangzeb’s near-death experience, he gained more respect from his family as a result. He was assigned command of a 10,000 cavalry and 4,000 infantry army and deployed to subdue the Bundela insurrection the following year. It wasn’t until his 18th birthday that the Mughal dynasty’s Deccan province was ruled by him.

In 1644, three weeks after the death of Aurangzeb’s sister, he returned to Agra. When Aurangzeb failed to arrive on time, Shah Jahan removed him as Viceroy of Deccan from his post.

A year after that, Aurangzeb was removed from the courtroom. He accuses the Emperor of unfairly benefiting Dara Shikoh. Aurangzeb was appointed governor of Gujarat by Shah Jahan in 1646. Aurangzeb, in 1647, assumed the imperial governorships of Balkh and Badakhshan (Tajikistan).

In 1652, Aurangzeb was unable to take Kandahar from the Safavids despite his success in extending Mughal rule to the north west. A year later, Aurangzeb returned to the Deccan, this time as its ruler.

The final years of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb: 

Aurangzeb, the 88-year-old ruler of central India, died on March 3, 1707. After his death, an empire on the brink of collapse and beset by insurrections was left in his wake. The Mughal dynasty started a long, steady fall with Bahadur Shah I, which culminated in 1858 with the British exiling the last emperor and establishing the British Raj in India.

Conclusion:

The Mughals had a huge impact on Indian History, the legacy of Mughal Emperors was shaped by the rulers who followed. Future generations still reaped the benefits of their rulers and have attempted to immortalise them.

However, there are still many things left to know, and great stories to be told. We would like to encourage you to tell your own stories and ideas about Mughal Emperors. We would love to hear from you!