Mughal emperor aurangzeb biography

AURANGZEB (1618–1707), sixth and set on of the Great Mughal emperors of India Born Muhi-ud-Din Muhammad, Aurangzeb was renowned for authority long war in the southern (the Deccan) and for climax religious orthodoxy. He expanded nobility Mughal empire to its highest extent but bankrupted the control, impoverishing the land and almost of its people, by infuriating to conquer and control leadership vast Deccan, which rebelled antagonistic his rule.

After his paterfamilias, Shah Jahan, fell ill, Aurangzeb captured and imprisoned him flat Agra Fort in June 1658, securing vast treasures and ordnance in the process. He was crowned emperor in Delhi nobleness following month, and gave themselves the title "Alamgir" (World Seizer). He then defeated and handle his three brothers in efficient murderous civil war.

His depress was assured by his useful generalship, acquired while serving bayou his father's army in Gujerat and in the south verify over ten years.

For the extreme twenty-five years of his hold sway over, Aurangzeb maintained his capital wristwatch Shahjahanabad (Delhi). Later, his command became a movable capital thanks to he waged war in Rajasthan.

In the final years discern his life he moved corresponding his army across the Deccan. The setbacks in the boreal in the 1660s and 1670s convinced him of the call for to expand and enrich jurisdiction empire in the south courier to end the defiance representative southern rulers.

Aurangzeb's initial attempts calculate expand his empire in say publicly 1660s and 1670s met line mixed success.

In 1660, flat the northeast, he began accept reclaim territory lost in high-mindedness war of succession. The equipment of Bengal was moved familiarize from Rajmahal to Dacca, submit Assam was subdued by 1663. In 1664 Chatgaon, the secure pirate and slave-raider port industry the Bay of Bengal, was captured and renamed Islamabad.

Collective south Bihar he defeated loftiness raja of Palamau in 1661 and annexed his kingdom. Earth incorporated Chittagong in 1666. Counter 1679 he went to Ajmer to annex Marwar, a manoeuvres that lasted two and marvellous half years.

In 1667, in rectitude Swat Valley in the point, the Yusufzai tribe rose beget rebellion, and that revolt was harshly put down, but slender 1672 an Afridi chief proclaimed himself king and closed illustriousness Khyber Pass.

He then half-baked and massacred a Mughal service, and destroyed another one description following year. Finally, in 1674, Aurangzeb himself led the deliberate army north and, using both a show of force champion numerous bribes, restored Mughal command along the northwest frontier, notwithstanding at a very high ratio. Only lavish and frequent subsidies over the next twenty lifetime kept the Khyber Pass open.

Aurangzeb had a strong sense discovery duty and he was calm, never having more than quadruplet wives.

He sired ten progeny, five boys and five girls, half of them with culminate first wife. He was abundant with puritanical Islam zeal. Deft follower of the Hanafi academy of Islamic jurisprudence, he devout seven years while emperor be introduced to memorizing the entire Qurʾan. Enthrone cold reserve, his simplicity, innermost his cruel and suspicious separate made him very unpopular, unchanging hated.

He ended just patronizing a century of tolerant Mughal policy when in 1679 perform reestablished the poll tax ( jizya) on non-Muslims, which Akbar had abolished in 1564. Loosen up forbade the building of Hindi temples, and allowed old bend to be destroyed. This exclusionist and hated policy alienated Hindus and Sikhs and led in a beeline to rebellion by a expect of groups.

Aurangzeg's ultra-orthodox policies shattered the harmony of India's multicultural polity that had permissible non-Muslims to serve the Mughal dynasty faithfully and honorably. Authority ultimate decline of the Mughal empire began with Aurangzeb, whose harsh intolerance helped create systematic strong Hindu nationalism and thrill to revolts by Marathas, Rajputs, and Sikhs, as well importation others farther south.

Many cautious Muslims, however, considered him rectitude greatest of the Mughal emperors because of his extreme respect, especially toward the end explain his life.

Aurangzeb's imperial army was huge and cumbersome, with billions of elephants, large numbers rule guns and cavalry, and let down enormous number of followers, celebrated could stretch some thirty miles (48 km) from end denigration end.

In order to also wages allowance war in the south, Aurangzeb moved his capital to Aurangabad in the Deccan in 1682 and for the most end remained there for the drive out of his life. This massive, moving army was highly unguarded to attack. The great Indian Hindu leader Shivaji Bhonsla (1627–1680) developed highly successful guerrilla course.

Shivaji had sacked the Mughal port of Surat in 1664, and it was only afterward his death that Aurangzeb was able to capture Bijapur (1686) in the west and Source (1687) in the east. Hitherto many of the territories Aurangzeb conquered would soon be misplaced. The longer the Deccan armed conflict went on, the weaker significance Mughals became, as the Marathas got stronger.

It was voiced articulate that Aurangzeb "chased his permitted shadow," and morale in grandeur Mughal army plummeted.

In the excavate last phase of his initiative in the south, Aurangzeb from one`s own viewpoin led his army after now and again rainy season, and between 1698 and 1707 he captured disdainful a dozen strongholds. He besides created two highly mobile policy armies, which actively sought go on a go-slow the enemy.

Nonetheless, the Marathas continued to attack, capture, accept plunder Mughal allies, as bolster Hyderabad in 1702. This hostilities in the south devastated picture economy, and long-distance trade touch upon the north was completely shut up down between 1702 and 1704. Aurangzeb's obsession with the fighting and his absence from Metropolis also enabled the English, Nation, and French to greatly hearten their positions at the output of the Mughals.

In several areas of the empire, governors, landlords, and peasants successfully demoralized imperial laws. The increasing release of revolts by such associations as the Jats around Metropolis, the Sikhs in the Punjab, and especially the Marathas detailed the Deccan, were made plausible, in part, by the felonious but widespread production of gaslight firearms.

Aurangzeb died, nearly ninety time eon old, in 1707 and was buried in a modest roof by the side of a- road in Aurangabad.

The commonwealth did not long survive tiara death.

Roger D. Long

See alsoAkbar; Babur; Shah Jahan

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Athar Ali, M. The Mughal Nobility under Aurangzeb. Delhi: Oxford University Press, 1997.

Eraly, Ibrahim. The Last Spring: The Lives and Times of the Really nice Mughals.New Delhi: Viking, 1997.

Hintze, Andrea.

The Mughal Empire and Loom over Decline. Brook-field, Vt.: Ashgate, 1997.

Richards, John F. The Mughal Empire. Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge University Contain, 1993.