The Mughals, led by Prince Aurangzeb were engaged in a fierce battle against the tough Uzbek horsemen, led by Abdul Aziz. The battle which was fought near Balkh in 1647 raged all day long and the Mughals made repeated charges which were successfully repelled by the gallant Uzbeks. Aurangzeb who was leading the attack suddenly dismounted from his horse at sunset to offer his obligatory prayer.
The Uzbeks who were stunned by the cool courage of the Mughal Prince stayed their hands. Their Commander cried out: “He is a Saint. We cannot fight against such a brave and pious man“, and withdrew from the battlefield.
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Aurangzeb Alamgir – Greatest Mughal Emperor
The Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb was the greatest of the Mughals who ruled over the subcontinent for about 5 decades. He fought all his life to correct the wrongs done by his lust-ridden apostate great grandfather, Akbar, and his epicurean grandfather, Jahangir.
The illiterate Akbar who was merely a slave of his lust for Rajput women had the audacity to invent a new religion, “Deen-e-Elahi“, which could not fetch even a few adherents during his lifetime and did not survive after his death.
His long rule dealt a deadly blow to the cause of Islam in the subcontinent. He alienated the Muslims and pampered the Hindus who, becoming strong, raised their heads during the time of Aurangzeb and were, at last, responsible for the downfall of the Mughal Empire.
Later his son, Jahangir, who was a voluptuary entrusted the affairs of his Empire to his Queen, Noor Jahan. Shah Jahan, Aurangzeb’s father, no doubt, tried to give Islamic pattern to his Administration and the national institutions, but he was more interested in setting up magnificent buildings like the Taj Mahal, the Pearl Mosque, the Juma Mosque and the Red Fort at Delhi. He is known as one of the greatest builders of magnificent buildings in history.
Life of Aurangzeb Alamgir
The task of establishing true Islamic rule fell upon the sturdy shoulders of Aurangzeb, who discharged his duties as a monarch with exceptional courage and firmness. It was an uphill task to suppress the evil forces which the short-sighted policies of Akbar and Jahangir had tended to strengthen. When he died, the Mughal Empire had been extended to its farthest limits. He had established it on a sounder footing. But for his weak and incompetent successors, the history of the Muslim rule over the subcontinent would have been totally different.
Muhammad Mohiuddin Aurangzeb, the third son of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, was born at Dhud on November 4, 1618. In young Aurangzeb there was something of a saint which created a feeling of revulsion in his heart against the effeminate and voluptuous trends of his grandfather Jahangir with whom he had spent two years.
He was given a thorough education which included religious and secular learning, state-craft and military training. At an early age he proved himself the most competent and promising Prince for the Mughal throne.
Courageous Fight of Young Aurangzeb with Elephant
He was quite young, when along with his father, Emperor Shah Jahan, brothers and other dignitaries of the State, he was one day witnessing an elephant fight in the Fort. One of the elephants lost his temper and rushed towards the audience. The Emperor, the Princes and the dignitaries all ran off for their lives.
But Prince Aurangzeb, despite repeated pleadings stood at his place. The elephant attacked the lonely Prince and tried to lift him with its trunk. Aurangzeb, by his time, had taken out his sword and dealt a severe blow at its trunk which sent back the elephant trumpeting.
Shah Jahan was immensely pleased at Aurangzeb’s exceptional courage and weighed him in gold which was distributed among the poor.
Young Talented Aurangzeb Bears Great Responsibilities
Aurangzeb was hardly 18 years when he was appointed Viceroy of the important and turbulent Province of Deccan, which included Khandesh, Berar, Telangana and Daulatabad, and was dotted with sixty-four forts. He administered it with great ability and courage. He subdued the Maratha leader Shahji Bhonsla who surrendered to him in 1636.
Later, the young Prince was appointed Governor of Gujrat where he suppressed lawlessness and robbery by his vigorous rule lasting two years. His able administration won him the admiration of Emperor Shah Jahan.
Aurangzeb’s success as an administrator and general received so much recognition from the Emperor that he was assigned to lead difficult military expeditions in Balkh and Badakhshan in 1647. In appreciation of his successful conduct of the campaigns in the midst of extreme dangers, he was appointed Governor of Multan in March 1648.
Aurangzeb was again given the most difficult assignment in the Empire when he was appointed the Viceroy of Deccan for the second time in January 1653. The condition of this largest Province of the Empire was pitiable due to the neglect of the governors and administrators who were making hay after the departure of Aurangzeb when he was transferred to Gujrat in 1645.
The condition of the people became miserable. Large tracts of land remained uncultivated, jungles unreclaimed; villages in many places were abandoned and collection of revenue was much below the estimates.
The young Prince devoted himself to the task of improving the administration of the Province. Land was resurveyed and classified according to its fertility. Efficient management increased its productivity.
The Prince wanted to annex the neighbouring state of Golkanda which was highly mismanaged. A large number of its Hindu employees conspired with the Maratha plunderers against the Mughal rule. But he was dissuaded from this course by Emperor Shah Jahan who had been systematically poisoned against him by his eldest son, Dara, and his ill-advisers.
The same thing happened when he attacked the Kingdom of Bijapur whose Ruler was a friend of Prince Dara. Meanwhile, Aurangzeb had occupied Bidar and Kalyani. Further progress was, however, stopped by Shah Jahan at the instance of Dara.
Fight for the Throne after Shah Jahan
The news about the serious illness of Emperor Shah Jahan in September 1658 led to a bloody war of succession among his four sons. Each of the four brothers cherished the ambition of succeeding to the throne.
Dara, the eldest son, being at the Court exercised some of the Imperial prerogatives. Dara was a true disciple of his great grandfather Akbar and was inclined towards Hinduism much to the disgust of Muslims. Shah Jahan who was more interested in erecting magnificent buildings than anything else, was under Dara’s evil influence.
Shuja, the second son, who was the Governor of Bengal, believed in the epicurean philosophy of his grandfather Jahangir.
Murad, the fourth son, who was the Governor of Gujrat, was no better. Both Shuja and Murad declared their independence and also had their names read in Khutba and struck on the coins in their respective Provinces.
Aurangzeb, the third and the ablest son, preferred to sit on the fence, watching developments. All the three sons marched upon Agra. Aurangzeb joined hands with Murad and routed the Imperial army led by the Rajput General Jaswant Singh, in the battle of Dharamatpur in April 1658 A.C. The Rajput General escaped with barely 500 troops.
Aurangzeb and Murad marched upon Agra. Dara, proud of his military power, came out of Agra with one lakh horsemen and 20,000 infantry, to bar the way of his two brothers. A fierce battle was fought at Samugarh on June 5, 1658 in which the Imperial forces led by Dara were defeated with terrible losses and Dara fled from the battlefield for his life.
He wandered from place to place pursued by Aurangzeb’s men, visiting Mathura, Punjab, Multan, Sind and Gujrat. He sought the help of General Raja Jaswant Singh who betrayed him. Earlier, his son Sulaiman Shikoh, was betrayed by Raja Jai Singh, another Rajput General of the Mughal Empire. Dara was at last captured at Lahore and beheaded at the behest of religious leaders who condemned him to death for his irreligious beliefs.
Shuja was met by Aurangzeb’s famous General Mir JumIa, at Khajua near Fatehpur. He was defeated and was pursued up to the Eastern Frontiers of Bengal. He disappeared in the Arakan Hills, never to return. Here, too, Jaswant Singh repeated his treachereous role. While fighting on the side of Shuja, he slipped away along with his men in the thick of the battle.
Murad was imprisoned in the Gwalior for his addiction to liquor.
Shah Jahan, biased towards Dara and too dangerous to be kept free, was confined by Aurangzeb in the Agra Fort, receiving all considerations and comforts befitting his dignity.
Aurangzeb becomes the Emperor
Aurangzeb ascended the Mughal throne in June 1659. He held his Court in Delhi. His path was beset with insuperable difficulties. The erstwhile trouble makers, especially the Marathas, the Rajputs, the Jats and the Sikhs, who were not pleased with a stern Muslim like Aurangzeb coming to power, started conspiring against the Mughal rule.
The Pathans, too, wanted to take advantage of the war of succession among the Mughal Princes. The mounting discontentment in the Northern Frontier areas, obliged Aurangzeb to make Hasan Abdal his headquarters where he remained from June 1674 to December 1675.
Next year he marched to the South where he remained all his life, engaged in suppressing the revolts of Marathas and the conspiracies of Rajputs and Jats.
Aurangzeb’s Suppression of Revolts and Conspiracies
His able General Mir Jumla effectively put down all turbulent elements in far flung Bengal and conquered Assam and Cooch Bihar. This redoubtable General died in 1663 and in his death Aurangzeb lost his ablest General. The lower Bengal, including the Chittagong hill tracts and the island of Sandwip were conquered by Aurangzeb’s uncle Shaista Khan.
The Hindu revolt which was brewing against the strict Muslim rule of Aurangzeb had its first demonstration near Agra where the Jats led by Golda, the Zamindar of Tipat, revolted against the Mughal authority in 1669 A.C. This rebellion was suppressed without much difficulty.
The Santamis, a Hindu Sect, which practised witchery, rose in revolt, being assisted by Rajputs. They were routed with terrible losses by the Mughal army.
The treacherous Rajput General Raja Jaswant Singh who was pardoned by Aurangzeb on three occasions for his teachery, died in 1678, leaving behind no son to succeed him.
Jaswant Singh’s Rani gave birth to a posthumous son, afterwards named Ajit Singh, who was not recognised by the Mughal Emperor as the heir to Jaswant’s estate. This led to a revolt by the Rathors. In a pitched battle near the hike Puskar in which the Emperor himself took part, the Rathor Rajputs were defeated.
Aurangzeb vs Shivaji the ‘Notorious Maratha Plunderer‘
Another troubled spot was in the south where the Maratha plunderers under Shivaji, the “Mountain Rat”, as Aurangzeb called him, had raised their head. He had to deal with a strong hand the Hindu agitators, pampered and spoilt by Akbar and Jahangir’s too much liberalism.
Shivaji, the leader of a band of Maratha plunderers, had accumulated much wealth and had become a menace to the neighbouring Muslim states of Golkanda and Bijapur.
After a quick surprise attack he would disappear in his mountain defiles on the approach of the Bijapur or Mughal armies.
He seldom dared to face them in the open and whenever he did so, he was beaten back with heavy losses.
Like all brigands and robbers he believed in shock tactics and preferred to attack from the rear.
He invited the Bijapura General Afzal Khan to negotiate peace, on the condition that both will be unarmed. When the brave Khan, unsuspecting any mischief, went to meet him, Shivaji treacherously thrust a tiger’s claw in Afzal Khan’s stomach during the conversation.
Aurangzeb Crushes the Maratha Revolt
Aurangzeb appointed his uncle Shaista Khan to crush the Marathas. The Mughal forces soon captured Chakan and Poona, but they found it difficult to deal with the guerrilla bands who disappeared with great ability into mountains and jungles on the approach of the former.
Shivaji made a night attack on the Mughal camp in Poona, entering the city under the disguise of a marriage party. He along with his band of marauders sacked the wealthy city of Surat for four days in January 1669 and plundered enormous wealth.
A strong offensive launched against the Marathas under the command of Diler Khan in 1665 brought Shivaji and his brigands to their senses and the treaty of Purandar was signed on June 11, 1665 by which Shivaji had to surrender his 23 forts yielding a revenue of 4 lakh Huns. He was allowed to retain 12 forts.
Shivaji, hence forward, became a vassal of the Mughal Emperor and assisted him in his Bijapur war. He also visited the Mughal Court at Agra on May 12, 1666 and was put under house arrest for his insolence there. He, however, escaped with the connivance of Raja Ram Singh, a State Dignitary.
Shivaji died in 1680 and his successor Sambhuji, an insolent sensualist could not face the Mughal power for long. A Hindu historian describes the Mahratta method of warfare thus:
“As soon as the enemy’s back was turned, Shivaji’s son Sambhuji swiftly led his active battle horsemen behind their flank, and crossing over to Khandesh burned Burhanpur and set the whole countryside ablaze.
Before the Mughals could get at them; they were safe again in their fastness in the Ghats. This was a typical method of their warfare. They never risked an engagement in the open field unless their numbers made victory a certainty”. (Mediaeval India-by U. N. Ball).
The Mughal General Tukkarrib Khan took Sambhuji by surprise at Sangarneswar and forced him to take to the field. In a fierce engagement in which about 10 thousand Marathas perished, Sambhuji and his Minister were captured. They were brought before the Mughal Emperor who wanted to pardon the Maratha leader, but the insolent reply of Sambhuji cost him his life. He was beheaded on March 11, 1689 and was succeeded by his son Shivaji II.
The Imperial army now launched a massive attack on the Marathas. The Mughal General, lttiqad Khan, who captured Raigarh, the Maratha Capital, in November 1689 carried the child king with his mother to the Imperial camp. A number of Mahratta forts in Konkon also fell into his hands.
Raja Ram, the Mahratta Commander, retreated to Jinji. Trichinopoly and Tanjore were captured in 1694. At Jinji, the Mahrattas surrendered on 1697 while Satara and Parli fell to Mughal arms in 1700. “In the next four years he (Aurangzeb) conquered almost all the important forts ….. He occupied Panbola, Vishalgarh Raigarh and Torna” (Mediaeval India-by U. N. Ball).
Aurangzeb Becomes the Greatest Emperor of India
Now Aurangzeb was at the zenith of his power. He had crushed the Marathas and had occupied their territories and forts. He had fulfilled his ambition. But he had grown too old. He breathed his last on February 20, 1707 and was buried in an ordinary tomb in Aurangabad.
“The tomb of the last great monarch of Hindustan is a very simple masonry work without any marble platform, grass grows on the top, and this is emblematic of the simplicity of his life”.
Pious and Just, austere and energetic, Aurangzeb was a model of true Muslim monarch. His life was characterised by simplicity and unbounded energy. He was the most learned person among all the Mughal rulers.
He discarded the un-Islamic custom of appearing before the public twice a day in a window, stopped distillation, sale and consumption of liquors and closed down the brothels.
He introduced beneficial Islamic laws which added to the morality and prosperity of the people. His life provided a model to his people, inculcating plain living and a sense of Justice among them.
Ball writes:
“He never indulged in frivolities and was always dignified in his conduct. He never put on clothes prohibited by religion, nor did he ever used vessels of silver or gold. In his Court no improper conversation, no word of backbiting or falsehood was allowed”.
About his energy and sense of justice, Mr. U. N. Ball writes:
“Aurangzeb took up his task as a ruler very seriously. He possessed a keen sense of justice, unflinching courage, and indomitable power of endurance. He guided the military operations personally even at the age of 88. He maintained his energy till his last campaign”. (Mediaeval India-by U. N. Ball).
Unmatched Character of Aurangzeb
We might refer here to a few incidents in the life of Emperor Aurangzeb that shed light on his bravery, strength of character and devoutness that have elicited praise even from non-Muslim historians.
It is said that one day as he was about to offer his prayers in a jungle in Hyderabad Deccan, he saw a tiger stealthily emerging out of the thickets and heading towards him. The moment it was about to pounce upon him he gave no opportunity to his bodyguards to kill it, but killed it himself with his sword he was carrying at the time. He resumed his prayers soon after killing the tiger.
There is an inspiring story relating to the foundation laying of the Shahi Mosque at Lahore. On getting timely information that his brother Murad was going to build a pleasure-house in front of the Fort, he hastily came back from Deccan and ordered the construction of a massive mosque on the site.
He issued a Royal Proclamation to the effect that the foundation stone of the mosque would be laid by himself in his capacity as Emperor and as one who had been regularly saying his prayers ever since it became obligatory for him to pray five times a day.
The Great Mughal Empire reached its zenith before his death and was extended to its farthest and widest limits. He fulfilled his mission with unparalleled courage, ability and energy. But his successors proved too weak and incompetent to hold together such a vast Empire.