28 Aurangzeb: Life, Politics and Achievements

Mohammad Nazrul Bari

1. Introduction:

Aurangzeb was born on 3 November 1618, in Dahod, Gujarat. He was the third son and sixth child of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal. His father was a governor of Gujarat at that time. In June 1626, after an unsuccessful rebellion by his father, Aurangzeb and his brother Dara Shikoh were kept as hostages under their grandparents’ (Nur Jahan and Jahangir) Lahore court. On 26 February 1628, Shah Jahan was officially declared the Mughal Emperor, 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 fixed at Rs. 500 which he spent on religious education and the study of history. He also accused his brothers of alcoholism and womanizing.

2. Early military campaign:

Bundela War: On 15 December 1634, Aurangzeb was given his first command, comprising 10,000 horse and 4000 troopers. He was allowed to use the red tent, which was an imperial prerogative. Subsequently, Aurangzeb was nominally in charge of the force sent to Bundelkhand with the intent of subduing the rebellious ruler of Orchha,Jhujhar Singh, who had attacked another territory in defiance of Shah Jahan’s policy and was refusing to atone for his actions. By arrangement, Aurangzeb stayed in the rear, away from the fighting, and took the advice of his generals as the Mughal Army gathered and commenced the Siege of Orchha in 1635. The campaign was successful and Singh was removed from power.

Viceroy of the Deccan: Aurangzeb was appointed viceroy of the Deccan in 1636. After Shah Jahan’s vassals had been devastated by the alarming expansion of Ahmednagar during the reign of the Nizam Shahi boy-prince Murtaza Shah III, the emperor dispatched Aurangzeb, who in 1636 brought the Nizam Shahi dynasty to an end. In 1637, Aurangzeb married the Safavid princess, Dilras Banu Begum, also known as Rabia-ud-Daurani.

Aurangzeb was appointed governor of Multan and Sindh. His efforts in 1649 and 1652 to dislodge the Safavids at Kandahar, which they had recently retaken after a decade of Mughal control, both ended in failure as winter approached. The logistical problems of supplying an army at the extremity of the empire, combined with the poor quality of armaments and the intransigence of the opposition have been cited by John Richards as the reasons for failure, and a third attempt in 1653, led by Dara Shikoh, met with the same outcome.

Aurangzeb became viceroy of the Deccan again after he was replaced by Dara Shikoh in the attempt to recapture Kandahar. Aurangzeb regretted this and harbored feelings that Shikoh had manipulated the situation to serve his own end. Aurangbad’s two jagirs (land grants) were moved there as a consequence of his return and, because the Deccan was a relatively impoverished area, this caused him to lose out financially. So poor was the area that grants were required from Malwa and Gujarat in order to maintain the administration and the situation caused ill-feeling between father and son. Shah Jahan insisted that things could be improved if Aurangzeb made efforts to develop cultivation. Aurangzeb appointed Murshid Quli Khan[ to extend to the Deccan the zabt revenue system used in northern India. Murshid Quli Khan organized a survey of agricultural land and a tax assessment on what it produced. To increase revenue, Murshid Quli Khan granted loans for seed, livestock, and irrigation infrastructure. The Deccan returned to prosperity, but too slowly to satisfy the emperor.

Aurangzeb proposed to resolve the situation by attacking the dynastic occupants of Golconda (the Qutb Shahis) and Bijapur (the Adil Shahis). As an adjunct to resolving the financial difficulties, the proposal would also extend Mughal influence by accruing more lands. Again, he was to feel that Dara had exerted influence on his father: believing that he was on the verge of victory in both instances, Aurangzeb was frustrated that Shah Jahan chose then to settle for negotiations with the opposing forces rather than pushing for complete victory.

3. Aurangzeb and the war of succession:

The war of succession which took place among the four sons of Shah Jahan had one novelty. While previously, wars were fought after the death of the emperor, this war was fought when Shah Jahan was yet alive. Besides, all sons and daughters of Shah Jahan participated in it. While the four sons Dara Shikoh, Shah Shuja, Aurangzeb and Murad Bux fought against each other, the sisters allied themselves with one or the other brother. Jahan Ara supported Dara Shikoh, Roshen Ara supported Aurangzeb and Gauhan Ara sided with Murad Bux. Likewise the nobles and army commanders sided with one or the other contestant of the throne.

4. Reasons of the war of succession:

Rumours of Shah Jahan’s death: Early in September 1657, Shah Jahan fell ill. There was practically no hope of his recovery. He failed to attend the court for a long time. The rumour spread that he was dead. The death of an emperor was always an occasion of internal disruption and disturbance of peace. The probability of his death created rival groups in the court and empire.

Dara’s appointment as successor: Shah Jahan decided to appoint Dara, his eldest son as his successor. His other sons and several staunch Muslim Ulemas and nobles did not like Dara on account of his liberal religious views.

Selfish interests of courtiers: The courtiers had their selfish motives to gain power by siding with the one or the other son.

Desire of each prince to succeed:All the four princes had been trained in the art of warfare and administration. They were working as governors and had their own desires to occupy the throne. They were all working as governors in various provinces—Dara of Punjab and Northwestern Province, Shujah of Bengal and Orissa, Aurangzeb of Deccan and Murad of Gujarat. Each had vast resources at his command.

Takht’ or ‘Takhta’: There was no love lost among the four princes. Each knew that only one would get the throne and others will be killed by the victor.

Lack of definite law of succession: Sword was the determining factor to become the emperor.

5. Chief events of the war of succession:

Declaration of being the emperor: Prince Murad declared himself independent in Gujarat, Shah Shuja in Bengal and Murad in Gujarat.

Diplomacy of Aurangzeb: Aurangzeb kept his plans secret. He won over Murad by promising to give the provinces of Punjab, Sindh, Kabul and Kashmir.

Battle of Bahadarpur: Shah Shuja reached Banaras with his army. Dara sent an army to check him. Shah Shuja was defeated and ran away towards Bengal,

Battle of Dharmat: Aurangzeb and Murad advanced towards Agra. Dara also sent an army to fight but the army faced defeat.

Battle of Samugarh: Dara without waiting for his victorious troops who have defeated Shuja, advanced toward Samugarh a place at a distance of about 13 km. from Agra. Initially Dara had an upper hand but he committed a blunder. He got down from his elephant and mounted a horse. Seeing him missing, commotion and disorder ensued in his army. Dara fled from the battlefield. Battle of Samugarh proved to be decisive.

Besiege of Agra: The combined forces of Aurangzeb and Murad reached Agra and besieged the fort. The royal army opposed them. After a few days of struggle, the royal army surrendered.

Imprisonment of Shah Jahan: Shah Jahan was imprisoned and died there in a pathetic situation after six years i.e. January 1666.

End of Murad and Shah Shuja: Aurangzeb did not adhere to the agreement arrived at with Murad. He used devious methods and got him murdered in Gwalior fort. Shah Shuja had to run away from India and died outside in obscure circumstances.

Sad end of Dara and his sons: After his defeat, Dara wandered from place in different parts of India but was hotly chased and ultimately fell into Aurangzeb’s hands. He was paraded in dirty clothes in the city and awarded death punishment. His two sons were also given death punishment. In this way the war of succession ended with the victory of Aurangzeb.

6.  Causes of Aurangzeb’s success:

Personal qualities of Aurangzeb: Aurangzeb was a more able commander than his brothers.

Diplomacy of Aurangzeb: He kept his plans secret and very diplomatically made Murad as his ally and afterwards in the same manner got him murdered. Murad was called at a feast at Mathura. There he was heavily drunk and in a state of unconsciousness taken to Gwalior fort where he was killed.

Lack of unity in Dara’s camp: It is said that Aurangzeb was successful in creating division among the officers of Dara’s army. Even Jaswant Singh, his faithful commander did not join him in his final struggle with Aurangzeb.

Superior artillery of Aurangzeb: Aurangzeb had appointed several Europeans in his artillery division. Dara’s artillery and his soldiers could not compete with the superior artillery of Aurangzeb.

Weakness of Shah Jahan: In spite of the fact that Shah Jahan had declared Dara as his successor, he remained a silent spectator. Had he taken some interest, his loyal officers and army would have worked for the success of Dara. He also did not try to stop the rumour of his death.

Unlucky Dara: Fate was against Dara. When victory was just within his reach, his getting down from the elephant and riding the horse gave a wrong signal to his army. His army thought he was missing and lost the courage to fight.

7.  Results of the war of succession: Aurangzeb won the war of succession and with his becoming the emperor of India, a new chapter of intense religious antagonism is said to have begun. Dr. Surjit Man Singh has described the situation in these words, ―Some modern historians ascribe to Aurangzeb the intention of ruling India as an Islamic country. …Some go further in tracing the seeds of partition in 1947 to him. Far-fetched though such judgements may be, it is certain that Aurangzeb died in his own words, ―forlorn and destitute‖ and soon after that his empire disintegrated

8.  War on the Eastern Front (I66I to I666):

On the North Eastern border since I639 there had been no disorder as river Barnadi had been recognized as the boundary between the Mughal and Ahom territories The Ahoms were a people of Mongoloid origin and had established their rule in Eastern and Central Assam since thirteenth century. They had adopted Hindu religion and customs. Taking advantage of the war of succession among the Mughal princes, the Ahoms occupied Gauhati. After freeing himself from the civil war at home, Aurangzeb ordered Mir Jumla the Governor of Bengal to launch a campaign for the conquest of Assam. He started at the head of a powerful army in November I66I. His early operations were successful. He conquered both Cooch Bihar and Assam and reached Garhgaon, the capital of the Ahom kingdom in March, I662.The Ahoms offered little resistance and left their capital and property to the mercy of the imperialists who got enormous spoils. But the Mughals failed to maintain their hold over Assam for during the rainy season the country was flooded and the communications were cut off. A large number of Mughal Soldiers died of starvation. The Ahoms took the offensive and began to harass the Mughals whose sufferings increased owing to the outbreak of pestilence in their camp. After the rains Mir Jumla resumed the offensive. He himself was attacked by fever but still he pressed on. At last the Ahoms used for peace and a treaty was made with them in December, I662. According to the treaty the Ahoms king offered to pay a large indemnity. The Mughals were to occupy more than half the Province of Darrang, rich in elephants. This success had caused great hardships to the Mughals and loss of many lives including that of Mir Jumla one of Aurangzeb’s best general who died on 30 March on his way back to Dacca. However, a few years later the Ahoms recovered their lost provinces including Gauhati. Eamrupa ceased to be a part of the Mughal Empire. The only outcome of this long warfare was that the ruler of Cooch Bihar acknowledged the nominal suzerainty of the Mughal empire as a price for the maintenance of peace along his borders. After Mir Jumla’s death, Shaista Khan was appointed as the Governor of Bengal. He drove away the Portuguese pirates who were growing bold day by day, annexed the island of Sondip in the Bay of Bengal and conquered Chittagong in I666 from the king of Arakan.

9. War with the Frontier tribes:

Aurangzeb followed a forward policy on the North West Frontier. The Afghans (Pathans) such as Afridis, Yusufzais, Khattaks, were a constant source of anxiety to the Mughal Empire. These tribes’ men indulged in highway robbery and plundered the rich towns of the North Western Punjab. Aurangzeb tried to win them over by payments of money so as to keep the North Western passes safe to traffic and trade. But the hardy tribesmen were not content. In I667 the Yusufzais rose in rebellion but were successfully suppressed. In I672 the Afridis rose in arms under their leader Akmal Khan who summoned all the Pathans to organize themselves in national war against the Mughals. He inflicted a crushing defeat on the Mghals. The victory enhanced their prestige and soon the whole Pathan land from attack to Kandhar rose in arms. The Khattaks joined the Afridies under their leader Khushal Khan. By I674 the situation become so menacing that Aurangzeb was obliged to proceed in person to direct the operations. He reached Hasan Abdul near Peshawar and stayed there for a year and many clans were won over by means of pension, jagirs, and presents and commands in the Mughal army. With the appointment of Amir Khan as the Governor of Kabul (I677-I698) a period of peace followed who by tact and diplomacy kept friendly relations with the Afghans. A fear of their uprising was always there which forced the Mughals to leave a precious part of their troops to maintain border security.

10.  Aurangzeb’s religious policy:-

Aurangzeb was convinced that his ancestors on the throne of Delhi had committed grave error in disregarding the Quranic law and in attempting to conduct the administration on secular lines. He restored Islam to its former position as the state religion. The religious policy of Aurangzeb unfolded itself gradually. His initial step was to abolish some of the un-Islamic practices at the Mughal court. He abolished the celebration of the Persian New Year’s Day discontinued the practice of Jharokha Darshan (a practice by which emperor appeared every morning at a balcony on the wall of the place to receive the salute of the people assembled on the ground in front). Forbade music at the court and dismissed the old musicians and singers. The old practice of stamping the Kalima (Muslim confession of faith) on the coins was abolished. The ceremony of weighing the emperor against gold and silver was given up and royal astrologers were dismissed. The cultivation and sale of bhang was prohibited. All public women and dancing girls were ordered to get married or leave the realm. He appointed Censers of public Morals to regulate the lives of the peoples strict accordance with the Holy Law. The emperor, however, was not satisfied with these regulations only. He issued Farmans which marked the inauguration of a new policy in regard to the important sections of the people. In April, I679 he re-imposed Jizya Which Akbar had abolished in I564. His religious policy lost him active loyalty of his Hindu subject. His policy generated feeling of discontent among certain sections of people which by distracting his energies during the remainder of his reign proved to be one of the most potent causes for the decline and fall of the Mughal empire. Auranagzeb’s policy of religious intolerance led to organized opposition from various groups

11. Revolt of the Jats of Mathura:-

The first organized rebellion occurred among the Jats of Mathura. Consequently in I669 the Jats under their leader Gokul revolted and killed the oppressive Faujdar. The rebellion soon spread to other districts. The rebellion was suppressed by a strong imperial force. Gokul was taken prisoner along with his family and brought to Agra. He was tortured to death while his family forcibly converted to Islam. But this did not crush the Jats permanently. They again rose in revolt under their new leader Rajaram in I636 who also fell fighting against the Mughals in I688. The leadership of the Jats was now taken up by his native Churaman who welded to organize Jats into strong military power and armed resistance against the Mughals after Aurangzeb’s death.

12. The Revolt of Satnamis:

The Satnamis were a religious sect of the Hindus who inhabited the territory Narnaul and Mewat. They believed in the unity of God. They were dressed like fakirs but most of them followed agriculture. They were popularly called mundiyas because they shaved off their head and face including the eye brows. Firmly united and militant they never hesitated to use arms to aid the harassed members. They revolted when a tax collector insulted a Satnami farmer. The whole tribe rose in rebellion. They look upon it as a holy war. They occupied Narnaul. Aurangzeb was forced to send a large army equipped with artillery. The un-trained Satnami peasants were over powered by a large imperial force. Over a thousand Satnamis were killed. A few escaped while the rest were made into submission and that tract of country was cleared of them.

13. Rise of the Sikhs:

The Sikh sect was founded by Guru Nanak in the sixteenth century who believed in universal brotherhood, unity of God and spiritual liberation by means of prayer, self restraint and good actions. Under the next three Gurus the community remained peaceful. Guru Ramdas the fourth Guru for whom Akbar had great respect was granted a piece of land at Amritsar containing a pool which was enlarged and improved and on the side of which was constructed the famous Golden Temple. The fifth Guru Arjundev proved a more dynamic and zealous organized the Sikhs into a compact community. Guru Arjandev supported the rebellious prince Khusrao in I606 for which Jahangir ordered his execution. This act led the Sikhs to go against the Mughals under the leadership of the sixth Guru Hargovind. He declared himself to be a spiritual and temporal head of the Sikhs. He collected a small army round him and Sikh devotees were transformed into soldier saints. This brought him into clash with the Mughals. When the ninth guru Teghbahadur protested against the policies of Aurangzeb, he was arrested and put to death. Afterwards, Aurangzeb was engaged in struggle against the Marathas in the south and he could not tolerate the emergence of the Sikhs as an armed community. He ordered the suppressions of the Sikhs.

14. Aurangzeb and the Rajputs:

The minor anti-imperial risings were suppressed by Aurangzeb but the more formidable revolts rising against his religious policy produced disastrous consequences for the Mughal Empire. The worst of them was his wars against the Rajputs which continued for nearly 30 years and ended after his death. Aurangzeb was interested in the conquest of Marwar. The state occupied a position of strategic importance as controlling certain military and commercial routes from the Mughal capital to the rich cities and ports of Western India. Its position as a strong military state in Northern India could not be tolerated by Aurangzeb but he suspected that Raja Jaswant Singh the chief of Marwar might stand forth as the leader of opposition to his policy. Raja Jaswant Singh died in I678 without leaving a male heir. His death was a signal for war. Aurangzeb took immediate steps to seize his kingdom and placed it under direct Mughal rule. He appointed his Muslim officers in the state. He issued orders for the demolition of temples and revival of jizya. He himself left for Ajmer to personally supervise the operation. Large Mughal contingent poured into Marwar. And there was no opposition from the Rathore because the state was in utter confusion after the death of its chief. From then, the Rajputs continued their struggle until the death of Aurangzeb.

15. Aurangzeb and the Deccan

After his accession to the throne, Aurangzeb did not pursue a vigorous policy in the Deccan during the first half of his reign. With the end of the Rajput war in I68I he turned his attention to the Deccan and spent the last twenty five years of his life (I682-I707) in the Deccan. The objective of his Deccan wars was to conquer the states of Bijapur and Golkonda and to crush the power of the Marathas. Aurangzeb’s attitude towards the states of Bijapur and Golkonda since the days of his princely career had been very aggressive. He also felt that the existence of these states enabled the Marathas powerful. The Marathas got military and administrative experience and also received lot of money, they also befriended the Qutb Shahi and Adil shahi Sultans whenever it was convenient to co-operate with them against the Mughals. The continuation of the Maratha raids convinced Aurangzeb that only a complete subjugation of the region could provide the permanent solution.

15.1. Annexation of Bijapur: First Aurangzeb preferred to raise arms against Bijapur. The death of Adil Shah II, the able Sultan of Bijapur in I672 marked the beginning of the decline of Bijpapur. His son Sikandar who was a boy of four years was placed on the throne. A civil war broke out among the nobles, followed by independence of the provincial Governors and paralysis of the central administration. The state consequently degenerated into worst anarchy and corruption, till its dissolution become only a question of time. Taking advantage of this Aurangzeb sent Diler Khan in I679 to carry the siege of Bijapur but he failed to capture it. During the next four years nothing decisive was done against Bijapur by the Mughals, because their primary interest was to resist Shambhaji who had given protection and promised aid to Prince Akbar. In I683 Aurangzeb sent an ultimatum to Bijapur making following demands: (I) To supply the provisions to the Mughal army. (2) To stop helping Shambhaji. (3) To render five thousand Bijapur troops against the Marathas. The Mughal offer was turned down by Bijapur. This convinced Aurangzeb to extinguish Bijapur and Golkonda. He was fully convinced now that it was impossible to destroy the Marathas without first subjugating Bijapur and Golkonda which were directly or indirectly sending assistance to the Maratha king. He therefore ordered a full-fledged invasion of both the states by two imperial armies. Bijapur government under the minister ship of Sharza Khan had grown very weak. Sultan Sikandar who knew that an invasion was imminent began with preparations. Bijapur was invaded by the imperial army led by prince Azam in April I685. Mughals over ran many parts of the state and laid siege to the stronghold of Bijapur. The siege continued for fifteen months. Supplies and reinforcements continued coming from Shambhaji and the Sultan of Golkonda while the imperialists suffered from want of supplies. Aurangzeb himself proceeded to the scene of action in July, I686 and conducted the siege under his personal supervision. His determination shook the nerves of Bijapuris and the shortage of provisions decided the issue. They capitulated in September I686 and Sikandar Adil Shah surrendered the fort of Bijapur.

The state of Bijapur was annexed to the Mughal Empire and the Adil Shahi dynasty came to an end. Sultan Sikandar was enrolled a Manasbdar in the Mughal service with the title of Khan and was given annual pension of rupees on lakh.

15.2. Conquest of Golkonda: The annexation of Bijapur was soon followed by the annexation of Golkonda. During the reign of Abdulla Qutub Shah Sultan of Golkonda ( I626 – I672 ) anarchy and misrule had spread in the country. The state was hastening towards dissolution. Adbulla died in I672 without a male issue. Therefore the nobles of the Golkonda put up his son-in-law Abul Hasan on the throne. He was a pleasure loving man hence during his regime the nobles got the upper hand. Anarchy and operation had set in ever since Abdulla’s neglect public business. A Brahmin family acquired ascendancy during the reign of Abul Hasan. Madanna Pundit becomes the prime minister in I673 while his brother Akkanna become the commander-in-chief of the army. The predominance of Hindu influence at Golkonda and the latter’s alliance with the Maratha king Shambhaji were particularly offensive to Aurangzeb. Moreover their offer of help to Bijapur provided the Mughals ready pretext to invade the country.

From Aurangzeb’s point of view there was ample justification for war. The kingdom possessed great natural resources, its rich mines of diamonds and iron and its flourishing ports added to her wealth. As indicated above Aurangzeb had come to the Deccan in I682 determined to crush the Marathas and he wanted his Muslim vassals of Bijapur and Golkonda to help him in their task but when he discovered that their sympathies lay with the enemy he decided to finish them first as a preliminary to the destruction of the Marathas. This was the chief cause for the invasion of Golkonda in I685.

While the siege of Bijapur was going on a force under prince Maazzam styled Shah Alam was sent to Golkonda to prevent the function of the Qutb Shahi forces with the Bijapuris. The progress of the Mughals was much hampered by the jealousy of the imperial officers but the army finally reached Hyderabad and occupied it while Abul Hasan sought shelter in the fort of Golkonda and made peace. He promised to pay a large sum as war indemnity in addition to an annual tribute as he used to pay previously. He also agreed to dismiss his two Brahmin ministers Madamna and Akkanna from service and to cede some places which Mughal forces had already occupied (October, I685 ). In March I686 Madanna and Akkanna were murdered by the Muslim nobles. This caused general disorder and panic in the kingdom. The Mughals were, however, satisfied and evacuated the Golkonda territory. In Aurangzeb’s scheme of things and independent Golkonda was an offence. Therefore soon after the fall Bijapur (September-I686) he again turned his attention to Golkonda. He himself proceeded to Golkonda in January I687 and ordered a siege of the town. The siege went on but the Mughals suffered from famine and enemy inflicted heavy losses upon them. An outbreak of epidemic further added to their sufferings and destroyed men and beasts by hundreds. The fort on the other hand had large stocks of essential supplies and munitions but the iron will Aurangzeb refused to bend before any obstacle. On failure of velour and arms Aurangzeb following the example of Akbar before Asirgarh made use of ―the golden key‖ to capture Golkonda. Abdulla Pani one of the inmate officers of the Golkonda fort was bribed into opening the gates in the morning of 21, September,I687. Qutb Shah nobles and their Sultan Abul Hasan surrendered without fight, but one faithful noble Abdur Razzaq Lari fought the Mughals at the risk of his life. Throughout the siege he had rejected with scorn all the bribes of Aurangzeb including a command of 6000 cavalry in the Mughal army. He fought single handed till he fell with seventy wounds on his body, the fate of Qutb Shah dynasty was finally sealed not by force of sword and spear but the treachery of its own officers.

Golkonda was declared annexed to the Mughal Empire in I687. Abul Hassan the last sultan of Qutab Shahi dynasty was sent to Daulaltabad as prisoner and was granted a pension of Rs. 50,000/- a year. Enormous booty was seized amounting Rs.7 crores of rupees in cash besides gold, silver, Jewels and other articles of value.

15.3. Aurangzeb and Marathas: Having achieved the one of the two objects of his Deccan policy i.e. annexation of the decadent sultans of the Deccan Aurangzeb turned towards the other that is the suppression of the Maratha power. The rise of the Maratha power is an important event in Indian polities during the second half of the seventeenth century. Their rise was a sort of challenge to the Mughal empire complicated the political situation in the Deccan, The full significance of which Aurangzeb could not realize at first. During the first half of his reign (I657 – I68I) his victory’s in the Deccan achieved no definite success against the Marathas. Mirza Raja Jaisingh, the Mughal viceroy of Deccan from I658 to I666 humbled the pride of Shivaji and compelled him to sign the treaty of Purandhar in I665. In 1666 Shivaji visited the imperial court at Agra but was put under confinement by Aurangzeb. On his return to the South Shivaji not only recovered his lost territories but also extended their boundaries and celebrated his coronation as sovereign ruler in 1674. Before his death in 1680 the Maratha kingdom had become the most powerful state in the south..

He was succeeded by his son Shambaji (I680-I689). In I68I revolt of Prince Akbar took place and he took refuse in the court of Maratha king Shambhaji. This obliged Aurangzeb to come the South where he was destined to spend the remaining 27 years of his life. He arrived at Burhanpur in November, I681. The first four years were spent in unsuccessful attempts to seize Prince Akbar and in fruitless campaigns against the Maratha. After the annexation of Bijapur and Golkonda (I686 & I687) Aurangzeb was free to deal with the Marathas. Shambhaji proved to be an incapable ruler and a poor diplomat. He failed to protect even his own person and was taken prisoner by Aurangzeb and tortured to death in I689.

After his death Rajaram, Shivaji’s son from another wife, was proclaimed the new Chhatrapati. He remained in power from I689 to I700. The Mughals laid siege to the Maratha capital but Rajaram slipped out and reached Jinji which become the Maratha headquarters outside Maharashtra. The Mughals now captured a number of Maratha force and created disorder in the whole of their kingdom.

By the end of I689, Aurangzeb had reached the peak of his glory. Bijapur and Golkonda were annexed, the legacy of Shivaji was on the verge of liquidation. Three decades of strenuous efforts had made Aurangzeb the unrivalled lord paramount of the Northern Indian and the Deccan alike. Shambaji’s murder provoked the Maratha to seek revenge and the Marathas joined Rajaram at Jinji determined to retrieve their lost territory. It now become people’s war and Aurangzeb could not end it. ZulfikarKhan was sent by Aurangzeb to besiege Jinji and capture Rajaram. The siege lasted for eight years but before its fall in 1698 Rajaram escaped to Maharashtra. He died prematurely in I700 at the age of 30. After him his wife Tarabai (I700-I707) made her son aged four years successor to his father (Shivaji III). And took the reins of the government into her own hands. Thus by this time the Marathas with their resources enormously increased practically because masters of the Situations in Deccan and also in certain parts of Central India. Aurangzeb returned to Ahmednagar in January, I706 and died there a year later.

15.4 Effects of Aurangzeb’s Deccan policy:-Aurangzeb has been criticized for his Deccan policy for politically brought it about the ruin of the Mughal Empire. According to some historians it was a mistake on the part of Aurangzeb to have conquered the states of Bijapur and Golkonda. They hold that ―it freed the Maratha chiefs from any fear of local rivalry.‖ It should have been anticipated that the removal of these two Muslim powers in the Deccan would offer a clear field to the Marathas. The new administrative responsibilities incurred through annexation should have been kept in view. It was a great strain on a system which was already showing signs of weakness and inefficiency. The destruction of Bijapur and Golkonda indirectly led to great anarchy in the South which proved beneficial to the Marathas in their wars. The Deccan wars of Aurangzeb proved very expensive and wasteful. The incessant warfare in the Deccan emptied the state treasury. The empire was brought on the verge of bankruptcy. Hundreds of Soldiers and several officers fell into arrears for three years. To meet the situation, Aurangzeb revived the system of allocation of land or jagirs to the imperial officers in lieu of their services but such grants remained only on papers. Aurangzeb spent huge amounts of bribing the Maratha officers in charge of hill forts. He ordered the accumulated treasures of his ancestors to be taken out of the vaults of Agra and Delhi forts and sent to him in Deccan but even these last reserves were exhausted. It had great effect on provincial governments as public buildings, educational institutions, irrigational works and other public utility services could not be carried out because of lack of funds, Aurangzeb’s long absence from the capital for twenty five years put the entire administrative machinery out of gear. By draining away the revenues and manpower to fight the incessant war in the Deccan and by placing the North Indian provinces in the charge of second rate officers with small contingent of troops and limited resources he caused disorder and misrule in the country.

The administration grew slack and corrupt. The provincial governors defied the central authority and there was nothing to curb them. Such conditions gave an opportunity to the disaffected elements in Northern India to raise their heads in rebellion. It was during this period that the Jats and the Sikhs got an opportunity to strengthen their hands. The spirit of the Mughal army in the Deccan was utterly broken. The army was in wretched condition. Soldiers grew sick of the endless and futile wars. The continuous Maratha raids dampened their morale. Many mansabdars were prepared to come to terms with them instead of engaging in fights with them. The Mughal soldiers on March destroyed the crops on the way and government did nothing to compensate the peasants for their losses. The roads were flooded and transport difficulties enormous. The Marathas were dominant throughout the Deccan. They acquired much wealth by plunder and rendered highways unsafe. The country was completely desolated and there was no trace of crops of any kind, the total deforestation injured agriculture. In the Deccan there was no rain from I702 to I704. Plague and famine added to the horrors of war. Trade almost ceased in the Deccan during this period. The Mughals also under estimated the Maratha might. It is true that the Mughals were more in numbers and resources and they could defeat the Marathas in pitched battles but the Marathas followed guerrilla tactics and refused to be drawn into pitched battles. The endless war in the Deccan exhausted his treasury, the government turned bankrupt, the soldiers starving from arrears of pay start mutinied and during the closing years of his reign the revenue of Bengal sent by the able Dewan Murshid Quli Khan was the sole support of emperor’s house-hold or his army and its arrival was eagerly looked forward to.

16. Death and Legacy:

On February 20, 1707, the 88-year-old Aurangzeb died in central India. He left an empire stretched to the breaking point and riddled with rebellions. Under his son, Bahadur Shah I, the Mughal Dynasty began its long, slow decline into oblivion, which finally ended when the British sent the last emperor into exile in 1858, and established the British Raj in India.

Emperor Aurangzeb is considered to be the last of the “Great Mughals.” However, his ruthlessness, treachery and intolerance surely contributed to the weakening of the once-great empire. Perhaps Aurangzeb’s early experiences of being held hostage by his grandfather, and being constantly overlooked by his father warped the young prince’s personality. Certainly, the lack of a specified line of succession cannot have made family life particularly easy. The brothers must have grown up knowing that one day they would have to fight one another for power.

In any case, Aurangzeb was a fearless man who knew what he had to do in order to survive. Unfortunately, his choices left the Mughal Empire itself far less able to fend off foreign imperialism in the end.

Web links

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurangzeb
• http://www.aurangzeb.info/
• http://www.britannica.com/biography/Aurangzeb
• http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Aurangzeb.aspx
• http://www.softschools.com/timelines/the_mughal_empire_timeline/347/
• http://www.paradoxplace.com/Insights/Civilizations/Mughals/Mughals.htm
• http://download.nos.org/srsec315new/History%20Book_L10.pdf
• http://www.softschools.com/timelines/the_mughal_empire_timeline/347/
• http://www.softschools.com/timelines/the_mughal_empire_timeline/347/