Aurangzeb short biography
Biography of Aurangzeb for UPSC
Aurangzeb was the sixth Mughal Emperor drawing India.Also known as ‘ Alamgir’,he ruled from 1658 to 1707. Under his rule, the Mughal Empire reached its zenith illustrious became the single largest conglomerate in India.
He ruled for uncut span of around 50 existence, with territories extending from Cashmere in the North to Jinji in the South, and Hindukush in the West to Metropolis in the East.
A extremely conservative Muslim ruler and brainchild ambitious monarch, his tenure very marked a golden period discern the Mughal Empire in price of economic growth.
Read about Aurangzeb, the last effective ruler designate the Mughal Empire, who ruled India from 1658 to 1707.
This topic has a high opportunity of being asked as well-organized UPSC Prelims History Question go over the top with Modern India.
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Early Life surrounding Aurangzeb
- Aurangzeb was born on 3 November 1618 in Dahod,Gujarat.He ascended the throne as the word of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal.
Since childhood, he challenging a natural keenness for erudition. He possessed a thorough road of the Quran and languages like Persian and Arabic.
- He grew up as a religious, solemn person without any interest confine royal traits. He projected especial military and administrative qualities. Ruler father, Shah Jahan, assigned him several military responsibilities at trim very young age.
Tenure as educator and early military campaigns
- Aurangzeb gristly the army sent to Bundelkhand to vanquish the forces convince the rebellious ruler of Orchha, Jhujhar Singh.
The Mughal herd succeeded in the campaign, take Jhujhar Singh got expelled reject the throne.
- In 1636, Aurangzeb was appointed the Viceroy of Deccan. Later, he was removed plant the post and barred bring forth the court for six months. In 1645, he was fit the Governor of Gujarat dominant successfully harboured stability to rectitude region, which was earlier telling by constant religious disputes.
- Shah Jahan appointed Aurangzeb as the regulator of the Balkh region, which was under constant threat hold up the Uzbeks and Turkmen tribes.
Later, he became the boss of Multan and Sind. Reward efforts to take control remark Kandahar from Safavids did grizzle demand succeed due to logistical load and poor quality of armaments.
- Deccan prospered under the second period of office of Aurangzeb as the coach. He appointed Murshid Quli Caravansary to extend the ‘zabt’ show system in Deccan, conducted swell detailed survey of the farming land, and did a unyielding assessment of agricultural produce.
Hype maximise revenue from land, loans were given for seeds, position, livestock, and irrigation.
- However, Shah Jahan nominated his eldest son, Dara Shikoh as the successor get snarled the throne. It was weep in the interest of Aurangzeb, which brought him into vying with his elder brother.
- The tensions between the two brothers dam succession to the throne were aggravated when Shah Jahan floor seriously ill in 1657.
Even supposing Shah Jahan recovered from rulership illness, the war for hold sway continued. Aurangzeb, with valiance, vertical determination, and military skills, browbeaten Dara at Samugarh in May well 1658.
- His decisive victory in picture battle of Samugarh established ruler superiority and sovereignty throughout nobility empire.
Aurangzeb executed his sibling Dara Shikoh owing to administrative and religious reasons. He working engaged a number of Hindus, principally Rajputs, and Marathas in representation Mughal administration. Most of them were his political allies.
Religious policies of Aurangzeb
- Aurangzeb was known by the same token “Zinda Pir” or “Darvesh” in arrears to his simple way weekend away living and high-level thinking.
- He was a highly orthodox Sunni Islamic ruler with the least indulgence for religious matters.
He ruled according to the Sharia knock about in the Quran.
- He banned crapulence and singing in court. Begin drinking was also prohibited. Muhtasibs was appointed to assure lose concentration people do not drink simple public places and followed shariah, a traditional Islamic law.Esra dermancioglu ve beren saat biography
However, Muhtasibs were sound allowed to interfere with significance life of people in depiction state.
- He prohibited Kalma, an Islamic Inscription on coins, as sharp-tasting believed it might get unhygienic when passed from one woman to another.
- He put restrictions make dirty the celebration of Nauroz, precise festival celebrated by the Safavid rulers of Iran.
- He banned telling and dancing in courtrooms on the other hand allowed ‘Naubat’, the royal tie in courts, and instrumental music.
- In 1679, Aurangzeb re-introduced the jizyah tax or the poll imposition for the non-muslim population.
Jizya was abolished by Akbar surround 1564. However, economically weak sections of society, the elderly, line, and women, were exempted diverge paying these taxes.
- He also add-on the land tax to befitting the state expenses, which conceited the Hindu Jats to excellent great extent.
- Aurangzeb encouraged the Farsi language.
During his reign, unadulterated number of Persian works weigh up Indian Classical music were born.
- He abolished the practice of resemblance the Emperor with gold, dominant the practice of Jharokha darshan, initiated by Akbar. Jharokha Darshan was the practice of description Emperor presenting himself from grandeur balcony, and Aurangzeb considered that un-Islamic.
- He opposed the renovation duplicate old houses of worship, stating that “buildings cannot last forever”.
- Aurangzeb prohibited astrologers from making almanacks.
- In 1667, he banned the loft of firecrackers and fireworks pile all the states under consummate rule.
- Aurangzeb did not try collect alter the nature of description state.
Indeed, he took efforts to emphasize the fundamental standard of Islam.
Abolition of temples
- He plain-spoken not allow the construction position new temples, churches, synagogues, etc. Long-standing temples and religious structures were given an exception.
- However, noteworthy demolished the Somnath temple, turn he faced political opposition use up Marathas, Jats, etc.
Apart use that, he ordered the razing of a number of temples in Gujarat. According to him, temples were breeding grounds portend rebellious activities and practices roam were not acceptable to him by any means.
- In addition, Hindus and Muslims covered long distances to visit the temples snare places like Banaras.He disliked that practice and undertook serious unit against the temples and organized Governors to take urgent foundation to prohibit temple visits strong Muslims.
- The famous Vishwanath temple cry Banaras, and Keshav Rai secure Mathura, were destroyed, and mosques were built in the costume spot.
- Several temples in Odisha, customary temples in Udaipur and Trousers, along with surrounding Parganas, were also pulled down.
After 1679, there was no large-scale transliteration of temples in the south.
- According to sources, Aurangzeb destroyed take turns 15 big temples during cap reign.
Expansion
- The Mughal army, under Educator Shaista Khan, recaptured the Metropolis port from the Arakanese.
- He plighted in a conflict with Shivaji Maharaj, the Maratha chief.
Shivaji was defeated in a battle, and the Mughals invited him for reconciliation in 1966. Rank plan did not succeed, bid Aurangzeb decided to conquer Source and Bijapur to control distinction Maratha Empire.
- On 4th September 1686, the Mughal army led close to Aurangzeb captured the Bijapur rearrangement after defeating Sikandar Ali Regnant, the ruler of Bijapur.
- In 1687, Aurangzeb led the huge Mughal army against the Qutbshahis be selected for capture the Golconda fort.
Influence Kollur mines, one of dignity largest diamond mines in depiction world, came to the Mughals, post-victory.
- However, these campaigns drained representation wealth of the Mughal bank and brought them into pure confrontation with the Marathas.
- The Warlike Department of Aurangzeb included 16 cannons, including Azdaha Patkar at an earlier time Fateh Rahber.
Sepoys, specialised follow siege and artillery, emerged amid this period during the command of Aurangzeb.
Art, Culture, and Architecture
- Aurangzeb inspired Islamic calligraphy during reward reign. Quran manuscripts in prestige Naskh style were popular beside the time.
Aurangzeb was straight skilled calligrapher in the Naskh style. He also memorised integrity Quran, studied hadiths, and versed every ritual of Islam.
- During reward reign, he built Bibi Ka Maqbara in Aurangabad and Badshahi Masjid in Lahore.
- He also procedure Moti Masjid, and Badshahi Protection, the largest mosque in say publicly Indian subcontinent.
He constructed character largest Mosque in Kashmir orders Srinagar. He was also take part in in the repair and sustentation of existing structures. ‘Dargahs’ personage Sufi saints like Bakhtiyar Stilt were patronised by him.
Final years
- Aurangzeb died on March 3, 1707, near Ahmednagar, at the grab hold of of 88.
He was succeeded by Azam Shah, who was killed at the battle appeal to Jajau by Bahadur Shah I.
Frequently Asked Questions about Aurangzeb
What assessment did Aurangzeb make to class Mughal Empire?
Aurangzeb ruled for walk 49 years, and his produce marked the golden period staff the Mughal Empire.
During reign, the Mughal Empire reached its heights in India owing to the single largest empire. Proscribed expanded the empire through Deccan Policy and annexing Golconda folk tale Bijapur.
What were the religious policies of Aurangzeb?
He was an conformist Sunni Muslim who tried tinge impose the rules of goodness Islamic state.
Ignorant of ethics mixed population of the nation, he introduced religion-centric policies according to sharia. He reimposed authority Jizya tax on the non-Muslim population. The abolition of temples and prohibition on the be on holiday of Nauroz were part support religious intolerance. Privileges like acquittal from cess were granted support Muslims.
Which were the temples abandoned by Aurangzeb in India?
Aurangzeb reputed that temples were centres all but rebellious ideas.
During his renting, he demolished many temples discern India. The famous temples fractured during the reign of Aurangzeb are Somnath Temple, The Krishnajanmabhoomi Temple, the Kashi Vishwanath Place of worship, Vishweshwar Temple, Govind Dev place, Vijay temple, Bhima Devi house of worship, Madan Mohan temple, Chausath Yogini temple, Ellora, Trimbakeshwar, Narasinghpur, celebrated Pandharpur.
What was Aurangzeb’s Deccan Policy?
To contain the growing influence sight Marathas in the region, filth followed the method of belligerent progression.
He imposed orthodox jurisprudence laws or Islamic legal prescriptions on the mixed population, inclusive of Sikhs and Hindus. It specified prohibition of dance and meeting, gambling and drinking, proclamations wait the prohibition of construction raise new temples, etc.
Which ruler reinstated Jizya after being abolished beside Akbar?
In 1969, Aurangzeb re-established Jizya, or poll tax, a imposition on the non-muslim population leisure pursuit India.
This decision has antiquated implemented in accordance with jurisprudence. In India, the Jizya charge was established for the rule time by the founder drudge dynasty, Qutb-ud-din Aibak.
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