Aurangzeb Biography

Abul Muzaffar Muhi-ud-Din Muhammad Aurangzeb was born on November 4, 1618, in Dahod, Gujarat, as the third son of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal. At the time of his birth, his father was a governor of Gujarat; he was officially declared the Mughal Emperor in 1628.

Emperor Shah Jahan fell seriously ill in 1657, and Aurangzeb feared that Dara Shikoh might take over the crown. A fierce war of succession among the brothers followed and Aurangzeb eventually emerged victorious. He displayed ruthless determination and excellent strategic skills during the war with his brothers.

He imprisoned Shah Jahan in his own place in Agra, and had his brothers, nephew, and even a son of his own killed in his craze to attain the crown. After eliminating all his rivals, Aurangzeb became the Mughal Emperor and arranged for his coronation on June 13, 1659, at Red Fort, Delhi.

An orthodox Sunni Muslim, Aurangzeb decided not to follow the liberal religious viewpoints of his predecessors. He planned to establish the nation as an Islamic state and restricted Hindu festivals and destroyed many Hindu temples. He gained much notoriety for his crimes and brutality against people of other religions. He demolished the Christian settlements near the European factories and had the Sikh leader Guru Tegh Bahadur executed when he refused to convert to Islam.

As an emperor he was also very determined to expand the territories under his rule. The Mughal Empire was constantly engaged in warfare during Aurangzeb’s reign. He conquered the Adil Shahis of Bijapur and Qutbshahis of Golconda, in addition to the annexation of the Ahmednagar Sultanate. Over his long reign he was also successful in expanding his empire in the south as far as Tanjore (now Thanjavur) and Trichinopoly (now Tiruchchirappalli).

Aurangzeb was a very dominating, cruel, and authoritarian ruler, and his subjects were highly dissatisfied. Several rebellions arose during his reign which included revolts by the Marathas and the Rajputs. The Mughal emperor was able to crush the revolts and consolidate his powers, but the constant warfare severely depleted the Mughal treasury and army, and weakened the emperor’s strength.

He lived a long life and outlived most of his children. He died of illness at the age of 88 on February 20, 1707. He was succeeded by his son Azam Shah who also got killed merely months after becoming the emperor. Aurangzeb’s death effectively marked the beginning of the downfall of the hitherto glorious Mughal Empire.

Aurangzeb was known to be a skilled calligrapher and had a passion for writing. He spent hours perfecting his handwriting and creating beautiful pieces of calligraphy.

Despite being a powerful emperor, Aurangzeb lived a simple and frugal life. He preferred modest clothing and simple meals, setting an example of humility for his courtiers.

Aurangzeb was a patron of the arts and architecture, commissioning several impressive buildings and monuments during his reign. He had a keen eye for design and encouraged the flourishing of art and culture in his empire.

Aurangzeb was a devout Muslim and dedicated a significant portion of his time to religious activities such as prayer and reading the Quran. He was known for his piety and commitment to his faith.