⚔️ Chapter 14: Aurangzeb (1658-1707)

The Last Great Mughal • The Puritan Emperor

1. The Basics: Titles & Personality

👑 Titles

Alamgir: "World Conqueror"
Zinda Pir: "Living Saint" PYQ
Shahi Darvesh: Royal Ascetic
Bahadur: Given by Shah Jahan

👤 Personality

Orthodox Sunni: Followed Naqshbandi order
Veena Player: Expert (despite banning music!) PYQ
No Harem: Monogamous in spirit
Sewed Caps/Copied Quran: To earn living

                Coronation: ONLY Mughal Emperor coronated TWICE PYQ
                
1. July 1658: After Battle of Samugarh (Agra)
                
2. June 1659: After Battle of Deorai (Delhi)

2. War of Succession (1658-59)

"Succession by Sword, not Age." Fought against Dara Shukoh (Eldest), Shuja, and Murad.

Battle	Year	Opponent	Result & Key Fact
Bahadurpur	Feb 1658	Shuja	Sulaiman Shukoh (Dara's son) defeated Shuja
Dharmat	Apr 1658	Dara's Army	Aurangzeb + Murad won. Loc: MP (Ujjain) PYQ
Samugarh	May 1658	Dara Shukoh	Decisive Battle. Dara defeated. Aurangzeb captured Agra
Khajwa	Jan 1659	Shuja	Aurangzeb won. Shuja fled to Arakan (died there)
Deorai	Apr 1659	Dara Shukoh	Final blow. Dara captured & executed

Fate of Dara: Buried in Humayun's Tomb. Described as "Prince of High Fortune" (Shah-i-Buland Iqbal) by Shah Jahan.

3. Major Rebellions (The Cracks Begin)

🚜 Jats (Mathura/Agra)

1669: First organized revolt under Gokula (Zamindar of Tilpat)
1685: Under Rajaram
TRAP Rajaram plundered Akbar's Tomb at Sikandra and burnt his bones!
Later: Under Churaman (Founder of Bharatpur state)

🕉️ Satnamis (1672)

Peasant-religious revolt in Narnaul (Haryana)
Called "Mundiyas" (Shaved heads)

⚔️ Sikhs

9th Guru Tegh Bahadur: Executed in 1675 at Chandni Chowk (Delhi) for refusing to convert PYQ
10th Guru Gobind Singh: Founded Khalsa (1699). Constant wars (Battle of Chamkaur etc.)

🛡️ Rajputs (1679-1707)

Trigger: Death of Jaswant Singh (Marwar). Aurangzeb interfered in succession
Durgadas Rathore: "Ulysses of Rathores". Protected Ajit Singh (Jaswant's son)
Prince Akbar's Revolt (1681): Aurangzeb's son rebelled, joined Rajputs/Marathas PYQ

4. Religious Policy (Reversal of Akbar)

🚫 The Bans

1663: Sati System banned
1668: Hindu Festivals (Holi/Diwali) in court
1669: Music in court (buried music)
Other Bans: Jharokha Darshan, Tuladan, Kalma on Coins

🕌 The Impositions

1679: Re-imposed Jizya Super PYQ
Pilgrim Tax: Re-imposed
Temple Destruction:
• Kashi Vishwanath (Varanasi)
• Keshavdev (Mathura)
• Somnath (Gujarat)

                Muhtasibs: Officers appointed to enforce moral code (Sharia) and check weights/measures
                PYQ
            

5. The Deccan Policy (1682-1707)

"The Deccan was the grave of his reputation and his body."

Goal: Crush Marathas + Annex Shia Sultanates
Shift: Moved capital/base to Deccan in 1682 (never returned to North)

🏰 Annexations

1686: Bijapur (Sikandar Adil Shah surrendered) PYQ
1687: Golconda (Abul Hasan Qutb Shah defeated via treachery) PYQ

🚩 Maratha Conflict

1665: Treaty of Purandar (Jai Singh vs Shivaji) PYQ
1689: Captured & executed Sambhaji (Shivaji's son)
Result: Maratha war became a "People's War". Never fully subdued

6. Administration & Culture

Hindu Mansabdars: 31.6% (Highest % in Mughal history!) Mostly Marathas PYQ
Largest Empire: Stretched from Kabul to Chittagong, Kashmir to Kaveri
Architecture:
• Bibi Ka Maqbara (Aurangabad): "Taj of Deccan"
• Moti Masjid (Red Fort, Delhi) PYQ
• Badshahi Mosque (Lahore)
Literature:
• Fatawa-i-Alamgiri: Digest of Muslim laws
• Muntakhab-ul-Lubab: By Khafi Khan (History of reign, written secretly)

🎯 PYQ Sniper Shots

Q: Which Mughal emperor was coronated twice?
A: Aurangzeb (1658 & 1659)

Q: When was Jizya re-imposed?
A: 1679

Q: Which Sikh Guru was executed by Aurangzeb?
A: Guru Tegh Bahadur (9th Guru, 1675)

Q: When were Bijapur and Golconda annexed?
A: Bijapur: 1686, Golconda: 1687

Q: What was Aurangzeb's title meaning "Living Saint"?
A: Zinda Pir

Q: Highest percentage of Hindu Mansabdars under which Mughal?
A: Aurangzeb (31.6%)

Q: Who plundered Akbar's tomb?
A: Rajaram (Jat leader, 1685)

UPPCS Medieval India