[Assam] Even Badan Barphukon was not enticed by Naqd&Saropas. Today some Assamese are falling for the trap and bee lining for Delhi’s favour. The gilded shackle is a pride possession for some youths slaving for India today for a better life!

[Bartta Bistar]

Aurangzeb as he was according to Mughal Records

http://www.bangladesh-web.com/news/view.php?hidDate=2007-02-07&hidType=FEA&hidRecord=0000000000000000150000



Monday February 05 2007 12:31:58 PM BDT



Prof. V.S. Bhatnagar



Aurangzeb, Emperor Shah Jahan's sixth son, was born on 24th October 1618 at
Dohad in Madhya Pradesh, and wrested India's crown from his father before
the end of June 1658, after defeating his brother Prince Dara Shukoh's
armies, first at Dharmat near Ujjain (15th April 1568) and the second, led
by Dara himself, at Samugarh on 29th May 1658.

The War of Succession to the richest throne in the world was practically
over with this victory, and Aurangzeb secured his position by making Murad,
his brother and accomplice in his impetuous pursuit for power, his prisoner,
by treachery, on 25th June. He had already made his old father Emperor Shah
Jahan a prisoner in the Agra Fort (8th June 1658). Shah Jahan survived his
confinement by nearly eight years and the disgraceful manner of his burial
(Exhibit No.5) will ever remain a stigma on this unscrupulous son
Aurangzeb's advent to the throne in his father's life time was not welcomed
by the people of India, because of the treacherous manner it was achieved; ,
but public opinion became all the more hostile towards him when Prince Dara
Shukoh, the favourite son of Shah Jahan, the translator of the Upanishads
(Exhibit No.2), and a truly liberal and enlightened Musalman, was taken
prisoner on the Indian border, as he was going to Persia.

Dara was paraded in a most undignified manner on the streets of Delhi on
29th August 1659. The French Doctor, Bernier, was an eye-witness to the
scene and was deeply moved by the popular sympathy for Dara (Exhibit No.3)
which so much alarmed Aurangzeb that he contrived to have a decree from his
Clerics announcing death-sentence for his elder brother on the charge of
apostasy (Exhibit No.4).

Throughout the War of Succession, Aurangzeb had maintained that he was not
interested in acquiring the throne and that his only object was to ward off
the threat to Islam, which was inevitable in case Dara Shukoh came to power.
Many, including his brother Murad, were deceived by this posture. After his
formal accession in Delhi (5th June 1659) he posed as a defender of Islam
who would rule according to the directions of the Shariat, and with the
advice of the Clerics or Ulama for whom the doctrines, rules, principles and
directives, as laid down and interpreted in the 7th and 8th century Arabia,
Persia and Iraq, were inviolable and unchangeable in all conditions, in all
countries, and for all times to come.

One of the main objectives of Aurangzeb's policy was to demolish Hindu
temples. When he ordered (13th October 1666) removal of the carved railing,
which Prince Dara Shukoh had presented to Keshava Rai temple at Mathura, he
had observed "In the religion of the Musalmans it is improper even to look
at a temple", and that it was totally unbecoming of a Muslim to act like
Dara Shukoh (Exhibit No.6, Akhbarat, 13th October 1666).

This was followed by destruction of the famous Kalka temple in Delhi
(Exhibit No.6, 7, 8, Akhbarat, 3rd and 12th September 1667).

In 1669, shortly after the death of Mirza Raja Jai Singh of Amber, a general
order was issued (9th April 1669) for the demolition of temples and
established schools of the Hindus throughout the empire and banning public
worship (Exhibit Nos.9 & 10). Soon after this the great temple of Keshava
Rai was destroyed (Jan.-Feb. 1670) (Exhibit No.12) and in its place a lofty
mosque was erected.

The idols, the author of Maasir-i-Alamgiri informs, were carried to Agra and
buried under the steps of the mosque built by Begum Sahiba in order to be
continually trodden upon, and the name of Mathura was changed to Islamabad.
The painting (Exhibit No.13) is thus no fancy imagination of the artist but
depicts what actually took place.

This was followed by Aurangzeb's order to demolish the highly venerated
temple of Vishwanath at Banaras (Persian text, Exhibit No.11), Keshava Rai
temple (Jan.-Feb. 1670) (Persian Text, exhibit No.12 and Painting, Exhibit
No.13), and of Somanatha (Exhibit No.14). To save the idol of Shri Nathji
from being desecrated, the Gosain carried it to Rajputana, where Maharana
Raj Singh received it formally at Sihad village, assuring the priest that
Aurangzeb would have to trample over the bodies of one lakh of his brave
Rajputs, before he couldeven touch the idol (Exhibit No.15)
Aurangzeb's zeal for temple destruction became much more intense during war
conditions. The opportunity to earn religious merit by demolishing hundreds
of temples soon came to him in 1679 when, after the death of Maharaja
Jaswant Singh of Jodhpur in the Kabul Subah, he tried to eliminate the
Rathors of Marwar as a political power in Rajputana.

But Maharana Raj Singh of Mewar, in line with the great traditions of his
House, came out in open support of the Rathors.. This led to war with both
Mewar and Marwar during which the temples built on the bank of Rana's lake
were destroyed by his orders (Exhibit No.23, Akhbarat 23rd December 1679)
and also about three hundred other temples in the environs of Udaipur.
(Exhibit No.25, Text), including the famous Jagannath Rai temple built at a
great cost in front of the Maharana's palace which was bravely defended by a
handful of Rajputs (Exhibit Nos.20, 21).
Not only this, when Aurangzeb visited Chittor to have a view of the famous
fort, he ordered the demolition of 63 temples there which included some of
the finest temples of Kumbha's time (Exhibit No.22).

>From Marwar (in Western Rajasthan) alone were brought several cart-loads of
idols which, as per Aurangzeb's orders, were cast in the yard of the Court
and under the steps of Jama Masjid (Exhibit No.19). Such uncivilized and
arrogant conduct of the Mughal Emperor alienated Hindus for ever, though
they continued to be tolerant towards his creed.

In June 1681, orders, in a laconic two-liner, were given for the demolition
of the highly venerated Jagannath Temple in Orissa (Exhibit No.24, Akhbarat,
1st June 1681)., Shortly afterwards, in September 1682, the famous
Bindu-Madhav temple in Banaras was also demolished as per the Emperor's
orders (Exhibit No.27, Akhbarat, Julus 26, Ramzan 20). On 1st September
1681, while proceeding to the Deccan, where his rebel son Prince Akbar,
escorted by Durga Das Rathore, had joined Chhatrapati Shivaji's son,
Shambhaji, thus creating a serious problem for him, Aurangzeb ordered that
all the temples on the way should be destroyed. It was a comprehensive order
not distinguishing between old and newly built temples (Exhibit No.26,
Akhbarat, Julus 25, Ramzan 18).

But in the district of Burhanpur, where there were a large number of temples
with their doors closed, he preferred to keep them as such, as the Muslims
were too few in number in the district. (Exhibit No.28, Akhbarat 13th
October 1681). In his religious frenzy, even temples of the loyal and
friendly Amber state were not spared, such as the famous temple of Jagdish
at Goner near Amber (Exhibit Nos.30, Akhbarat, 28th March and 14th May
1680). In fact, his misguided ardour for temple destruction did not abate
almost up to the end of his life, for as late as 1st January 1705 we find
him ordering that the temple of Pandharpur be demolished and the butchers of
the camp be sent to slaughter cows in the temple precincts (Akhbarat 49-7).

The number of such ruthless acts of Aurangzeb make a long list but here only
a few have been mentioned, supported by evidence, mostly contemporary
official records of Aurangzeb's period and by such credible Persian sources
as Maasir-i-Alamgiri.

I In obedience to the Quranic injunction, he reimposed Jizyah on the Hindus
on 2nd April 1679 (Exhibit No.16), which had been abolished by Emperor Akbar
in 1564, causing widespread anger and resentment among the Hindus of the
country .A massive peaceful demonstration against this tax in Delhi, was
ruthlessly crushed (Exhibit No.17), This hated tax involved heavy economic
burden on the vast number of the poor Hindus and caused humiliation to each
and every Hindu (Exhibit No.18).

In the same vein, were his discriminatory measures against Hindus in the
form of exemption of the Muslims from the taxes (Exhibit No.31, Akhbarat
16th April 1667) ban on atishbazi and restriction on Diwali (Exhibit No.32),
replacement of Hindu officials by Muslims so that the Emperor's prayers for
the welfare of Muslims and glory of Islam, which were proving ineffective,
be answered (Exhibit Nos.33, 34).

He also imposed a ban on ziyarat and gathering of the Hindus at religious
shrines, such as of Shitla Mata and folk Gods like Pir Pabu (Exhibit No.35,
Akhbarat 16th September 1667), another ban on their travelling in Palkis, or
riding elephants and Arab-Iraqi horses, as Hindus should not carry
themselves with the same dignity as the Muslims! (Exhibit No.36). In the
same vein came brazen attempts to convert Hindus by inducement, coercion
(Exhibit No.41) or by offering Qanungoship (Exhibit No.44, 45, 46) and to
honour the converts in the open Court.

His personal directions were that a Hindu male be given Rs.4 and a Hindu
female Rs.2 on conversion (Exhibit No.43,Akhbarat 7th April 1685). "Go on
giving them", Aurangzeb had ordered when it was reported to him that the
Faujdar of Bithur, Shaikh Abdul Momin, had converted 150 Hindus and had
given them naqd (cash) and saropas (dresses of honour) (Exhibit No.40,
Akhbarat, 11th April 1667). Such display of Islamic orthodoxy by the State
under Aurangzeb gave strength and purpose to the resistance movements such
as of the Marathas, the Jats, the Bundelas and the Sikhs (Exhibit No.46). .

On the 12th May 1666, the dignity with which Shivaji carried himself in the
Mughal court and defied the Emperor's authority, won him spontaneous
admiration of the masses. Parkaldas, an official of Amber (Jaipur State)
wrote in his letter dated 29th May 1666, to his Diwan. "Now that after
coming to the Emperor's presence Shivaji has shown such audacity and
returned harsh and strong replies, the public extols him for his bravery all
the more …" (Exhibit No.37). When Shivaji passed away on April 1680 at the
age of 53 only, he had already carved a sufficiently large kingdom, his
Swarajya, both along the western coast and some important areas in the east
as well.

Aurangzeb could never pardon himself for his negligence in letting Shivaji
escape from his well laid trap and wrote in his Will (Exhibit No.48) that it
made him "to labour hard (against the Marathas) to the end of my life (as a
result of it)". He did not realize that it was his own doing: the extremely
cruel manner – even for those times - in which he put to death Shivaji's
son, Shambhaji (Exhibit No.38) made the Maratha king a martyr in the eyes of
the masses and with that commenced the People's War in Maharashtra and the
Deccan which dug the grave of the Mughal empire.

Till the very end Aurangzeb never understood that the main pillars of the
government are the affection and support of the people and not mere
compliance of the religious directives originating from a foreign land in
the seventh-eighth centuries.

His death after a long and ruinous reign lasting half a century, ended an
eventful epoch in the history of India . He left behind a crumbling empire,
a corrupt and inefficient administration, a demoralized army, a discredited
government facing public bankruptcy and alienated subjects.
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