Aurangzeb

Aurangzeb was one of the last Mughal emperors of India. He lived from November 3, 1618 to March 3, 1707. He gained power by overthrowing and imprisoning his father, the Emperor Shah Jahan, in 1658. Aurangzeb had a goal to wipe Hinduism out of India and establish Dar-ul-Islam. Aurangzeb sharply increased the Jizya tax on Hindus forcing many of the poor to convert to Islam. Aurangzeb murdered over 4.6 million Hindus under his rule.

Atrocities against Hindus and Sikhs

Torture and Murder of Raja Sambhaji and Kavi Kalash

Raja Sambhaji was the son of Shivaji, the founder of the Maratha Empire. On February 15, 1689, Sambhaji and Kavi Kalash were brought to the Imperial camp dresses as bufoons with long fool's caps and bells placed on their heads, mounted on camels, with drums beating, with thousands of onlookers lining the roads. Aurangzeb was sitting in the court and upon seeing the prisoners, "descended from the throne and kneeling down on the carpet bowed his head to the the ground in double thankfulness to Allah for crowning his victory." Sambhaji refused to convert to Islam and verbally criticized Aurangzeb. Sambhaji and Kavi Kalash were then tortured to death, and their remains were fed to the dogs.

Brutal Execution of Sikh figures

Dyal Das, Mati Das, and Sati Das along with the Sikh Guru were brought to an open space in front of the Kotwali. Mati Das was the first to be asked to convert to Islam. He refused, and was executed by being sawn from his head to his loins. Dyal Das criticized Aurangzeb for this act. As a result he was tied up with an iron chain and was dropped into a cauldron of boiling oil. He was later roasted into a block of Charcoal. Sati Das condemned the brutalities after which he was wrapped in cotton fiber, tied to a pole and set on fire.

Guru Tegh Bahadur, the Sikh Guru, was executed by beheading.

Destruction of Hindu Temples

Temple Destruction Account in "Mir At-i-Alam" by Bakhtawar Khan

"...Hindu writers have been entirely excluded from holding public offices, and all the worshipping of places of the Infidels and great temples of these infamous people have been thrown down and destroyed in a manner which excites astonishment at the successful completion of so difficult a task. His majesty personally teaches the sacred kalima to may infidels with success. All mosques in the empire are repaired at public expense."

Temple Destruction Account in "Alamgir-Nama" by Mirza Muhammad Kazim

"...In 1661 Aurangzeb in his zeal to uphold the law of Islam sent orders to to his viceroy in Bihar, Daud Khan, to conquer Palamau. In the Military operations that folowed many temples were destroyed..."

In Koch Bihar(Bengal):

"...Towards the end of the same year when Mir Jumla made a war on the Raja of Kuch Bihar, the Mughals destroyed many temples during the course of their operations. Idols were broken and some temples were converted into Mosques..."

Temple Destruction Account in "Masir-i-Alamgiri" by Saqi Mustad Khan

Muhiyu'd-Din Muhammad Aurangzeb Alamgir Padshah Ghazi(1658-1707) General Order

"...The Lord Cherisher of the faith learnt that in the provinces of Tatta, Multan, and especially at Benaras, the Brahmin misbelievers used to teach their false books in their established schools, and that admirers and students both Hindu and Muslim, used to come from great distances to these misguided men in order to acquire this vile learning. His majesty, eager to establish Islam, issues orders to the governors of all the provinces to demolish the schools and temples of the Infidels and with utmost urgency put down the teaching and the public practice of the religion of these misbelievers..."

Varanasi(Uttar Pradesh)

"...During this month of Ramzan abounding in miracles, the Emperor as the promoter of justice and overthrower of mischief, as the knower of truth and destroyer of oppression, as the zephyr of the garden of victory and the reviver of the faith of the Prophet, issued orders for the Demolition of the temple situated in Mathura famous as the Dehra of Kesho Rai. In the short time by the great exertions of his officers the destruction of this strong foundation of Infidelity was accomplished and on its site a lofty mosque was built at the expenditure of a large sum..."

"...Praised be the August God of the faith of Islam, that in the auspicious reign of this destroyer of infidelity and turbulence, such as wonderful and seemingly impossible work was successfully accomplished. On seeing this instance of strength of the Emperor's faith and the grandeur of his devotion to God, the proud Rajas were stifled and in amazement they stood like images facing the wall. The Idols, large and small set with costly jewels which had been set up in the temple were brought to Agra and buried under the steps of the Mosque of Begum Sahib, in order to be continually trodden upon. The name of Mathura was changed to Islamabad..."

Khandela(Rajasthan)

"...Darab Khan who had been sent with a strong force to punish the Rajputs of Khandela and to demolish the great temple of the place, attacked on March 8th/Safar 5th, and slew the three hundred odd men who made a bold defence, not one of them escaping alive. The temples of Khandela and Sanula and all other temples in the neighborhood were demolished..."

External links

• http://www.albalagh.net/kids/history/aurangzeb.shtml
• Ahmad, Qeyamuddin(ed.),"Patna through the Ages", New Dehli, 1988
• "Alberuni's India", translated by E.C. Sachau,New Delhi Reprint,1983
• Attar, Shaykh Faridu'd-Din, "Tadhkirat-al-Awliya",translated into Urdu by Maulana Z.A Usmani