Aurangzeb

Aurangzeb (1618-1707), also known as Muhi-ud-Din Muhammad Aurangzeb, was born to Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal. As the youngest surviving son, he lacked initial claims to succession but maneuvered skillfully through court politics. In 1658, he orchestrated a palace coup against his father and defeated his brothers—particularly Dara Shikoh, his chief rival—in the War of Succession (1657-1659), imprisoning his father in the Red Fort and establishing himself as emperor. Aurangzeb's early reign consolidated power through military reorganization and strict Islamic governance, departing dramatically from Akbar's syncretic approach. Aurangzeb's military campaigns brought the Mughal Empire to its maximum territorial extent. He conducted the Deccan Wars (1680-1707), conquering the Bijapur Sultanate (1686) and Golconda Sultanate (1687), extending Mughal control into southern India. At the empire's zenith around 1690, it encompassed approximately 4 million square kilometers with a population of 150-170 million, making it one of history's largest empires by territory and population. However, these conquests required enormous military expenditures and troop deployments, straining imperial finances. His 27-year presence in the Deccan necessitated administrative decentralization, inadvertently weakening central authority and encouraging regional governors' independence. Aurangzeb's religious policies fundamentally altered the empire's character. He abolished jizya (special tax) exemptions for Hindu pilgrims, reimposed discriminatory taxation, ordered Hindu temple demolitions, and restricted Hindu religious practices. These policies alienated Hindu subjects, particularly Rajputs and Marathas, eroding the Hindu-Muslim synthesis Akbar had cultivated. The Sikh Gurus faced persecution, radicalizing Sikhism into a militant faith. Aurangzeb's rigidity precipitated rebellions: Maratha leader Shivaji's uprising challenged Mughal authority, and Sikh resistance intensified. The Marathas, under Balaji Vishwanath and later Shahu, progressively expanded their power at Mughal expense. By his death in 1707 at age 89, Aurangzeb had left a vast empire administratively fragmented and financially exhausted. His immediate successors lacked his abilities; weak emperors, rapid succession changes, noble factionalisms, and rising regional powers (Marathas, Sikhs, Nawabs) rapidly dismantled central authority. Within 50 years of Aurangzeb's death, the Mughal Empire became a figurehead, paving the way for British colonial conquest.