"AURANGZEB"
INTRODUCTION: Muhi-ud-Din Muhammad (3 November 1618 – 3 March 1707), commonly known by the sobriquet Aurangzeb (Persian: "Ornament of the Throne") or by his regnal title Alamgir (Persian: "Conqueror of the World"), was the sixth Mughal emperor, who ruled over almost the entire Indian subcontinent for a period of 49 years. Widely considered to be the last effective ruler of the Mughal Empire, Aurangzeb compiled the Fatawa-e-Alamgiri, and was among the few monarchs to have fully established Sharia law and Islamic economics throughout the Indian subcontinent.
ACHIEVEMENTS: He was an accomplished military leader. He was a notable expansionist; during his reign, the Mughal Empire reached its greatest extent, ruling over nearly all of the Indian subcontinent. During his lifetime, victories in the south expanded the Mughal Empire to 4 million square kilometres, and he ruled over a population estimated to be over 158 million subjects, Under his reign, India surpassed Qing China to become the world's largest economy and biggest manufacturing power, worth nearly a quarter of global GDP and more than the entirety of Western Europe, and its largest and wealthiest subdivision, the Bengal Subah, signaled the proto-industrialization.
Aurangzeb was noted for his religious piety; he memorized the entire Quran, studied hadiths and stringently observed the rituals of Islam. Unlike his predecessors, including his father Shah Jahan, Aurangzeb considered the royal treasury to be held in trust for the citizens of his empire. He did not enjoy a luxurious life and his personal expenses and constructions of small mosques were covered by his own earnings, which included the sewing of caps and trade of his written copies of the Quran. He also patronized works of Islamic and Arabic calligraphy.
FAILURES: The citizens of the Mughal empire were not really happy with Aurangzeb. He was extremely racist and a religious fanatic. He was never in favour of Hinduism, Sikhism or any religion other than Islam. He imposed Jizya, a military tax on non-Muslims who were not fighting for Mughal Empire in his second decade on ruling in the year 1679. Aurangzeb also levied discriminatory taxes on Hindu merchants at the rate of 5% as against 2.5% on Muslim merchants. He ordered to dismiss Hindu quanungos and patwaris from revenue administration. As emperor, Aurangzeb banned the drinking of alcohol, gambling, castration, servitude, eunuchs and even music in the Mughal Empire.
He learnt that at Banaras, the Hindu Brahmins attracted large numbers of indigenous local Muslims to their discourses. He ordered the Subahdars of certain provinces to demolish the schools and the temples of non-Muslims. Aurangzeb also ordered Subahdars to punish Muslims who dressed like non-Muslims. The execution of Guru Teg Bahadur is an example of how Aurangzeb killed those who opposed forceful religious conversions. Guru Teg Bahadur was a brave man who opposed Aurangzeb’s unimaginable act of forceful conversion to Islam. Even on being threatened with death, he refused to give up on his beliefs and faith in Sikhism. He failed to realize that no power that had not acquired the confidence of, the Hindus could expect to last in India.
DEATH: The last few days of Aurangzeb were pathetic. He had severe pain in his limbs, but still he continued to labour. As Aurangzeb continued to sink, consternation gripped the imperial camp. Miraculously Aurangzeb recovered. After a 6month stay at Devapuri, he began his journey towards Delhi. On 31st Jan 1706 he camped at Ahmednagar exactly at the same spot where he had camped 22years ago. The old emperor had completed a cycle.
From Ahmednagar, he was expected to proceed to Aurangabad and from there to Delhi, but when the imperial officer at Aurangabad requested his permission to repair the citadel to receive him, the forlorn emperor is said to have written, “Ahmednagar is my journey’s end.”
Aurangzeb knew that his death was near and often recited,
In a twinkle, in a moment, in a breath,
The condition of the world changes.
A few days before his death, he wrote his farewell letters to his sons. The end came on Friday, 3rd March 1707 while he was offering his prayers, he had slipped into unconsciousness and slowly leading to death.

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