Abu Muzaffar Muhiuddin Muhammad Aurangzeb Alamgir (Persian: ابو مظفر محی الدین محمد اورنگزیب عالمگیر) (November 3, 1618 – March 3, 1707), usually known as Aurangzeb, but also sometimes as Alamgir I, was the ruler of the Mughal Empire from 1658 until 1707. He was and is a very controversial figure in Indian history. Unlike his predecessors, Aurangzeb led a remarkably austere and pious life. Strict adherence to Islam and Sharia (Islamic law)—as he interpreted them—were ...

Including:

• Aurangzeb - Rise to throne
• Aurangzeb - Early life
• Aurangzeb - War of succession
• Aurangzeb - Aurangzeb's Reign
• Aurangzeb - Enforcement of Islamic law
• Aurangzeb - Expansion of the empire
• Aurangzeb - Conversion of non-Muslims
• Aurangzeb - Hindu temple desecration
• Aurangzeb - Impact of Aurangzeb's reign
• Aurangzeb - Hindu rebellion
• Aurangzeb - The Deccan wars and the rise of the Marathas
• Aurangzeb - Defiance of the Sikhs and the rise of the Khalsa
• Aurangzeb - Legacy
• Aurangzeb - Commentary by recent historians
• Aurangzeb - Wolpert
• Aurangzeb - Manas Group UCLA

Read more here: » Aurangzeb: Encyclopedia - Aurangzeb

See also:

Aurangzeb, Aurangzeb - Rise to throne, Aurangzeb - Early life, Aurangzeb - War of succession, Aurangzeb - Aurangzeb's Reign, Aurangzeb - Enforcement of Islamic law, Aurangzeb - Expansion of the empire, Aurangzeb - Conversion of non-Muslims, Aurangzeb - Hindu temple desecration, Aurangzeb - Impact of Aurangzeb's reign, Aurangzeb - Hindu rebellion, Aurangzeb - The Deccan wars and the rise of the Marathas, Aurangzeb - Defiance of the Sikhs and the rise of the Khalsa, Aurangzeb - Legacy, Aurangzeb - Commentary by recent historians, Aurangzeb - Wolpert, Aurangzeb - Manas Group UCLA

Read more here: » Aurangzeb: Encyclopedia II - Aurangzeb - Aurangzeb's Reign

As a reaction to Aurangzeb's political and religious expansionist policies, and to his discriminatory laws, a momentous change occurred in India. India's politics had been previously based on tribal and geographic boundaries, but now peoples began to identify and align according to their religions. This development would inform all subsequent Indian history. Aurangzeb - Hindu rebellion. M ...

See also:

Aurangzeb, Aurangzeb - Rise to throne, Aurangzeb - Early life, Aurangzeb - War of succession, Aurangzeb - Aurangzeb's Reign, Aurangzeb - Enforcement of Islamic law, Aurangzeb - Expansion of the empire, Aurangzeb - Conversion of non-Muslims, Aurangzeb - Hindu temple desecration, Aurangzeb - Impact of Aurangzeb's reign, Aurangzeb - Hindu rebellion, Aurangzeb - The Deccan wars and the rise of the Marathas, Aurangzeb - Defiance of the Sikhs and the rise of the Khalsa, Aurangzeb - Legacy, Aurangzeb - Commentary by recent historians, Aurangzeb - Wolpert, Aurangzeb - Manas Group UCLA

Read more here: » Aurangzeb: Encyclopedia II - Aurangzeb - Impact of Aurangzeb's reign

While some rulers were zealous in their spread of Islam, others were relatively liberal. The Moghul emperor Akbar was one who was relatively liberal and established a new religion, Din E Elahi, which included beliefs from different religions. He abolished the jizya for some time. In contrast, Aurangazeb was more zealous and, generally, during his term non-Muslims suffered. He reimposed the jizya, which his great grandfather Akbar had removed. It ...

See also:

Islamic conquest of South Asia, Islamic conquest of South Asia - Muhammad bin Qasim, Islamic conquest of South Asia - The Ghaznavid Period, Islamic conquest of South Asia - Muhammed Ghuri, Islamic conquest of South Asia - The Delhi Sultanate, Islamic conquest of South Asia - Alauddin Khilji, Islamic conquest of South Asia - Timur, Islamic conquest of South Asia - The Mughal Empire, Islamic conquest of South Asia - Babur, Islamic conquest of South Asia - Ahmad Shah Abdali, Islamic conquest of South Asia - Aurangzeb, Islamic conquest of South Asia - Iconoclasm, Islamic conquest of South Asia - Nalanda, Islamic conquest of South Asia - Vijayanagara, Islamic conquest of South Asia - Somnath, Islamic conquest of South Asia - Historical Views, Islamic conquest of South Asia - Cultural influence

Read more here: » Islamic conquest of South Asia: Encyclopedia II - Islamic conquest of South Asia - Aurangzeb

While some rulers were zealous in their spread of Islam, others were relatively liberal. The Moghul emperor Akbar was one who was relatively liberal and established a new religion, Din E Elahi, which included beliefs from different religions. He abolished the jizya for some time. In contrast, Aurangazeb was more zealous and, generally, during his term non-Muslims suffered. He reimposed the jizya, which his great grandfather Akbar had removed. It ...

See also:

Islamic conquest of South Asia, Islamic conquest of South Asia - Muhammad bin Qasim, Islamic conquest of South Asia - The Ghaznavid Period, Islamic conquest of South Asia - Muhammed Ghuri, Islamic conquest of South Asia - The Delhi Sultanate, Islamic conquest of South Asia - Alauddin Khilji, Islamic conquest of South Asia - The Mughal Empire, Islamic conquest of South Asia - Babur, Islamic conquest of South Asia - Ahmad Shah Abdali, Islamic conquest of South Asia - Aurangzeb, Islamic conquest of South Asia - Iconoclasm, Islamic conquest of South Asia - Nalanda, Islamic conquest of South Asia - Vijayanagara, Islamic conquest of South Asia - Somnath, Islamic conquest of South Asia - Historical Views, Islamic conquest of South Asia - Cultural influence

Read more here: » Islamic conquest of South Asia: Encyclopedia II - Islamic conquest of South Asia - Aurangzeb

The individual's moral fibre had to be strengthened through basic convictions. With this farsightedness, the tenth and last Guru, Gobind Singh, set about honing the faith's dynamics through innovation and personal example. His rigorous self-discipline and inner fortitude were exemplified by his equanimity and poise in the face of tragedies few encounter in their lifetime.

He was nine when he received the head of his father Guru Tegh Bahadur, beheaded in Delhi on the orders of the Mughal Emperor, Aurangzeb. His father had chosen martyrdom to demonstrate to Aurangzeb - and the people of India - that a man convinced of his moral purpose and inalienable right to practise his own religion, is unafraid to die.

(See also: Guru Gobind Singh, Spiritual Guidance, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

The Mughal Empire, (Persian: مغل بادشاہ) was an empire that at its greatest territorial extent ruled parts of Afghanistan, Balochistan and most of the Indian Subcontinent between 1526 and 1857. The empire was founded by the Mongol leader Babur in 1526, when he defeated Ibrahim Lodi, the last of the Delhi Sultans at the First Battle of Panipat. The word "Mughal" is the Indo-Aryan ver ...

Including:

• Mughal Empire - Religion
• Mughal Empire - Political Economy
• Mughal Empire - Establishment and reign of Babur
• Mughal Empire - Reign of Humayun
• Mughal Empire - Reign of Akbar
• Mughal Empire - Reigns of Jahangir and Shah Jahan
• Mughal Empire - Reign of Aurangzeb and decline of empire
• Mughal Empire - Descendants
• Mughal Empire - Alternate meanings

Read more here: » Mughal Empire: Encyclopedia - Mughal Empire

Zafarnama (Punjabi: ਜ਼ਫ਼ਰਨਾਮਾ, Persian: ظفرنامہ) means the Notification of Victory and is the name given to the letter sent by the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh in 1705 to the Mughal Emperor of India, Aurangzeb. The letter is written in Persian verse. In this letter, Guru Gobind reminds Aurangzeb how he and his henchmen had broken their oaths sworn upon the Koran. He also states that in spite of his several sufferings, ...

Read more here: » Zafarnama: Encyclopedia - Zafarnama

Dara Shikoh (1615–1659) was the eldest son of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan and his wife Mumtaz Mahal. His name is from Persian داراشكوه meaning "The possessor of Glory". He was favored as a successor by his father and his sister Jahanara Begum, but was defeated and beheaded by his younger brother Aurangzeb in a bitter struggle for the Mughal throne. In 1657, the illness of emperor Shah Jahan triggered a fierce and desperate battle for power among the four Mughal princes, though realistically only Dara and Aurangzeb h ...

Read more here: » Dara Shikoh: Encyclopedia - Dara Shikoh

Nathdwara is a town in Rajasthan state of western India. It is located on the Banas River in Rajsamand District, 48 km north of Udaipur. This holy town is famous for its temple of Krishna which houses the Shrinathji, a 12th century image (murti) of Krishna. The idol was moved in the 17th century from Govardhana Hill, near Mathura, to protect it from the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb's campaign against Hindu worship in his empire. The Haveli of Shrinathji (as the temple is called), was once a roy ...

Read more here: » Nathdwara: Encyclopedia - Nathdwara

Bidar is a city in Karnataka state, India. It is the administrative seat of Bidar District. Bidar was the capital of the Bahmani Sultanate from 1425 until the sultanate's breakup after 1518. It then became the center of one of the five independent sultanates, known as the Deccan sultanates, that were the successor states to the Bahmani kingdom. The Bidar Sultanate was absorbed by the Sultanate of Bijapur to the west in 1619, which was in turn conquered by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in 1686. Bidar was part of the Nizam of Hyde ...

Including:

• Bidar - Places of interest
• Bidar - Sultans of Bidar from Barid Dynasty
• Bidar - How to reach Bidar

Read more here: » Bidar: Encyclopedia - Bidar

The Badshahi Masjid (بادشاەى مسجد), literally the 'King's Mosque', was built in 1673 by Aurangzeb in Lahore, Pakistan. It is one of the city's best known landmarks, and a major tourist attraction epitomising the beauty and grandeur of the Mughal era. Capable of accommodating up to 60,000 worshippers, it is the second largest mosque in Pakistan, after the Faisal Mosque in Islamabad. The architecture and design of the Badshahi Masjid is closely related to the Jamia Masjid in Delhi, India, which was built in 1648 by Aur ...

Including:

• Badshahi Masjid - History
• Badshahi Masjid - Repairs
• Badshahi Masjid - Special Events
• Badshahi Masjid - Chief Characteristics
• Badshahi Masjid - Quranic inscriptions
• Badshahi Masjid - Measurements

Read more here: » Badshahi Masjid: Encyclopedia - Badshahi Masjid

The last of the great Mughals was Aurangzeb. During his fifty-year reign, the empire reached its greatest physical size but also showed the unmistakable signs of decline. The bureaucracy had grown corrupt, and the huge army demonstrated outdated weaponry and tactics. Aurangzeb restored Mughal military dominance and expanded power southward, at least for a while. Aurangzeb was involved in a series of protracted wars: against the Pathans in Afghanistan, the sultans of Bijapur and Golkonda in the Deccan, the Marathas in Maharashtra and t ...

See also:

Mughal Empire, Mughal Empire - Religion, Mughal Empire - Political Economy, Mughal Empire - Establishment and reign of Babur, Mughal Empire - Reign of Humayun, Mughal Empire - Reign of Akbar, Mughal Empire - Reigns of Jahangir and Shah Jahan, Mughal Empire - Reign of Aurangzeb and decline of empire, Mughal Empire - Descendants, Mughal Empire - Alternate meanings

Read more here: » Mughal Empire: Encyclopedia II - Mughal Empire - Reign of Aurangzeb and decline of empire

The last of the great Mughals was Aurangzeb. During his fifty-year reign, the empire reached its greatest physical size but also showed unmistakable signs of decline. The bureaucracy had grown corrupt; the huge army used outdated weaponry and tactics. Aurangzeb restored Mughal military dominance and expanded power southward, at least for a while. Aurangzeb was involved in a series of protracted wars: against the Pathans in Afghanistan, the sultans of Bijapur and Golkonda in the Deccan, the Marathas in Maharashtra and the Ahoms in Assam. Peas ...

See also:

Mughal Empire, Mughal Empire - Religion, Mughal Empire - Political Economy, Mughal Empire - Establishment and reign of Babur, Mughal Empire - Early Sikh Gurus' Perception of the Mughal Empire, Mughal Empire - Reign of Humayun, Mughal Empire - Reign of Akbar, Mughal Empire - Reigns of Jahangir and Shah Jahan, Mughal Empire - Reign of Aurangzeb and decline of empire, Mughal Empire - Successors - the lesser Mughals, Mughal Empire - Contribution of Mughals in India, Mughal Empire - Alternate meanings

Read more here: » Mughal Empire: Encyclopedia II - Mughal Empire - Reign of Aurangzeb and decline of empire

Main article: Mughal empire India in the 16th century presented a fragmented picture of rulers, both Muslim and Hindu, who lacked concern for their subjects and who failed to create a common body of laws or institutions. Outside developments also played a role in shaping events. The circumnavigation of Africa by the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama in 1498 allowed Europeans to challenge Arab control of the trading routes between Europe and Asia. In Central Asia and Afghanistan, shifts in power pushed Babur of Ferghana (in present-day Uzbekistan) southward, first to Kabul and then to India. The dynasty h ...

See also:

Mughal era, Mughal era - The Mughal empire, Mughal era - Babur of Ferghana, Mughal era - Akbar, Mughal era - Aurangzeb, Mughal era - Arrival of the Europeans, Mughal era - The Marathas, Mughal era - The Nizams of Hyderabad, Mughal era - The Sikhs, Mughal era - The Coming of the Europeans, Mughal era - Literature

Read more here: » Mughal era: Encyclopedia II - Mughal era - The Mughal empire

Humayun's untimely death in 1556 left the task of further imperial conquest and consolidation to his thirteen-year-old son, Jalal-ud-Din Akbar (r. 1556–1605). Following a decisive military victory at the Second Battle of Panipat in 1556, the regent Bayram Khan pursued a vigorous policy of expansion on Akbar's behalf. As soon as Akbar came of age, he began to free himself from the influences of overbearing ministers, court factions, and harem intrigues, and demonstrated his own capacity for judgment and leadership. A workaholic who seldom s ...

See also:

Mughal Empire, Mughal Empire - Religion, Mughal Empire - Political Economy, Mughal Empire - Establishment and reign of Babur, Mughal Empire - Reign of Humayun, Mughal Empire - Reign of Akbar, Mughal Empire - Reigns of Jahangir and Shah Jahan, Mughal Empire - Reign of Aurangzeb and decline of empire, Mughal Empire - Descendants, Mughal Empire - Alternate meanings

Read more here: » Mughal Empire: Encyclopedia II - Mughal Empire - Reign of Akbar

The quest for wealth and power brought Europeans to Indian shores in 1498 when Vasco da Gama, the Portuguese voyager, arrived in Calicut (modern Kozhikode, Kerala) on the west coast. In their search for spices and Christian converts, the Portuguese challenged Arab supremacy in the Indian Ocean, and, with their galleons fitted with powerful cannons, set up a network of strategic trading posts along the Arabian Sea and the Persian Gulf. In 1510 the Portuguese took over the enclave of Goa, which became the center of their commercial and political power in India and w ...

See also:

Mughal era, Mughal era - The Mughal empire, Mughal era - Babur of Ferghana, Mughal era - Akbar, Mughal era - Aurangzeb, Mughal era - Arrival of the Europeans, Mughal era - The Marathas, Mughal era - The Nizams of Hyderabad, Mughal era - The Sikhs, Mughal era - The Coming of the Europeans, Mughal era - Literature

Read more here: » Mughal era: Encyclopedia II - Mughal era - The Coming of the Europeans

The tale of the Marathas' rise to power and their eventual fall contains all the elements of a thriller: adventure, intrigue, and romanticism. Maratha chieftains were originally in the service of Bijapur sultans in the western Deccan, which was under siege by the Mughals. Shivaji Bhonsle (1627-80), a tenacious and fierce fighter recognized as the "father of the Maratha nation," took advantage of this conflict and carved out his own principality near Pune, which later became the Maratha capital. Adopting guerrilla tactics, he waylaid caravans ...

See also:

Mughal era, Mughal era - The Mughal empire, Mughal era - Babur of Ferghana, Mughal era - Akbar, Mughal era - Aurangzeb, Mughal era - Arrival of the Europeans, Mughal era - The Marathas, Mughal era - The Nizams of Hyderabad, Mughal era - The Sikhs, Mughal era - The Coming of the Europeans, Mughal era - Literature

Read more here: » Mughal era: Encyclopedia II - Mughal era - The Marathas

In the early 16th century, descendants of the Mongol, Turkic, Persian, and Afghan invaders of Southwest Asia — the Mughals — invaded the India under the leadership of Zahir-ud-Din-Mohammad Babur. Babur was the great-grandson of Timur Lenk (Timur the Lame, from which the Western name Tamerlane is derived), who had invaded India and plundered Delhi in 1398 and then led a short-lived empire based in Samarkand (in modern-day Uzbekistan) that united Persian-based Mongols (Babur's maternal ancestors) and other West Asian peoples. Babur was dri ...

See also:

Mughal Empire, Mughal Empire - Religion, Mughal Empire - Political Economy, Mughal Empire - Establishment and reign of Babur, Mughal Empire - Reign of Humayun, Mughal Empire - Reign of Akbar, Mughal Empire - Reigns of Jahangir and Shah Jahan, Mughal Empire - Reign of Aurangzeb and decline of empire, Mughal Empire - Descendants, Mughal Empire - Alternate meanings

Read more here: » Mughal Empire: Encyclopedia II - Mughal Empire - Establishment and reign of Babur

After a short while, Raja Ram reappeared at Sikandara and taking advantage of the delay in coming of Shaista Khan, the governor-designate of Agra, he attacked and plundered Akbar’s mausoleum. The Jat leader carried away the precious articles of gold and silver, carpets, lamps etc. and destroyed what he could not carry. According to Manucci the Jats dragged out the bones of Akbar, threw them angrily into fire and burnt them. Thus avenged Gokula. Muhammad Baqa (the Naib of Khan-i-Jahan) who was then at Agra, did nothing to frustrate t ...

See also:

Raja Ram Jat, Raja Ram Jat - The great organizer, Raja Ram Jat - Military training, Raja Ram Jat - The defense strategy, Raja Ram Jat - Raids by Raja Ram, Raja Ram Jat - Worries of the Emperor Aurangzeb, Raja Ram Jat - Raja Ram killed Aghar Khan, Raja Ram Jat - Raja Ram attacked Sikandara, Raja Ram Jat - The battle of Bijal, Raja Ram Jat - Need to assess Raja Ram

Read more here: » Raja Ram Jat: Encyclopedia II - Raja Ram Jat - Raja Ram attacked Sikandara