Aurangzeb was the sixth son of Shah Jahan, the Mughal emperor who built the Taj Mahal in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal. Aurangzeb was born on November 3, 1618, in Dhod, Malwa, India. He was a serious-minded and devout youth, wedded to the Muslim orthodoxy of the day and free from the royal Mughal traits of sensuality and drunkenness. Aurangzeb was the third son of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal, and he grew up with his brothers Dara Shikoh, Shah Shuja, and Murad Baksh. Aurangzeb’s policies helped lead to the dissolution of the Mughal Empire, but under his reign, the empire reached its greatest extent. Aurangzeb was designated as the successor to the throne by his father, but his eldest brother, Dara Shikoh, was also interested in the throne. In the struggle for power, Aurangzeb showed tactical and strategic military skill, great powers of dissimulation, and ruthless determination. Aurangzeb defeated Dara in 1659 and had him executed. Aurangzeb’s reign saw resistance from Rajputs, Marathas, and Sikhs.
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