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1 Component-I (A) – Personal Details Component-I (A) – Personal details: 1 Component-I (B) – Description of module: Subject Name Indian Culture Paper Name Outlines of Indian History Module Name/Title Aurangzeb: Life, Politics & Achievements Module Id I C/ OIH / 28.0 Knowledge about the war of succession of Pre-requisites Aurangzeb and his conquest and conflict in Deccan and north India To understand the role of Aurangzeb as Governor of Deccan To evaluate his strategy at the time of war of Objectives succession To know the result of Aurangzeb’s conflict in north and Deccan on future of Mughal India Shivaji/ Jats/ Satnami/Jahangir/ Mughal Empire/ Keywords Sikh Guru/Shahu/ Golkonda/Nizam E-text (Quadrant-I) 1. Introduction: Aurangzeb was born on 3 November 1618, in Dahod, Gujarat. He was the third son and sixth child of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal. His father was a governor of Gujarat at that time. In June 1626, after an unsuccessful rebellion by his father, Aurangzeb and his brother Dara Shikoh were kept as hostages under their grandparents' (Nur Jahan and Jahangir) Lahore court. On 26 February 1628, Shah Jahan was officially declared the Mughal Emperor, and Aurangzeb returned to live with his parents at Agra Fort, where Aurangzeb received his formal education in Arabic and Persian. His daily allowance was fixed at Rs. 500 which he spent on religious education and the study of history. He also accused his brothers of alcoholism and womanizing. 2. Early military campaign: Bundela War: On 15 December 1634, Aurangzeb was given his first command, comprising 10,000 horse and 4000 troopers. He was allowed to use the red tent, which was an imperial prerogative. Subsequently, Aurangzeb was nominally in charge of the force sent to Bundelkhand with the intent of subduing the rebellious ruler of Orchha,Jhujhar Singh, who had attacked another territory in defiance of Shah Jahan's policy and was refusing to atone 2 for his actions. By arrangement, Aurangzeb stayed in the rear, away from the fighting, and took the advice of his generals as the Mughal Army gathered and commenced the Siege of Orchha in 1635. The campaign was successful and Singh was removed from power. Viceroy of the Deccan: Aurangzeb was appointed viceroy of the Deccan in 1636. After Shah Jahan's vassals had been devastated by the alarming expansion of Ahmednagar during the reign of the Nizam Shahi boy-prince Murtaza Shah III, the emperor dispatched Aurangzeb, who in 1636 brought the Nizam Shahi dynasty to an end. In 1637, Aurangzeb married the Safavid princess, Dilras Banu Begum, also known as Rabia-ud- Daurani. Aurangzeb was appointed governor of Multan and Sindh. His efforts in 1649 and 1652 to dislodge the Safavids at Kandahar, which they had recently retaken after a decade of Mughal control, both ended in failure as winter approached. The logistical problems of supplying an army at the extremity of the empire, combined with the poor quality of armaments and the intransigence of the opposition have been cited by John Richards as the reasons for failure, and a third attempt in 1653, led by Dara Shikoh, met with the same outcome. Aurangzeb became viceroy of the Deccan again after he was replaced by Dara Shikoh in the attempt to recapture Kandahar. Aurangzeb regretted this and harbored feelings that Shikoh had manipulated the situation to serve his own end. Aurangbad's two jagirs (land grants) were moved there as a consequence of his return and, because the Deccan was a relatively impoverished area, this caused him to lose out financially. So poor was the area that grants were required from Malwa and Gujarat in order to maintain the administration and the situation caused ill-feeling between father and son. Shah Jahan insisted that things could be improved if Aurangzeb made efforts to develop cultivation. Aurangzeb appointed Murshid Quli Khan[ to extend to the Deccan the zabt revenue system used in northern India. Murshid Quli Khan organized a survey of agricultural land and a tax assessment on what it produced. To increase revenue, Murshid Quli Khan granted loans for seed, livestock, and irrigation infrastructure. The Deccan returned to prosperity, but too slowly to satisfy the emperor. Aurangzeb proposed to resolve the situation by attacking the dynastic occupants of Golconda (the Qutb Shahis) and Bijapur (the Adil Shahis). As an adjunct to resolving the financial difficulties, the proposal would also extend Mughal influence by accruing more lands. Again, he was to feel that Dara had exerted influence on his father: believing that he was on the verge of victory in both instances, Aurangzeb was frustrated that Shah Jahan chose then to settle for negotiations with the opposing forces rather than pushing for complete victory. 3 3. Aurangzeb and the war of succession: The war of succession which took place among the four sons of Shah Jahan had one novelty. While previously, wars were fought after the death of the emperor, this war was fought when Shah Jahan was yet alive. Besides, all sons and daughters of Shah Jahan participated in it. While the four sons Dara Shikoh, Shah Shuja, Aurangzeb and Murad Bux fought against each other, the sisters allied themselves with one or the other brother. Jahan Ara supported Dara Shikoh, Roshen Ara supported Aurangzeb and Gauhan Ara sided with Murad Bux. Likewise the nobles and army commanders sided with one or the other contestant of the throne. 4. Reasons of the war of succession: Rumours of Shah Jahan’s death: Early in September 1657, Shah Jahan fell ill. There was practically no hope of his recovery. He failed to attend the court for a long time. The rumour spread that he was dead. The death of an emperor was always an occasion of internal disruption and disturbance of peace. The probability of his death created rival groups in the court and empire. Dara’s appointment as successor: Shah Jahan decided to appoint Dara, his eldest son as his successor. His other sons and several staunch Muslim Ulemas and nobles did not like Dara on account of his liberal religious views. Selfish interests of courtiers: The courtiers had their selfish motives to gain power by siding with the one or the other son. Desire of each prince to succeed:All the four princes had been trained in the art of warfare and administration. They were working as governors and had their own desires to occupy the throne. They were all working as governors in various provinces—Dara of Punjab and Northwestern Province, Shujah of Bengal and Orissa, Aurangzeb of Deccan and Murad of Gujarat. Each had vast resources at his command. Takht’ or ‘Takhta’: There was no love lost among the four princes. Each knew that only one would get the throne and others will be killed by the victor. Lack of definite law of succession: Sword was the determining factor to become the emperor. 4 5. Chief events of the war of succession: Declaration of being the emperor: Prince Murad declared himself independent in Gujarat, Shah Shuja in Bengal and Murad in Gujarat. Diplomacy of Aurangzeb: Aurangzeb kept his plans secret. He won over Murad by promising to give the provinces of Punjab, Sindh, Kabul and Kashmir. Battle of Bahadarpur: Shah Shuja reached Banaras with his army. Dara sent an army to check him. Shah Shuja was defeated and ran away towards Bengal, Battle of Dharmat: Aurangzeb and Murad advanced towards Agra. Dara also sent an army to fight but the army faced defeat. Battle of Samugarh: Dara without waiting for his victorious troops who have defeated Shuja, advanced toward Samugarh a place at a distance of about 13 km. from Agra. Initially Dara had an upper hand but he committed a blunder. He got down from his elephant and mounted a horse. Seeing him missing, commotion and disorder ensued in his army. Dara fled from the battlefield. Battle of Samugarh proved to be decisive. Besiege of Agra: The combined forces of Aurangzeb and Murad reached Agra and besieged the fort. The royal army opposed them. After a few days of struggle, the royal army surrendered. Imprisonment of Shah Jahan: Shah Jahan was imprisoned and died there in a pathetic situation after six years i.e. January 1666. End of Murad and Shah Shuja: Aurangzeb did not adhere to the agreement arrived at with Murad. He used devious methods and got him murdered in Gwalior fort. Shah Shuja had to run away from India and died outside in obscure circumstances. Sad end of Dara and his sons: After his defeat, Dara wandered from place in different parts of India but was hotly chased and ultimately fell into Aurangzeb’s hands. He was paraded in dirty clothes in the city and awarded death punishment. His two sons were also given death punishment. In this way the war of succession ended with the victory of Aurangzeb. 5 6. Causes of Aurangzeb’s success: Personal qualities of Aurangzeb: Aurangzeb was a more able commander than his brothers. Diplomacy of Aurangzeb: He kept his plans secret and very diplomatically made Murad as his ally and afterwards in the same manner got him murdered. Murad was called at a feast at Mathura. There he was heavily drunk and in a state of unconsciousness taken to Gwalior fort where he was killed. Lack of unity in Dara’s camp: It is said that Aurangzeb was successful in creating division among the officers of Dara’s army. Even Jaswant Singh, his faithful commander did not join him in his final struggle with Aurangzeb. Superior artillery of Aurangzeb: Aurangzeb had appointed several Europeans in his artillery division. Dara’s artillery and his soldiers could not compete with the superior artillery of Aurangzeb.
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