The most controversial period among all the Mughal rulers was that of Aurangzeb. The idea that Aurangzeb hated Hindus and got temples demolished was wrong. Many historians have recorded that Aurangzeb built many temples or gave land for temples.
The concept that Aurangzeb hated Hindus was false
American historian Truschak says that the British excelled in the policy of divide and rule. We believe that Aurangzeb did not target any particular religion, but destroyed whatever he felt was a threat to him. Whether it was Guru Tegh Bahadur, his own children, his real brothers, whatever he perceived as a threat to his throne, he removed from his path.
In fact, he did not hesitate to delay even a moment in killing the Sufi elder and the great Persian poet Sarmad, causing his martyrdom.
In the south he clashed with the Muslim sultanates of Bijapur and Golconda, on the north-western frontiers, Aurangzeb was also challenged by Muslim fighters like Bhaku Yusufzai and the head of the Khatak clan and the famous Pashto poet Khushhal Khan Khatak and fought with the Mughal forces.
While he was opposed by the Marathi forces, the Sayyids (who were called Saadat-e-Barha) settled around Delhi continued their rebellion against Aurangzeb.
Aurangzeb’s 49-year-reign was spent in wars
Aurangzeb was not able to suppress these powers and Aurangzeb’s entire life was spent in wars.
Aurangzeb’s biggest conflict was with the Marathi brave Shivaji, which conflict is viewed by many through the prism of Hindu-Muslim, while Shivaji belonged to a family that was a symbol of the culture of Hindu-Muslim unity. Shivaji’s grandfather Maloji Bhonsle was the commander of Nizam Malik Ambar of the Sultanate of Ahmed Nagar and under his leadership Malik Ambar’s armies achieved many great successes against the Mughal rulers.
Pleased with these successes, Malik Ambar appointed Maloji Bhonsle as his Prime Minister and gave him the title of Raja.
Maloji Bhonsle had great reverence for the Dargah of a famous Sufi elder and Fakir “Shah Sharif”.
When two sons were born to Maloji Bhonsle, he felt that he had got both sons with the blessings of Shah Sharif, so he named one son as Shahji and the other as Sharifji. Shivaji was the son of Maloji’s eldest son Shahji.
Shivaji’s deep friendships with Muslims
Shivaji himself was also a great secularist. He was also a murid (devotee) of a Sufi saint “Yakub Baba”. But this is not the only proof of his being secular, but Muslims were closely involved in his life.
The general in-charge of his artillery was a Muslim named Ibrahim Khan. Shivaji’s greatest strength was his navy (which was the most modern maritime force at that time) which was also commanded by Shivaji in the hands of a Muslim named Daulat Khan. Moreover, Shivaji’s cabinet comprised of a very trusted military general named Sayyed Bilal, who played a very crucial role in strategizing to confront Aurangzeb’s army.
It may be hidden from the communal crowd or perhaps they do not want to acknowledge that Shivaji’s army comprised of 1.5 lakh soldiers out of which 66,000 were Muslims.
Those who see Shivaji’s battles in the form of Hindu-Muslim battles do not even know that a Muslim named Qazi Haider was Shivaji’s personal secretary and special envoy and Sayyid Ibrahim was his security officer, apart from his personal assistant Madari, another Muslim.
A point to note is that when Shivaji went to Agra on the call of Aurangzeb and was imprisoned there by fraud, he and his 9-year-old son were helped by the Muslim staff of the fort to escape from the prison of the fort.
Fathomless roots of Hindu-Muslim unity in India
The only purpose of bringing all these incidents to the fore is to illumine our country people to the fathomless roots of Hindu-Muslim unity recorded in history and deeply established in India for centuries.
That’s why we are laboriously stressing repeatedly that the ancient Muslim rulers of India did not fight Hindu kings because of religion but to gain ascendency and retain rule.
When you study about the rule of Aurangzeb, you can realize that he was responsible for the rebellion of his two sons Akbar Shah and Shah Alam and ultimately had to face the consequences.
Interestingly, when Prince Akbar Shah revolted against his father Aurangzeb, he was sheltered by Chhatrapati Sambhaji, son of the Maratha ruler Shivaji, who was a staunch opponent of Aurangzeb. The pattern of Hindus and Muslims helping each other throughout history is intriguingand praiseworthy.
(To be continued)