Manuscript Number : SHISRRJ203631

Aurangzeb and Muslim Orthodoxy : A Critical Analysis

Authors(1) :-Prakhar Kumar

A careful analysis of the motives and conditions behind the adoption of some of Aurangzeb’s more controversial policies establish beyond doubt that religious considerations were not at the forefront of the decisions taken during his reign. On the whole it seems as though Aurangzeb’s personal orthodoxy and piety have been exaggerated, especially in so far as they affected his political outlook. Even the austerity in his private life and in the royal household need not be attributed exclusively to his piety: the Mughal state could ill afford unnecessary expenses. The imposition of the jaziya can equally be explained as a fiscal measure to combat the depletion of the treasury. Thus while religious reasons are available at hand to explain these measures, alternative explanations also exist which are supported by the facts known to us of Aurangzeb’s reign. A definite statement on the causes behind his policies would require us to study Aurangzeb’s own mind and unfortunately there exist no private journals and diaries which could enlighten us in this respect. The argument that the accession of Aurangzeb meant the triumph of Muslim orthodoxy therefore is a simplistic, biased one which caricatures Aurangzeb and fails to take note of detail.

Authors and Affiliations

Prakhar Kumar
M.A in Modern Indian History and NET (2019) Jamia Millia Islamia University, New Delhi, India

Aurangzeb, Muslim, Orthodoxy, A Critical Analysis.

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Publication Details

Published in : Volume 3 | Issue 6 | November-December 2020
Date of Publication : 2020-12-30
License:  This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Page(s) : 73-80
Manuscript Number : SHISRRJ203631
Publisher : Shauryam Research Institute

ISSN : 2581-6306

Cite This Article :

Prakhar Kumar, "Aurangzeb and Muslim Orthodoxy : A Critical Analysis", Shodhshauryam, International Scientific Refereed Research Journal (SHISRRJ), ISSN : 2581-6306, Volume 3, Issue 6, pp.73-80, November-December.2020
URL : https://shisrrj.com/SHISRRJ203631

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