By 1636 CE Ahmednagar along with Bijapur became part of the Mughal empire during the reign of emperor Shah Jahan (r. 1628 to 1658 CE). Shah Jahan thereupon appointed his son Aurangzeb as the Deccan viceroy while favouring his eldest son Dara Shikoh as heir apparent to the Mughal throne. Dara, Aurangzeb and their sister Jahanara Begum were born to Mumtaz Mahal, Shah Jahan's favorite consort-wife.
In 1644 an unfortunate accident occurred in which Jahanara Begum got burnt thus resulting in a crisis within the household. Aurangzeb, who was serving in the Deccan at the time, was unable to return to Agra in a timely manner. And when he finally did, he came all dressed up in military attire thereupon entering the innermost compound of the palace. This incident is said to have enraged Shah Jahan, who stripped Aurangzeb of his title as The Deccan viceroy (1647 CE) and transferred him to Gujarat instead.
Misgivings between Aurangzeb and Dara Shikoh
Various events arose over the course of time that made Aurangzeb feel he was being sidelined by Dara and Shah Jahan. Later, when he would have preferred a campaign in Kandahar, he was shuttled back to the Deccan sometime in 1653 CE. The impoverished Deccan region and loss of finances that he was subject to caused deep resentment between Aurangzeb and Dara Shikoh/ Shah Jahan. Moreover, he was challenged to turn things around in the Deccan on his own merit.
Fortunately for Aurangzeb, he found a saviour in Murshid Quli Khan. Murshid, a hindu convert to Islam was a Mughal official and an expert in revenue matters. He applied the zabt revenue system* prevalent in northern India at the time.
*zabt revenue system- a survey of agricultural land, its revenue and tax assessment based on its produce.
Based on the survey, loans were provided for seed, livestock and irrigation to facilitate cultivation. The effort bore fruit and the Deccan region under their control prospered as a consequence.
In an bid to further increase his finances, Aurangzeb now planned military campaigns against neighbouring Deccan dynasties in order to capture more areas that were not yet under Mughal rule. The campaigns resulted in snatching away Bidar from the Adilshahis of Bijapur. His resentments deepened when he found no validation for his endeavours.
THE ROOT CAUSE OF HOSTILITIES BETWEEN SHAHJAHAN & HIS SON AURANGZEB
The core reason for Aurangzeb's disappointment it seemed was Shah Jahan's more tolerant and diplomatic negotiations in settling disputes. Aurangzeb preferred the way of the sword - ATTACK AND CONQUER. He felt no pain or remorse in intolerance, subjugation and taking what didn't belong to him.
Declaring his father as an incompetent ruler, Aurangzeb imprisoned Shah Jahan (July 1658) at the Agra fort.
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This is the place at Agra fort, where Shah Jahan spent the rest of his life in solitary confinement from July 1658 until his death in 1666. From the window he could see the Taj Mahal where his wife Mumtaz Mahal was laid to rest
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