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DAILY
CLASS NOTES
Saksham BPSC
Medieval History

Lecture – 16
Shahjahan and Aurangzeb

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Shahjahan and Aurangzeb

Mughal Empire
Shah Jahan (1628-58 AD)
❖ Shah Jahan's reign is called the golden age of architecture.
❖ Buildings built by Shah Jahan
1. Red Fort (Delhi)
2. Diwan-i-Aam (In Red Fort, Delhi)
3. Diwan-i-Khas (In Red Fort, Delhi)
4. Jama Masjid (Delhi) - The real name of Jama Masjid is 'Masjid-i-Jahannuma'.
‘Masjid-i-Jahannuma’ means the largest mosque in the world in Arabic language.
This name was given to reflect the huge size and grandeur of the mosque.
5. Peacock Throne (In Diwan-i-Khas of Red Fort, Delhi)

Peacock Throne
6. Moti Masjid (in Red Fort, Agra)
❖ Four Red Forts were built by the Mughal rulers, in which the Red Fort of Delhi was
built by Shah Jahan, the remaining three Red Forts were built by Akbar in Agra,
Fatehpur Sikri and Lahore.
❖ Aurangzeb built the Moti Masjid in the Red Fort of Delhi.
❖ Shah Jahan sent a military expedition against the Portuguese in 1631-32 and
drove them out of Hooghly.
❖ In 1632 AD, famine and plague spread in many parts of the Mughal Empire such
as Khandesh, Deccan and Gujarat. Peter Mundy has describes this famine and
plague.
❖ Shah Jahan had banned the marriage of Muslim girls with Hindu men.

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❖ In 1658 AD, Aurangzeb dethroned Shah Jahan and imprisoned him in a room in
the Red Fort and became the Mughal emperor himself.
❖ Shah Jahan was imprisoned in the Agra Fort for 8 years. His beloved daughter
Jahanara remained with him to serve him. He finally died in January, 1666. He
was buried in the Taj Mahal beside his beloved Begum.

Taj Mahal
❖ Abdul Hamid Lahori was the official historian of Emperor Shah Jahan. The name of
the important work he composed is 'Padshahnama'. The 'Padshahnama' is
considered to be the authentic history of Shah Jahan's rule.
Aurangzeb (1658-1707 AD)

❖ Aurangzeb was born in 1618 AD at 'Dohad' in Gujarat.

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❖ Aurangzeb was the son of Shah Jahan.

❖ Aurangzeb's mother's name was Arjumand Banu Begum (Mumtaz Mahal).
❖ Aurangzeb's wife's name was Dilras Banu Begum (Rabia-ud-Durrani).
Aurangzeb's Religious Policies
➢ Aurangzeb followed the rules of Islam literally, hence he was called Zinda Pir.
➢ Aurangzeb is called the royal dervish because he led a very simple life.
➢ Aurangzeb was a staunch/conservative Muslim ruler.
➢ Aurangzeb wanted to transform India from a country of Hindus to a country of
Muslims.
❖ Aurangzeb banned-
1. dance
2. music
3. Alcohol
4. Wearing Silk Clothing
5. Hindu Festivals
6. Jharokha Darshan
7. Tuladan
8. Navroz
❖ The main basis of Aurangzeb's rule was Islamic rule.
❖ Aurangzeb stopped writing Kalma on his coins.
❖ Aurangzeb was a good musician and a skilled veena player.
❖ Aurangzeb had banned the practice of Sati.
❖ Aurangzeb re-imposed jizya and pilgrimage tax.
❖ Aurangzeb had demolished the temples and built the mosque.
❖ Most of the Hindu Mansabdars (rulers) were there in Aurangzeb's court.
❖ Aurangzeb had abolished 80 types of non-Islamic taxes and duties.
❖ Aurangzeb built the Badshahi Mosque of Lahore in 1674 AD.
❖ The maximum revolts took place during the reign of Aurangzeb.
➢ The first organised revolt during Aurangzeb's reign was led by the Jat leader
Rajaram.
➢ Jat leader Surajmal is called the Aflatoon (plato) of the Jat caste.
➢ The last rebellion against Aurangzeb was done by the Sikhs.

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➢ When the 9th Sikh Guru refused to accept Islam, Aurangzeb got him killed.
➢ The conflict between Aurangzeb and the last Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh Ji
continued till Aurangzeb's death.
❖ Aurangzeb wanted to establish direct control over the Deccan and this was his
biggest mistake.
❖ Aurangzeb died in 1707 AD in Ahmednagar.
➢ Aurangzeb's tomb is in Aurangabad, Maharashtra.
➢ Aurangzeb's tomb is also called Bibi Ka Maqbara because it was also the tomb of
his wife Rabia-ud-Durrani.
➢ This tomb is also called the Taj Mahal of South India.
➢ Bibi's tomb is said to be a vulgar imitation of the Taj Mahal.

Bibi Ka Maqbara
❖ The first 10 years of Aurangzeb's rule are described in the Alamgirnama written
by Muhammad Kazim.
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Saksham 70th BPSC