Auranngzib Alamgir

Aurangzeb, also spelled Aurangzib, Arabic Awrangzīb, kingly title ʿĀlamgīr, original name Muḥī al-Dīn Muḥammad   (born November 3, 1618, Dhod, Malwa [India]—died March 3, 1707), emperor of India from 1658 to 1707, the last of the great Mughal emperors. Under him the Mughal Empire reached its greatest extent, although his policies helped lead to its dissolution.

Unlike his predecessors, Aurangzib ‘Alamgir visited Kashmir only once. He became seriously ill in the summer of 1664 A.C., and came to Kashmir in the following months to restore his health. Princess Raushan Ara accompanied the Emperor. Bernier arrived in the valley early in 1665 A.C. His Travels give a graphic account of this royal visit. The Emperor’s experience of the Journey was not, however, a happy one. The passage of the Chinab river was a scene of confusion. Again, in the Pir Panjal Pass, an elephant carrying the ladies stepped back and forced fifteen animals behind him over the precipice. Three or four women were killed. Some elephants rolled down to the bottom of Khad or ravine. A number of men were injured rather seriously.

The progress to Kashmir of Aurangzib ‘Alamgir did not obstruct the necessary business of the state. Attended by all his officers, the decisions of each department were carried from the camp to every corner of the Empire. Expresses stood ready on horseback at every stage : and the imperial mandates were dispatched to the very provinces as soon as they were sealed in the Tent of Audience. The nobles, as was customary in the capital, attended daily the presence : and appeals were discussed every morning as regularly as when the Emperor remained at Delhi. The petitioners followed the court ; and a small allowance from the public treasury was assigned to them as a compensation for their additional expense in attending the imperial camp. In this manner, Aurangzib ‘Alamgir arrived in Kashmir.

The beauty, the cool and salubrious air of the country induced ‘Alamgir to relax his mind for a short time from business. He wandered over the valley after a variety of pleasure ; and soon recovered that vigour of constitution which his attention to public business as well as his late sickness had greatly impaired. Here Dr. Bernier attended on ‘Alamgir and helped him in the restoration of his health. The summer Bernier visited Kashmir, Fidai Khan, grandmaster of the artillery, ‘Alamgir’s trusted foster-brother, was stationed as a guard below the pass at Bhimbar until the heat was over and the Emperor returned.

“Aurangzib, to whom business was amusement, added the most extensive knowledge of the affairs of the empire to an unremitting application,” wrote Lieutenant-Colonel Alexander Dow in 1772 A.C., 65 years after Aurangzib’s death.

The number of governors, appointed by Aurangzib ‘Alamgir, was fourteen, of whom Ibrahim Khan held the appointment thrice, while Saif Khan was sent twice. It was in the time of Ibrahim Khan, the son of ‘Ali Mardan Khan, that the poet Mirza Darab Juya, born in Kashmir, flourished. In spite of pressure of work and personal attention devoted by the Emperor to all departments of the State, he was earnestly concerned in the welfare of this province.

I’timad Khan, Iftikhar Khan, Hifzullah Khan, Islam Khan and Fazil Khan, governors one after the other, acted in an impartial manner and did their best in personally dealing out justice, and in looking after the people. Saif Khan, in his second term of office, held the census of the Valley about 1670 A.C. According to Hasan, this census showed the population of Kashmir to consist of 12,43,033 souls including 90,400 infantry and 4,812 cavalry. No authority is quoted and no details are forthcoming and no comment can, therefore, be offered. Possibly this census may have been on the lines of the Mughal Empire of India during Akbar’s reign in 989 A.H. =1581 A.C. The Mughul governors also tried to improve the general appearance of the country and its towns by laying out gardens, erecting mosques, building rest-houses, populating villages. A Jagirdar of the time, Chaudhri Mahesh Pandit’s garden is mentioned as a model of beauty and taste. These governors relieved the agriculturist class of the heavy taxes imposed by preceding governors. It was in his time that the sacred Hair of tthe Prophet was brought to Kashmir by Khwaja Nur-us-Din Ishbari. Fazil Khan recommended Kashmiris for mansabs and the Emperor approved of his recommendations. Khwaja ‘Inayatullah was, perhaps, the first of the Kashmiri Mansabdars. He rose to the rank of 4,000 and was made imperial Revenue Minister in 1717 in Farrukh Siyar’s time.

Fire, Famine, earthquake and flood, each occuring at intervals, inflicted on the people considerable hardships including loss of property. In those days, it was difficult adequately to cope with these calamities in the nick of time. Nevertheless, steps were promptly taken to alleviate misery whenever it was possible to do so. After the Kawdora fire, Aurangzib ‘Alamgir sent Ibrahim Khan with urgent and explicit orders to help the people rebuild their houses and to furnish a report on the progress of the measures taken. It was only after the houses had been re-built, that an effort was made to re-construct the Jami ‘Masjid, whaich had also perished in fire.

Sectarian fights between the Shi’as and Sunnis were not uncommon in those days. as a matter of fact, it is a mistake to judge the happenings of those times from the present-day point of view. Europe itself was passing through the ordeal of the Reformation. Religious feelings were bitter everywhere. It was particularly so in Kashmir where Mir Shams-ud-Din ‘Iraqi’s successful propagation of Shi’ite doctrines had proved fruitful. The minds of both Shi ‘as and Sunnis were, therefore, in a state of frenzy.

‘Abdullah Khan, the ruler of Kashghar, passed through Kashmir about 1667-8 A.C., on his way for a pilgrimage to Mecca. According to one version he had to handover his Kingdom involuntarily to his son Nawazish Khan. ‘Abdullah Khan was received and entertained in a royal manner by Mubariz Khan the governor, the successor of Saif Khan. And When, very much Later, Arsalan Khan, ‘Abdullah Khan’s nephew, came to Kashmir for help against his own son, the matter was referred to ‘Alamgir by Ibrahim Khan, the governor of Kashmir during 1701 to 1706 A.C. On receipt of orders, Ibrahim Khan communicated the Emperor’s wishes to the fugitive prince, asking him to seek help from the governor of Kabul. As a matter of fact, Alamgir had the intention of conquering Kashghar, but he was dissuaded from entering upon the campaign. Kashmir, this shows, was at that time a strong outpost of the Mughul Empire.