Was Akbar really great as he was depicted in Indian cinema? The rise of Aurangzeb and how Mughals massacred people after their invasion. Everything about the Mughals and their growth in India in this blog.

This is a Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Special by Medha Bhaskaran. She has spent 20 years of her life studying Shivaji Maharaj.

Shivrai

$\"\"$ “We can’t always mention Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj as it becomes a little difficult during the interviews. That is why we are calling him Shivrai. Rai means kings, so the full name is covered in Shivrai.”

“There is no biography of Shivrai written in English by an Indian, and that was my intent with The Challenging Destiny. I started with how India was 1000,800 and 500 years before Shivrai was born, and then I wrote about how it was when he was born.”

Growth Of Mughals

“The north was under the Mughal. 80% of the land was granted to Mansabdar. Mansabdar is a warrior to whom the land is granted. He used to collect the taxes and maintain the cavalry for the king.”

“In Maharashtra, it was Nizamshahi, and in Karnataka was the Adilshahi.”

Why Didn\’t India Fight Back?

“We were secular and forgiving. We had a rivalry within us India. The invaders had better war tactics. We had chariots built on elephants. The invaders have horses and speed. They knew we had wealth. They looted us. They were just a handful, but we accepted to be the secondary citizens and were born to serve.”

Torch Chambers Of Mughal

“They had torch chambers. If we refused to change, they used to take people there. It was very brutal. They have even taken fetuses out of women. When I studied about it, it upset me for months. I have written about it in my books.”

“Till the 13th century, the south was safe. The north had already suffered. They looted the temples in the north, children were taken and sold as slaves, and people suffered the loss. The Deccan suffered after the 13th century.”

Akbar\’s Cruelty

$\"\"$ “People were scared looking at the strength and the way the Mughals lived. It was an optical illusion. In Akbar’s time, the Mughals wanted the people in the south to dissolve into the empire and make provisions of it.”

“Akbar was cruel. It is not at all how it is being shown in the movies. Akbar wanted what he wanted. I have read a book in which it was written that Akbar killed his subordinates to take their women. Historical friction when it is written well and presented well people think it is true.”

Salim\’s Cruelty

“Salim was cruel. He had a handsome son who was liked by Akbar. His son was a warrior, secular, and could speak different languages. But when this son went against Salim, he torched him by taking out his eyes. Then he put him into a prison.”

“They removed his eyes and put salt water in them. There were prisons in Gwalior, where the emperor gave the prisoners drinks made of opium to get them addicted. The prisoners were put into dungeons, and venomous snakes were left inside.”

“To know Shivrai, you must know his enemy. You need to understand Aurangzeb, his brutality, politics, and strength to understand Shivrai.”

“It is the legacy of the Mughals that they have to kill anyone whoever is claiming the throne. They had two options either have the throne or go to the grave.”

Shah-Jahan

$\"\"$ “Shahjahan sent Aurangzeb out to battles to gain experience. The circumstances made him what he was. When he was in Deccan, there was a tussle going on between them as Shahjahan thought Aurangzeb was cheating him and taking money and not informing Shahjahan. Aurangzeb thought Dara Shikoh would be the next emperor.”

Rise Of Aurangzeb

“So he thought of conquering Adilshahi and Nizamshahi. They had a lot of trade. They had money. Aurangzeb thought that if he took over them as the Mughals\’ provinces, he would be more powerful. Shahjahan sent a Farman to not touch any of them. Aurangzeb did go back, but he did take them down.”

$\"\"$ “Aurangzeb manipulated his brother Murad against Dara Shikoh when the news of Shahjahan being ill broke out. Murad joined Aurangzeb, and they went toward Ujjain. Shahjahan had sent Jaswant Singh Rajput to save Dara Shikoh. Aurangzeb and his troops massacred the Rajput. From there, they reached Agra, where Dara Shikoh was. Aurangzeb manipulated the Mansabdars to take down Dara Shikoh as he was not in favor of their religion.”

$\"\"$ “A tremendous battle happened. A lot of people joined Aurangzeb. DaraShikoh, in the end, ran away. In the end, they found him, and Aurangzeb massacred him.”

“Aurangzeb was powerful, a good warrior, and a politician. He killed his brothers because, or else, he would have ended up in the dungeons.”

\”Aurangzeb earned the throne. He imprisoned his father. Dara Shikoh\’s son died because of an opium overdose. Murad was hung. Aurangzeb\’s firstborn son died because of depression. \”

Cruelty Of Akbar, The Rise Of Aurangzeb and Invasion Of India By The Mughals