Naseebullah Achakzai
This book is a collection of two articles of Alama Shibli Nomani and Dr. Om Parkash Parsad. It was published by Fiction house which has 235 pages. This books sheds lights about the positive and negative of Aurangzaib Alamgir, his religious policy, his relations with his father, brother, and cousin, allegations on him, his reign, and his relations with the Afghans, the Hindu, and the Sikh.
The 7th son of Shahjahan and Mumtaz Mahal Muhaiudin Aurangzaib Alamgir was a Mughal ruler of India from 1658 to 1707. He was born in Gujrat in 1618 and was well versed in Arabi, Persian, and Hindi. He knew the Holy Quran too. Alamgir had 4 wives. He remained administrator of Gujrat, Badakhshan, Balkh, Sindh, and Multan before taking the reign of Mughal empire. The first part of the book contains the article of Molana Shibli Nomani. He writes about the allegations that Alamgir destroyed 65 temples, killed his brother and nephews and put his father Shahjahan in prison and made troubles in Islamic state of Deccan. Molani Nomani says how and why Aurangzaib did such. Why he invaded Bijapure and Hyderabad Deccan? What controversies took place there against him? Why the Muslim ruler of Deccan Abul Hassan cooperated with Siwaji against Aurangzaib?
Molana Shibli writes about he relations of Alamgir with the Marhatas. He writes about the allegations that why Alamgir was against Marhatas? Why he invaded Puna, Supa, and Seevapure? Why he attacked Sivagi? Shibli also gives details of Alamgir wars with Sivagi. Molana Shibli also writes about the relations of Alamgir with the Hindus. It is said that Alamgir annoyed Hindus and invaded Hindue centers of Jaipure, Jodhpure, and Odhaypure. Shibli answers all these that why and how all those happened?
Shibli also writes about Alamgir and religious biasness. It is said thar Alamgir sacked out all Hindus from jobs. Put Jazia on the and destroyed Temples. Shibli says some allegations are wrong some actoons were inevitable. Shibli also writes about Alamgir,s behaviour with his father, brothers, and cousin. He killed his brother and put his father in prision. Om parkash on page 152 of this book writes it is said that Shahjahan wrote to his son Murad to kill Alamgir so that Shajahan will declare Murad the next king. In addition, Nomani writes that Alamgir killed Darul Shikwa (his brother) as Darul Shikwa himself wanted to kill Auranzaib and concluded conspiracies against Alamgir.
Shibli writes about the religious aspect of Alamgir and says that he wanted Islamic glory. He banned un Islamic traditions such as music in court, banned Sajjda before ruler, and banned wearing gold for rulers. He created the post of Ombudsman while the famous religious book Fatawa i Alamgiri was also written during his reign.
The ending of Shibli article consists of Alamgir,s achievements. He says that during Alamgir time state revenue was doubled than that of the time of Akber. He was a great dispenser of justice, started postal service, cemented espionage system, banned gifts to officers, stopped corruption, and un Islamic tadiotion, banned poets in darbar, and started Stipends for students and teachers. He also made store rooms for Wheat and provided to the poor during drought.
The second part of the book contains the article of Dr. Om Parkash Parsad who writes in Page 142 that English historians Elliott and Dawson had biased approaches towards Alamgir. They neglected Alamgir good qualities and wrote his negative qualities. Dr. Parkash calls it a historical injustice.
Dr Om Parkash writes about the ideology of Alamgir, his rule, relation with the Hindus, rebellion against him, his huge empire etc. Dr. Om Parkash says that Alamgir also provided land to Shronja and Aabu temples. He writes that Alamgir imposed Jazia in 1679 and banned his last days.
Dr. Parkadh writes about Alamgir policy towards Sikhs, Rajpoots and Afghans. He rightly observes thar Afghan love to live free. Whenever they were United they could not be occupied. For occupation the Afghan lands, Alamgir himself came to Peshawer. He writes that Alamgir sacked a chief justice who decreed that a Muslim state cannot be invaded. Alamgir was of the view that if a Muslim state conspires with a non Muslim state against a Muslim stae then invasion becomes inevitable. Another area of Dr. Om Parkash article bears the title of causes of downfall of Mughal empire. He says thar there were many ressosn behind the downfall that included external forces, the East India company who wanted power and started divide and rule policy, the internal chaos, corruption, bad governance, and tug of war among Mughal heirs. On page 218 Dr. Om Parkash writes that there was no competent heir of Alamgir after his death and no work was done on science and technology. The last chapter is about Aurangzaib Will which has been copied word by word.
