Death of Aurangzeb: Indologist Stanley Wolpert said that a dying Aurangzeb told his son, “I came alone and I go as a stranger.” Aurangzeb died on March 3, 1707.
Aurangzeb’s Death: A Look Into the Final Days of the Mughal Emperor (Credit: News18 Creatives)
Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb Death: Vicky Kaushal’s period drama ‘Chhaava’ shone a light on the valiant story of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj– whose unwavering resilience inspired the Marathas in their fight against the Mughals. The Maratha legend was tragically executed at the hands of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.
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As per some accounts, Sambhaji Maharaj is said to have undergone immense torture before being executed as he was first blinded with red-hot irons. Others state that Sambhaji Maharaj’s body was cut into pieces and thrown into the Bhima river in Pune while competing accounts say that his remains were fed to the dogs.
Sambhaji Maharaj‘s brutal killing was meant to serve as a warning to the Marathas but his martyrdom brought them together as it fuelled their resistance against the Mughals.
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A Look At Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb’s Reign
Aurangzeb was the sixth Mughal emperor, who reigned from 1658 until his death in 1707. Under his reign, the Mughal Empire reached its greatest extent- a territory spanning nearly the entirety of the Indian subcontinent.
Aurangzeb came to the throne after imprisoning his father and having his older brother killed. He has been described as a tyrant by historians- an expansionist who imposed tough Sharia laws and ruled ruthlessly.
His critics argue that many of the Mughal ruler’s policies abandoned his predecessors’ legacy of pluralism and religious tolerance like introduction of the jizya tax, demolition of Hindu temples and the execution of Sambhaji Maharaj.
Historians note that Aurangzeb’s constant warfare drove his empire to the brink of bankruptcy.
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How Did Aurangzeb Die?
Aurangzeb died of natural causes in 1707 and is buried in a tomb in an open-air grave in Khuldabad. Indologist Stanley Wolpert said that a dying Aurangzeb told his son, “I came alone and I go as a stranger. I do not know who I am, nor what I have been doing.”
Some accounts state that Aurangzeb’s last words were, ‘after me, chaos’.
Historian Katherine Brown wrote that after Aurangzeb’s death, “a string of weak emperors, wars of succession, and coups by noblemen heralded the irrevocable weakening of Mughal power”.
- Location :
Delhi, India, India
