“I came alone, and I leave as a stranger,” wrote renowned Indologist Stanley Wolpert about Aurangzeb in his book New History of India. Wolpert described Aurangzeb’s conquest of the Deccan as a Pyrrhic victory. According to him, above words were spoken by Aurangzeb to his son. Aurangzeb is believed to be died on March 3, 1707.
The movie Chhaava is creating a lot of buzz due to Vicky Kaushal’s powerful performance, along with strong acting from other actors in the movie. After watching the movie, people are eager to know what happened to Aurangzeb and what he did to Sambhaji Maharaj.
Sambhaji Maharaj was treated very badly by Aurangzeb before he was killed. Some stories say that he was blinded using hot iron rods. Other accounts mention that his body was cut into pieces and thrown into the Bhima River in Pune. There are also different stories that claim his remains were fed to dogs.
Overview Of Aurangzeb’s Rule
Aurangzeb was the sixth emperor of the Mughal Empire, ruling from 1658 until he died in 1707. During his time as emperor, the Mughal Empire grew to cover almost all of the Indian subcontinent.
Aurangzeb became emperor by imprisoning his father and killing his older brother. Many historians describe him as a harsh ruler who wanted to expand his empire. He enforced strict Islamic laws and ruled with an iron fist.
Critics say that Aurangzeb moved away from the more tolerant and inclusive policies of previous Mughal emperors. For example, he reintroduced a tax called jizya on non-Muslims, destroyed some Hindu temples, and executed Sambhaji Maharaj, a leader from a different religion.
Historians point out that Aurangzeb’s ongoing wars put a huge financial strain on the empire, bringing it close to bankruptcy.
The Death of Aurangzeb and the Decline of the Mughal Empire
Aurangzeb died of natural causes in 1707 and was buried in an open-air tomb in Khuldabad. The historian Stanley Wolpert said that before he died, Aurangzeb told his son, “I came alone, and I leave as a stranger. I don’t know who I am or what I have done.” Some stories say his last words were, “After me, chaos.”
Historian Katherine Brown mentioned that after Aurangzeb’s death, the Mughal Empire became weaker because of a series of weak rulers, succession wars, and rebellions by nobles.
