10-25-2005, 04:44 PM
I had written this on another forum sometime ago. It is relevant to the thread.
The source is university level textbook V D Mahajanâs : âMedieval Indiaâ. The data is the same in other university level texts.
Ravi Chaudhary
*************
DARA SHIKOH
Aurangzebâs rule.
In September 1657 Shahjahan fell ill.
Shahjahan had four sons, Dara Shukoh 43, Shuja 41, Aurangzeb 39, and Murad 33.
Dara Shukoh the eldest was chosen to succeed.
Dara Shukoh was popular with the people. He was of a liberal disposition; He took interest in, and studied the Hindu texts including the Vedas, the Bhagvat Gita, the Ramayan and the Mahabharat. He had them translated into Persian. He followed the eclectic Sufi faith himself.
He gave grants to various Hindu temples, including the famous Keshvarai temple in Mathura, which Aurangzeb later razed to the ground, along with much bloodshed of the local Hindu, and other non Muslim populace. 5000 Jats shed their blood in that battle with his forces.
This tolerant policy of Dara had won the hearts and the minds of the people.
This offended the orthodox Muslim Mullahs. , who supported Aurangzeb, Aurangzeb was a pious devout Sunni Muslim, beloved of the clergy.
Murad and Shuja were defeated and killed by him.
Initially Jaswant Singh the Rajput ruler of Jodhpur was sent to confront Aurangzeb and Murad who were marching north from the Deccan. Aurangzeb defeated him. He then formed an alliance with Aurangzeb, and served him faithfully for the rest of his life, as did the other Rajputs. Jaswant Singh died in harness, in Afganistan, in the service of his master Aurangzeb. By way of reward Aurangzeb then attacked Jodhpur and subdued it.
Aurangzeb then faced the army of Dara Shukoh, and Dara Shukoh was defeated. The people and the Jats had supported Dara Shukoh. His Muslim General Kahililulah betrayed Dara. Dara lost.
Aurangzeb defeated Shuja, who was killed with his family. Aurangzeb son, who had joined Shuja for some time, was also imprisoned and then killed.
Dara Shukohâs son, Sulaiman took refuge with the Rajput ruler of Garhwal, who betrayed him to Aurangzeb. In his gracious manner, Aurangzeb ordered him to force fed opium everyday, over the period of the next two years. This was a slow poison and Sulaiman finally succumbed.
Dara Shukoh continued to battle.
He fled to Delhi then to Lahore, and was chased out to Multan; He came to Gujarat where he recovered some of his strength. He then moved towards Delhi, but was enticed to come toward Jodhpur by the Rajput Jaswant Singh, and then betrayed, by him , to Aurangzeb.
He was captured, brought to Agra and humiliated publicly. He was tried by the Islamic Board of Mullahs, and sentenced to death for the crime of âdeviation from Islamâ.
On seeing him treated thus the people wept. Riots broke out against the governor of Aurangzeb.
On August 30, 1658 Dara Shukoh was executed.
Had he lived the story of Hindu Muslim relations In India may taken a different turn
Aurangzeb was crowned Emperor and one of the titles he took, was GHAZI or holy warrior.
Aurangzeb to consolidate his power, in the first few years made some soothing gestures to his enemies. These soothing gestrures, have been taken by some , as evidence, that Aurangzeb was not the zealous fanatic, that he actually was.
He as a devout and zealous Sunni Muslim. As soon as his power was consolidated he enacted his policies of Jihad. i.e. âto enforce the Koranic law, according to which it behooves every pious Muslim, to â exert himself in the path of Godâ, or, in other words, to carry on Holy wars (Jihad) against non Muslim lands (dar-ul- harb), till they are converted into realms of Islam (Dar-ul-Islam).â
This led him to destroy temples, prevent Hindus from worshiping their faith, or hold religious fairs, and he imposed jaziya or the religious tax upon them.
This policy backfired upon him, and the resistance of the non-Muslim people grew.
The Hindus, Sikhs, the Jats, Maharattas rose up against him.
The end of the Mughal Empire was hastened by him.
END
The source is university level textbook V D Mahajanâs : âMedieval Indiaâ. The data is the same in other university level texts.
Ravi Chaudhary
*************
DARA SHIKOH
Aurangzebâs rule.
In September 1657 Shahjahan fell ill.
Shahjahan had four sons, Dara Shukoh 43, Shuja 41, Aurangzeb 39, and Murad 33.
Dara Shukoh the eldest was chosen to succeed.
Dara Shukoh was popular with the people. He was of a liberal disposition; He took interest in, and studied the Hindu texts including the Vedas, the Bhagvat Gita, the Ramayan and the Mahabharat. He had them translated into Persian. He followed the eclectic Sufi faith himself.
He gave grants to various Hindu temples, including the famous Keshvarai temple in Mathura, which Aurangzeb later razed to the ground, along with much bloodshed of the local Hindu, and other non Muslim populace. 5000 Jats shed their blood in that battle with his forces.
This tolerant policy of Dara had won the hearts and the minds of the people.
This offended the orthodox Muslim Mullahs. , who supported Aurangzeb, Aurangzeb was a pious devout Sunni Muslim, beloved of the clergy.
Murad and Shuja were defeated and killed by him.
Initially Jaswant Singh the Rajput ruler of Jodhpur was sent to confront Aurangzeb and Murad who were marching north from the Deccan. Aurangzeb defeated him. He then formed an alliance with Aurangzeb, and served him faithfully for the rest of his life, as did the other Rajputs. Jaswant Singh died in harness, in Afganistan, in the service of his master Aurangzeb. By way of reward Aurangzeb then attacked Jodhpur and subdued it.
Aurangzeb then faced the army of Dara Shukoh, and Dara Shukoh was defeated. The people and the Jats had supported Dara Shukoh. His Muslim General Kahililulah betrayed Dara. Dara lost.
Aurangzeb defeated Shuja, who was killed with his family. Aurangzeb son, who had joined Shuja for some time, was also imprisoned and then killed.
Dara Shukohâs son, Sulaiman took refuge with the Rajput ruler of Garhwal, who betrayed him to Aurangzeb. In his gracious manner, Aurangzeb ordered him to force fed opium everyday, over the period of the next two years. This was a slow poison and Sulaiman finally succumbed.
Dara Shukoh continued to battle.
He fled to Delhi then to Lahore, and was chased out to Multan; He came to Gujarat where he recovered some of his strength. He then moved towards Delhi, but was enticed to come toward Jodhpur by the Rajput Jaswant Singh, and then betrayed, by him , to Aurangzeb.
He was captured, brought to Agra and humiliated publicly. He was tried by the Islamic Board of Mullahs, and sentenced to death for the crime of âdeviation from Islamâ.
On seeing him treated thus the people wept. Riots broke out against the governor of Aurangzeb.
On August 30, 1658 Dara Shukoh was executed.
Had he lived the story of Hindu Muslim relations In India may taken a different turn
Aurangzeb was crowned Emperor and one of the titles he took, was GHAZI or holy warrior.
Aurangzeb to consolidate his power, in the first few years made some soothing gestures to his enemies. These soothing gestrures, have been taken by some , as evidence, that Aurangzeb was not the zealous fanatic, that he actually was.
He as a devout and zealous Sunni Muslim. As soon as his power was consolidated he enacted his policies of Jihad. i.e. âto enforce the Koranic law, according to which it behooves every pious Muslim, to â exert himself in the path of Godâ, or, in other words, to carry on Holy wars (Jihad) against non Muslim lands (dar-ul- harb), till they are converted into realms of Islam (Dar-ul-Islam).â
This led him to destroy temples, prevent Hindus from worshiping their faith, or hold religious fairs, and he imposed jaziya or the religious tax upon them.
This policy backfired upon him, and the resistance of the non-Muslim people grew.
The Hindus, Sikhs, the Jats, Maharattas rose up against him.
The end of the Mughal Empire was hastened by him.
END