Ayodhya Revisited

by Kunal Kishore

  “We have no evidence to show that Aurangzeb took any steps to suppress ‘the rites of infidelity’ or to build mosques in place of temples.” (p. 329)

  How the Mughal army did not succeed in Karnataka in demolishing temples is explained by Francois Martin that when the Mughals demolished one temple, the Hindus rebelled unitedly and there was a clash between the two sides. The clash resulted in loss of lives on both sides and the Mughals “were forced to postpone their demolition activities to a later date.” Established historians should be faithful in presenting full facts before their readers.

  Thus, it is crystal clear that the arguments of Prof. Satish Chandra in defence of Aurangzeb’s religious policy are not based on an objective study of historical facts.

  Sir Jadunath Sarkar has given details of the demolished temples during the reign of Aurangzeb but the list is not exhaustive. However, he has highlighted that early in his reign, he had asked local officers in every town and village from Cuttack to Medinipur to pull down “every idol-house built during the last 10 or 12 years, whether with brick or clay” without delay and he had not allowed ‘the cursed Hindus and despicable infidels to repair their old temples’. Report of the destruction of temples was to be sent to the Court under the seal of the qazis and attested by pious Shaikhs. Similarly, by a Farman issued on 20th November 1665, he gave the following direction:

  “In Ahmadabad and other parganas of Gujarat, in the days before my accession, temples were destroyed by my order. They have been repaired and idol worship has been resumed. Carry out the former orders.”

  That Aurangzeb’s reign was an inferno of fanatical fury is reflected by Saqi Mustad Khan in his famous book “Maasir-i-Alamgiri” in the following words:

  “Through the auspices of this hearty endeavour, the Hanafi creed (i.e., the Orthodox Sunni faith) has gained such strength and currency in the great country of Hindustan as was never seen in the times of any of the preceding sovereigns. By one stroke of the pen, the Hindu clerks (writers) were dismissed from the public employment. Large numbers of the places of worship of the infidels and great temples of these wicked people have been thrown down and desolated. Men who can see only the outside of things are filled with wonder at the successful accomplishment of such a seemingly difficult task. And on the sites of the temples lofty mosques have been built. His Majesty personally taught the credo to many of the infidels who came to him, guided by their good fortune, with a view to being converted to Islam, and he bestowed on them robes of honour and other (529) favours.

  About the middle of his reign he decided to levy the Jaziya tax on the Hindus, as ordained by the Shara ‘and it was enforced throughout his empire; and this rare piece of good work (hasnãt-i-gharib) had not been done in Hindustan and the Hindus had not been degraded to such a degree in any other period.” (pp. 314-315)

  Aurangzeb’s religious bigotry and mission to convert temples into Masjid seen by Francois Martin from 1670 to 1694 had been seen by M. de Thevenot long back in 1645 when Aurangzeb was Governor of Gujarat. It is well described by him in his travel account which was translated from French into English by Lovell and published in London in 1687.

  Thevenot wrote,

  “Santidas, Pagod, The Ceremonie of King Auranzev, for converting a Pagod into a mosque.

  Amedabad being inhabited also by a great number of Heathens, there are Pageds, or Idol-Temples in it. That which was called the Pagod of Santidas was the chief, before Auranzeb converted it into a Mosque. When he performed the Ceremonie, he caused a Cow to be killed in the place, knowing very well, that after such an Action, the Gentiles according to their Law, could worship no more therein. All round the Temple there is a Cloyster furnished, with lovely Cells, beautified with Figures of Marble in relief, representing naked Women sitting after the Oriental fashion. The inside Roof of the Mosque is pretty enough, and the Walls are full of the Figures of Men and Beasts; but Auranzeb, who hath always made 2 (to) shew of an affected Devotion, which at length raised him to the Throne, caused the Noses of all these Figures which added a great deal of Magnificence to that Mosque, to be beat off.” (Part III, p. 10)

  Similarly, when Janma-sthāna temple at Ayodhyā was converted into a mosque, noses of all the figures on kasauti pillars, which had added a lot of beauty and magnificence to the shrine, were cut off. Morning shows the day and the Subedari of the Prince manifested the iconoclastic zeal, mission and might of the future Emperor who had turned the edifice of Santidas into a mosque and called it Quvvat-ul-Islam i.e. the might of Islam.

  In 1635 A.D. at the age of seventeen Aurangzeb demolished the temple at Orchha which had been built by Bir Singh and erected a mosque thereon. It was at the command of Shahjahan. And a decade later he himself demolished this Jain temple at Ahmedabad, when he was the Governor of Gujarat.

  (10) Two historic letters to Aurangzeb by two great men of the time

  We have two contemporary documents indicting the conduct of Aurangzeb by two greatest men who were instrumental in establishing two enduring empires. One was the letter written by Sivaji after the imposition of the Jaziya tax by Aurangzeb on the Hindus and another Zafar-nama by Guru Govind Singh after he sacrificed all his four sons at the altar of independence. In his letter to Aurangzeb Alamgir, Sivaji wrote to him,

  (i) Shivaji’s historic letter to Aurangzeb

  The reimposition of Jaziya on 12th April, 1679 by Aurangzeb after 115 years since its abolition by Akbar, the Great in 1564 was opposed by the great Maratha leader Shivaji in the following historic letter:

  “It has come to my ears that on the ground of the war with me having exhausted your wealth and emptied the imperial treasury, Your Majesty has ordered that money under the name of Jaziya should be collected from the Hindus and the imperial needs supplied with it. May it please Your Majesty. The architect of the fabric of the Empire, Akbar Padshah reigned with full power for fifty-two lunar years. He adopted the admirable policy of perfect harmony in relation to all the various sects…. The aim of his liberal heart was to cherish all the people. So he became famous under the title of world’s spiritual guide. Next the Emperor Nuruddin Jehangir for twenty-two years spread his gracious shade on the head of the world and its dwellers, gave his heart to his friends and his hand to his work and gained his desires. The Emperor Shah Jahan for thirty-two years cast his blessed shade.

  “Through the auspicious effect of this sublime disposition, wherever he (Akbar) bent the glance of his august wish, victory and success advanced to welcome him on his way… The State and power of these emperors can be easily understood from the fact that Alamgir Padshah has failed and become bewildered in the attempt merely to follow their political system. They too had the power of levying Jaziya; but they did not give place to bigotry in their hearts as they considered all men high and low created by God…

  “How can the royal spirit permit you to add the hardship of the Jaziya to this grievous state of things? The infamy will quickly spread from west to east and become recorded in the books of history that the Emperor of Hindustan coveting the beggar’s bowls takes Jaziya from Brahmins and Jain monks, Yogis, Sanyasis, Bairagis…, etc. that he dashes down (to the ground) the name and honour of the Timurids.”

  At the end, he made the following observation:

  “If you imagine piety to consist in oppressing the people and terrorising the Hindus, you ought first to levy Jaziya from Rana Raj Singh, who is the head of the Hindus. Then it will not be very difficult to collect it from me, as I am at your service. But to oppress ants and flies is far from displaying valour and spirit.

  “I wonder at the strange fidelity of your officers that they neglect to tell you the true state of things but cover a blazing fire with straw.”

  (ii) Guru Govind Singh’s Zafar-nama

  Guru Govind Singh’s Zafar-nama written in Persian and addressed to the Emperor Aurangzeb is one of the best classics of world literature. Some of its lines are quoted below:

  “I have not a particl
e of confidence in thee. I was forced to engage in the combat and fought to the utmost of my ability. When an affair passeth beyond the region of diplomacy, it is lawful to have recourse to the sword. If thou come to the village of Kangar, we shall have an interview. Thou shalt not run the slightest danger on the way, for the whole tribe of Bairars are under me. I am a slave and servant of the King of kings and ready to obey His order with my life. If thou hast any belief in God delay not in this matter. It is thy duty to know God. He never ordered thee to annoy others. Thou art seated on an Emperor’s throne; yet how strange are thy justice, thine attributes and thy regard for religion! Alas, a hundred times also! for thy sovereignty! Strange, strange, is the decree! Smite not anyone mercilessly with thy sword, or a sword from on high shall smite thyself. O man, be not reckless, fear God. He is the Emperor of earth and heaven. He is the creator of all animals from the feeble to the strong elephant. He is the Protector of the miserable, and destroyer of the reckless. What though my four sons were killed? I remain behind like a coiled snake. What bravery is it to quench a few sparks of life? Thou art merely exciting a raging fire. I will not enter thy presence, nor travel on the same road with thee, but if God so will it, I will proceed against thee. When thou lookest to thine army and wealth. I look to God’s praises. Thou art proud of thine Empire, while I am proud of the Kingdom of the Immortal God, Be not heedless; this caravanserai is only for a few days. People leave it at all time. Even though thou art strong, annoy not the weak. Lay not the axe to the Kingdom.”

  Contrary to this same advice, Aurangzeb did exactly to axe to the kingdom with the result that within 60 years of his death the great Mughal empire suffered a severe reverse at Buxar.

  (11) Aurangzeb’s life: a total failure as a ruler

  When Aurangzeb ascended the throne in 1658 A.D. India was proverbial ‘Sone Ki Chidiya’ (a bird of gold) known for its pelf, pomp and grandeur throughout the world. The wealth of India had ‘dazzled even eyes which were accustomed to the pomp of Versailles’. At the time of royal accession he was an experienced administrator, and intriguing and invincible general. His simplicity, austerity and purity in personal life were such great attributes which could have taken the Mughal monarchy at such an insurmountable height that would have been unprecedented in the annals of the world history. But when he died in 1707 after a rule of 50 years “he left behind him the fields of these provinces (Deccan) devoid of trees and bare of crops, their places being taken by the bones of men and beasts.” (Niccolo Manucci: Storia to Mogor, tr. William Irvine, IV, p. 252). The last reserve of the empire was exhausted and public bankruptcy was staring. Salaries of soldiers and other employees were in arrears and the Emperor in the Deccan was looking up to the loyal Bengal Governor for sending money to pay the arrears and stave off starvation of subordinate staff. The India of gold had turned into India of bones. Bones were scattered here and there in the empire not on account of incessant, obstinate battles only but pestilence and starvation also.

  Except success in the war of succession and military victory in some battles which resulted in the annexation of a few kingdoms Aurangzeb’s life was a failure, a total failure. Abraham Eraly in his well-written book ‘The Lives and Times of the Great Moghuls’ states:

  “...yet he was a failure and he died a defeated man, a tragic, almost pathetic figure. In every respect the reign of Aurangzeb marks the biginning of the end of Mughal glory.” (p. 413)

  But the best comment came from the Persian King Shah Abbas in his letter sent through Aurangzeb’s ambassador Tarbiat Khan. The content in the letter included these lines:

  “Yet style yourself as the conqueror of the universe while you have only conquered your father; and having gained composure of mind by the murder of your brothers… You have abandoned the royal practices of doing justice and charity… You have failed in every undertaking that required manliness.”

  He had this realization on the eve of his death and in his last letters to his sons Azam and Kam Bakhsh he candidly admitted it. In his last letter to Azam, he wrote thus:

  “Peace be on you!

  Old age has arrived and weakness has grown strong; strength has left my limbs. I came alone and am going away alone. I know not who I am and what I have been doing. The days that have been spent except in austerities have left only regret behind them. I have not done any (true) government of the realm or cherishing of the peasantry.

  Life, so valuable, has gone away for nothing. The Master has been in my house, but my darkened eyes cannot see His splendour. Life lasts not; no trace is left of the days that are not more; and of the future there is no hope....

  All the soldiers are feeling helpless, bewildered, and perturbed like me who having chosen to leave my Master, am now in a state of trepidation like quick-silver. They think not that we have, our Lord Father (ever with us). I brought nothing with me (into the world), and am carrying away with me the fruits of my sins. I know not what punishment will fall on me. Though I have strong hopes of His grace and kindness, yet in view of my acts anxiety does not leave me. When I am parting from my own self, who else would remain to me? (Verse)

  Whatever the wind may be,

  I am launching my boat on the wather,

  Thouse the Lord Cherisher will preserve His slaves, yet from the point of views of outer world, it is also the duty of my sons to see that God’s creatures amd Muslims may not unjustly slain.

  Convey to my grandson Bahadur (i.e. Bahadur Bakht) my parting blessing. At the time of going away I do not see him; the desire of meeting remains (unsatisfied). Though the Begam is, as can be seen afflicted with grief, yet got is masters of hearts. Shortness of sight bears no other fruit than disappointment.

  Farewell! Farewell! Farewell!” (A Short history of Aurangzeb, Sir Jadunath Sarkar, pp. 305-6)

  Similarly, in his last letter to Kam Bakhsh he wrote pathetically, “Anxiety about the army and camp-followers has been the cause of (my) depression of mind and fear of final torment.” (India Office MS. 1344 f. 26 a, quoted in the above mentioned book p. 306)

  Aurangzeb’s son Akbar, who rebelled, knew him very well and in the reply to his letter, he wrote thus:

  “Verily, the guide and teacher of this path (of rebellion against a reigning father) is Your Majesty; others are merely following in your footsteps. How can the path which Your Majesty himself chose to follow be called ‘the path of ill-luck’?”

  My father bartered away the garden of Eden for two grains of wheat; I shall be an unworthy son if I do not sell it for a grain of barley!

  Thereafter, he gave a graphic picture of the pitiable condition of every section of the society in the following words:

  “...In Your Majesty’s reign the ministers have no power, the nobles enjoy no trust, the soldiers are wretchedly poor, the writers are without employment, the traders are without means, the peasantry is downtrodden? So, too, the kingdom of the Deccan – which is a spacious country and a paradise on earth – has become desolate and ruined like a hill or desert; and the city of Burhanpur plundered; the city of Aurangabad, glorified by connection with Your Majesty’s name, is perturbed like quick silver at the shock and injury given by the enemy’s armies. On the Hindu tribes two calamities have descended, (first) the exaction of the Jaziya in the towns and (second) the oppression of the enemy in the country. When such sufferings have come down upon the heads of the people from all sides, why should they not fail to pray or thank their ruler?” (p. 69-70)

  Then he gave the following sermon to his father in the letter:

  “When I beheld this to be the state of affairs [in the realm] and saw no possibility of Your Majesty’s character being reformed, kingly spirit urged me to cleanse the realm of Hindustan of the brambles and weeds (viz. oppressors and lawless men), to promote men of learning and culture, and to destroy the foundations of tyranny and meanness, so that mankind might, in easy circumstances and peaceful minds, engage in their respective professions, and good name, which is synonymous with �
�next life’ and ‘eternal existence’, might remain [for me] in the pages of [the history of] the age. How happy would it be if Providence so befriends [Your Majesty] that leaving this work in the hands of the humblest of your sons, Your Majesty seeks the blessedness of going on a pilgrimage to the Holy Cities [Mecca and Medina], and thereby induces the whole world to utter praises and prayers for you!

  Hitherto Your Majesty has spent all your life in the quest of the things of this world – which are even more false than dreams, and even less constant than shadows. Now is the proper time for you to lay in provisions for the next life, in order to atone for your former deeds, done out of greed for this transitory world against your august father and noble brothers in the days of your youth.

  [Verse]

  O! Thou art past eighty years and art still asleep!

  Thou wilt not get more than these few days.

  As for the lecture Your Majesty has read to me in your letter, I am ashamed for your presumption [in writing in that strain].

  [Verse]

  What good did you do to your father,

  That you expect all these [services] from your son?

  O thou that art teaching wisdom to mankind,

  Administer to thy own self what thou art preaching to others!

  Thou art not curing thyself,

  Then, for once, give up counselling others!.”

  (Sir Jadunath Sarkar’s translation quoted in “Studies in Aurangzib’s Reign” pp. 68-71)

  As stated above, Aurangzeb’s life was a total failure. Apart from killing his brothers cruelly and treacherously, and keeping his ailing father in confinement inhumanly, he killed a number of his relatives following the war of succession. He kept his eldest child Zebunnisa (meaning the ornament of womankind) in confinement from January, 1681 to her death on 26th May, 1702. A very talented lady, her only crime was her sympathy with her uterine brother Akbar who rebelled against his father Aurangzeb. In the confinement she wrote very pathetic laments. One such poem translated into English by Mrs. Westbrook is as follows: