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98-460: Maharaja Kirti Chand Rai (1702–1740) extended the estates far and wide by attacking and defeating the Raja of Bishnupur . At its height in the early 19th century, it extended to around 5,000 square miles (13,000 km) and included many parts of what is now Burdwan , Bankura , Medinipur , Howrah , Hooghly and Murshidabad districts. After his victory against the king of Vishnupur, he constructed

196-458: A faqir . In 1645, he was barred from the court for seven months. It is reported that he mentioned his grief about this to fellow Mughal commanders. Thereafter, Shah Jahan appointed him governor of Gujarat . His rule in Gujarat was marked with religious disputes but he was rewarded for bringing stability. In 1647, Shah Jahan moved Aurangzeb from Gujarat to be governor of Balkh , replacing

294-456: A war elephant stampeded through the Mughal imperial encampment. Aurangzeb rode against the elephant and threw his spear at its head. He was unhorsed but escaped death. For his courage, Aurangzeb's father conferred on him the title of Bahadur (brave) and presented him with gifts. When chided for his recklessness, Aurangzeb replied: If the fight had ended fatally for me it would not have been

392-469: A companion to Dara Shukoh. In the same year, 1637, Aurangzeb was placed in charge of annexing the small Rajput kingdom of Baglana , which he did with ease. In 1638, Aurangzeb married Nawab Bai , later known as Rahmat al-Nisa. That same year, Aurangzeb dispatched an army to subdue the Portuguese coastal fortress of Daman , however his forces met stubborn resistance and were eventually repulsed at

490-457: A complete ban on music. He sought to codify Hanafi law by the work of several hundred jurists, called Fatawa 'Alamgiri . It is possible the War of Succession and continued incursions combined with Shah Jahan's spending made cultural expenditure impossible. He learnt that at Multan , Thatta , and particularly at Varanasi , the teachings of Hindu Brahmins attracted numerous Muslims. He ordered

588-438: A consequence of his return. The Deccan was a relatively impoverished area, this caused him to lose out financially. The area required grants were required from Malwa and Gujarat in order to maintain the administration. The situation caused ill-feeling between him and his father Shah Jahan who insisted that things could be improved if Aurangzeb made efforts to develop cultivation. Aurangzeb appointed Murshid Quli Khan to extend to

686-464: A freedom fighter, Benoy Choudhury , in spite of a campaign in his favor by Jawaharlal Nehru . The election defeat was followed by legislation for abolition of the zamindari system in 1954. After the abolition of the zamindari system in 1955, he shifted from Bardhaman to his family's house at Alipur in Calcutta . Here he became a director of IISCO , and several other leading mercantile firms of

784-471: A gurudwara at Dehradun, Balaji temple of Chitrakoot , Umananda Temple of Guwahati and the Shatrunjaya Jain temples, among others. Numerous new temples were built, as well. Contemporary court-chronicles mention hundreds of temple which were demolished by Aurangzab or his chieftains, upon his order. In September 1669, he ordered the destruction of Vishvanath Temple at Varanasi, which

882-544: A higher tax burden on Hindu merchants at the rate of 5% (as against 2.5% on Muslim merchants), which led to considerable dislike of Aurangzeb's economic policies; a sharp turn from Akbar's uniform tax code. According to Marc Jason Gilbert, Aurangzeb ordered the jizya fees to be paid in person, in front of a tax collector, where the non Muslims were to recite a verse in the Quran which referred to their inferior status as non Muslims. This decision led to protests and lamentations among

980-469: A late stage, a vast sum of money had been expended for little gain. Further unsuccessful military involvements followed, as Aurangzeb was appointed governor of Multan and Sindh . His efforts in 1649 and 1652 to dislodge the Safavids at Kandahar which they had recently retaken after a decade of Mughal control, both ended in failure as winter approached. The logistical problems of supplying an army at

1078-491: A matter of shame. Death drops the curtain even on emperors; it is no dishonor. The shame lay in what my brothers did! Historians have interpreted this as an unjust slur against his brothers. Shuja had also faced the elephant and wounded it with his spear. Dara had been too far away to come to their assistance. Three days later Aurangzeb turned fifteen. Shah Jahan weighed him and presented him with his weight in gold along with other presents worth Rs. 200,000. His bravery against

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1176-414: A military tax on non-Muslim subjects in lieu of military service, after an abatement for a span of hundred years, in what was critiqued by many Hindu rulers, family-members of Aurangzeb, and Mughal court-officials. The specific amount varied with the socioeconomic status of a subject and tax-collection were often waived for regions hit by calamities; also, Brahmins, women, children, elders, the handicapped,

1274-569: A new name Mahtab Chand Rai (b.1820), and leaving him his great landed and funded estates. Maharaja Tej Chand's youngest wife, Rani Basanta Kumari , was Mahtab Chand's elder sister and a daughter of Paran Chand Kapur. She eloped and married Dakshinaranjan Mukherjee, a famous lawyer and Young Bengal member around 1835. In 1864, the Maharaja was appointed an additional member of the Viceregal Legislative Council, being

1372-508: A period of rapid military expansion, with several dynasties and states being overthrown by the Mughals. The Mughals also surpassed Qing China as the world's largest economy and biggest manufacturing power. The Mughal military gradually improved and became one of the strongest armies in the world. A staunch Muslim, Aurangzeb is credited with the construction of numerous mosques and patronizing works of Arabic calligraphy . He successfully imposed

1470-632: A relative of Mahtab Chand Bahadur, a past ruler of Bardhaman Estate. At the time of adoption, in 1887, he was only a child, therefore, the Court of Wards along with the Diwani-i-Raj , Ban Behari Kapoor, (the natural father of Bijay Chand), ruled the estate up to 1902. In 1893, the title of 'Raja' was bestowed on Ban Bihari Kapoor. The government permitted the Raj in 1897 to maintain an armed force of 600 people and 41 cannons. In 1899, Bijay Chand Mahtab passed

1568-460: A series of battles, defeats and retreats, Dara was betrayed by one of his generals, who arrested and bound him. In 1658, Aurangzeb arranged his formal coronation in Delhi. On 10 August 1659, Dara was executed on grounds of apostasy and his head was sent to Shah Jahan. This was the first prominent execution of Aurangzeb based on accusations of being influenced by Hinduism, however some sources argue it

1666-504: A series of successful movements driven them back upon Bardhaman . They were finally defeated just outside the town by Azim-u-Shan and their leader Rahim Khan was killed. Afterwards, Jagat Ram Rai (1699-1702), was restored to the estate and honours of his father. He made further additions to his family estate. He was honoured by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb with a farman . He was treacherously murdered in 1702. He left two sons- Kirti Chand Rai and Mitra Sen Rai. Kirti Chand Rai (1702-1740),

1764-525: A victory gate, Baraduari (the outer gate), at Kanchannagar in Bardhaman . In the 20th century, it covered an area of 2,689 sq mi or 6,960 km. According to the tradition of the family, Sangam Rai , a Khatri of the Kapoor clan, from Kotli , was the founder of the house of Bardhaman . He, on his way back from a pilgrimage to Puri, being much impressed with the advantages of Baikunthapur ,

1862-470: A village near Bardhaman town in present-day Purba Bardhaman district of West Bengal , settled there permanently and devoted himself to commerce and money lending. From this period onwards the history of the family is identical with that of the Bardhaman district . During the battle between Jagirdar Sher Afghan of Bardhaman and Him he won. As a reward, in 1610, the Emperor of Delhi conferred upon him

1960-531: A younger son, Murad Baksh , who had proved ineffective there. The area was under attack from Uzbek and Turkmen tribes. The Mughal artillery and muskets were matched by the skirmishing skills of their opponents which led to a stalemate. Aurangzeb discovered that his army could not live off the land, which was devastated by war. It is recorded that during the battle against the Uzbeks during this campaign, Aurangzeb dismounted from his elephant ride to recite prayer to

2058-480: Is considered to be the patriarch of the Bardhaman Raj family as it was during his time the zamindari started flourishing and the zamindari was firmly established. Babu Rai , the son of Abu Rai, was the first in the family to completely do away with the family business and invest more time in buying and managing profitable zamindari estates. He owned Pargana Bardhaman along with three other estates. After

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2156-682: The Congress . Bijay Chand Mahtab was deeply involved with Bengali literature. He was president of the reception committee in the 8th session of the Bangya Sahitya Sammelan held at Bardhaman in 1914. From amongst the twenty books he wrote, mention may be made of Impression , The Indian Horizon , Meditation , Studies , Vijaygitika (collection of songs composed by him), Troyodashi (poem), Ranjit (play), and Manaslila (science-play). Mahtab died on 29 August 1941 at Bardhaman . His reign which began in 1887 and lasted until 1941,

2254-616: The Fatawa-i Alamgiri as the principal regulating body of the empire and prohibited religiously forbidden activities in Islam. Although Aurangzeb suppressed several local revolts, he maintained cordial relations with foreign governments. Aurangzeb was the longest reigning Mughal Emperor. His empire was also one of the largest in Indian history. However, his emperorship has a complicated legacy. His critics, citing his actions against

2352-689: The Indian Constituent Assembly - 1946–1947. He also presided the West Bengal group of Legislators, in 1946, which voted 58:21 in favor of partition of Bengal. He served as President of the non-Muslim block of the Bengal Partition meeting in 1947 and was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Bengal from years 1937 to 1952. In the first election after independence in 1952, Sir Uday Chand Mahtab lost to

2450-530: The battle of Plassey , on 27 September 1760, the zamindari of Bardhaman, together with the districts of Midnapur and Chittagong, was ceded to the East India Company by Nawab Mir Muhammad Kashim Khan , the governor of Bengal. At that time Bardhaman contained an area of 5,174 square miles and was considered the most productive district in Subah of Bengal . But the country was in an unsettled state and

2548-498: The subahdars of these provinces to demolish the schools and the temples of non-Muslims. Aurangzeb also ordered subahdars to punish Muslims who dressed like non-Muslims. The executions of the antinomian Sufi mystic Sarmad Kashani and the ninth Sikh Guru Tegh Bahadur bear testimony to Aurangzeb's religious policy; the former was beheaded on multiple accounts of heresy, the latter, according to Sikhs, because he objected to Aurangzeb's forced conversions . Aurangzeb had also banned

2646-520: The British, he provided warm hospitality to Mahatma Gandhi , when he visited Bardhaman in 1925 and welcomed cordially Subhas Chandra Bose when he visited Bardhaman in 1928 to campaign in the municipal elections. During the later part of his rule, however, there were allegations of financial corruption coupled with mismanagement and the affairs of the Raj were in shambles. The British administrator took over

2744-751: The Deccan the zabt revenue system used in northern India. Murshid Quli Khan organised a survey of agricultural land and a tax assessment on what it produced. To increase revenue, Murshid Quli Khan granted loans for seed, livestock, and irrigation infrastructure. This led the Deccan region to return to prosperity. Aurangzeb proposed to resolve financial difficulties by attacking the dynastic occupants of Golconda (the Qutb Shahis ) and Bijapur (the Adil Shahis ). This proposal would also extend Mughal influence by accruing more lands. Aurangzeb advanced against

2842-484: The Deccan. After regaining some of his health, Shah Jahan moved to Agra and Dara urged him to send forces to challenge Shah Shuja and Murad, who had declared themselves rulers in their respective territories. While Shah Shuja was defeated at Banares in February 1658, the army sent to deal with Murad discovered to their surprise that he and Aurangzeb had combined their forces, the two brothers having agreed to partition

2940-630: The Mughal throne. Aurangzeb and his brother were consequently reunited with Shah Jahan in Agra . As a Mughal prince, Aurangzeb received an education covering subjects like combat, military strategy, and administration. His curriculum also included areas like Islamic studies, Turkic and Persian literature . Aurangzeb grew up fluent in the Hindustani language . He was also fluent in his ancestral language of Chagatai Turkic , but similar to his predecessors, he preferred to use Persian . On 28 May 1633,

3038-540: The Nizam Shahi dynasty to an end. In 1637, Aurangzeb married the Safavid princess Dilras Banu , posthumously known as Rabia-ud-Daurani. She was his first wife and chief consort as well as his favourite. He also had an infatuation with a slave girl, Hira Bai , whose death at a young age greatly affected him. In his old age, he was under the charms of his concubine, Udaipuri Mahal . The latter had formerly been

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3136-584: The Persian concept of kinship, the Farr-i-Aizadi, and based his rule on the Quranic concept of kingship. Shah Jahan had already moved away from the liberalism of Akbar , although in a token manner rather than with the intent of suppressing Hinduism, and Aurangzeb took the change still further. Though the approach to faith of Akbar, Jahangir and Shah Jahan was more syncretic than Babur , the founder of

3234-471: The Sultan of Bijapur and besieged Bidar . The Kiladar (governor or captain) of the fortified city, Sidi Marjan, was mortally wounded when a gunpowder magazine exploded. After twenty-seven days of fighting, Bidar was captured by the Mughals and Aurangzeb continued his advance. Aurangzeb suspected Dara had exerted influence on his father. He believed that he was on the verge of victory in both instances, and

3332-604: The advice of his generals as the Mughal Army gathered and commenced the siege of Orchha in 1635. The campaign was successful and Singh was removed from power. Aurangzeb was appointed viceroy of the Deccan in 1636. After Shah Jahan's vassals had been devastated by the alarming expansion of Ahmednagar during the reign of the Nizam Shahi boy-prince Murtaza Shah III , the emperor dispatched Aurangzeb, who in 1636 brought

3430-732: The allied army of Shikoh and the Kingdom of Marwar at the Battle of Dharmat . Aurangzeb's decisive victory at the Battle of Samugarh in May 1658 cemented his sovereignty and his suzerainty was acknowledged throughout the Empire. After Shah Jahan recovered from illness in July 1658, Aurangzeb declared him incompetent to rule and imprisoned his father in the Agra Fort . Aurangzeb's reign is characterized by

3528-412: The captives of Bardhaman Raj family was Raj Kumari Satyabati , the daughter of Krishna Ram Rai, whom Sobha Singha kept in confinement until he decided to sacrifice her to his lust. When Sobha Singha tried to outrage her modesty, the heroic Raj Kumari Satyabati, drew a dagger from her clothes and stabbed him, killing him almost immediately. Feeling herself polluted by his touch, she then killed herself with

3626-631: The celebration of the Zoroastrian festival of Nauroz along with other un-Islamic ceremonies, and encouraged conversions to Islam; instances of persecution against particular Muslim factions were also reported. Yohanan Friedmann has reported that according to many modern historians and thinkers, the puritanical thought of Ahmad Sirhindi inspired the religious orthodoxy policy of Aurangzeb. Shortly after coming to power, Aurangzeb remitted more than 80 long-standing taxes affecting all of his subjects. In 1679, Aurangzeb chose to re-impose jizya ,

3724-514: The challengers were taking advantage of the situation. Shah Shuja in Bengal , where he had been governor since 1637 crowned himself King at RajMahal. He brought his cavalry, artillery and river flotilla upriver towards Agra. Near Varanasi his forces confronted a defending army sent from Delhi under the command of Prince Sulaiman Shukoh, son of Dara Shukoh, and Raja Jai Singh. Murad did the same in his governorship of Gujarat and Aurangzeb did so in

3822-460: The company didn't find the acquisition as profitable as they had hoped. When Tilak Chand Rai died at the young age of 26 in 1770, his son Tej Chand Rai (b.1764 - d.1832) was just six years old. So, his mother Maharani Bishan Kumari managed the estate with the help of Dewan Ram Narayan Chowdhury The elder son of Mahatran Nakur Chandra Chowdhury (1664-1756) of Baikunthapur Chowdhury familial connection Since 1779, Tej Chand Bahadur started managing

3920-554: The complete management of Bardhaman Raj and Bijoy Chand was deprived of management from the years 1929–1936. In 1936, he was handed over the reign of his Estate back by British. In 1938, he was a member of the Francis Floud Commission to suggest changes in the Permanent Settlement of 1793. The commission recommended the replacement of the zamindari system by a ryotwari (tenancy) system in which

4018-578: The day, such as Dunlop , Metal Box and Brooke Bond . He acceded to the request of the then Chief minister of West Bengal , Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy and handed over his palace, Mahtab Manzil and Golap Bagh to the University of Burdwan . He donated a piece of land in Bardhaman to the numerous employees of the Raj so that they could build accommodation there. With the end of the Raj, he immersed himself in his commercial and business interests. He

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4116-521: The death of Babu Rai, his son, Ghana Shyam Rai , succeeded him. Upon Ghana Shyam Rai's death, his son, Krishna Ram Rai (1675-1696), succeeded to the zamindari. Among many other new estates he also acquired Pargana Senpahari . In 1689, he was honoured with a farman from Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in the 38th year of his reign. This confirmed his title as the Zamindar and Choudhuri of Pargana Bardhaman . During his reign, in 1696, Sobha Singha ,

4214-538: The eldest among the two sons of Jagat Ram Rai, inherited the ancestral zamindari. He expanded it further by acquiring the Parganas of Chitua, Bhurshut , Barda and Manoharshahi. Kirti Chand was a man of adventurous spirit. He fought with the Rajas of Chandrakona and Barda near Ghatal (a part of Paschim Medinipur district of West Bengal ), and possessed their kingdoms. He also seized the estate of Balghara situated near

4312-400: The elephant was documented in Persian and Urdu verses. Aurangzeb was nominally in charge of the force sent to Bundelkhand with the intent of subduing the rebellious ruler of Orchha , Jhujhar Singh , who had attacked another territory in defiance of Shah Jahan's policy and was refusing to atone for his actions. By arrangement, Aurangzeb stayed in the rear, away from the fighting, and took

4410-489: The emboldened Aurangzeb's advance, Dara scrambled to form alliances in order but found that Aurangzeb had already courted key potential candidates. When Dara's disparate, hastily concocted army clashed with Aurangzeb's well-disciplined, battle-hardened force at the battle of Samugarh in late May, neither Dara's men nor his generalship were any match for Aurangzeb. Dara had also become over-confident in his own abilities and, by ignoring advice not to lead in battle while his father

4508-480: The empire once they had gained control of it. The two armies clashed at Dharmat in April 1658, with Aurangzeb being the victor. Shuja was chased through Bihar . The victory of Aurangzeb proved this to be a poor decision by Dara Shikoh, who now had a defeated force on one front and a successful force unnecessarily pre-occupied on another. Realising that his recalled Bihar forces would not arrive at Agra in time to resist

4606-541: The empire, Aurangzeb's position is not so obvious. His emphasis on sharia competed, or was directly in conflict, with his insistence that zawabit or secular decrees could supersede sharia. The chief qazi refusing to crown him in 1659, Aurangzeb had a political need to present himself as a "defender of the sharia" due to popular opposition to his actions against his father and brothers. Despite claims of sweeping edicts and policies, contradictory accounts exist. Historian Katherine Brown has argued that Aurangzeb never imposed

4704-429: The empire, though this was not followed absolutely in regions such as Gujarat , where lands granted in in'am to Charans were not affected. In around 1679, he ordered destruction of several prominent temples, including those of Khandela, Udaipur, Chittor and Jodhpur, which were patronaged by rebels. The Jama Masjid at Golkunda was similarly treated, after it was found that its ruler had built it to hide revenues from

4802-641: The end of a long siege. At some point, Aurangzeb married Aurangabadi Mahal , who was a Circassian or Georgian . In 1644, Aurangzeb's sister, Jahanara , suffered from burns when the chemicals in her perfume were ignited by a nearby lamp while in Agra . This event precipitated a family crisis with political consequences. Aurangzeb suffered his father's displeasure by not returning to Agra immediately but rather three weeks later. Shah Jahan had been nursing Jahanara back to health in that time and thousands of vassals had arrived in Agra to pay their respects. Shah Jahan

4900-483: The entrance examination of Calcutta University , and was the first in the Raj family to obtain a formal educational qualification. In 1902, he came of age and was invested with full ruling powers to the throne of Bardaman Raj. Next year in 1903, the title of ' Rajadhiraj ' was bestowed on him at the Delhi Durbar . A pompous coronation was organised in the palace at Bardhaman , where Lieutenant Governor Bourdillon

4998-495: The estate by himself. In 1791, Maharaja Tej Chand's sixth wife Rani Nanaki Kumari gave birth to his only surviving son Pratap Chand Rai . After his mother died within 2 days of his birth, he was raised with much love and affection by his grandmother Bishan Kumari. He was called "Chota Raja" by his subjects and was universally loved and respected. Due to the conspiracies of Tej Chand's fifth queen Kamal Kumari and her brother Paran Chand Kapur, Pratap Chand disappeared in 1821 during

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5096-429: The extremity of the empire, combined with the poor quality of armaments and the intransigence of the opposition have been cited by John Richards as the reasons for failure. A third attempt in 1653, led by Dara Shikoh, met with the same outcome. Aurangzeb became viceroy of the Deccan again after he was replaced by Dara Shukoh in the attempt to recapture Kandahar. Aurangbad's two jagirs (land grants) were moved there as

5194-411: The fact that Dara was a poor general and leader. It also ignores the fact that factional lines in the succession dispute were not, by and large, shaped by ideology." Marc Gaborieau, professor of Indian studies at l' École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales , explains that "The loyalties of [officials and their armed contingents] seem to have been motivated more by their own interests, the closeness of

5292-421: The family relation and above all the charisma of the pretenders than by ideological divides." Muslims and Hindus did not divide along religious lines in their support for one pretender or the other nor, according to Chandra, is there much evidence to support the belief that Jahanara and other members of the royal family were split in their support. Jahanara, certainly, interceded at various times on behalf of all of

5390-484: The first native person of Bengal who was so honoured. After Mahatab Chand's death, he was succeeded by his adopted son Aftab Chand Mahtab , who only lived until 1885. Aftab Chand left a widow whom he had empowered to adopt and she exercised the right in July, 1887 in favour of Sir Bijay Chand Mahtab Bahadur, who became the zamindar of Burdwan. His predecessor, Maharaja Aftab Chand Mahtab died without heirs, and his widow adopted Bijay Chand Mahtab, son of Ban Behari Kapur,

5488-517: The forces loyal to Aurangzeb. Shah Shuja then fled to Arakan (in present-day Burma), where he was executed by the local rulers. With Shuja and Murad disposed of, and with his father immured in Agra, Aurangzeb pursued Dara Shikoh, chasing him across the north-western bounds of the empire. Aurangzeb claimed that Dara was no longer a Muslim and accused him of poisoning the Mughal Grand Vizier Saadullah Khan . After

5586-521: The fourth emperor of the Mughal Empire . In June 1626, after an unsuccessful rebellion by his father, eight-year-old Aurangzeb and his brother Dara Shikoh were sent to the Mughal court in Lahore as hostages of their grandfather Jahangir and his wife, Nur Jahan , as part of their father's pardon deal. After Jahangir died in 1627, Shah Jahan emerged victorious in the ensuing war of succession to

5684-457: The governorship of Bengal. This move had the effect of isolating Dara Shikoh and causing more troops to defect to Aurangzeb. Shah Shuja, who had declared himself emperor in Bengal began to annex more territory and this prompted Aurangzeb to march from Punjab with a new and large army that fought during the battle of Khajwa , where Shah Shuja and his chain-mail armoured war elephants were routed by

5782-482: The holy town of Tarakeswar in Hooghly district . He then proceeded to Murshidabad and had his name registered as a proprietor of new properties. The boldest achievement of Kirti Chand was his attacking, defeating the powerful Raja of Bishnupur Kingdom . Kirti Chand died in 1740 and was succeeded by Chitra Sen Rai (1740-1744), who added the parganas of Mandalghat, Arsha and Chandrakona to his paternal estate. He

5880-488: The life of the Lieutenant Governor, Sir Andrew Fraser . He risked his life to save that of Sir Andrew Fraser, lieutenant-governor of Bengal, when an attempt to assassinate him was made by Indian nationalists on 7 November 1908. In return for his loyalty to the British, he was honoured with the title of K.C.I.E. and Indian Order of Merit (Class III). In 1908, as per a proclamation of Lord Minto , elevated to

5978-430: The lifetime of his father and was never heard afterwards. Several years later, a pretender impersonating him appeared but his claim, without a proper investigation, was dismissed by a civil court. In 1832, Tej Chandra died at the age of 68. In 1827, due to the insistence of his wife Kamal Kumari, Maharaja Tej Chand adopted the youngest son of Paran Chand Kapur (Kamal Kumari's brother) named Chuni Lal Kapur, giving him

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6076-626: The maintenance of shrines of worship but also (often) ordered their destruction. Modern historians reject the thought-school of colonial and nationalist historians about these destruction being guided by religious zealotry; rather, the association of temples with sovereignty, power and authority is emphasized upon. Whilst constructing mosques were considered an act of royal duty to subjects, there are also several firmans in Aurangzeb's name, supporting temples, maths , chishti shrines, and gurudwaras , including Mahakaleshwar temple of Ujjain ,

6174-496: The masses as well as Hindu court officials. In order to meet state expenditures, Aurangzeb had ordered increases in land taxes; the burden of which fell heavily upon the Hindu Jats. The reimposition of the jizya encouraged Hindus to flee to areas under East India Company jurisdiction, under which policies of religious sufferance and pretermissions of religious taxes prevailed. Aurangzeb issued land grants and provided funds for

6272-473: The non-Muslims and his conservative view of Islam, argue that he abandoned the legacy of pluralism and tolerance of the earlier Mughal emperors. Others, however, reject these assertions, arguing that he opposed bigotry against Hindus, Sikhs and Shia Muslims and that he employed significantly more Hindus in his imperial bureaucracy than his predecessors. Aurangzeb was born in Dahod on 3 November 1618. His father

6370-482: The number of Hindu officials in the Mughal administration rose by half, to represent 31.6% of Mughal nobility, the highest in the Mughal era. Many of them were Marathas and Rajputs , who were his political allies. However, Aurangzeb encouraged high ranking Hindu officials to convert to Islam. Under his reign, the Mughal Empire contributed to the world's GDP by nearly 25%, surpassing Qing China , making it

6468-443: The officials allow a woman to be burnt" . Although Aurangzeb's orders could be evaded with payment of bribes to officials, adds Ikram, later European travellers record that sati was not much practised in Mughal empire, and that Sati was "very rare, except it be some Rajah's wives, that the Indian women burn at all" by the end of Aurangzeb's reign. Historian Katherine Brown has noted that "The very name of Aurangzeb seems to act in

6566-556: The ownership of land would vest with the ryot (tenant) and the land revenue payable by him could be revised periodically. The recommendations could not be implemented because of differences in the Fazlul Huq ministry. However, with the India's independence gaining momentum it was evident that the days of zemindars and princely states were coming to an end. It was this realisation that led Bijay Chand Mahtab to extend indirect support to

6664-483: The popular imagination as a signifier of politico-religious bigotry and repression, regardless of historical accuracy." The subject has also resonated in modern times with popularly accepted claims that he intended to destroy the Bamiyan Buddhas . As a political and religious conservative, Aurangzeb chose not to follow the secular-religious viewpoints of his predecessors after his ascension. He made no mention of

6762-512: The princes and was well-regarded by Aurangzeb even though she shared the religious outlook of Dara. In 1656, a general under Qutb Shahi dynasty named Musa Khan led an army of 12,000 musketeers to attack Aurangzeb, who was besieging Golconda Fort . Later in the same campaign, Aurangzeb, in turn, rode against an army consisting of 8,000 horsemen and 20,000 Karnataki musketeers. After making clear his desire for his son Dara to take over after him, Shah Jahan fell ill with stranguary in 1657. He

6860-935: The regency of his father he served as Dewan-i-Raj for several years and succeeded to the throne of Burdwan Raj after the death of his father. During British Raj , he headed and was a member of several committees like, member of the Damodar Canal Enquiry Committee 1938, Select Committee on Calcutta Municipal (amendment) Bill 1940; Chairman of Burdwan District Flood Relief and Bengal Central Flood Relief Committees 1943–44; Chairman of Indian Red Cross Appeal (Bengal) 1943-1946 and of Calcutta War Committee 1943-1946 and of Damodar Flood Central Enquiry Committee 1944; Member of Bengal Tanks Improvement Bill Select Committee 1944 and of Advisory Committee on Terrorist Convicts in Bengal 1944; Member of West Bengal Forest Denudation Enquiry Committee 1944 and of Select Committee on Bengal Agricultural Income Tax Bill 1944; Member of

6958-598: The same dagger. The list of rulers: Bardhaman district Too Many Requests If you report this error to the Wikimedia System Administrators, please include the details below. Request from 172.68.168.237 via cp1104 cp1104, Varnish XID 211491644 Upstream caches: cp1104 int Error: 429, Too Many Requests at Thu, 28 Nov 2024 07:51:44 GMT Aurangzeb Muhi al-Din Muhammad (3 November 1618 – 3 March 1707), commonly known by

7056-654: The state; however desecration of mosques are rare due to their complete lack of political capital contra temples. In an order specific to Benaras, Aurangzeb invokes Sharia to declare that Hindus will be granted state-protection and temples won't be razed (but prohibits construction of any new temple); other orders to similar effect can be located. Richard Eaton, upon a critical evaluation of primary sources, counts 15 temples to have been destroyed during Aurangzeb's reign. Ian Copland and others reiterate Iqtidar Alam Khan who notes that, overall, Aurangzeb built more temples than he destroyed. Aurangzeb received tribute from all over

7154-441: The surprise of the opposing force commander. With the onset of winter, he and his father had to make an unsatisfactory deal with the Uzbeks. They had to give away territory in exchange for nominal recognition of Mughal sovereignty. The Mughal force suffered still further with attacks by Uzbeks and other tribesmen as it retreated through the snow to Kabul . By the end of this two-year campaign, into which Aurangzeb had been plunged at

7252-651: The title Aurangzeb , and also by his regnal name Alamgir I , was the sixth Mughal emperor , reigning from 1658 until his death in 1707. Under his emperorship, Mughal Empire reached its greatest extent with territory spanning nearly the entirety of the Indian subcontinent . Aurangzeb and the Mughals belonged to a branch of the Timurid dynasty . He held administrative and military posts under his father Shah Jahan ( r.  1628–1658 ) and gained recognition as an accomplished military commander. Aurangzeb served as

7350-649: The title of ' Maharajadhiraja ', which was bestowed on a hereditary basis. He also served as representative of Bengal zamindars in Legislative and Provincial council, continuously for many years. In 1908, he toured England and Europe and later wrote a book named Diary of an European Tour. He was also noted for his philanthropy, especially in field of education and health welfare. For example, in 1908, he donated Rs. 40,000/- towards construction of hostel and other facilities for Ranchi Arts College, Ranchi , where Burdwan Raj also held large estates. Bijoy Chand Hospital

7448-465: The titles of Char Hazari Kotwal and Munsifdar . Sangam Rai's son Banku Behari Rai was also a Kotwal . The title of Rai-Raiyan was conferred upon him. He was also involved in his family business. Not much is known about him. Abu Rai , the son of Banku Behari Rai, was appointed Choudhuri and Kotwal of Rekhabi Bazar in Bardhaman in 1657 under the Faujdar of Chakla Bardhaman . He

7546-406: The unemployed, the ill, and the insane were all perpetually exempted. The collectors were mandated to be Muslims. A majority of modern scholars reject that religious bigotry influenced the imposition; rather, realpolitik – economic constraints as a result of multiple ongoing battles and establishment of credence with the orthodox Ulemas – are held to be primary agents. Aurangzeb also enforced

7644-446: The viceroy of the Deccan in 1636–1637 and the governor of Gujarat in 1645–1647. He jointly administered the provinces of Multan and Sindh in 1648–1652 and continued expeditions into the neighboring Safavid territories. In September 1657, Shah Jahan nominated his eldest and liberalist son Dara Shikoh as his successor, a move repudiated by Aurangzeb, who proclaimed himself emperor in February 1658. In April 1658, Aurangzeb defeated

7742-411: The world's largest economy and biggest manufacturing power, more than the entirety of Western Europe, and signaled proto-industrialization . Aurangzeb was an orthodox Muslim ruler. Subsequent to the policies of his three predecessors, he endeavored to make Islam a dominant force in his reign. However these efforts brought him into conflict with the forces that were opposed to this revival. Aurangzeb

7840-530: The zamindar of Chitua and Barda (in Medinipur District ), then a part of Bardhaman Raj , with the help of Rahim Khan, an Afghan chief, started rebelling against the zamindar of Bardhaman. Their united forces advanced towards Bardhaman and in a battle killed Krishna Chand and captured his family members, except his son Jagat Ram Rai , who somehow managed to escape to seek the help of the governor of Bengal, Behar and Orissa. In an incident, Sobha Singha

7938-584: Was Emperor Shah Jahan ( r.  1628–1658 ), who hailed from the Mughal house of the Timurid dynasty . The latter was descended from Emir Timur ( r.  1370–1405 ), the founder of the Timurid Empire . Aurangzeb's mother Mumtaz Mahal was the daughter of the Persian nobleman Asaf Khan , who was the youngest son of vizier Mirza Ghiyas . Aurangzeb was born during the reign of his patrilineal grandfather Jahangir ( r.  1605–1627 ),

8036-597: Was a follower of the Mujaddidi Order and a disciple of the son of the Punjabi saint, Ahmad Sirhindi . He sought to establish Islamic rule as instructed and inspired by him. Sheikh Muhammad Ikram stated that after returning from Kashmir, Aurangzeb issued order in 1663, to ban the practice of Sati , a Hindu practice to burn a widow whenever her husband passed away. Ikram recorded that Aurangzeb issued decree: "in all lands under Mughal control, never again should

8134-465: Was alive, he cemented the idea that he had usurped the throne. "After the defeat of Dara, Shah Jahan was imprisoned in the fort of Agra where he spent eight long years under the care of his favourite daughter Jahanara." Aurangzeb then broke his arrangement with Murad Baksh, which probably had been his intention all along. Instead of looking to partition the empire between himself and Murad, he had his brother arrested and imprisoned at Gwalior Fort. Murad

8232-511: Was also a Steward of the Royal Calcutta Turf Club . He instituted a fund for The Maharajadhiraja Uday Chand Mahtab Of Burdwan Memorial Cup at Calcutta Race Course . He died on 10 October 1984 leaving behind three sons and three daughters. During the reign of Krishna Ram Rai, when Sobha Singha, the zamindar of Chitua and Barda, along with Afghan Chief Rahim Khan captured Krishna Ram's family members after killing him. Amongst

8330-654: Was also founded by him during his reign in decade of 1910. He was a member of the Bengal Legislative Council from 1907 to 1918, and of the Imperial Legislative Council from 1909 to 1912. He was associated with the state administration in subsequent years and Member of Executive Council of Bengal for the years 1919–1924. He was also the President of British Indian Association from 1911 to 1918 and again in 1925. In 1914, he

8428-471: Was appointed as one of the members of the committee that investigated in to riots of Budge Budge and Komagata Maru incident In 1924, he was one of the members of a committee headed by Sir Charles Todhunter , which looked into taxation reforms in British India, which submitted its report in 1925. and was also the member of Indian Reforms Enquiry Commission of 1924. In spite of his loyalty towards

8526-564: Was done for political reasons. Aurangzeb had his allied brother Prince Murad Baksh held for murder, judged and then executed. Aurangzeb was accused of poisoning his imprisoned nephew Sulaiman Shikoh . Having secured his position, Aurangzeb confined his frail father at the Agra Fort but did not mistreat him. Shah Jahan was cared for by Jahanara and died in 1666.   Aurangzeb's imperial bureaucracy employed significantly more Hindus than that of his predecessors. Between 1679 and 1707,

8624-524: Was established by Raja Man Singh, whose grandson Jai Singh was believed to have facilitated Shivaji's escape. After the Jat rebellion in Mathura (early 1670), which killed the patron of the town-mosque, Aurangzeb suppressed the rebels and ordered for the city's Kesava Deo temple to be demolished, and replaced with an Eidgah . In 1672–73, Aurangzeb ordered the resumption of all grants held by Hindus throughout

8722-537: Was executed on 4 December 1661, ostensibly for the murder of the diwan of Gujarat. The allegation was encouraged by Aurangzeb, who caused the diwan's son to seek retribution for the death under the principles of Sharia law . Meanwhile, Dara gathered his forces, and moved to the Punjab . The army sent against Shuja was trapped in the east, its generals Jai Singh and Dilir Khan submitted to Aurangzeb, but Dara's son, Suleiman Shikoh, escaped. Aurangzeb offered Shah Shuja

8820-593: Was first in the family to be invested with the title of Raja by the Delhi Emperor. Chitra Sen Rai died in 1744 without issue and was succeeded by his cousin Tilak Chand Rai (1744-1770), who was honoured by the emperor Ahmad Shah with a farman confirming his right to the raj and was after a few years, invested with the title of Maharaj Adhiraj Bahadur and Panj Hazari (commander of five thousand troops) by emperor Shah Alam . Three years after

8918-414: Was frustrated that Shah Jahan chose then to settle for negotiations with the opposing forces rather than pushing for complete victory. The four sons of Shah Jahan all held governorships during their father's reign. The emperor favoured the eldest, Dara Shikoh . This had caused resentment among the younger three, who sought at various times to strengthen alliances between themselves and against Dara. There

9016-457: Was kept in seclusion and cared for by Dara in the newly built city of Shahjahanabad (Old Delhi). Rumours spread that Shah Jahan had died, which led to concerns among his younger sons. Subsequently, these younger sons took military actions seemingly in response but it is not known whether these preparations were made in the mistaken belief that the rumours of death of Shah Jahan were true and that Dara might be hiding it for political gain, or whether

9114-408: Was killed by Raj Kumari Satyabati , the daughter of Krishna Ram Rai. After the death of Sobha Singha, the insurgents then elected Afghan chief Rahim Khan to be their commander. Under his leadership, the rebellion assumed so threatening an aspect that the emperor appointed his own grandson Azim-u-Shan to the government of Bengal, Behar and Orissa. In the meantime, Zabardust Khan, son of the nawab, had by

9212-432: Was no Mughal tradition of primogeniture , the systematic passing of rule, upon an emperor's death, to his eldest son. Instead it was customary for sons to overthrow their father and for brothers to war to the death among themselves. Historian Satish Chandra says that "In the ultimate resort, connections among the powerful military leaders, and military strength and capacity [were] the real arbiters". The contest for power

9310-415: Was outraged to see Aurangzeb enter the interior palace compound in military attire and immediately dismissed him from his position of viceroy of the Deccan; Aurangzeb was also no longer allowed to use red tents or to associate himself with the official military standard of the Mughal emperor. Other sources state that Aurangzeb was dismissed from his position because Aurangzeb left the life of luxury and became

9408-538: Was present to bestow the honour. In 1903, he invited the Governor General Lord Curzon to the Bardhaman palace and to commemorate the event constructed a gate now known as Curzon Gate in Gothic style, which is a major landmark of Bardhaman today and stands at junction of Bijoychand Road and Grand Trunk Road. The Royal Palace of Bardhaman is situated one km from the gate. In 1903, he saved

9506-526: Was primarily between Dara Shikoh and Aurangzeb because, although all four sons had demonstrated competence in their official roles, it was around these two that the supporting cast of officials and other influential people mostly circulated. There were ideological differences – Dara was an intellectual and a religious liberal in the mould of Akbar, while Aurangzeb was much more conservative – but, as historians Barbara D. Metcalf and Thomas R. Metcalf say, "To focus on divergent philosophies neglects

9604-411: Was the longest in history of Bardhaman Raj. He left behind two sons Uday Chand and Abhay Chand and two daughters, thereby ending the long history adoptions for succession in Bardhaman Raj. His elder son Uday Chand Mahtab , succeeded him to the throne of Burdwan Raj. He was the eldest son of Bijay Chand Mahtab . He did his graduation from Presidency College, Calcutta and Calcutta University . During

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