Aurangzeb was the greatest king among the Mughals and
ruled over the largest territory of any ruler in
Indian history. His empire extended from Kabul in
present Afghanistan to areas in South India bordering
Madurai in present Tamil Nadu State. He was a
kind-hearted man and led a simple life. He was a just
ruler and forgave his enemies. He abolished all
non-Islamic practices at his court; abolished Ilahi
calendar introduced by Akbar and reinstated Islamic
lunar calendar. He enforced laws against gambling and
drinking. He abolished taxes on commodities and inland
transport duties. He forbade the practice of Emperor
being weighed in gold and silver on birthdays.
Aurangzeb did not draw salary from state treasury but
earned his own living by selling caps he sewed and
selling copies of the Quran he copied by hand.

Birth and Education

Mohaiyuddeen Muhammad Aurangzeb was born on October 24,
1618 CE at Dohad in the Bombay Presidency. He was the
third son of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal. Aurangzeb
was nine years old when his father became Emperor of
India. From that time on, his regular education began.
He got good education in religion as well as the
ordinary education of that time. He memorized the
whole Quran and was taught to write in a beautiful
handwriting. He also developed a taste for poetry and
could make verses. He also learned the Arabic
language.

Military Training

His military training began by age 16. When Aurangzeb
was seventeen, he was made the Viceroy of Deccan.
Aurangzeb worked well as the Viceroy of Deccan. This
didn't still bring peace to his mind. He wanted a
purpose of life. After some thought, he turned to the
Quran as a light for his life.

Life as a Faqir

In May 1644 CE, he gave up his duties as the Viceroy
of Deccan and left to live in the wild region of
Western Ghats. Here he lived for several months as a
Faqir (poor, simple man). He took up a life of prayer
and self-disciplined life.

Anger of his Father

This action of Aurangzeb brought great anger to his
father, the Emperor. He was so shocked that his son
became a Faqir that he stopped all his allowances and
took his estates. This didn't bother Aurangzeb at
first. After some thought though, Aurangzeb decided to
go back to his family. For some months, Aurangzeb
lived in Agra with disgrace. His mother and sisters
felt sorry for him but the Emperors displeasure was
hard to go.

Regaining his Rank

In November 1644 CE, his sister, Jahan Ara, who was
the eldest and best-loved daughter of the Emperor, got
a terrible burn and when she recovered, the Emperor,
who was so happy, could not refuse her anything. At
her request, Aurangzeb was raised back to his rank.
The prince was again the Viceroy of Deccan.

End of Lawlessness in Gujrat

In February 1645 CE, Aurangzeb was made the Viceroy of
Gujrat. For years, this province had been causing
trouble for the Emperor. With a strong hand, Aurangzeb
put an end to this lawlessness. The Emperor was
pleased with his son and rewarded him well. Aurangzeb
was put to the rank of a Mansabdar of 15,000 foot
soldiers and 10,000 horses.

Division of Land by Emperor

The aged Emperor knew that his sons would fight for
power after he died. This was the Mughal custom.
Therefore, taking precaution, he divided his empire
into four regions for each of them to rule. They all
had their own government, army, etc. Dara was given
governorship of Multan and Kabul in the extreme
northwest. Shuja, the second son got Bengal the
eastern most province. Aurangzeb was in Deccan in
extreme south and Murad, the last son, had Gujerat in
the west.

Arguments over Rule

In early September 1657 CE, Shah Jahan fell ill. For a
whole week, he was at the state of death. The report
spread that the emperor was dead. Dara began acting as
if he was emperor. Meanwhile, Shuja, who said that the
Emperor had been poisoned by Dara, claimed himself
emperor. Murad too, crowned himself Emperor and also
struck coins with his name. Both, Shuja and Murad
wrote letters to Aurangzeb for support against Dara.
Aurangzeb strongly advised them not to start a civil
war because their father was still alive and improving
in health.

Aurangzeb's Rule

After much fighting, the administration of the empire
passed into the hands of Aurangzeb. The rest of his
life was a struggle for Islam. He looked upon power as
a mean to reform an corrupt society. The pious Emperor
did much to improve the life of common people. He
abolished all illegal taxes, etc. His measures brought
relief to common men. He didn't seem to care about his
own comfort. His reign was an era of happiness and
peace through the empire. He never committed the
slightest injustice during his reign. He was overall
the best Mughal emperor in its history.