Difference between Akbar and Sultan Aurangzeb
Vincent Smith in Akbar the Great Mogul: “Din-i-Ilahi never succeeded in winning mass acceptance, nor was it a religion in the traditional sense, it was never a religiion thats a misconception. It was more an expression of Akbar’s eclectic personality.”
Badayuni, wrote in Muntakhab-ut-Tawarikh:
“Akbar encouraged the Hindus to practice their customs openly which was fine, and he showed disregard for the Sharia, which caused great unrest among orthodox Muslims.”
Stanley Lane-Poole in Medieval India:
“Akbar’s Rajput marriages, while presented as acts of tolerance, were pragmatic moves to secure loyalty from powerful Hindu clans. These alliances were strategic, not necessarily driven by liberalism.”
Vincent Smith:
“Although Akbar’s policies were revolutionary for his time, they planted seeds of division within the empire. Orthodox Muslims viewed his secular approach as a betrayal of Islamic governance.”
In Ain-i-Akbari: “His Majesty abolished the tax (jizya) on non-Muslims, as he believed that all subjects of the empire, regardless of their faith, deserved to be treated with equity and justice.”
And during the rule of Akbar the hindus had so much influence within the kingdom that it was getting hard for a Muslim to even practice his own religion even when the Kingdom was full of Muslim rulers.
Jadunath Sarkar (History of Aurangzib):
“Aurangzeb, by his sheer strength of will and military brilliance, succeeded in extending the frontiers of the empire to their farthest limits.”
(Mughal Empire reached its best stage ever during the rule of Aurangzeb and he was spreading Islam aswell).
Niccolao Manucci, wrote:
“Aurangzeb lived simply, wore plain clothes, and earned his living by copying the Quran, setting an example for his court.”
Satish Chandra in Medieval India: “The reimposition of jizya by Aurangzeb was less about financial gain and more about asserting Islamic orthodoxy in governance, which alienated many of his non-Muslim subjects.”
Stanley Lane-Poole in Aurangzeb and the Decay of the Mughal Empire: “The jizya tax, though a symbolic gesture of orthodoxy, became a rallying cry for opposition to Mughal rule.”
Destruction of Temples:Audrey Truschke in Aurangzeb: The Life and Legacy of India’s Most Controversial King (2017):
“Aurangzeb’s temple destructions were often motivated by political considerations rather than religious zeal, targeting those temples linked to rebellious groups.”
Ottoman Sultan Mehmed IV praised Aurangzeb in a Letter, called him as:
“A mighty ruler and protector of Islam in the East.”
And Sultan Aurangzeb Alamgir (rh) even had the Sahada written in his armor or the armor vest which he used to wear before going to fight wars.
And we can say that he was without doubt the Greatest Mughal Sultan and the only one who was serious about spreading his Religion and had no care for the power or the throne only.
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