The aurangzeb temple Row reappears every year in one form or another. Abu Azmi, the head of the Samajwadi party and a maharashtra MLA, has made remarks this year that have reignited the controversy.
Were temples ever constructed by Aurangzeb? Or did he just shatter it? In an interview last week, Azmi stated that aurangzeb was a superb administrator who also constructed temples, rather than just a terrible tyrant. Azmi said that under his rule, India's borders extended to afghanistan and burma (present-day Myanmar). The conflicts between aurangzeb and the other kings, particularly Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, he said, "were not about religion, but were a political battle."
To correct Azmi, historians have referred to pre-modern india as the indian subcontinent for years; during Aurangzeb's reign, the area was not known as India. Azmi is currently suspended till the conclusion of Maharashtra's current budget session due to his remarks. But was all he stated incorrectly? Let's investigate.
Aurangzeb and Temples
The topic of temple demolition, which many believe peaked under aurangzeb, has long been a topic of discussion among historians. However, what about Azmi's claim that aurangzeb constructed temples? Has this ever occurred? Jadunath Sarkar and SR Sharma claim that Aurangzeb's discrimination against non-Muslim subjects was demonstrated by the temple's demolition during his rule. There is proof that the temples of Keshavanath in Mathura, Vishwanath in Benaras, and the Rajputana have been destroyed.
As Vinay Lal notes, an order was really issued under the name of aurangzeb that forbade the building of new Hindu temples as well as the upkeep of existing ones. According to W. Frances Pritchett, he gave governors identical directives to demolish temples and schools and outlaw Hindu doctrine. Ishwari prasad also cites similar instances in which aurangzeb had given the order to demolish Hindu temples and schools in Benaras and Mathura. Scholars like Hafiz Adil Jahangir, Muhammad Irfan Ahmad, and Muhammad Riaz Mahmood, however, note that the architectural features of Hindu temples in Delhi, Agra, and the South all tell distinct tales. His religious tolerance is demonstrated by them.
Were temples ever constructed by Aurangzeb? Or did he just shatter it? In an interview last week, Azmi stated that aurangzeb was a superb administrator who also constructed temples, rather than just a terrible tyrant. Azmi said that under his rule, India's borders extended to afghanistan and burma (present-day Myanmar). The conflicts between aurangzeb and the other kings, particularly Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, he said, "were not about religion, but were a political battle."
To correct Azmi, historians have referred to pre-modern india as the indian subcontinent for years; during Aurangzeb's reign, the area was not known as India. Azmi is currently suspended till the conclusion of Maharashtra's current budget session due to his remarks. But was all he stated incorrectly? Let's investigate.
Aurangzeb and Temples
The topic of temple demolition, which many believe peaked under aurangzeb, has long been a topic of discussion among historians. However, what about Azmi's claim that aurangzeb constructed temples? Has this ever occurred? Jadunath Sarkar and SR Sharma claim that Aurangzeb's discrimination against non-Muslim subjects was demonstrated by the temple's demolition during his rule. There is proof that the temples of Keshavanath in Mathura, Vishwanath in Benaras, and the Rajputana have been destroyed.
As Vinay Lal notes, an order was really issued under the name of aurangzeb that forbade the building of new Hindu temples as well as the upkeep of existing ones. According to W. Frances Pritchett, he gave governors identical directives to demolish temples and schools and outlaw Hindu doctrine. Ishwari prasad also cites similar instances in which aurangzeb had given the order to demolish Hindu temples and schools in Benaras and Mathura. Scholars like Hafiz Adil Jahangir, Muhammad Irfan Ahmad, and Muhammad Riaz Mahmood, however, note that the architectural features of Hindu temples in Delhi, Agra, and the South all tell distinct tales. His religious tolerance is demonstrated by them.
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