Among the Indian rulers, the Mughals enjoyed the most of the scholarly patronage. As many scientific and literary achievements could be observed in modern India, almost all of them mark their inception with the Mughals. Darashikoh, the eldest son of Shah Jahan affected the Indian philosophy extensively, as observed in his literary works.

 language and literature reached its peak and the 

 language began to emerge. In later days, the history and literature of India was developed in these languages, which caught the eyes of the whole world. The Mughal era also played an important role in promoting 

 or Indian philosophy. Many kings and princes in the Mughal dynasty had academic tastes. The founder of the Mughal Empire, 

 and many others stand as academic scholars, orators and laureates within the Mughal court apart from being officials and military generals.

 received the most fame among them. Nature had awarded him the great knack of writing and compilation. Darashikoh was the eldest and most worthy son of emperor Shah Jahan, as compared to others on literary grounds. He was born on 

 and enjoyed the opportunity to receive favours from the most worthy teachers and academicians of his time. Shah Jahan showed most of his affection towards Darashikoh among all his sons. However, a large section of the local masses did not show likeness towards the prince. Later he became a victim of the historic succession dispute after Shah Jahan. In this way, a scholarly personality ended up falling on the altar of politics.

King Akbar’s reconciliation policy left the greatest impact on Darashikoh. He was made the first governor of 

. For a long period, he also held designation as the governor of 

. Prince Darashikoh’s court showcased a diverse bouquet of theologians and scholars. It used to remain occupied by a great presence of 

Hindu Pandits, Poets, Sadhu Saints, Sufis and Jogis

 sect of Sufism, but later his inclination towards Hinduism increased. ‘

‘, a term used in Hindu culture to represent ‘

‘ was engraved on the ring that he wore all the time.

Darashikoh became an adept at Sanskrit language by the teachings of 

. Pandit Jagannath also penned down a long-winded poetry compilation making Darashikoh as its center and called it ‘

‘. Another foremost Sanskrit scholar among his mentors was 

Darashikoh was a good translator, historian and writer. He was a fine scholar of 

 as well as Sanskrit and could have been more as Urdu and Hindi languages were not formally introduced till then. He translated several Sanskrit books into Persian himself and engaged other scholars to do the work. He translated 

‘. Darashikoh got one of his court’s Hindu scholars, 

‘ into Persian. By his orders, a writer, 

‘ that mentions all the religious sects of India.

Darashikoh considered Islamic philosophy as another form of Indian philosophy or Bharatiya Darshan. He turned directly to the study of the Upanishads and the Vedas to understand Indian philosophy. He has written a total of 4 books in this regard. Before writing these books, he had written books such as 

 etc. While writing these books, he appears to be a true Muslim and a practical person who believes in 

, believer of the last prophet of Islam and admirer of his companions, intellectuals, Imams, Sufi saints and their followers. He seems to be proud of their achievements and appears to be a scholar who interprets Islamic principles, laws and Islamic philosophy. But in the course of authoring and compiling these books, he went too far in the paths of Islamic Sufism and ‘

‘. He began to feel that he had reached the stage of Sufism or Adhyatam where a man rises above the constraints of 

 and divine as well as worldly rules and regulations. After that, his exemplary work ‘

‘ got produced, which is considered to be the greatest book on understanding Indian philosophy and Hindu Darshan or Adhyatam in the seventeenth century AD. Ostensibly, Majma-ul-Bahrain is a comparative study of Islamic Sufism and Vedantic philosophy of Hinduism, but in fact, in this book, Darashkoh has tried to reconcile Hinduism and Islam. While writing the book, he had in front of him the philosophical and Vedic beliefs of Muslims and Hindus respectively. As he himself writes in the case:

“From the interaction and discussion of the Hindus, it was found that in relation to the knowledge of God (recognizing Ishwar) the difference between Hindus and Muslims is only about language and expression.”

Prince Darashikoh and Indian Philosophy in light of his Literary Achievements

Agra, being one of the oldest settlements of India, possesses remarkable contributions in political, economic, industrial, and social history of the country. Likewise, the city has always been ahead in the freedom struggle against the colonial British forces and has its own major role in igniting the spark of rebellion in the revolution of 1857.

According to many myths and ancient stories, Agra is settled from the time of 

, but on the basis of various authentic historical facts, historians believe that the work of bringing Agra into the light of history was done by 

 of the Lodi dynasty. In 1494 AD, Sultan Sikandar Lodi started establishing the city on the banks of the Yamuna river and issued a decree to name it Agra. By his order in 1504, the capital of India was shifted from Delhi to Agra.

The British rule over Agra lasted about 150 years from 1803 to 1947. The history of the city in these years has been written as the glorious tale of the ceaseless struggle of the citizens of Agra against the British. It took myriads of unmatched sacrifices of 

, labourers, students, teachers, farmers, traders, government employees, women, and children of Agra to break the shackles of English slavery.

The Agra Fort was captured by the British in October 1803. At that time, a slow flame was smouldering against their oppression in the whole of India. In 1823, on the basis of the Parliament Act, Agra Presidency was formed and 

 was appointed as the first governor. In 1824, 

 sent precious stones, glasses, and other items of Agra Fort’s 

 auctioned off the rest of the valuables of Sheesh Mahal. The British were not paying the full value of their products to the Agra factory workers, forcing labour from the workers, imposing Christian education on the students, etc. This was inculcating anger and aversion among the people. The result of this was Agra’s inclusion in the 1857 freedom struggle.

From time to time, apart from the ambassador of the king and the leader of the revolution 

, etc. used to incite the civilians against the tyranny of the British. 

 blew the bugle of the revolt of 1857 in Meerut. On May 1, 1857, preparations were made for the revolt in Agra. On 22 May, 

, came to Agra and at his behest, a fierce fire was set on the infantry hospital. This was the first sign of the freedom struggle in Agra. 

After this, British troops and rebels from 

 started reaching Agra. There were fierce battles between them at many places on the way. A meeting of the freedom fighters of this region was held under the chairmanship of 

 on May 1, 1857, where it was announced to wage a war against the foreign rule. Under this program, the treasury of the tehsil was looted. 

 soldiers taught a lesson to the British but after several days of fierce battle, Mukti soldiers were defeated. Ten of the leaders were arrested and hanged, along with seven others being sentenced to life imprisonment. The fort of Chulhavali was blown up with a cannon and all seven lands were confiscated. At the same time, a contingent of Muslims and Jats led by the 

, killed ten Britishers. After the crime was proven, twelve soldiers including Shabd Baig Khan, 

By July 4, 1857, India’s freedom struggle had completely spread throughout the country. The pressure on revolutionaries was increasing in and around Agra. Revolutionaries demolished government buildings and started heavy vandalism. A lot of Agra Colleges (government building) and Tehsil were blown up by cannons. An officer of the 

 posted in Agra to look after the British administration was murdered. At this time Agra had become an important center for the enthusiasm of the patriots. The Muslim community was openly taking a front with other revolutionaries. 

, and other ancestries vowed to destroy the foreign rule completely. A contingent of 80 Muslims, led by 

, armed with guns, spears, and swords, marched towards Keetham where the British army was reported to have assembled. By this time, the Indian police under the British had also started helping the revolutionaries. Finally, the government police also went to war with the revolutionaries on the 6th of July. The 

, flouting all the English orders, declared independence in the city and declared a revolution, as the collector of the district. A concatenation of several significant events took place in Agra that played vital roles in strengthening the revolution of 1857.

 Agra and its role in The Revolt of 1857

The world has seen a myriad set of individuals who had been a source of divine guidance and spiritual fulfilment for the masses, whom we call Prophets or Messengers. But there is none who has been as influential in History as the last Prophet of Islam, Muhammad (PBUH). This is not merely a claim on grounds of emotions or sentiments, rather it’s based on the iconic, notable change that Muhammad (PBUH) brought into the world within a very less time span as compared to any other. This is why Michael Hart, notable astrophysicist and author of the best-selling work, ‘The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History’ from America places Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) on the first rank.

 was merely a spiritual preceptor who lived in a desert, far from the urban practicality of life. This is just a pre-set falsified notion that has been promulgated through various platforms ranging from orientalists literature to movies, media, and the internet to hide the certitude that the revolution brought by Muhammad (PBUH) was not only spiritual, (indeed which had a significant place too) but also ideological, political and moral. He did not just leave his followers clueless about how to follow his teachings, but also presented a divine, well-formulated legislature and jurisprudence that appeases human intellect, logic as well as rationality.

 on April 22, 571 AD, and passed away on June 6, 6632. As he grew up, his personality became noticeable. He had such a generous, soft-hearted, and sweet-spoken personality that anyone who stood close to him for a while, started loving him. Noble hallmarks of tolerance, truth, courage, optimism, treating others with generosity, care, and many others were found in him at the perfect level. He was the epitome of perfect characteristics in a human, which is called a balanced personality in the terms of psychology. 

 narrator says that the people of Arabia were generally heard to say that 

 grew up young with the fact that he was the most virtuous, gentle, tolerant, righteous, truthful, honest of his people. He took care of his neighbors. He was far away from quarrels and avoided obscenity and abuse. This is why the people named him “

Paighmbar-e-Inquilab: Molana Wahiduddin Khan

Ancient Arabia was facing serious political issues. In the east of Arabia was 

. Both these empires had made Arab geography the arena of their politics. The best fertile areas of Arabia were directly under their control. Iraq was occupied by the Iranians. 

 were part of the Roman Empire. Arabia, on the east and the west, was not protected from the invasions of the neighboring powers and empires. From the east, the Iranian fleets used to cross the Gulf of Oman and enter the Arabian region very easily, and then go west to the two countries on the other side. 

 were under the Roman Empire. And through them, it could at any time penetrate into this apparently safe part of Arabia. Arabs used to live under their traditional tribal system. The states of the tribal chiefs were established in the inner region of Arabia, but due to the general dominance of the Romans and Iranians, they accepted the subordination of these external empires and make their own political island. The Arabs generally were astray from reading, writing, and academic education and pursued traits of great bravery, dominated by ones who were in general barbaric, uncouth, and boorish, and continued their personal rivalries and fights for years.

These details explicitly show that when the Prophet of Islam was sent, the Arab region was a hunting ground for Iranians and Romans. Amid all these circumstances, Prophet Muhammad initiated the journey of his divine responsibility to spread the message of truth and show mankind the real path to success in this world and the hereafter. The Prophet miraculously brought up a change that has transformed the living style, standard of thinking, and actions of billions of people from his time till today.

Another very striking feature is to note the fact that according to historical records, a total of 1018 people were killed in the 

. This revolution took 23 years to emerge. The number of battles fought in these 23 years is said to be 81, out of which, the Prophet of Islam participated in just 27 himself. Among these too, the proper war took place only in a few. The total number of Muslim casualties overall in these battles is estimated to be 259 and on the other hand, Non-Muslim casualties were 759, which in total counts to be a loss of very few numbers of people than other considered revolutions in the world. This was one of the greatest revolution in the world which changed the course of human history. The number of victims in such a big revolution is so minor that it can be called a 

. This was due to the very natural way of living that satisfies and appeases human nature on all levels. It was a revolution that firstly conquered minds and hearts and then lands because if it was not the case, how could it reach every corner of the world and be accepted by billions even today? The answer is, the purpose of Islam from day one is to establish 

, which is the ultimate need for humans’ very existence in this world through the divine system given to humans by the 

Source For Data: Paighmbar-e-Inquilab: Molana Wahiduddin Khan

The Foremost Of the Revolutionaries: Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)

Mughal King Shah Jahan’s son, Darashikoh, is remembered for his notable contributions to Indian philosophy and literature. A major part of his works seemingly shape the understanding of the Indian philosophy and specifically the relationship between Islam and Hinduism in his understanding.

“Praise be to the one God who has waved on His face the two tresses of Islam and disbelief opposed to each other. Not any one of them causes a veil to beautify His face.” He wrote in connection with Islamic Sufism and Vedanta: “The difference between Sufism and Vedanta is only of words; there is no difference in meaning. So I made them compatible.”

 edited and published it from Tehran. In 1929, 

This book was written by Darashikoh at a time when his consciousness had matured. He described Islam and 

 as two currents of the same ocean and tried to unite them. He believes that the difference between the philosophies of 

, i.e., Monotheism, can reach the destination of 

 through whichever of these two paths they follow. After the publication of the same book, fatwas were imposed on Darashikoh, declaring him to be a disbeliever who had turned away from Islam. It was also alleged that he was influenced by Hindu philosophy, mathematics, and astrology, i.e., 

, to such an extent that he started giving them priority over the Quranic teachings and sciences.

Apart from these books, there are some other books translated by him or by his court scholars. The most notable book among them is ‘

‘, which is a Persian translation of fifty chapters of 

 by Darashikoh, with the help of Pandits of Benares. In the beginning of this book, unlike his other books, instead of writing 

. In the preface, explaining the authorship of the book, it is written that:

“Allegories are used everywhere in the Qur’an. Therefore, subtle points about monotheism come to the mind, and a thirst arises in the heart. So I started studying all the divine books and came to the conclusion that explanations of all the divine philosophies and Qur’anic summaries could only be found in the Hindu scriptures. The research revealed that before the Qur’an, there were four divine books in India: the Rigveda, the Samaveda, the Atharveda, and the Yajarveda. The things that are not found in the existing Psalms, Torah, and Gospels are found in these books. These orders and teachings were revealed to the greatest prophet of that time, Brahma, i.e., Adam Safiullah, as is evident from these books. The prophets of that time have separated them and written commentaries on them in detail. I desired to translate Upanishad word for word, which is the treasure of Tawheed, to understand the secret why this group keeps it hidden from the people of Islam. I selflessly translated it in 1067 A.H., and the complex, deep, and difficult matters concerning monotheism, which I sought but could not solve, became known through this ancient book, which is undoubtedly the first heavenly book. It is a book and the source of the Sea of Tawheed; it is ancient; a verse of the Holy Qur’an; and a commentary.”

Academically, the benefit of this translation was that it ended the monopoly of the Pandits over the main sources of Hindu Darshanshastra, i.e., the Upanishad, 

, etc., and all these things reached the common people. A beautifully written manuscript of this book is available in the library of 

, which was written by the hands of Darashikoh himself or one of his special minions. The book’s Persian edition was published in two volumes in Jaipur in 1910. In 1962, Iranian researcher 

 translated it into English with the help of famous Indian researcher 

 and completed the translation in English by adding an index at the end of the edition.

Among other outstanding works of literature of that period is 

 (Dialogue between Baba Lal Das and Darashikoh). Whether this book was written by Darashikoh himself or compiled by someone else on his orders is not yet finalised. A great yogi and saint, 

, lived during the reign of Darashikoh. He was a 

 as well as a scholar of the Vedas, and is said to be a disciple of the famous Sufi saint 

. Darashkoh posed many questions and had a debate with him. Thus, this book is actually a conversation between the two. It sheds light on the religious and social laws of Hinduism. Darashkoh mentions Baba Lal Das along with Muslim Sufis in 

 in 1062 AD, he discussed Sufism, Islamic philosophy, Hindu Darshan, 

, Vedanta, and the fundamentals of Hindu Darshan with the sage in 7 sittings. According to 

, this conversation was recorded by Mir Manshi Chandra Bhan Brahman of Darashikoh. This book has been described as Darashikoh’s personal work by 

, a writer from Delhi. However, this claim cannot be confirmed by any evidence.

, etc., are also mentioned. A book by his name, ‘

‘ exists in the Paris Library, France. A ‘

 (Vol. II, No. I). He translated the famous Sanskrit book ‘

‘. There also prevails the notion that this translation was not done by Darashikoh by one of his court scholars. This book was completed in 1650 A.D. In this book, Dara has expressed the view that the mantras of Yog Vashishta and the practical methods of yoga are similar to the actions and activities of the 

 chain of Sufism. This book has been published by 

is a student pursuing English Literature from

Prince Darashikoh: His Understanding of Relationship Between Islam and Hinduism

Correlation of Mirza Ghalib and John Keats is like a fresh breeze of spring in the genre of comparative Urdu literature. There is a jot of creation of original books in Urdu literature in the present scenario. Original work in the field of Creative literature, be it in prose or poetry, as well as in criticism or research, is scarce. In such a situation, the acceptance of the latest Urdu book ‘Mirza Ghalib and John Keats: A Comparative Study of Thought and Art’ by Dr. Zaheer Hasan, who lives far away from the well-known Urdu settlements in a city like Mathura, is much prominent.

Scholars perceive poetry as name of a state of the heart. Poetry can be separated from man only when the heart itself is separated from man. The essence of poetry is to put these heart-felt sentiments and emotions into words. Poets, who more perfectly put the vehemence of heart in words were considered to have a greater degree and hold in poetry. In the history of poetry, 

 are those high-ranking poets who reached the limits of success in describing the heart of man, especially through such styles and words, that are taken as shining exemplars in the art of poetry.

Mirza Ghalib (1797-1869) and John Keats (1795-1821) both found the same era. Mirza Ghalib was born in 1797, while John Keats was born just two years before him in October 1795. But both died in the month of February. However, Keats bid goodbye to the world in a short period of 26 years and Ghalib was blessed with a long life of 72 years. Ghalib was born into a wealthy family of swordsmen while Keats had access to a rural family background.

Due to domestic problems, Keats did not get the opportunity to get education and Ghalib lacked formal education too. Both lost the custody of their parents in their childhood. Other members of the family were somehow able to raise them up.

Growing up, Keats received his medical education and training in a doctor’s clinic, while Ghalib confined himself to courtship. Both spent most of their lives in economic meagre-ness. Both of them, according to their own taste and intuition, studied their contemporary required disciplines, other sciences and arts in depth. Both remained victims of malady, death, and social attacks of their loved ones throughout their lives. Both fell in love in the days of youth; however both of them had to mourn the failure of their love, due to which they were even treated contemptuously at times. Both remained undaunted by the political turmoil of their time and the scholars of knowledge and literature did not leave any effort to break their courage.

Ghalib received a lot of moral, social and financial support from his friends and Keats from his friends as well as his publishers. A considerable number of their works got published in their lifetime, but both of them always resented their insufficient acceptance. There are numerous similar coincidences that both have in common and their comparative study yields very useful results. 

 has made the comparison of the same individual, technical, and social pictures of these two heroes of history and literature as the subject of scholarly discussion. Moreover, the fact is that it has been presented with great artistic maturity.

Dr. Z. Hasan compared thoughts of Ghalib with Keats’s poetry and concluded that these two great poets explore the eternal emotions of humanity and often seem to be walking on the same path. Similar thoughts arise in their minds; they are saddened by similar sorrows and they both search for peace and contentment in the beauty, fragrance, and colours of the same world. Both respected the tradition but went their separate ways. They studied the ancient poets and remained their devotees, but made their own paths to walk.

Mirza Ghalib is the exponent of lofty philosophical ideas, which include personal concepts about life, death, reality, beauty, and time. John Keats also seems to confirm these ideas in his poetry. Keats reveals the secret of beauty and reality through his relationship of suffering and pain. The industrial revolution and the movement of 

 did not separate Keats from his duty. He failed in business, failed to get the family out of financial difficulties, failed in love and his poetry was also severely criticized. He failed on several occasions, but despite disappointments, and financial difficulties, he did not back down from his God-given duty. Ghalib also had to face many kinds of sorrows. He also had to witness personal suffering and the persecution of the era of 1857, due to which he presented some images of poverty and misery that will continue to touch and warm human hearts for centuries.

According to Z. Hasan, both the poets are neither philosophers nor moral preachers. They do not like poetry that teaches morality. Neither did they live according to religious beliefs nor a pure life. But the reader will not find philosophy or morals anywhere better than their words.

Dr. Z. Hasan’s original book in English titled ‘

’ is a summary of his D. Litt. thesis. Last year, he translated this English book into Urdu. 

, an Urdu researcher compiled this translation in the form of a scholarly book and published it in 490 pages at the end of 2021. Author’s notable achievement is that he has delved deep into the poetry of Mirza Ghalib and John Keats and presented their gems to the readers. More than that, he then compared the brilliance of these gems with the artistic nimbleness which is the standard of today’s taste and intellect. Therefore, reading this book will be a cause of intellectual development and consolation for all Ghalib as well as Keats and more specifically, poetry lovers.

Mirza Ghalib and John Keats: A Consummate Work in Comparative Literature

India is celebrating its 75th Independence Day with zeal and elation. It was a result of vigorous and determined attempts as well as sacrifices that India gained its freedom in 1947 from the despot British rulers. People from several religious and cultural backgrounds took part in this movement, but the outstanding participation and great sacrifices of Muslims under the leadership of their sincere leaders and religious scholars are generally being overlooked, if only because of the lack of information. If it continues so, perhaps the coming generation will not even know that we and our ancestors also played an unforgettable role in India’s freedom struggle which overthrew the British and ended their power not only from India but also from the Muslim countries of Asia and Africa, where its grip was considered strong and its fall, imminent.

The dignified Indians were persistent in their resistance against the oppressive rule and tyranny of the British in India from the very first day. This resistance gradually laid the foundation of a great movement that became so spirited for the freedom of India that the then considered invincible power of the British could not suppress it. It was the result of myriad sacrifices the participants of this movement had made within a century that proved that Indians would not accept tyrant British as their rulers under any circumstances.

It is generally said that the armed struggle against the British started in 1857. This is a lie that has been deliberately made public so that the movement which started a hundred years before 1857 following the resistance and revolutions led by 

 in 1831 against the British can be buried in the dust of history. Moreover, this way, the countrymen remain unaware that the spark of hatred against the British was burning in the hearts of the Muslims from the day they set their unholy feet on this land. For a hundred years, the Muslims fought against them with full force and power under the direction of their scholars, until 10 May 1857, when the second phase of the freedom movement began and non-Muslim citizens also registered their participation in the freedom struggle.

The first among the Indian rulers to realize the threat of the British was 

, the brave and heroic ruler of Mysore. Sultan Tipu, also known as the ‘

‘, with his mature vision and extraordinary intelligence, realized that if no strong and organized power stood before the British, they would divide the entire country into provinces and states. He fought four wars against the British under his father Hyder Ali as well as after him. In 1799, a British-led coalition of nearly 50,000 troops – an army made up of the best of all the 

’s client states marched towards Mysore. This was a very vast army as compared to Tipu’s. The British were unable to defeat Tipu Sultan due to his valour and war tactics anyhow. Therefore, the British following their old tactic bought traitors like Tipu Sultan’s Prime Minister 

. These faithless traitors opened the gates of the Sultan’s fort for the English troops at their own cost. The Sultan set out to fight with his Muslim general, 

, but he too was influenced by Pandit Purnia and joined the British. Despite asking for water on the very battlefield, this traitor did not even give water to the Sultan but advised him to surrender himself to the British. It was after hearing this that Sultan Tipu uttered the historic sentence which is still written in gold letters, “

To me, one day’s life of a lion is better than a hundred years of a jackal’s life

The battle of 1857 plays one of the most significant roles in the history of India, in which the revolutionaries united and raised their voices against the British, recognizing the last Mughal emperor 

 as the king on 11 May 1857 and continued to fight against the British. Now the king was not a nominal king, but his authority was proclaimed. The royal decree had already begun. Now the King was playing the leading role. Within a few days, Delhi was captured by defeating the British. Being the central figure in this alteration of sovereignty, Bahadur Shah Zafar was convicted and exiled to 

. In the year 1858, the crescent flag of our majesty was taken down and the 

 was hoisted. On the one hand, the British were hoisting the flag of their values on the citadel of our majesty and power, and on the other hand, we lined up to compete with them in the field of freedom.

in 1915, a government was formed by some revolutionaries in 

, separated from India under the British, presided by 

, serving as its Prime Minister. This regime came into being under the ‘

’. The pioneering founders and operators of this movement were 

, etc. These people had established a freedom struggle party (

) in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, which continued to implement its strategy after 1905. The silk handkerchief was given by 

, a famous revolutionary and theologian of Deoband, to the members of his revolutionary party (Jamaat). His responsibility was to lead a powerful rebellion against the British by forming an alliance with the 

. A special day and time were fixed for this but the plan was revealed before it could succeed. These handkerchiefs were made in a special way, if some of their threads were moved back and forth, the signature of Maulana Mahmud-ul-Hasan would emerge. On the basis of many reasons, this movement failed, but by keeping its experiences and ideologies in the center, the wave of national independence arose after 1920 and the emergence of violent and non-violent successful movements on a large scale had the light of this movement working behind them. Despite its failure, it has its own special place in history.

It is an undeniable certitude, explicitly penned by prominent History writers of 

 and many more, that Muslims who contributed with their utmost capacity throughout India’s struggle for independence were 

 and countless others stand as shining exemplars.

The Freedom Movement and Role of Indian Muslims: Inception and Throughout

History is a mirror, in which the viewer sees the reflection of his own viewpoint. Opening new frontiers based on history disrupts society, which we see today in various countries and communities. A comprehensive anatomization of the reality of the blames and claims against Mughal emperor Aurangzeb by a young journalist and writer, Afsar Ahmed, has recently come out in a series of six books, three of which have been published. This is a review article of this academic research and its contribution in unveiling the altered veracity of significant events in history.

In the 331-year protracted period of Indian history, from 1526 to 1857, three Mughal emperors stand as one of the most debated and controversial topics—pioneer of the Mughal Empire 

. Among them, Aurangzeb has been portrayed as an outright villain in India for the past century. Until the early twentieth century, Aurangzeb was considered alike several other rulers, who fight wars within themselves and outsiders to run and save their government, struggle to reconcile themselves to various political, social and religious powers and are engaged in expanding or consolidating the government to the most extent. This picture of Aurangzeb is clear in the chronicles, perspicuously mirrored in all the old historical texts of Persian, English, Urdu and Hindi.

Aurangzeb Alamgir, born on 3 November 1618 and died in 1707, lived for a period of 89 years. He ruled from 1657 to 1707 for a total of 50 years. Famous historian 

 started framing Aurangzeb from a specific perspective. He wrote his first book ‘

India of Aurangzeb: Topography, Statics and Roads

‘ appeared between 1919 and 1928 in 5 volumes. Apart from these, he wrote half a dozen books on Aurangzeb, Mughal Empire, 

 etc. To corroborate his particular point of view, he first accused Aurangzeb of having waged wars against Hindus, especially the Rajputs, due to his religious fanaticism, promotion of forced religious conversion and radical Islam. It is from here, how a negative image of Aurangzeb began to emerge. Later writers deliberately made efforts to portray Aurangzeb an enemy of Hindus by fabricating historical texts and concocting malicious stories, underlying on this base.

The present age is the age of distortion of history. Instead of reading the old history in the light of truth and facts, there is an attempt of misstating the forgotten events to target a certain class today. Babur, Akbar, 

 of Hyderabad—all the Muslim heroes are fudged as enemies of the country and Hindus, with the intention to endanger the ancient concerted civilization and harmony of India. Amid this situation, young researcher and journalist 

 has taken the initiative of wiping the different layers of Aurangzeb’s life again. Last June, the third part of his Hindi book series ‘

t’ came out. Earlier, the first part of this book, ‘

’, was released in 2019 and the second part, ‘

’, was released in 2020. Afsar Ahmed projects to re-read and examine all the important periods of Aurangzeb’s life in 6 volumes. In about 500 pages in 3 parts, he has succeeded in presenting King Shah Jahan, Aurangzeb, 

, their lives and relationships clearly. Afsar Ahmed writes in the foreword explaining the need of the book:

Impartial researchers have severely criticized Jadunath Sarkar’s theory. In response to them, several books were published. The question is, when so much work has been done on Aurangzeb, then what can I add or subtract in this discussion? In the 6th volume, I have endeavoured to present every aspect of Aurangzeb’s character with utmost audacity and have specially thrown light on those parts which for some reason have either remained in the dark or have escaped the notice of historians. I am not a professional historian nor do I claim to be. Standing in front of Aurangzeb’s character, I neither admired him nor hated him. I just tried to capture it in this book ‘just like it’. I don’t care if it creates a controversy or not. For as a student of history, my purpose is to examine the questions and objections which have been raised against Aurangzeb. I have also focused on whether or not it is in the society’s favour to project Aurangzeb’s decisions or policies in the 15th and 16th century on the scale of 21st century Indian society and politics and use it as a negative propaganda.

In the first part of the book, Ahmed has shed light on Aurangzeb’s circumstances from birth to adolescence, court activities, and the nature of his relationship with his parents and siblings. In the last days of Shah Jahan, the details of how Aurangzeb’s elder brother Darashikoh had rendered his father helpless, how by issuing decrees of his own accord, he attempted to make Aurangzeb, 

 fight each other, keep away from the administration and declare himself the future king have been described. It gives a complete picture of the conspiracies of Darashikoh in the days of illness of his father to stay constrained on him and his instructions and eventually arrest Aurangzeb after his death, which he thought might happen though Shah Jahan did not die then and Aurangzeb did not let this strategem succeed. The third volume, recently released, examines several of the charges levelled against Aurangzeb against the Rajputs case-wise. For example, some of the allegations against Aurangzeb are that he did not treat the Rajputs well, he did not even give them the honour that was given by the earlier kings, and he was ambivalent about them or that he was anti-Rajput from the beginning; he further tried to convert the Rajputs. It is also alleged that after the death of 

, Aurangzeb tried to annex Marwar to the royal empire. This claim has also been made that the number of Rajput position holders dwindled during his reign. Another allegation made up is that his social and kinship relations with the Rajputs were not up to par.

Ahmad, while perusing the relationship between the Rajputs and Aurangzeb, has substantiated that the Rajputs were the strongest of the four pillars on which the throne of the Mughal Empire rested, and if Rajputs were expelled from the courts of the emperors Akbar, 

, Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb, the entire government would have collapsed. In such a situation, an experienced statesman and strategist like Aurangzeb could not make the mistake of deliberately ignoring the Rajputs.

Any faux pas or goof of history can never be rectified in the future, except that merely lessons can be learnt from it. Afsar Ahmed has given concrete responses to myriad sets of questions raised in relation to Aurangzeb with arguments. His analysis has proved once again why several notable luminaries in the field of history like 

 have manifested the real side of distorted history through their books like ‘

!’ and YouTube videos respectively. It is an undeniable certitude that several authors like Jadunath Sarkar and 

 have not only documented false histories, but have also misrepresented the background of these events. As a result, esteemed and foremost personalities and rulers like Aurangzeb became victims of distaste, repugnance and abhorrence. In this regard, Afsar Ahmed’s efforts need to be appreciated and acclaimed.

Aurangzeb: A Victim of Perversion of History

Many incidents, based on religious and ideological bigotry and distaste have been observed around India in recent years. With their grounds lying on the historical aspect, they are falsified and displayed in terms of untrue incidents, whether related to ancient Indian mosques or Indian Muslim emperors. Amid this scenario, one should at least possess the notion that it’s a long process of historical facts being altered and presented through several mediums including media and the film industry.

After independence, some of our political thinkers placed their interest in following the policy of the British. Incentivized by the aforementioned interests, the work of misguiding the new generation was initiated in educational institutions by putting distorted history chapters in the syllabi. 

 and a historian, published a booklet titled, “

’, where he perspicuously shows how history has been distorted by the authorities through the medium of adding falsified and malicious statements in the textbooks of courses offered by our educational institutions. These statements were especially related to fraudulent accusations on Muslim emperors in Indian history like 

, and many more. Moreover, apart from books, it spread through other mediums like movies, slogans raised by political parties, their leaders, etc.

A very recent example of it can be proved by Bollywood actor 

‘ which has its grounds on no reality, but a fictional poem, 

, which entirely lacks historical references and proof. It shows that 

 whereas the reality is absolutely the opposite. It is a fact that Chauhan died in 1192 AD and Ghori in 1206 AD. Moreover, it is preserved in the old and modern historical texts that Ghori killed Chauhan after the second battle of 

. It is a certitude that the work has been done to give a wrong touch to medieval Indian literature and history, and has many sides and many directions.

The gap between the Hindu-Muslim community, who had settled in one place with mutual cooperation and brotherhood for centuries became very wide, due to the motives of the British. After the bloodshed of millions of people and the partition of the country, though the British brave was sent off safely, the malice between the communities is maintained even today. To please the ambition of promoting bigotry and misinformation, human lives have been taken, and hundreds of villages and cities have gone through bloodshed and massacres. The administration of the country and all the systems are contributing to this motive even today, directly or indirectly, wearing a mask. They use history as a seed of hatred to break the society, so that the organized power of the people to unite and fight against the original problem is eliminated. This plan was carried out so smoothly that today the poison of hatred, aversion, and malice has spread everywhere.

Another foremost example of how history is distorted and altered is of the renowned Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. Undoubtedly, it is proven from history that Aurangzeb had ordered the demolition of the 

, but the reason for this was something that is not talked much about. In connection to events with the Vishwanath Temple, it is told that when Aurangzeb was passing near Benares on his way to Bengal, the Hindu kings in his convoy requested the emperor to pause the journey, and stay there for a day so that their queens could go to Banares, take a bath in the river Ganga and pay a visit of obeisance to Vishwanathji’s temple. Aurangzeb immediately accepted this request because it was a matter of reverence for his subjects. A military guard was placed on the five-mile route from the convoy’s stop to Banaras. The queens went into palanquins and came back after bathing and worshiping, but a queen (the 

) did not return. She was searched a lot, but could not be found. When Aurangzeb came to know about it, he got outrageous and sent the big officers of his army to search. At last, those officers saw that the idol of Ganesha, which was attached to the wall is shaking. On removing the idol, they found their way to the courtroom and found the missing queen lying, crying on the stairs leading to it. She was raped and her jewellery was snatched away too. This cellar was just below the idol of Vishwanathji. The kings expressed their displeasure over this act and protested. Since it was a very heinous crime, Aurangzeb demanded strict action. On their demand, Aurangzeb ordered that since the holy place had been defiled, the idol of Vishwanathji should be installed elsewhere and the temple should be demolished, the ground, levelled, and the Mahant should be arrested. 

‘ has certified this incident on the basis of documents. Former curator of Patna Museum, 

 has also confirmed this incident to be true.

There are a number of incidents in history, which have been distorted and could be proved untrue. Unfortunately, the events and characters of medieval and modern Indian history have been presented in such a distorted manner that the lie itself was accepted as divine truth and those who differentiate between fabrications and facts were blamed. Even today, communal and selfish elements are engaged in distorting history and giving it a wrong color. Our work is to always call humanity towards truth. Always!

How the distortion of History occurs?

The holy month of Ramadan has begun and Muslims across the globe are welcoming it wholeheartedly. A conventional shift and change in lifestyles is observed among Muslims during Ramadan. Believers fast from a few hours prior to sunrise till sunset. Mosques get filled with gatherings of hundreds of worshippers. Amid this, the core reason behind all this phenomenon should be made known to the masses. People from different faiths and ideologies should get an idea of why God has given this month such a significant and remarkable status and why Muslims take care of this month unequivocally.

Among the colossal range of nearly 8.7 million species present on the floor of earth, inside the deep bed of seas and oceans, and throughout the wide canvas of the atmosphere, homo sapiens or humans are the most accentuated, foremost, and dominant creatures of the world. There is an undeniable significance of human beings because they influence the natural, social, political, and administrative systems of this world through their activities. Despite this, when it is pondered over keenly, there is no as such apparent difference that highlights humans apart from other creatures like animals.

Animals eat, drink, fulfil all their natural requirements and necessities, and so do humans. It is an eminent notion that merely a few differences in the physical traits or outward characteristics between humans and animals cannot be the factor for human’s authoritative and controlling nature. Rather, it is something non-material and intangible that draws humans at odds with all the other living beings and these are the attributes of 

 inbuilt in man. This is now evident that the physical needs of man have nothing to do with the spiritual aspect of humans but are merely the animalistic tendencies of the human body.

It is observed around the human civilisation that today, the purpose of all the activities and pursuits has just remained to accomplish the natural inbuilt animalistic requirements and no exertion and labour is put to ameliorate the spiritual aspect of the human soul. As a result, in the monotonous race of achieving more and more 

, the human soul is crushed abysmally, eventually leading to stress, anxiety, depression, mental issues, and even suicides. It is a well-known fact that mental health has become one of the most crucial issues for humanity today. The irony is that the reality and problem of mental disturbances are talked, emphasized, and debated about, but the reasons and causes behind it are never touched. 

The more man isolates himself from his spiritual aspect, the farther he will be from mental contentment

. Ramadan is a period of a month provided by the Creator of the universe as an opportunity for man to ponder over and strengthen his spiritual aspect.

Articles by Syed Ilham Jafri

Prince Darashikoh and Indian Philosophy in light of his Literary Achievements

Agra and its role in The Revolt of 1857

The Foremost Of the Revolutionaries: Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)

Prince Darashikoh: His Understanding of Relationship Between Islam and Hinduism

Mirza Ghalib and John Keats: A Consummate Work in Comparative Literature

The Freedom Movement and Role of Indian Muslims: Inception and Throughout

Aurangzeb: A Victim of Perversion of History

How the distortion of History occurs?

The Notion and Intention behind Ramadan

The Fallacy Of Islamic Terrorism

Islam as a Socio-Political Reform

Prince Darashikoh and Indian Philosophy in light of his Literary Achievements

Agra and its role in The Revolt of 1857

The Foremost Of the Revolutionaries: Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)

Prince Darashikoh: His Understanding of Relationship Between Islam and Hinduism

Mirza Ghalib and John Keats: A Consummate Work in Comparative Literature

The Freedom Movement and Role of Indian Muslims: Inception and Throughout

Aurangzeb: A Victim of Perversion of History

How the distortion of History occurs?

The Notion and Intention behind Ramadan

The Fallacy Of Islamic Terrorism

Islam as a Socio-Political Reform