Nagpur has been in the news recently after violent clashes erupted, which eventually led to a curfew being imposed in several parts of the city. The situation began with demands from Hindu nationalist groups, notably the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal, for Aurangzeb’s grave to be removed, resulting in the curfew.
The unrest escalated when members of the Muslim community became violent following rumours that the holy Quran had been burned during this protest. Stones were thrown at the police, leaving two officers injured; tear gas shells were fired by the police, and vandalism and arson of various vehicles occurred.
But what is the situation regarding Aurangzeb’s grave? Where exactly is it, and why is it problematic?
Where Is Aurangzeb’s Grave?
Aurangzeb’s tomb, the final resting place of the longest-reigning Mughal Emperor, is not in Nagpur, despite the clashes taking place there. Instead, the tomb is located in Khuldabad, a municipal council in the Aurangabad district of Maharashtra, approximately 500 km away from Nagpur.
What sets it apart from other Mughal architecture, particularly the graves of other Mughal rulers, is that Aurangzeb’s remains reportedly lie in an unmarked grave, as he had wished at the time of his death in 1707.
According to reports, it was his express desire to have a modest tomb and to be interred near the dargah of his spiritual guru, Sheikh Zainuddin.
Aurangzeb is said to have requested a simple burial, insisting that money from the royal treasury should not be used for it.
According to historian Carl Ernst, the Mughal emperor’s demand for a simple grave was: “The rich may well construct domes of gold and silver on their graves! For the poor folks like me, the sky is enough (of a dome to shelter my grave).”
An Archaeological Survey of India record titled ‘Tomb of Aurangzeb’ reveals that his final resting place cost a mere Rs. 12.14 (twelve rupees and fourteen annas), which he earned by knitting caps in the last phase of his life.
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Carl Ernst has also claimed that Aurangzeb said, “They should carry this sinner, drenched in sins, to the neighbourhood of the holy Chishti tomb of the revered leader, Sayyid and Shaykh Zaynuddin Husayn Shirazi, since without the protection of that court (of the saints), which is the refuge of forgiveness, there is no refuge for those drowned in the ocean of sin.”
It is interesting to note that the grave is not located in Delhi, which was the capital of the Mughal Empire, nor in Nagpur, where the clashes erupted concerning this particular place itself. Aurangabad, the district where Khuldabad is situated, has also been renamed Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district.
This change pays tribute to Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s son, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, who is known to have constantly fought against Aurangzeb during his lifetime and protected his land from invasion by the Mughal Empire. He was eventually captured by Aurangzeb, however, and tortured to death.
Reports claim that this modest and simple burial, away from any of the main cities, was due to Aurangzeb choosing a simple lifestyle out of guilt.
Historians state that Aurangzeb took over the throne while his father, Shah Jahan, was still alive and detained him for more than seven years. This was considered unlawful as it broke Islamic laws, and his rule was not regarded as legitimate by the Sharif of Mecca for almost the first decade of his reign. Only after seven-and-a-half years following Shah Jahan’s passing was Aurangzeb’s rule given legitimacy.
The tomb had been very simple initially, but Lord Curzon, during his time as Viceroy of India, made modifications to Aurangzeb’s tomb, including adding marble to the structure and a “pierced marble screen”.
The Nizam of Hyderabad also added a marble plaque in one of the corners that reads Aurangzeb’s epithet as Al-Sultan al-Azam wal Khaqan al-Mukarram Hazrat Abul Muzaffar Muhy-ud-Din Muhammad Aurangzeb Bahadur Alamgir I, Badshah Ghazi, Shahanshah-e-Sultanat-ul-Hindiya Wal Mughaliya.
Image Credits: Google Images
Sources: The Economic Times, India Today, Hindustan Times
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