Aurangzeb

The sixth Mughal Emperor from 1658 to 1707

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Lived 1618–1707, aged 89India

India Historical Figures

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84 languages
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Era
1618–1707
Aged 89

Summary

Updated 2026-06-09

The Mughal emperor who expanded his domain to its greatest territorial extent—nearly the entire Indian subcontinent—then spent his final decades trying to hold it together. His forty-nine-year reign brought military might and economic supremacy, but the methods he used to enforce order still divide historians three centuries after his death.

Biography

About

Born in 1618, Muhi al-Din Muhammad served as viceroy and governor under his father Shah Jahan, building a reputation as a military commander through campaigns in the Deccan, Gujarat, and expeditions into Safavid territory. When Shah Jahan named his elder brother Dara Shikoh as successor in 1657, Aurangzeb refused the decision, proclaimed himself emperor in February 1658, and defeated Shikoh's forces at Dharmat and Samugarh. He declared his recovered father incompetent, imprisoned him in Agra Fort, and had Dara Shikoh beheaded—sending the head in a box to their father. Under Aurangzeb's rule th…

Voice

In their own words

Sourced, dated quotes from Aurangzeb

Aurangzeb

saidundated

I wish you to recollect that the greatest conquerors are not always the greatest kings.

— Emperor Aurangzeb, retorting in a letter to his father the recently dethroned Shah Jahan for criticising the newly crowned emperor for

Aurangzeb

saidundated

An emperor ought to stand midway between gentleness and severity.

— Aurangzeb, see Aurangzeb:The Life and Legacy of India's Most Controversial King by Audrey Truschke

Aurangzeb

saidundated

In the region of Hindustan, this scrap of bread [i.e., the Mughal Empire] is a generous gift from Their Majesties, Timur and Akbar.

— Letter to his grandson Prince Bidar Bakht, see Aurangzeb:The Life and Legacy of India's Most Controversial King

Aurangzeb

saidundated

Health to thee! My heart is near thee. Old age is arrived: weakness subdues me, and strength has forsaken all my members.

— Letter to his son, Prince Shaw Azim Shaw, see A Translation of the Memoirs of Eradut Khan a Nobleman of Hindostan Also in The Mogul

Aurangzeb

saidundated

I brought nothing into this world, and, except the infirmities of man, carry nothing out. I have a dread for my salvation, and with what torments I may be punished.

— Letter to his son, Prince Shaw Azim Shaw, see A Translation of the Memoirs of Eradut Khan a Nobleman of Hindostan Also in The Mogul

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