14.9 Mughal Society · Part 2

his son’s traitorous conduct. Akbar, had declared himself the emperor, but was compelled to flee to the Deccan, where he enlisted the help of Shivaji’s son, Sambhaji. Aurangzeb decided to take to the field himself, and eventually drove his own son into exile in Persia. Sambhaji was captured in and executed. The Sultanates of Bijapur and Golkonda were also reduced to utter submission. Towards the end of his reign, Aurangzeb’s empire began to disintegrate and this process was accelerated in the years after his death, when “successor states” came into existence. The empire had become too large and unwieldy. Aurangzeb did not have enough trustworthy men at his command to manage the more far- flung parts of the empire. Many of his political appointees broke loose and declared themselves independent. Aurangzeb’s preoccupation with affairs in the Deccan prevented him from meeting political challenges emanating from other parts of the empire. Shortly after the death of Aurangzeb, the Mughal empire ceased to be an effective force in the political life of India. Aurangzeb re-imposed jizya. He also issued orders that new temples should not be constructed; but the repair of old long-standing temples was permitted. These measures were rooted not only in his religious faith but also due to political compulsions. As a staunch Muslim, Aurangzeb had discontinued the practise of levying abwab , a tax levied on the lands over and above the original rent, not sanctioned by Shariah. Likewise, the order on temples was also an older one which in practice applied to places where he had political adversaries. In areas where there was no political insubordination, Aurangzeb provided endowments to build temples. It should be noted that during the reign of Aurangzeb the number of Hindu officials increased when compared to the reign of Shah Jahan. XI History - Lesson - - The Mughal Empire Raja Man Singh Raja Birbal Todar Mal painters, musicians and singers of both Persian and Indian origin. The caste system was a dominant institution in the society. Castes at lower levels were subject to much repression. Despite the popular