Every now and then there is a debate as to whether Aurangzeb was a villain or a hero. Such debates become even more important when very few people know anything about his personal life.
Aurangzeb had two Hindu wives – a Rajput named Udaipuri and another Nawab Bai. Udaipuri was so enamored with the sixth Mughal emperor that she had expressed her wish to perform ‘sati’ if Aurangzeb died sooner. This fact was mentioned by Aurangzeb himself in a letter to his son Kambaksh. Interestingly, the two died within months in 1707. This is also mentioned in the Ruqqat-e-Alamgiri later translated into English by H. Billimoria as ‘Latters of Aurangzeb’.
Aurangzeb has always been portrayed in Indian history as an anti-Hindu ruler. There are still many unanswered questions about Aurangzeb’s decisions, including the order to destroy temples in several Indian cities.
Journalist Afsar Ahmed has attempted to answer many such questions in his latest book entitled “Aurangzeb: Nayak ya Khalnayak (Villain or Hero)”. The first part of the book describes Aurangzeb’s childhood up to the power struggle he was part of.
There are anecdotes about his fondness for Sanskrit, his love life and his daring fights with elephants. Planned as a six-part series, it provides delightful insights into Aurangzeb’s tenure.
In the first part of the book, the author discusses that there are several inconsistencies about Kambaksh’s mother, who is said to be Udaipuri’s son. Some claim that Kambaksh’s mother was a Georgian slave. Others claim that Kambaksh’s mother was a Rajput Hindu who belonged to the Sisodia clan.
In particular, Major Tod, who wrote the history of Rajput, and Grant Duff, who wrote the history of Maratha, claim that Aurangzeb’s wife Udaipuri was actually a Rajput woman from Udaipur.
The book also checks the details of the last powerful Mughal emperor. It is now available online.