The number of Mughal provinces (subahs) increased from 15 during Akbar’s time to 21 during the height of Aurangzeb’s reign. This increase was due to the incorporation of newly conquered territories, most notably the Deccan sultanates of Bijapur and Golconda, ...
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Emperor Akbar established the new, centralized administrative post of ‘Diwan-e-Wizarat-e-Kul’. This office was the head of the entire revenue and finance administration, primarily held by Raja Todar Mal. The creation of this single, powerful post solidified financial control and ensured ...
Abul Fazl, Akbar’s chief intellectual architect and court historian, called him ‘Zill-e-Ilahi’ (Shadow of God) and ‘Farr-e-Izdi’ (Light emanating from God). These titles were central to Abul Fazl’s formulation of the theory of divine light (Farr-i-Izidi), which argued that the ...
Emperor Aurangzeb was referred to by his subjects as ‘a dervish/fakir in royal attire’. This was due to his remarkably austere and simple personal life, strict adherence to Islamic principles (Sharia) and his rejection of the lavish, extravagant lifestyle characteristic ...
The famous parallel, “Just as the Spanish ulcer ruined Napoleon, so the Deccan ulcer ruined Aurangzeb,” was coined by the historian Sir Jadunath Sarkar. He argued that Aurangzeb’s relentless and costly twenty-six-year preoccupation with the Deccan campaigns drained the empire’s ...