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Aurangzeb's Wine Ban: The Emperor Who Outlawed Drink
In 1668, the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb Alamgir issued a decree banning wine, bhang, and other intoxicants across his empire. This episode unpacks the surprising story behind that prohibition: how a personal piety project became a sprawling imperial campaign, why the ban failed spectacularly in a court where wine was currency, and what it reveals about the limits of moral authority in a pluralistic empire. We explore the role of the muhtasib (censor), the black market in European wines, the tussle with Hindu bhang vendors, and the quiet defiance of nobles like Mirza Raja Jai Singh. Drawing on…
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