Latest / Aurangzeb: The Emperor Who Expanded and Broke the Mughal Empire — Fexingo History / Aurangzeb's Jain Edicts: Mercy Amid Conquest
Transcript
- Lucas: If you've been stepping into history with us episode by episode, you know Aurangzeb is often painted as the villain of the Mughal story — the temple-breaker, the jizya-imposer, the man who spent his last decades grinding through the Deccan. But there's a lesser-known side you might not expect: his relationship with the Jain community. Luna: Jains? Really? How does that square with the orthodox Sunni image? Lucas: That's exactly the puzzle. In 1679, the same year he reimposed the jizya tax, Aurangzeb issued a farman — an imperial decree — protecting Jain pilgrims heading to Shatrunjaya, a sacred hill in Gujarat. It's a contradiction that historians have been wrestling with for decades. Lucas: The key figure is a monk named Lal Vijayji. He was a Svetambara Jain ascetic who traveled to the Mughal court and somehow gained the emperor's ear. The maasir i alamgiri, the official court chronicle, records that Lal Vijayji impressed Aurangzeb with his learning and his willingness to debate. Luna: Debate religion with Aurangzeb? That sounds like a dangerous gamble. Lucas: It was, but it worked. Aurangzeb had a genuine interest in theological discussion — he'd do the same with Muslim scholars, and even with Hindu ascetics. Lal Vijayji reportedly won him over not by flattery, but by engaging seriously with questions about the soul, ethics, and non-violence. The emperor reportedly said, 'There is no harm in listening to the words of a wise man.' Lucas: This wasn't just a one-off. The farmans Aurangzeb issued to Jain communities are remarkable for their specificity. They don't just say 'be nice to Jains.' They order local officials to ensure that Jain pilgrims can travel safely to Shatrunjaya, to protect the temple there from damage, and even to return property that had been confiscated from Jain merchants. Luna: So he's protecting Jain temples while ordering the destruction of Hindu ones? That's a wild contrast. Lucas: It's a reminder that Aurangzeb's policies weren't uniformly anti-non-Muslim. Historian Audrey Truschke has argued that Aurangzeb's actions were often pragmatic — he supported Jain communities because they were economically influential, especially in Gujarat's trade networks. But there was also a personal dimension; he seems to have genuinely respected certain Jain monks. Lucas: And here's something interesting: the jizya tax, which many Hindu subjects resented, was not applied uniformly either. Some Jain communities received exemptions, or at least the tax was collected in a way that didn't disrupt their religious practices. The maasir i alamgiri even records Aurangzeb ordering that Jain festivals be allowed to proceed without interference. Luna: So is the whole 'tyrant' image just a simplification? Lucas: Not exactly. Aurangzeb did authorize the destruction of several prominent Hindu temples, like the one at Mathura, and he did impose the jizya broadly. But the Jain edicts show that his approach was more nuanced than a simple 'destroy all non-believers' narrative. He was also a political pragmatist who needed the support of merchant communities. Luna: And I suppose the Deccan wars made that support even more crucial. Lucas: Exactly. By the 1680s, Aurangzeb was mired in the Deccan campaigns, trying to crush the Maratha resistance. The Mughal treasury was stretched thin, and the Jain bankers and merchants of Gujarat were vital sources of credit and revenue. Protecting their pilgrimage sites was good policy. Luna: That makes sense — but it also feels a bit cynical. Lucas: Maybe, but the edicts themselves are genuine. They were carved into stone slabs at Jain pilgrimage sites, and some still survive today. They're not just rhetorical; they are legal documents that granted real protections. And they were enforced — we have records of officials being punished for harassing Jain pilgrims. Lucas: One particularly striking example comes from 1682, when Aurangzeb ordered that a Jain temple at Palanpur, in Rajasthan, be returned to the community after it had been converted into a mosque. That's a dramatic reversal — he explicitly reversed an earlier act of desecration. Luna: Wait, he ordered a temple to be restored from a mosque? That goes against everything I thought I knew about him. Lucas: It does. And it's not the only case. There are several records of Aurangzeb ordering the restoration of Jain properties. This wasn't happening with Hindu temples, as far as we know — the difference might be that the Jain community had the ear of influential monks and merchants, and they were able to petition the emperor effectively. Lucas: It also fits with Aurangzeb's legalistic mindset. He was deeply committed to Islamic law, but he also had a concept of 'just rule' that included protecting the rights of non-Muslim subjects under the empire's jurisdiction, as long as they paid the jizya and didn't challenge his authority. Luna: So it's almost like a contract — protection in exchange for loyalty. Lucas: Exactly. And the Jains were extremely loyal — they were some of the most reliable financial supporters of the Mughal state. But it's still fascinating that a ruler so often depicted as fanatical would issue edicts that explicitly say, 'Do not disturb the Jain worship, do not damage their temples, let them celebrate their festivals.' Luna: It's like a whole other layer of history that we don't hear about. Lucas: And that's what makes history so rich. If today was actually useful to you, the way these stay ad-free is listener support. If you can, consider buying us a coffee at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. It keeps the episodes coming without any ads. Luna: Yeah, we really appreciate it, and it does help us keep going. Lucas: Anyway, back to the edicts. What's also striking is the detail in these documents. They specify the route pilgrims should take, the taxes they should be exempt from, and even the number of armed guards to accompany them. This wasn't a symbolic gesture; it was a practical, enforceable policy. Lucas: Take the Shatrunjaya farman of 1679. It's addressed to the governor of Gujarat and it lists specific taxes that pilgrims should not be asked to pay. It also says that any official who takes money from the pilgrims 'shall be considered a sinner and punished.' That's pretty strong language. Luna: Did the local officials actually obey? I feel like there could be a gap between the emperor's orders and the ground reality. Lucas: There was definitely a gap — the maasir i alamgiri records instances of officials being disciplined for not implementing the farmans properly. But the fact that the edicts were reissued multiple times, and that Jain communities kept copies and used them in court cases for centuries after, suggests they had real legal weight. Lucas: One of the most telling details is that these farmans were not just written in Persian — they were also translated into Gujarati and even Marathi, so that local officials and Jain leaders could understand them. That's a sign that Aurangzeb wanted them to be effective, not just symbolic. Luna: So maybe he was more of a bureaucrat than a zealot? Lucas: He was certainly a bureaucrat. But he was also a man of deep faith who saw himself as upholding the sharia. The way he reconciled that with protecting Jain temples is a puzzle. Some historians argue he viewed Jains as 'people of the book' in a loose sense, because they had ancient scriptures and a strong ethical tradition — but that's not a mainstream Muslim interpretation. Lucas: Another angle is that Aurangzeb's view of non-Muslims was not monolithic. He distinguished between different groups — the Jains were generally pacifist and politically quietist, unlike the Rajputs or the Marathas, who were armed and rebellious. It was easier to tolerate a community that didn't pose a military threat. Luna: That's a practical reason, but I wonder if there was also a personal connection. Lucas: There is some evidence of that. Lal Vijayji was a recurring figure at court, and he reportedly engaged in philosophical discussions with Aurangzeb about the nature of the soul and the afterlife. One Jain chronicle even claims that Aurangzeb said, 'I am a disciple of the monk' — though that is probably an exaggeration. Lucas: But the maasir i alamgiri, which is sober and court-approved, mentions that Aurangzeb gave Lal Vijayji a robe of honor and a sum of money. That's a sign of respect, not just political calculation. Luna: So what happened to the Jain community's fortunes after Aurangzeb died? Lucas: The edicts continued to be cited — later Mughal emperors like Bahadur Shah reissued similar farmans. But the Mughal state's decline in the 18th century meant less enforcement, and some of the protections eroded. Still, the Jain communities in Gujarat and Rajasthan maintained their institutions, and the memory of Aurangzeb's edicts was preserved. Lucas: In fact, some Jain temples in Gujarat have framed copies of these farmans on their walls to this day. It's a tangible reminder that the Mughal Empire was not just about conquest and oppression — it also had a legal system that could protect minority communities, even under a ruler like Aurangzeb. Luna: That's amazing. I mean, we still have those documents. Lucas: Yes, and historians like Audrey Truschke have analyzed them in depth. Her work has been vital in challenging the simplistic 'Aurangzeb the demon' narrative. It doesn't excuse the temple destructions, but it forces us to see the full picture — a complex ruler who could be both harsh and pragmatic, both orthodox and open to dialogue. Lucas: So the next time someone says Aurangzeb was purely intolerant, you can bring up the Jain edicts and the story of Lal Vijayji. It's a great conversation starter — and it shows that history is rarely black and white. Luna: I'll definitely keep that in mind. Thanks for this.