Latest / Aurangzeb: The Emperor Who Expanded and Broke the Mughal Empire — Fexingo History / Aurangzeb's Sufi Turn: The Emperor Who Sought Saints
Transcript
- Lucas: So we've talked a lot about Aurangzeb the warrior, the taxer, the temple destroyer. But there's another side to him that rarely gets discussed — his deep, genuine connection to Sufi mysticism. Luna: Wait, the same Aurangzeb who banned music and wine was into Sufi saints? Lucas: Exactly. He actually called himself 'Zinda Pir' — the Living Saint. And he wasn't just using it as a title. He corresponded with Sufi masters, visited shrines, and even sought their blessings before major military campaigns. Lucas: Take the Chishti order, for example. Aurangzeb regularly visited the dargah of Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer. In 1659, right after he seized the throne, he made a pilgrimage there to give thanks. And he issued a farman exempting the shrine from all taxes. Luna: That's a huge contrast with his reputation. Lucas: It really is. But it's consistent with Mughal tradition — Akbar and Shah Jahan also patronized the Chishtis. What's interesting is that Aurangzeb took it further. He had a golden railing installed around Moinuddin Chishti's tomb, which was a huge expense. Lucas: And he didn't stop with the Chishtis. He was especially drawn to the Naqshbandi order, which was more orthodox and closer to his own Hanafi legal school. He exchanged letters with Khwaja Muhammad Ma'sum, the Naqshbandi saint, asking for spiritual guidance. Luna: Did the Naqshbandis approve of his policies? Lucas: Mostly, yes. The Naqshbandis emphasized sharia and opposed innovation, so they were natural allies. But there were tensions. Some Naqshbandi saints criticized him for executing Dara Shikoh, who was himself a Sufi. But Ma'sum remained supportive. Lucas: Aurangzeb also visited the shrine of Nizamuddin Auliya in Delhi frequently. And when he moved his capital to the Deccan, he built a mosque near the dargah of Burhanuddin Gharib in Khuldabad — that's actually where he chose to be buried, next to the saint. Luna: So his tomb in Khuldabad — that wasn't just a random location. Lucas: Exactly. He wanted to be close to the saint, hoping for intercession. It's a deeply spiritual choice. But it also had political utility — by associating himself with Sufi saints, he bolstered his legitimacy as a pious ruler. Lucas: There's a famous story from the maasir i alamgiri: during his Deccan campaign, he visited the tomb of a Sufi saint in Gulbarga and distributed gold coins to the poor. The French traveler François Bernier noted that Aurangzeb would often stop at shrines to pray. Luna: Did his Sufi leanings affect his policies toward other religions? Lucas: That's the complicated part. He could venerate Sufi saints while simultaneously persecuting Shia Muslims and executing Guru Tegh Bahadur. In his mind, Sufism within Sunni orthodoxy was acceptable, but other forms of mysticism — like Sikhism or Shia Islam — were threats. Lucas: So there's this irony: the same man who destroyed temples also built shrines, the man who silenced music also wrote letters to saints. Understanding Aurangzeb means holding both sides together. Lucas: If today's episode gave you a fresh way to think about him, that's exactly what we try to do here. These shows stay ad-free because listeners chip in — buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. It's a simple way to keep the history coming. Luna: Absolutely. And it means we never have to interrupt the flow for sponsors. Lucas: Right. So back to Aurangzeb's Sufi network — one of his most intriguing relationships was with the Naqshbandi saint Khwaja Muhammad Ma'sum. They exchanged over a dozen letters, preserved in a collection called the Maktubat. Luna: What did they write about? Lucas: Spiritual advice, mostly. Aurangzeb asked for prayers for victory in the Deccan. Ma'sum replied with exhortations to follow sharia and avoid oppression. But he also flattered Aurangzeb, calling him 'the reviver of religion'. Lucas: This relationship wasn't just personal — it was political. By having a famous saint endorse him, Aurangzeb could counter criticism from other ulama who opposed his policies. It was a way to consolidate religious authority. Luna: So he used Sufism as a tool of statecraft. Lucas: Partly. But I think it's a mistake to see it as purely cynical. He genuinely believed in the power of saints. When his son Muhammad Sultan rebelled, Aurangzeb wrote to a Sufi asking for prayers to bring him back. He saw saints as intermediaries with God. Lucas: And even in his old age, he kept visiting shrines. When he was dying in Bidar, he asked to be taken to Khuldabad to be near Burhanuddin Gharib. His last act was a Sufi one. Luna: That humanizes him, in a way. Lucas: It does. And it reminds us that the past is never as simple as we want it to be. Aurangzeb was both the destroyer of temples and the devotee of saints. That tension is what makes him endlessly fascinating.