Latest / Aurangzeb: The Emperor Who Expanded and Broke the Mughal Empire — Fexingo History / Aurangzeb's Wine Ban: How the Mughal Emperor Tried to Dry Up His Empire
Transcript
- Lucas: So we've talked a lot about Aurangzeb's wars and taxes, but I want to look at something that really gets at his personal worldview — his attempt to ban alcohol across the entire Mughal Empire. Luna: A wine ban? I didn't know he did that. Lucas: Oh, it was a big deal. In 1668, about a decade into his reign, Aurangzeb issued a series of orders prohibiting the manufacture, sale, and consumption of alcoholic drinks throughout his domains. The maasir i alamgiri, the official court chronicle, records that he personally oversaw the destruction of wine shops in Delhi during the month of Ramadan — a very public display of piety. Lucas: And this wasn't just about wine. He also banned bhang, which is cannabis, and restricted the use of opium. The idea was to purify society according to Islamic law. He appointed muhtasibs — market inspectors — to enforce these rules, and they had the authority to search homes and punish offenders. Luna: Wait, what about the European traders? They were huge wine drinkers, right? Lucas: Exactly. And here's where it gets messy. The ban applied to Muslims, but non-Muslims were technically allowed to drink within their own homes. European merchants in Surat and Hugli continued to import wine from Persia and Europe, and Aurangzeb's own officials often turned a blind eye. The French physician François Bernier, who lived in India during that time, noted that the ban was enforced unevenly — in the cities, it was strict, but in the countryside, people still drank. Lucas: And there's even a story that Aurangzeb's own sons — Azam Shah and Kam Bakhsh — were rumored to drink in private. That must have been awkward. The emperor wrote letters condemning wine as the root of all evil, yet he couldn't control his own household. Luna: So it was more about public image than actual enforcement? Like a performative piety? Lucas: Partially, yes. But it wasn't just for show. Aurangzeb genuinely believed alcohol was a moral poison. He referenced verses from the Quran and hadith to justify the ban, and he sought fatwas from the scholars who compiled the fatawa e alamgiri. In fact, that legal code includes a whole chapter on punishments for drinking — eighty lashes for free Muslims, forty for slaves. Lucas: But the economic impact was real. The wine trade in places like Kashmir and the Deccan — which had thriving vineyards — took a hit. Kashmir's Mughal governors were ordered to uproot grapevines in some areas, though they resisted because it hurt local revenue. The ban also hit the distillation of arrack, a palm spirit, which was popular among soldiers. Luna: What about the Hindu ascetics? They used bhang in their rituals, didn't they? Lucas: That's a great point. Bhang has religious significance for many Hindu sects, especially followers of Shiva. Aurangzeb's ban on bhang caused resentment among Rajput nobles and yogis. The emperor tried to make distinctions — he allowed bhang for medicinal purposes, but not for recreational use. But in practice, the lines were blurry. The maasir i alamgiri mentions that some muhtasibs were too zealous and arrested people for possessing even small amounts. Lucas: And then there's the hypocrisy factor. Aurangzeb himself, in his letters, sometimes admitted to enjoying a good Shiraz wine in his youth. He wrote to his son Muhammad Azam that wine had once been his 'greatest pleasure,' but that he had given it up. He said, 'I have regretted it bitterly and now I cannot bear the smell of it.' So it was a personal struggle, too. Luna: That's really humanizing. It wasn't just a cold policy — it was tied to his own past. Lucas: Exactly. And you know, this show is ad-free — we keep it that way because of listeners like you. If you want to support that choice, the link is buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Anyway, back to the ban. The other big problem was smuggling. Persian wine and European spirits were brought in through Surat and the Coromandel Coast, often with the complicity of local officials. Niccolao Manucci, the Venetian traveler, wrote that the muhtasibs were easily bribed, so the ban mostly drove the trade underground. Lucas: By the late 1670s, Aurangzeb's focus shifted to the Deccan wars, and enforcement of the ban weakened. After his death in 1707, his successors quietly allowed alcohol back. Within a generation, the Mughal court was once again known for its lavish wine parties. Luna: So did the ban have any lasting impact? Lucas: Not really, in terms of behavior. But it set a precedent for state-imposed morality in India. Later rulers, both Muslim and British, sometimes invoked Aurangzeb's example when they tried to regulate alcohol. And it's a fascinating case study of how a ruler's personal piety collides with the messy realities of a diverse empire. Luna: I guess you can't legislate morality — at least not completely. Lucas: Right. And that's the lesson from Aurangzeb's wine ban. He had the power to issue decrees, but he couldn't change human nature. The vineyards of Kashmir kept growing, and the wine flowed — just more quietly. It's a reminder that even the most powerful emperor has limits.