Latest / Aurangzeb: The Emperor Who Expanded and Broke the Mughal Empire — Fexingo History / Aurangzeb's Persian Letters: The Emperor's Farangi Diplomacy
Transcript
- Lucas: So you know how we've talked a lot about Aurangzeb's military campaigns and his religious policies, but there's this whole other side of his rule that I think we haven't touched on — his letters. Not the ones he wrote to his sons or his generals, but his diplomatic correspondence with foreign courts and trading companies. Luna: Oh, like with the Safavids or the English? Lucas: Exactly. And what's fascinating is that these letters, many of which are preserved in the Ruqa'at i alamgiri and the maasir i alamgiri, show him as a master of Persianate diplomacy. I mean, he's writing in ornate Persian, balancing compliments and threats, all while he's stuck in the Deccan for the last twenty-five years of his reign. Lucas: Take his correspondence with the English East India Company. In the 1660s, they were trying to get a firman to trade in Bengal, and they were sending envoys to the Mughal court. But Aurangzeb wasn't just handing out favors. He was negotiating, playing them against the Dutch and the Portuguese, and making sure the customs duties were right. Luna: Wait, so he was actually engaged in trade negotiations himself? I thought that would be left to his ministers. Lucas: That's the thing — he was incredibly hands-on. Even from the Deccan, he would write to his governors and to the English factors directly. There's a letter from 1666 where he's responding to a request from the English at Surat, and he's citing specific clauses about customs and tariffs, showing he knew the details. And he's doing this in Persian, which was the diplomatic lingua franca of the region, not just for Muslims but for Hindus and Europeans too. Lucas: And then there's his correspondence with the Safavid court. That was a different ballgame. Because the Safavids were Shia, and Aurangzeb was a Sunni, but they had this long history of diplomatic exchange. There's a letter he wrote to Shah Abbas II in 1667, after the Safavids had taken Kandahar back — and that was a sore point. But instead of outright hostility, he writes in a tone of cautious respect, almost like 'we both know the situation, let's not make it worse.' Luna: So he was using letters to manage rivalries and keep the peace, even when he was fighting wars elsewhere. Lucas: Exactly. And the letters to the English were often more about commerce than conflict. But there's another layer: the way he wrote. Aurangzeb didn't just dictate and sign. He had a whole chancery of secretaries, the munshis, who would draft and polish the letters in his name. But we have evidence that he often added his own notes in the margins, or even wrote entire letters himself. His letters have a personal touch, sometimes even a bit of wit. Lucas: One of my favorite examples is a letter he wrote to an English factor who had asked for permission to build a factory at Madras. Aurangzeb's reply is basically, 'You may build, but remember, the sea is your master, and the land is mine.' It's this poetic way of asserting sovereignty while still allowing trade. Luna: That's a pretty sharp line. Did the English actually get their factory? Lucas: They did, eventually, but not without a lot of back and forth. The letters show that Aurangzeb was always aware of the bigger picture. He knew the English were a rising naval power, and he wanted to keep them friendly, but he also didn't want them to become too strong on the subcontinent. So he granted them small concessions, but always with conditions. And he was doing this from the middle of his war with the Marathas, which is remarkable. Lucas: What's also interesting is the cultural dimension. The letters are full of Persian poetry, Quranic quotations, and elaborate titles. For example, when he writes to the Safavid shah, he uses titles like 'Shadow of God' and 'Refuge of the Universe' — but he's careful to give the shah even more grand titles, because in diplomatic protocol, the person you're writing to always gets the higher honorific. Luna: So he was fluent in the language of courtly flattery. Lucas: Absolutely. And that's a skill that served him well. I mean, he was also a master of the political letter internally, but these foreign letters show a different side. He's not just the stern, austere emperor; he's a diplomat who knows exactly how to use every phrase to his advantage. Lucas: There's also the question of how these letters were delivered. That's where you get into the whole system of diplomatic missions and envoys. For example, in 1660, he sent an embassy to the Safavid court led by Mirza Razi Danishmand, and the letters that went with that embassy were composed with extreme care. The envoys had to memorize the emperor's words, because they were essentially the emperor's voice. Luna: That's a lot of pressure on the ambassador. Lucas: Right. And if they messed up, it could lead to a diplomatic incident. But Aurangzeb was known to choose his envoys well. He picked people who were both learned and loyal, and who could handle the nuances of the Safavid court. Lucas: Now, one of the things that makes these letters so valuable to historians is that they give us a direct window into Aurangzeb's mind. Unlike some of the chronicles, which were written after the fact, these letters were written in the moment, so they show his immediate concerns and his strategies. Luna: So they're kind of like primary sources straight from the emperor's pen. Lucas: Exactly. And they're not just about politics. There are letters where he's ordering gifts to be sent — things like exotic animals, textiles, or jewels — and the way he describes them shows his taste and his understanding of what would impress a foreign court. He knew that diplomacy wasn't just about words, it was also about display. Lucas: And there's a personal side, too. In a few letters to the English factors, he asks about the health of their families, or sends his regards to their wives. It might seem trivial, but in the context of diplomatic relations, it was a way of building a personal bond that could smooth over future negotiations. Lucas: So this is a side of Aurangzeb that's often overshadowed by his military campaigns and his religious policies. But these letters show him as a shrewd and sophisticated ruler who was engaged with the wider world. Luna: And it's a nice reminder that history isn't just about battles and laws, but also about the quiet work of correspondence. Lucas: For sure. And you know, it's a bit of a niche topic, but we love digging into these corners. And if you enjoy these deep dives, a handful of listeners chip in monthly through buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo, and that's literally what funds us making this many of these. No ads, just listener support. Luna: It does seem like the kind of thing that keeps the show ad-free and lets us go down these rabbit holes. Lucas: Yeah, so if it's something you value, that's where to find us. But getting back to Aurangzeb — one last thing that I find really telling. In one of his letters to the English, he writes about the importance of honesty in trade, and he says something like 'Let there be no deceit in your dealings, for God sees all.' It's a reminder that even in commerce, he framed everything through his faith. Luna: So his piety wasn't just for show; it was woven into his diplomatic and economic policies. Lucas: Exactly. And that's what makes these letters so fascinating. They're not just bureaucratic documents; they're a reflection of the man himself. So next time you hear about Aurangzeb, remember he wasn't just a warrior or a bigot — he was also a letter-writer, a diplomat, and a surprisingly personal correspondent. Lucas: And with that, we'll leave it here. Thanks for listening.