Latest / Aurangzeb: The Emperor Who Expanded and Broke the Mughal Empire — Fexingo History
Aurangzeb's Slave Soldiers: The Rise and Fall of the Mughal Harem Guard
In this episode, Lucas and Luna dive into a little-known but crucial aspect of Aurangzeb's military: the slave soldiers who served as his personal guard and enforcers. Drawing on the Maasir-i-Alamgiri and European accounts from Niccolao Manucci and François Bernier, we explore how the emperor expanded the corps of eunuch slaves (khwaja-sara) and elite Turkic slave soldiers (gholam) to secure his throne. We discuss the recruitment from the slave markets of Central Asia and Africa, the role of the harem guard in palace intrigues, and how this elite force became a double-edged sword—loyal…
The skinny
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