Aurangzeb's Reign and Sectarian Policy
Aurangzeb imprisons his father Shah Jahan and executes his brothers to secure the throne in 1658. An orthodox Sunni Muslim, he reimpose the jizya tax on non-Muslims, bans music and dance at court, destroys thousands of Hindu temples, and executes the Sikh Guru Tegh Bahadur. He spends his last 25 years in the Deccan trying to conquer the Maratha Confederacy under Shivaji and his successors, draining the empire's resources. By his death in 1707 the Mughal Empire controls its largest territory but is financially exhausted and politically fragmented.
- Year: 1658 CE
- Category: Governance
