Aurangzeb (6th Mughal Emperor): Important Conquests & Religious Policy

Updated on August 22, 2026Author:NEXT IAS Contributors

Aurangzeb was the 6th Mughal emperor of the Mughal dynasty and the 3rd son of Emperor Shah Jahan & Mumtaz Mahal. He began ruling from 1658 & was known for his military conquests and strict religious policies. From the Mughal War of Succession to the Deccan policies, his reign witnessed regional conflicts against Jats, Satnamis, Sikhs, & Bundelas and eventual decline in 1707.

Moreover, the public execution of the 9th sikh guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur (Hind-di-Chadar) by Aurangzeb led to the transformation of Sikh community into 'Khalsa'. On the other hand, despite his aggressive Deccan policies, Aurangzeb remained unsuccessful due to the tripartite alliance of Bijapur, Golconda, and Marathas under Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

Mughal War of Succession

The war of succession of the Mughals (1658-1659) involved a series of battles fought between the four sons of Emperor Shah Jahan namely Dara Shikoh, Shah Shuja, Aurangzeb, and Murad Bakhsh, after the death of their father.
All the sons had control over an army within one of the provinces and tried to take control of the empire's throne.
Aurangzeb emerged victorious by defeating Dara Shikoh at Samugarh, defeating Shah Shuja in Bengal, and finally eliminating Murad Bakhsh.
By 1659, he had gained control of the empire and kept Shah Jahan under house arrest in Agra Fort.

Battle of Samugarh (1658)

The Battle of Samugarh took place on 29th May 1658, near Agra, was an important battle in the Mughal struggle for succession after Shah Jahan fell ill.
The armies of Aurangzeb, although smaller and equipped with only war horses, succeeded in their objective through sheer determination against the larger and better equipped army of his elder brother Dara Shikoh.

Timeline of Important Conquests by Aurangzeb

S.No.	Period	Conquest	Opponent	Outcome and Significance
1	1658 to 1659	War of Succession	Dara Shikoh, Shah Shuja, Murad Baksh	Aurangzeb defeated his brothers for the Mughal throne. The war of succession established his authority as emperor.
2	1660 to 1661	Annexation of Palamau	Chero ruler of Palamau, south Bihar	Mughal forces defeated the local ruler and annexed Palamau which strengthened control over eastern India.
3	1661 to 1663	Campaign in Cooch Behar and Assam	Koch kingdom and Ahom kingdom	Mir Jumla occupied Cooch Behar and advanced into Assam including the Ahom capital.
4	1665 to 1666	Conquest of Chittagong	Arakanese kingdom	Mughal forces under Shaista Khan captured Chittagong from Arakan. This secured Bengal's south-eastern coast and looked after the maritime activity of Arakanese and Portuguese.
5	1665	Treaty of Purandar	Shivaji and the Marathas	Jai Singh compelled Shivaji to surrender several forts and accept Mughal service temporarily. It was a political and military success but the conquest did not last for long because of the revival of the resistance by Marathas.
6	1670 to 1680	Campaigns against Shivaji	Maratha kingdom	Aurangzeb attempted to recover forts and restrict Maratha expansion. However, the Mughal conquest was prevented by guerrilla warfare.
7	1681 to 1684	Early Deccan and Konkan operations	Marathas	Aurangzeb shifted his court and army to the Deccan. The Mughal armies surrounded the Maratha forts in western Deccan and Konkan. These campaigns impacted in a long and costly war.
8	1686	Annexation of Bijapur	Sikandar Adil Shah and the Adil Shahi Sultanate	Bijapur was finally annexed after a prolonged siege. It enlarged Mughal territory southward and removed one of the major Deccan sultanates.
9	1687	Annexation of Golconda	Abul Hasan Qutb Shah and the Qutb Shahi Sultanate	Golconda Fort was annexed. The wealthy Golconda kingdom was incorporated into the Mughal Empire which included important diamond-producing areas.
10	1689	Capture of Sambhaji	Sambhaji, Maratha ruler	Sambhaji was captured and executed. Aurangzeb believed this would end the Maratha power but the resistance became strong under Rajaram, Tarabai and local commanders.
11	1689 to 1698	Siege and capture of Gingee	Rajaram and Maratha forces	Mughal forces besieged the fort of Gingee in present day Tamil Nadu for nearly a decade. The capture was a major military achievement though Rajaram managed to escape before the capture of the fort.
12	1698 to 1707	Fort campaigns in the western Deccan	Maratha forces	Aurangzeb repeatedly captured Maratha forts but many forts were re-captured by the marathas after Mughal troops moved away. The conflict remained unresolved at his death in 1707.

Religious Policy of Aurangzeb

Aurangzeb was an ardent Sunni Muslim. He tried to enforce Quranic laws strictly. The Muhtasibs were the officials appointed in all provinces to check that people lived their lives according to Sharia.
Aurangzeb discontinued the practice of Jharokha-Darshan because he considered it a superstitious practice against Islam. He forbade music in the court even though he was a proficient veena player.
Initially, he forbade the destruction of old Hindu Temples and banned only the construction of new temples. But after the revolt of Jats, Satnamis, and Rajputs, he changed his religious policy and gave his consent for the destruction of even old Hindu Temples.
The famous temples at Mathura and Banaras were reduced to ruins. In 1679 AD, he revived the Jizya tax on non-muslims. This led to widespread resentment among the Hindus as they considered Jizya to be discriminatory against them.
Aurangzeb was also not tolerant of other Muslim sects. His invasions against the Deccan sultanates were partly due to his hatred of the Shia faith as the Deccan ruling dynasties belonged to the Shia faith.
He was also against the Sikhs, and executed the 9th Sikh Guru Tegh Bahadur. This had resulted in the transformation of Sikhs into a warring community, 'Khalsa'.
The religious policy of Aurangzeb had political motives behind them. Therefore, he reversed the policy of religious tolerance which was followed by his predecessors.
The religious orthodoxy practised by Aurangzeb led to several revolts by the Marathas, Satnamis, Sikhs and Jats.
These revolts destroyed the peace of the Mughal empire, disrupted its economy, and weakened its military strength. It ultimately led to the failure of Aurangzeb and the downfall of the Mughal Dynasty.

FAQs on Aurangzeb, Mughal Emperor

When did Aurangzeb rule India?

Aurangzeb ruled India from 1658 until he died in 1707. His total reign was about 50 years.

Who was Aurangzeb's father?

Shah Jahan was the father of Aurangzeb and was the 5th Mughal emperor renowned for his architectural achievements which includes the Taj Mahal.

Who was Aurangzeb's son?

Bahadur Shah I was the son of Aurangzeb who succeeded him as the Mughal emperor who ruled from 1707 to 1712.

How did Aurangzeb die?

Aurangzeb died due to natural causes such as severe illness after suffering several years. He died on a military campaign in the Deccan region.

What is Nauruz?

Nauruz was the Persian celebration of the spring equinox which marked the Persian New Year in late March. It was founded in Zoroastrianism at least 2,500 years ago. The holiday is practiced by nearly 500 million individuals throughout Iran, Central Asia, and more. It was adopted by Mughal rulers such as Akbar to create cultural unity between Persia and India.

What does the term 'Deccan Ulcer' mean?

The 'Deccan Ulcer' refers to Aurangzeb's extended and draining military campaigns against Bijapur, Golconda, and Marathas from the 1680s until 1707 in southern India. Although initially successful in conquering these kingdoms, they weakened the Mughal empire economically & militarily. They served a similar function as Napoleon's 'Spanish Ulcer'.