Recently, the debate started with Aurangzeb’s ‘Santai’ in the Gyanvapi case has taken the form of an endless and fruitless religious dispute. However, due to the series of discussions, this happened for the first time when all the new information about Indian history is also coming out. It is the effect of this debate that some foreign websites have now started feeling the need to talk about Indian kings like Hemu Vikramaditya and Banda Bahadur apart from Muslim rulers and Maharana Pratap-Shivaji Maharaj in the discussion of history. Whereas earlier the history of Haji Mastan and Karim Lala was visible, but Hemu Banda never looked brave and there was more mention of love story than the might of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

In the recent debates, some information was also such that even those who did PhD in history were surprised. They thought that this might also be the knowledge that came out of WhatsApp University. By the way, many things on WhatsApp University are not just nonsense or lies. Yes- it is another thing that they are presented very exaggeratedly. And this is also due to the fact that many facts were deliberately ignored in history. Now when they come across as glorification- it seems hasty to dismiss them as knowledge of WhatsApp University.

I also read as much as a normal student of science gets to study history from the syllabus. History has never been a subject that one would have read it more. But listened to respected historians from time to time. And also listened to those who were left to read their share of history. When I came to know from the eminent left historians that even the Qutub was built only after demolishing the temples – today I feel guilty for scolding and silencing people. Had I known in advance, perhaps someone would have found an intellectual but human side to save the Ganga Jamuni tehzeeb. Now it seems that what is the need to establish logic on human grounds. What difference will it make to someone’s thinking?

The misfortune of foreign invaders in the history of India

It is India’s misfortune that ordinary Indians have been taught very brief history. And there were Mughals in that too. We don’t know anything about what was happening in South India during the medieval period except Tipu Sultan and Nizam. While there were also many important non-Muslim kings. Even in the history of medieval times, Aurangzeb is the most visible Turram Khan. Aurangzeb is seen as the most cruel of the Mughalia rulers. Countless tales of his extreme cruelty are recorded in books. However, there is no dearth of people who call Aurangzeb a saint. The question is whether Aurangzeb was a saint?

Aurangzeb was a very marginally radical conservative and casteist person of a backward thinking. However, the accepted factual history of the courses shows examples of him being presented as a saint. When we look at other aspects of Aurangzeb’s life, the will to make a living with a stitched cap, a raw tomb – is in fact part of his larger plans to change history. Aurangzeb’s atrocities on the father, the conversion of non-Muslims along with the murder of brothers and relatives, including Darashikoh, and the massacre are seen very cleverly to hide the veil of his religious beliefs. This breakup of history is no longer a hidden thing.

Read Zebunnisa to understand Aurangzeb

One of Aurangzeb’s most cherished children, his daughter Zebunnisa is a fine case study of knowing a male vampire in the form of Aurangzeb. The amazing thing is that Teesmarkhan Aurangzeb’s daughter who looked almost like Darashikoh – I didn’t even know her until just a few months ago. I have already told my limits regarding history. There are innumerable people like me in the country. Now that I know his story too, there is no scope for any if but no in my mind regarding Aurangzeb. Zebunnisa was highly educated. Not only was she intelligent, she was also of modern thought and respected other religions besides Islam. Zebunnisa was the eldest child of Aurangzeb and Dilras Bano Begum. He was born in 1638 and died in 1702.

Zebunnisa had memorized the Qur’an at the age of just seven and became a Hafiz. Aurangzeb celebrated the daughter’s achievement. He took care of Zebunnisa’s best education and gave a lot of pocket money. Zebunnisa was deeply interested in philosophy, mathematics, astronomy, literature, history and translation. It is said that at that time he had a good library. He had relations with educated people. Many poets and litterateurs were involved in this. Zebunnisa started writing poems at the age of 14. Along with other poets, there is talk of his involvement in secret mushairas. It was Zebunnisa’s talent and personality that became the cause of her trouble later. Although she kept writing poems secretly.

Aurangzeb was troubled by the free thought of his daughter, got his lover crushed and killed.  

Zebunnisa’s marriage was fixed with her cousin Suleiman Shikoh in her childhood. Suleman is the son of the same Dara Shikoh who was the legitimate heir of the Mughal Sultanate, who was brutally murdered by Aurangzeb and captured the Mughal throne. Later, Aurangzeb had also brutally murdered Suleman in the Gwalior Fort. After the death of Suleiman, Zebunnisa could not get married. The tradition of Darashikoh had a profound effect on Zebunnisa. She used to write poems under the name Makhfi in fear of her father. Her poems were discussed in the literary corridor. With time, the rebellion of Zebunnisa started pricking Aurangzeb. Zebunnisa’s fondness for reading, writing poems and singing in Tarannum, how could the fanatic Aurangzeb tolerate the daughter’s interest in other religions. Young and beautiful Zebunnisa’s love for a person named Aqeel Khan proved to be another wound in leprosy.

Aqeel Khan himself was a poet. Due to similar literary aptitudes, both fell in love with each other. When this matter reached Alamgir, he became furious. He advised the two not to meet. It is said that when the series did not stop, Aurangzeb killed Aqeel Khan by crushing him with an elephant in the Salimgarh Fort of Delhi. After Suleiman Shikoh, this incident also badly broke Zebunnisa, but her rebellion towards her father was seen increasing.

Zebunnisa’s pain is reflected in her poems

Zebunnisa spent 20 years as a royal prisoner in the fort. However, during this time she was deeply influenced by Indian religious literature and philosophy. She wrote hundreds of poetry and rubaiyas. Got Persian translation done. The ‘Diwan-e-Makhfi’ gives a complete glimpse of her secluded life in Salimgarh. There is an endless wait in her poetry. All parts of the original manuscripts of his Diwan are still preserved in the National Library of London. Dhruv Gupta did a Hindi translation of a poem by Zebunnisa from Persian to English. In it, her life and pain during the prison can be understood.

While living in exile in Salimgarh, Zebunnisa was also attracted towards Krishna Bhakti. She has also written many poems on Krishna Bhakti. It is said that during her stay in captivity, she wrote about 5000 Shers and Rubaiyas. The master of Zebunnisa was Hammad Saeed Ashraf Mazandharani. Hammad Saeed was a Persian poet. Because of him, the urge to read and write was born in Zebunnisa. Zebunnisa is said to be a very beautiful but simple woman. She loved wearing white clothes. She was not fond of dressing up like royal princesses. Yes, she was very fond of wearing pearls.

There are tales of Zebunnisa’s love with Hindu kings too.

Zebunnisa was not an orthodox woman. Some people say that she had fallen in love with Bundela Maharaj Chhatrasal. In a gathering, Zebunnisa had seen Chhatrasal. Although Aurangzeb did not like Chhatrasal at all. Aurangzeb could not tolerate the daughter’s love for a Hindu king. For this reason he was exiled to Salimgarh Fort. Somewhere it is also said that Jebunnisa was attracted to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj after listening to his stories. It is also claimed that he even made a love proposal to Shivaji Maharaj which was rejected. It is not known how true is the story of love with Chhatrasal or Shivaji. But this gives an idea of ​​Zebunnisa’s rebellious attitude against Aurangzeb.

After 20 years of imprisonment, Zebunnisa died in the Salimgarh Fort. He was buried in Tis Thousand Bagh near Kabuli Gate. Zebunnisa naturally appears to be the most influential woman of the Mughal era, yet she has not been given a place in history. There is no doubt that Zebunnisa rejects all the assumptions of accepted history about Aurangzeb. So is this the reason why Zebunnisa was not given a place in history so that Aurangzeb could be made great?

 

 

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