Aurangzeb’s tomb is in Khuldabad city, this place is located 25 km from Aurangabad in Maharashtra.
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| image credit-bbc hindi |
Do many people wonder whether Aurangzeb, the last powerful ruler of the Mughal Sultanate who ruled Delhi, was finally buried in Khuldabad? Today in this article we will put the answer to this question in front of you. I hope you will like this article.
To find the answer to this question, if you go to the tomb of Aurangzeb, then the gate through which you have to enter first is called Nagarkhana, from which you will enter Khuldabad. As soon as you enter Khuldabad city, on the right side you will see Aurangzeb’s tomb. This tomb is presently protected as a national heritage under the protection of the Archaeological Department of India (ASI).
Before going to the tomb of Aurangzeb, one has to come out of shoes and slippers.
How is Aurangzeb’s tomb?
Aurangzeb’s tomb has been constructed very simply without much flair. Here only the soil is seen, the tomb is covered with a simple white sheet, and a seed has been planted on top of the tomb.
Aurangzeb, as his subject is famous, did not like much flair and decorations. That is why he ordered his tomb to be made simple. Aurangzeb had written in his will that his tomb should be roofless and it should be plain and it should be covered with a ‘vegetable’ plant.
Aurangzeb’s full name is inscribed on the stone near this tomb – Abdul Muzaffar Muhiuddin Aurangzeb Alamgir. Probably very few people would know his full name. Aurangzeb was born in 1618 and died in 1707. According to the Hijri calendar, the date of birth and death of Aurangzeb is inscribed on the stone which is installed there.
Why was Aurangzeb buried in Aurangabad?
Now the question comes that why was Aurangzeb buried in Aurangabad. Aurangzeb died in the year 1707 (in Ahmednagar, Maharashtra) and his body was brought to Khuldabad.
Aurangzeb had gone before his death with a will in which he had written that after his death he should be buried near his Guru Syed Zainuddin (a Sufi saint).
Historian Dr. Dulari Qureshi sheds more light on this regard, stating that “The will was written by Aurangzeb clearly states that he (Aurangzeb) considers Khwaja Syed Zainuddin as his Guru (Pir). Zainuddin died long before Aurangzeb. It had happened.
Aurangzeb may have been an orthodox and fanatical fanatic, but he was also a scholar. Dr. Qureshi recounts that “Aurangzeb used to spend a lot of time studying and followed Khwaja Syed Zainuddin. This was the reason why his last wish was to be buried near his guru.
Aurangzeb had written very clearly about his tomb as how it should be.
Dr. Qureshi further explains that “It was written in the will that Aurangzeb had made that I (Aurangzeb) would use only the money I earned in my tomb, in addition to this, he had also made a wish to plant a small vegetable plant. Known It may be that Aurangzeb did not take money from the treasury for his personal expenses, for this he used to stitch caps. He also wrote Quran Sharif in his own hand script.
Who built the tomb of Aurangzeb?
After the death of Aurangzeb, his son Azam Shah built the tomb of Aurangzeb in Khuldabad. At the last wish of Aurangzeb, he was buried in a simple tomb near Syed Zainuddin Siraj.
The tombs of the Mughal emperors built before this were made grand and beautiful and full security arrangements were made, but Aurangzeb’s tomb was made of wood only.
When Lord Lytton went to see Aurangzeb’s tomb (in 1904-5, he was surprised to see how the tomb of such a Han emperor could be simple? After this, Litton put a marble grill around the tomb.
Khuldabad is heaven on earth
Khuldabad holds great importance both religiously and historically. It also houses the Bhadra Maruti Temple, the place of Sufi saints, and the tombs of many nobles besides the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.
Khuldabad was earlier also called ‘Heaven on Earth’.
Historian Sanket Kulkarni, while highlighting the historical importance of Khuldabad, said that “Sufi saints from Kabul, Bukhara, Kandahar, Samarkand, Iran, Iraq and far and wide used to reach Khudlabad.
Khuldabad has been the main center of Islam religion and stronghold of Sufi saints in South India, Sufi saints from home and abroad used to gather here and their graves are located here in Khuldabad.
How did Khuldabad become an Islamic center?
Historians have told in this regard that in 1300 AD, the famous Sufi saint of Delhi, Nizamuddin Auliya, along with 700 Sufi saints and mystics, sent his disciple Muntazibuddin Bakhsh to Devgiri for the propagation of Islam in the Deccan.
This was the time when Khilji Sultan Alauddin Khilji subjugated Ramdev Rai Yadav, the ruler of Devgiri.
Thus the Sufi saint Muntazibuddin made the capital Daulatabad the center of his activities and sent the Sufi saints and mystics who came with him to the south to spread the religion of Islam. Muntazibuddin died in Daulatabad in 1309 and was buried here. His tomb was built at the foot of a mountain in Khuldabad.
Historian Sanket Kulkarni further states that after the death of Muntazibuddin, Nizamuddin Auliya sent one of his disciples, Garib Nawaz, 700 more Sufis and fakirs or dervishes to the Deccan. These Sufis were also given part of the Prophet Muhammad’s dress and facial hair. After this Khuldabad became a stronghold of Islam in South India. Sufi saint Burhauddin lived here for 29 years and spread and propagated Islam.
The Tughlaq ruler Muhammad Tughlaq later made Devgiri (Daulatabad) his capital. At the same time, the religious head (qazi) of the court and Islamic scholar Raud Hussein Shirazi was announced by Zainuddin as his successor. However, Zainuddin did not appoint any of his successors as he had no suitable successor.
The 17th powerful Mughal emperor had visited the dargah (tomb) of Shivaji and inspired by his actions in the 14th century, Aurangzeb carried out a conquest in the south. Aurangzeb kissed the tomb of Zainuddin and accepted him as his Guru or Pir.
Kulkarni told that “Aurangzeb had said that I should die in any corner of India, but my last rites should be performed here only near Zainuddin Shirazi.”
Aurangzeb had a deep connection with Maharashtra
When Shah Jahan was the Mughal emperor, he sent his third son Aurangzeb to Daulatabad. Aurangzeb lived here as a subedar from 1636 to 1644 and this was his first subedar.
Historians say about this that Aurangzeb liked Aurangabad very much, so Aurangzeb made Aurangabad the center of his activities instead of Daulatabad.
Dr. Qureshi says in this regard, “Emperor Aurangzeb had traveled all over the Deccan from Daulatabad to Eluru. He also got the road constructed from Daulatabad to Eluru for traffic.
In the year 1652, Aurangzeb again got the Subedari of Aurangabad and returned here. Between 1652 and 1659, Aurangzeb did many constructions works in Aurangabad. We can see the construction works done by him in the form of Fort Arch and Himayat Bagh.
Aurangzeb had spread the Mughal sultanate almost all over India, but Maratha’s invasion from Maharashtra was increasing. Aurangzeb returned to the Deccan in 1681-82. Aurangzeb expanded the Mughal Empire the most. It was here in the Deccan that Aurangzeb breathed his last in 1707.
Aurangzeb died in Ahmednagar in 1707.
Khuldabad important for tourism
The identity of Khuldabad is not limited to the tomb of Aurangzeb. Here is the famous temple of Bhadra Maruti. Aurangzeb’s granddaughter Bani Begum has a garden. There is a lake next to that garden.
Political commentary may have followed Akbaruddin Owaisi’s visit, but historians agree that Khuldabad is an important place for tourism. It also has historical importance.
Sanket Kulkarni, stating its historical importance, revealed that “relics belonging to the Satavahana rulers have also been found from here. There are not only tombs of Aurangzeb here, but there are also tombs of 12 to 15 other famous Sufi saints called Dargahs every year. A grand Urs is organized here.”
Khuldabad is not only an Islamic stronghold, it also has temples of Hindu gods and goddesses. Bhadra Maruti is one such famous Hindu pilgrimage place where Hindu followers come to visit Hanuman Jayanti.
If the importance of Aurangabad is seen from the point of view of Aurangzeb, then this place was holy for him and he built his Begum’s tomb in Aurangabad itself, this tomb is also called the Taj of Deccan.
Aurangabad How much Aurangzeb was loved can be understood from the fact that he spent almost 37 years out of 87 years of his life in Aurangabad and was eventually buried here.