Author: Rati Hegde
Publication: Postcard.news
Date: January 6, 2018
URL:   http://postcard.news/unimaginable-brutality-aurangzeb-story-will-make-blood-boil/amp/?__twitter_impression=true

Aurangzeb was a true Muslim – he lived like a Fakir, shunning all trappings of wealth and ostentatious living, did not listen to music or indulge in dancing. His only fault was that he sought to convert Hindu idolaters to the only true religion – Islam. He was one of the best administrators and in fact his administration had the largest number of Hindus in it. Such a great ruler! The Congress backed historian Shri Bishambar Nath Pande in his famous Khuda Bakhsh Annual Lecture (1985) said, ‘Thus under a definite policy the Indian history books text-books were so falsified and distorted as to give an impression that the medieval [i.e. Muslim] period of Indian history was full of atrocities committed by Muslim rulers on their Hindu subjects and the Hindus had to suffer terrible indignities under Muslim rule.” Surprising that he did not protest the falsification w.r.t. the Aryan theory of invasion…

Compared to the stories that we read about Timur, Ghazni, Ghouri or Tipu Sultan, the various Islamic rulers in India, Aurangzeb comes across as mild fanatic – that is until we read about his tortures of Sambhaji, the Maratha King and the Sikh Gurus and their followers. Read on …

THE TORTURE OF SAMBHAJI MAHARAJ OF MAHARASHTRA

Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s son Sambhaji was a rebel when he was young. Once in a fit of anger he left his father’s kingdom and joined Aurangzeb. But when Shivaji passed away, he was offered to become a vassal of Aurangzeb and rule the kingdom under Aurangzeb’s suzerainty. The hot-headed Sambhaji was not willing to do this and thus began his revolt against Aurangzeb. For 27 years he kept the Mughal king at bay & it would not be wrong to say that because of him, Aurangzeb was never able to go further South. When finally he was captured by Aurangzeb’s army, he was with his chief advisor Kavi Kalash.

In the words of Masir I Alambiri, the official history of Aurangzeb’s reign: “Shamba was brought before the court. The Emperor out of his devotion to Islam ordered that from four miles before the camp Shambha should be made an object of ridicule …..so that the Muslims might be encouraged and the Hindus discouraged by the sight. The night in the morning after which he was brought to the Court …in the joyous expectation of seeing the spectacle, and the day was like the day of Eid because all men, old and young went out to see such a scene of joy and happiness.

The Emperor ordered that man to be removed to the prisons and in that moment Aurangzeb descended from the throne and kneeling down on the carpet of prayer bowed his head to the ground in thanksgiving and raised his hands in prayer to Allah….and drops of marvel(lit tears) fell from his far reaching eyes as the destruction of this wicked infidel in consideration of the harshness and disgrace that he had inflicted by slaying and imprisoning Muslims and plundering Muslims — and by the decision of the Doctors of the Law all were in favour of killing Shamba and thus he was killed with Kavi Kalash.

After two days the Emperor ordered Ruhullah Khan to ask Shamba where he had kept his treasure. In these circumstances that haughty man opened his mouth in defiant and vain words about the Emperor (Aurangzeb) – So the Emperor ordered him to be blinded by driving nails into his two eyes -So it was done. But that proud man from his high spirit gave up taking food from that day and continued to shout defiance to The emperor and the tenants of Islam.”

It is said that although Kavi Kalash’s hands were firmly cuffed and his head was restrained, he somehow managed to catch Sambhaji’s eye and composed a Hindi couplet on seeing Aurangzeb kneel down:

“Oh lord of the Marathas, the Alamgir on seeing thy Majesty
has himself stepped down from his throne and bowed his head in reverence.”

Aurangzeb was furious and offered to let Sambhaji live if he surrendered all the Maratha forts, turned over all his hidden treasures and disclosed the names of all the Mughal officers who had helped him. Sambhaji refused, and instead sang the praises of Mahadev (Lord Shiva). Aurangzeb ordered him and Kavi Kalash to be tortured to death. Sambhaji and Kavi Kalash were brutally tortured for over a fortnight. The torture involved plucking out their eyes and tongue and pulling out their nails. The later part involved removing their skin. On March 11, 1689, Sambhaji was finally killed, reportedly by tearing him apart from the front and back with ‘Wagh Nakhe’ (‘Tiger claws’, a kind of weapon), and was beheaded with an axe. This grievous death was given to him at Vadhu on the banks of the Bhima river, near Pune.

As per the Persian history (Fatuhat I Alamgiri) :

“At last the case was reported to the Emperor and by his order Shambaji was taken to the place of execution and his limbs were hacked of one after the other- his severed head was publicly exposed across the Empire and taken to Delhi and hung on the gate of that city”

THE KILLING OF GURU TEGH BAHADUR

Dr. Rita Bahuguna Joshi of the Allahabad University’s medieval history dept. in her book ‘Aurangzeb and his relations with Hindus’ on pages 101-105 writes,”In reality Sikhism was not a religion, just a sect that was founded on principles of Hinduism. After Guru Nanak the Gurus abandoned the path of spiritual devotion and fell into wicked world (materialism?) and started extorting religious tax. Despite political activities of the Sikhs Aurangzeb did not interfere with the affairs of the Sikhs. Aurangzeb was religiously impartial. Conflict between the Sikhs and Moguls started in 1676. The fact is Guru Teg Bahadur wanted to martyr himself purposely because there was tussle for the guru-ship at the time. They (Sikhs) were divided amongst themselves. The Guru by martyring himself in the name of religion wanted to bring about and solidify Sikh unity and solidarity. So Aurangzeb was in no way responsible for the death of Guru. It is unjust to place blame on him for Guru’s death.”  Why are most ‘sickularists’ Hindus?

Now let us see what actually happened… Aurangzeb realized that if he could convert the revered Brahmin Pandits of Kashmir that millions of followers would then easily be converted. Threatened with conversion or death, the Pandits overcome by panic, came in a delegation to Chakk Nanaki and requested Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji’s help. Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji decided to stand up for the right of freedom of worship and told the delegation to tell Aurangzeb that if he could convert Guru Tegh Bahadur they would gladly convert.

Four days later Guru Tegh Bahadur ji was arrested, along with some of his followers, Bhai Dayala, Bhai Mati Das and Bhai Sati Das. Bhai Sati Das was wrapped up in cotton wool, set alight and was roasted alive. Mati Das while standing erect was tied between two posts. Two executioners placed a double-handed saw on his head. Mati Das serenely uttered “Ek Onkar” and started reciting the Japji Sahib, the great morning prayer of the Sikhs. He was sawn in half from head to loins. It is said that even as the body was being sawn into two, the Japji continued to reverberate from each part until it was all over. The executioners sat Bhai Dyal Das in the cauldron of water under which a large fire was lit. Slowly the water was let warm; then it was hot; soon it was too hot and then it was boiling. Bhai Dyal Das continued to his last breath to recite Sikh prayers.

After Mati Das, Dyal Das and Sati Das were tortured and executed on three consecutive days, Guru Tegh Bahadur was beheaded at Chandni Chowk in 1675. Guru Tegh Bahadur is popularly known as “Hind Di Chadar” i.e. “The Shield of India”, in reference to his popular image as sacrificing his life for the protection of religious freedom in India. Another Sikh, Bhai Taru Singh ji was brought by Mughals before Lahore Governor Zakariya Khan and given the choice of converting to Islam or being executed. Taru Singh calmly asked, “Why must I become a Mussalman (a Muslim person)? Do not the Mussalmans ever die?” Upon his refusal, and in a public display, Bhai Taru Singh’s scalp was cut away from his skull with a sharp knife to prevent his hair from ever growing back. Bahi Taru Singh ji was left to bleed to his death by Mughals.

CRUELTY TO THE CHILDREN OF GURU GOBIND SINGH

In the battle of Chamkaur Sahib, Guru Gobind Singh lost his two young sons, Sahibzada Ajit Singh and Sahibzada Jujhar Singh. They fought bravely and attained martyrdom. But more painful to the heart is the death of the two younger sons of Guru Gobind Singh, Sahibzada Fateh Singh and Sahibzada Zorawar Singh.

There is no parallel to the martyrdom of such young boys in the annals of human history. Sahibzada Fateh Singh was less than Six years old (born 1699) and Sahibzada Zorawar Singh was just over eight (born in 1696). They laid down their lives in December 1705. They were bricked alive but did not bow before the tyranny of the Moghul government. They were willing to face death but not convert into Islam. Guru Gobind Singh was at the time in the forests of Machhiwara when the news of the martyrdom of his younger sons reached him. On hearing this he pulled out a plant with the tip of his arrow and prophesized that this tragedy will herald the uprooting of Moghul Empire in India. And to the Emperor he wrote: “It matters little if a jackal through cunning and treachery succeeds in killing two lion’s cubs, for the lion himself lives to inflict retribution on you.”

On receiving a memorandum from Guru Gobind Singh Ji, Aurangzeb’s peace of mind was shaken and he wrote another letter to his sons in which he stated “i do not know who I am, where i am, where i am to go and what will happen to a sinful person like me. Many like me have passed away wasting their lives. Allah was in my heart but my blind eyes failed to see him. I do not know how i will be received in Allah’s court. I do not have any hope for my future, I have committed many sins and do not know what punishments will be awarded to me in return”. He wanted to meet Guru Ji but died before he could do so.

CRUELTY TO OTHER MUSLIMS

For those Muslims who think that talking against Aurangzeb is equivalent to talking against Muslims, this would come as an eye-opener. It is generally accepted that Aurangzeb was a fanatic Sunni Muslim. His chief aim was to convert Dar-ul-Harb (India: the country of Kafirs or infidels) to Dar-ul-Islam (country of Islam). He was completely against Shia Muslims. Aurangzeb hated the minor Islamic religious sects, which differed from his orthodox interpretation of Islam.  He persecuted the Ismailia sect and their spiritual guide Qutb was put to death by order of Aurangzeb early in his reign. The sect was driven into secret ways of practicing their faith. Leading men were arrested and kept in prison on charge of teaching heresy. The Khojas, another Islamic sect were similarly persecuted. Their leader Saiyyid Shahji was arrested on orders of Aurangzeb, but he poisoned himself in the way. His despondent followers rebelled and were ruthlessly crushed and ‘butchered’ by the might of the Mughal Empire. And yes, he had his own brother Dara Shikoh killed because Dara Shikoh behaved more like a ‘Sufi’ and was an extremely tolerant person who did not despise Hindus. As punishment, Aurangzeb put Dara Shikoh’s head on a spear and put it on display outside his palace.

Historical records as recorded by Bhai Santokh Singh show that towards the end, Aurangzeb had lost all appetite and power of digestion and could not expel any waste and whatever he took acted as poison in his body. He was in great pain and torment and he remained in this condition for several days, terrified of death. Born in 1616, Aurangzeb lived for 91 years. Thus ended the reign of Pir Aurangzeb.