Aurangzeb tomb: The tomb of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in Khuldabad in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district has been in discussion for the last few days. There is a discussion because the demand to drop it is constantly gaining momentum. Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis is seen leading this campaign. Udayanraje Bhosle, a descendant of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and MP of Satara, has also supported the breaking of the tomb by calling Aurangzeb a thief. In the recently released film ‘Chhava’, the way the hanging of the Maratha ruler Sambhaji Maharaj was shown, the effect is that the demand to demolish Aurangzeb’s mausoleum is climbing so much.
Hinduist organizations like Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal are not only in the tomb breaking, as well as statements of BJP leaders are constantly in favor of breaking the tomb. Some leaders are presenting this tomb as Maratha Asmita to be conveyed. However, if we look at history, things also appear completely opposite. In fact, the Maratha rulers had maintained a respectable connection with the Mughal monuments during their rule. Chhatrapati Shahu, the fifth ruler of the Maratha Empire and grandson of Shivaji, also went to Aurangzeb’s grave to pay tribute.
Description of Shahu Maharaj’s visit in historical records
Aurangzeb hanged Sambhaji in 1689 and Sambhaji’s son Shahu I was imprisoned. After this, Chhatrapati Shahu spent the entire 18 years in the court of the Mughals. When Aurangzeb died in 1707, he was released after some time. After this, when Shahu became the first Maratha ruler, he went to pay tribute to Aurangzeb’s grave.
This journey of Shahu is mentioned in VG Khobrekar’s book ‘Maratha period’ on the history of Maratha state. In Richard Eaton’s book ‘A Social History of the Deccan’, Shahu I also get a description of visiting Aurangzeb’s grave.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tijhvypmlco
Despite the long -standing enmity between the Marathas and the Mughals and the death of Shahu I’s father Sambhaji Maharaj, Aurangzeb’s mausoleum was not molested during Shahu’s reign.
Mughal buildings were preserved in Maratha Raj
Even after Chhatrapati Shahu I first, most of the Mughal monuments including Aurangzeb’s tomb were not vandalized during the Maratha rule. The Marathas preserved many Mughal buildings. Many Mughal architecture and mosques were well preserved in Maratha-controlled areas. However, during the war with the Mughals, the Marathas definitely worked to loot the Mughal royal buildings, otherwise despite enmity, the Marathas adopted a balanced approach in terms of targeting religious places in their rule.
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