Islamo-Sanskrit Engagements under Aurangzeb: Exploring lesser-known interactions between Islamic and Sanskrit traditions in Mughal India during his reign
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| Alamgir Aurangzeb - Representative Image |
Abstract
At a time when the third Mughal emperor Akbar is celebrated for his promotion of ‘Mughal engagements with Sanskrit’, his great-grandson Aurangazeb is criticized for its ‘decline’. However, analyzing background socio-political milieu, a different historical perspective is found. Although the sixth ruler of South Asian Mughal Empire Muhi al-Din Muhammad Alamgir Aurangazeb (1658-1707) is arguably characterized by religious intolerance, oppression of non-Muslim communities, demolition and discretion of their places of worship, a realm of intellectual and cultural exchange between Islamic, Sanskritic and other Indic traditions remains relatively unexplored.
The vilifying characterization of Auragazeb was touched off by the British colonialist ambitions which was carried on by later critics till the date in contemporary India. Paradoxically multiple works also came to light nullifying the unsubstantiated claims while providing a broader understanding. With an analytical and critical approach, this research relies on both classical and post-classical sources to uncover the delicate aspects of the topic in question. Several works of the contemporary South Asian historians like Andrew Trushchke and Allison Bushch as well as available primary sources in Persian and Indic languages (like manuscripts of seventeenth century Bhasa texts, Kachvāhā literature, etc.) with their analysis are given with more consideration. Production of these texts clearly expose the existing Sanskritic discourse in the reign of the ruler.
Moreover, this discourse highlights the existence of a vibrant multilingual and cross-culture milieu in the court of Arangazeb debunking the stereotype of his fanatical religiosity. The multifaceted and politically strategic ruler dealt with his complicated socio-political circumstances by unpredictable but effective approaches which aroused controversies regarding him. His bipolar portrayal of praise and criticism was also depicted in his contemporary texts like Chouhan’s ‘Mahabharat’ (S. Pillai, 2022). Many retellings of Hindu religious texts like Chandraman’s ‘Nargistan’ being dedicated to him and the royal court hosting scholars of Bhasa (Old Hindi) and other languages, like Mirza Zamir who translated the Ahobala Pandit’s Sanskrit ‘Sangeeta-Paarijaata’ into Farsi, indicate a symbiosis of non-Persianate ‘Mughal literature’ which probably promoted the mutual sharing of arts, literature, science and philosophy.
Overall, this work delves into exploring the nuances of Islamo-Sanskritic engagements during the period of frequently misinterpreted Mughal emperor Aurangazeb. In addition, the paper, with a sincere attempt, fills the gap in this time of ideological isolation, inviting a new perspective on the cross-cultural and intellectual history of the late Empire in South Asia.
Keywords: Mughal, Auraganzeb, Sanskrit, Literature, Religion, Culture
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