Revolts Against Aurangzeb: Causes, Nature, and Consequences

Introduction

Aurangzeb’s reign (1658–1707) was marked by continuous revolts and military conflicts that weakened the Mughal Empire. Unlike his predecessors, who relied on alliances and diplomacy, Aurangzeb adopted a rigid, centralized, and military-heavy governance style, alienating various regional powers, social groups, and religious communities.

The Revolts Against Aurangzeb can be broadly categorized into five main conflicts:

1. The Rajput Rebellions (Marwar and Mewar)
2. The Jat Revolt (Agra-Mathura region)
3. The Sikh Revolt (Punjab)
4. The Maratha Resistance (Deccan)
5. The Afghan Revolts (Northwest Frontier)

These revolts were not merely religious conflicts but were deeply rooted in issues of taxation, autonomy, regional aspirations, and Aurangzeb’s policies that disrupted the political equilibrium of the Mughal Empire.

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1. The Rajput Rebellions (1679-1707)

Background

Rajputs had been the most loyal allies of the Mughals since Akbar’s time. However, Aurangzeb’s annexation of Marwar after the death of Maharaja Jaswant Singh (1678) and interference in the succession of Mewar and Jodhpur led to a strong Rajput resistance.

Conflict with Marwar

• In 1679, Maharaja Ajit Singh, the infant son of Jaswant Singh, was denied the throne, and Marwar was placed under Mughal rule.
• Durgadas Rathore, a Rajput noble, organized a guerrilla resistance, challenging the Mughals in Rajasthan.
• The Mughal army’s harsh administration and temple destructions in the region further fueled Rajput resentment.

Conflict with Mewar

• Rana Raj Singh of Mewar initially supported Aurangzeb but later turned against him due to Mughal interference in Rajput internal affairs.
• A prolonged guerilla war was fought in the hills of Mewar, preventing the Mughals from completely subduing the region.

Outcome

• By 1698, after 19 years of warfare, Aurangzeb finally recognized Ajit Singh as the ruler of Marwar.
• However, the Rajput revolts against Aurangzeb severely weakened Mughal prestige, creating a permanent rift between Rajputs and Mughals.

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2. The Jat Revolts (1669-1691)

Causes

• Jats, primarily peasant cultivators and zamindars, were heavily taxed under Aurangzeb’s administration.
• The Mughal imperial roads to Deccan and Gujarat ports passed through Jat territories, making them crucial to Mughal supply chains.
• The destruction of temples in Mathura and Vrindavan (1670) fueled local resentment against Mughal rule.

Key Phases of Revolt

First Revolt (1669-1672) – Led by Zamindar Gokula

• Gokula, a local Jat zamindar, led the first uprising in Mathura, attacking Mughal officials.
• Aurangzeb personally ordered military action, resulting in Gokula’s execution in 1670.

Second Revolt (1685-1691) – Led by Raja Ram and Churaman

• Raja Ram and Churaman adopted guerrilla warfare against the Mughals.
• The Jats plundered Mughal supply routes, making travel between Delhi and Agra highly unsafe.
• The revolt was suppressed in 1691, but Jats remained rebellious and later established an independent Jat kingdom in Bharatpur in the 18th century.

Outcome

• Though temporarily suppressed, the Jats successfully laid the foundation for a future Jat state.
• The Mughal empire’s failure to control agrarian revolts weakened its authority.

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3. The Sikh Revolt (1675-1705)

Guru Tegh Bahadur’s Execution (1675)

• Guru Tegh Bahadur protested against forced religious conversions in Kashmir.
• He was arrested and executed in Delhi on Aurangzeb’s orders.
• This event radicalized the Sikh community, leading to the militarization of the Sikhs under Guru Gobind Singh.

Formation of the Khalsa (1699) and Open War

• Guru Gobind Singh founded the Khalsa in 1699, transforming Sikhs into a martial community.
• The Mughals launched several military campaigns against the Sikhs, but the community continued resisting Mughal rule.

Outcome

• The persecution of Sikhs created long-term animosity between the community and the Mughals.
• The Khalsa movement grew stronger, eventually forming the Sikh Empire in the 18th century.

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4. The Maratha revolts against Aurangzeb (1670-1707)

Shivaji’s Early Resistance (1660s-1674)

• Shivaji sacked Surat (1664), attacked Mughal territories, and defeated Mughal generals like Shaista Khan.
• After a failed alliance with the Mughals (Treaty of Purandar, 1665), Shivaji resumed his guerilla warfare tactics.
• In 1674, he crowned himself Chhatrapati at Raigarh, formally establishing the Maratha Empire.

Aurangzeb’s Deccan Campaign (1681-1707)

• After Shivaji’s death (1680), Aurangzeb personally led a 27-year-long campaign in the Deccan, fighting Sambhaji, Rajaram, and later, Shahu.
• In 1689, Sambhaji was captured and executed, but the Marathas intensified their resistance.
• Mughal forces occupied Bijapur and Golconda, but Maratha guerrilla tactics exhausted the Mughal army.

Outcome

• The Marathas successfully resisted Mughal domination and continued harassing Mughal supply lines.
• Aurangzeb died in 1707, having spent the last 27 years of his life unsuccessfully trying to subdue the Marathas.
• His Deccan policy bankrupted the Mughal treasury and paved the way for Maratha dominance in the 18th century.

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5. The Afghan Rebellions (1672-1675)

Causes

• The Afghans of the Northwest Frontier had always been unpredictable subjects of the Mughal Empire.
• Harsh Mughal taxation and forced military recruitment triggered multiple rebellions.

Major Afghan revolts against Aurangzeb

Revolt of Akmal Khan (1672)

• Akmal Khan declared himself an independent ruler, minting his own coins and issuing khutba (Friday sermons).
• The rebellion was crushed near the Khyber Pass, but Afghan unrest persisted.

Khyber Pass Revolt (1674-1675)

• Afghan warlords attacked Mughal supply routes, forcing Aurangzeb to deploy thousands of troops to maintain order.
• Mughal forces eventually restored control, but constant warfare drained resources.

Outcome

• The Afghan tribes continued to defy Mughal rule, showing the limits of Mughal expansion.
• This foreshadowed future instability, which later allowed Persians and Afghans to raid Delhi in the 18th century.

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Conclusion: How revolts against Aurangzeb Weakened the Mughal Empire

Aurangzeb’s reign was marked by unending warfare, leaving the Mughal administration overstretched and financially drained. His military focus on Deccan and North India left other regions poorly governed, leading to:

1. Heavy taxation and administrative inefficiency.
2. Rise of regional powers like Marathas, Jats, and Sikhs.
3. Permanent estrangement of Rajputs from the Mughal fold.
4. Economic decline due to prolonged wars and military expenses.

By the time of Aurangzeb’s death in 1707, the Mughal Empire was no longer a centralized, powerful state but a fragmented, weakened entity, paving the way for its eventual downfall in the 18th century.