Aurangzeb:

The sixth ruler of Mughal Empire,the son of emperor Shah Jahan. He was born on 3
rd November, 1618. A devout Muslim, he strictly adhered to Islam and made sure t
hat his kingdom followed the same. He was not religiously tolerant like his ance
stors and made Islamic law the foundation of reign. He destroyed many Hindu temp
les and forced many non-Muslims to convert into Islam.
Aurangzeb retained the throne for almost 50 years. He spread the extent of Mugha
l Empire to the entire Indian sub continent barring the southernmost tip of Indi
a. However, his constant battles and wars over-extended the empire alarmingly an
d isolated from the Rajput allies. The subjects and citizens showed resentment b
ut no one had the power or strength to do a revolt. The religious policies of Au
rangzeb widened the gap between Hindus and Muslims. He is generally considered t
o be the last successful Mughal emperor.
Aurangzeb was a simple man who led a pious life. He never touched alcohol and le
d a simple life. His predecessors were lavish in their lifestyle. Aurangzeb did
not like architecture and not many monuments are credited to him. Aurangzeb disl
iked music and banned any form of music or dance in his kingdom. Most of his lif
e was spent on the battlefield conquering territories.
Though Aurangzeb was an able warrior and fiercely protected his territories, his
weakness was that he was too strict and cruel. He never committed injustice and
remained a just ruler. However, his state policies and way of ruling only anger
ed the citizens and they turned against him. Slowly the Mughal Empire started to
go towards its decline. By the time he reached 90 years of age, he realized he
had committed many sins and led the life of an ascetic. He died on 3rd March, 17
07 and was buried in a modest tomb.