Scholars: Don’t poke Aurangzeb’s spirit now

Mumbai: Days after his 318th death anniversary, the ghost of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb has suddenly come to haunt Maharashtra politics with hideous cries to uproot his remains from the final resting place in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (ex-Aurangabad).

The state has witnessed many spirited protests and agitations by right-wingers, besides clashes in Nagpur, seeking to raze the nondescript and unmarked grave of Aurangzeb.

It is a stark contrast to his mother Mumtaz Mahal’s magnificent and famous Taj Mahal in Agra – a legacy of his father Emperor Shah Jahan to the world.

Several intellectuals from different communities are pained over the clamour to erase Aurangzeb’s grave in Khuldabad, where he died at the age of 88 (Nov. 3, 1618-March 3, 1707), and caution that it may bode ill in the coming times.

Personalities like intellectual Dr. Ram Puniyani, academic and Mumbai’s N.M. College retired Principal Dr. Urmila Rai, Marathi satirist Saby Pereira, corporate legal eagle Faranaaz Karbhari or Muslim academic Maulana M. Burhanuddin Qasmi have frowned at the goings-on which they are observing closely, in their interactions with The Perfect Voice.

They almost unanimously feel the government should not be seen ‘bowing down’ before lumpen elements from extremist groups for earning short-term political brownies fraught with long-term perils.

Dr. Ram Puniyani:

“Razing a historical monument or other such structures will not erase history. We must understand that whatever Aurangzeb did was more as an Emperor/Alamgir I.

The palace politics of that era was evil and brutal,” said Dr. Puniyani, writer-intellectual and an ex-medico with the IIT-Bombay.

He cited multiple instances of royal families in the past indulging in bloody coups, not sparing parents, brothers-sisters, progeny, etc. in their crazed lust for power or political compulsions; most recently the Nepal palace massacre of June 2001 when the entire Royal House of Gorkha dynasty was annihilated in a family feud.

Saby Pereira:

“Let the grave lie as it is. Till now it was ignored and probably should have been that way. Rather than demolish it, I suggest it should be rebuilt and beautifully decorated as a Monument to Marathas Victory over the Mughals,” said Pereira, eminent Marathi humorist.

Justifying his contentions, Pereira said that Aurangzeb, the longest reigning Mughal Emperor and also over the largest territory in the sub-continent and beyond, failed to vanquish the Marathas, and hence the grave should be converted into ‘a symbol and pride of Maratha history’.

Dr. Urmila Rai:

Academician and retired Principal of N.M. College, Vile Parle, Dr. Rai said she is “firmly opposed to causing any harm to the grave, saying destroying a piece of centuries-old history will not benefit the country today even a bit”.

“On the contrary, it will give rise to other poisons, hatred and enmity between communities coexisting peacefully for centuries. Those wanting to raze the Aurangzeb grave must first clarify whether it will solve modern day problems like inflation, unemployment, atrocities on women, etc,” Dr. Rai asserted.

Adv. Faranaaz Karbhari:

Corporate legal advisor Karbhari opined that whether to bury Aurangzeb’s grave or not would depend on how the modern society chooses to engage with its history.

She said that though it is valid to critique his reign and the damage it may have caused, destruction of his grave may not be the best solution today.

“Preservation, paired with education about his reign and its impact, offers a path that acknowledges historical complexity while promoting an inclusive, reflective approach to India’s past,” averred Adv. Karbhari.

Maulana M. Burhanuddin Qasmi:

Director of Markazul Maarif Education and Research Centre, Maulana Qasmi instantly red-flagged the very idea of tearing down any structure of historical relevance for political purposes, particularly since it can’t help resolve any modern issues.

“Sit, talk and sort out things. The Khuldabad grave is a part of India’s rich and vibrant history which must be preserved. Tomorrow, other demands may crop up like bulldozing the Taj Mahal or even the Haji Ali Dargah in Mumbai. There will be no end to the dark tunnel once you enter it,” said a grim Maulana Qasmi.

“There is no need to ‘punish’ those people now for their purported black or bloody deeds/crimes committed centuries or millennia ago, it will neither serve any purpose nor wipe out the history linked with it,” concluded

Dr. Puniyani.