Biography of Aurangzeb, Emperor of Mughal India

Biography of Aurangzeb, Emperor of Mughal India Emperor Aurangzeb of Indias Mughal Dynasty (November 3, 1618–March 3, 1707) was a ruthless leader who, despite his willingness to take the throne over the bodies of his brothers, went on to create a golden age of Indian civilization. An orthodox  Sunni Muslim, he reinstated taxes and laws penalizing Hindus and imposing Sharia law. At the same time, however, he greatly expanded the Mughal empire and was described by his contemporaries as being disciplined, pious, and intelligent. Fast Facts: Aurangzeb Known For: Emperor of India; builder of the Taj MahalAlso Known As: Muhi-ud-Din Muhammad, AlamgirBorn: November 3, 1618  in Dahod, IndiaParents: Shah Jahan,  Mumtaz MahalDied: March 3, 1707  in Bhingar, Ahmednagar, IndiaSpouse(s): Nawab Bai,  Dilras Banu Begum,  Aurangabadi MahalChildren: Zeb-un-Nissa, Muhammad Sultan, Zinat-un-Nissa, Bahadur Shah I, Badr-un-Nissa, Zubdat-un-Nissa, Muhammad Azam Shah, Sultan Muhammad Akbar, Mehr-un-Nissa, Muhammad Kam BakhshNotable Quote: Strange, that I came into the world with nothing, and now I am going away with this stupendous caravan of sin! Wherever I look, I see only God...I have sinned terribly, and I do not know what punishment awaits me. (supposedly communicated on his deathbed) Early Life Aurangzeb was born on November 3, 1618, the third son of Prince Khurram (who would become  Emperor Shah Jahan) and the Persian princess Arjumand Bano Begam. His mother is more commonly known as Mumtaz Mahal, Beloved Jewel of the Palace. She later inspired Shah Jahan to build the Taj Mahal. During Aurangzebs childhood, however, Mughal politics made life difficult for the family. Succession did not necessarily fall to the eldest son. Instead, the sons built armies and competed militarily for the throne. Prince Khurram was the favorite to become the next emperor, and his father bestowed the title Shah Jahan Bahadur, or Brave King of the World, on the young man. In 1622, however, when Aurangzeb was 4 years old, Prince Khurram learned that his stepmother was supporting a younger brothers claim to the throne. The prince revolted against his father  but was defeated after four years. Aurangzeb and a brother were sent to their grandfathers court as hostages. When Shah Jahans father died in 1627, the rebel prince became Emperor of the Mughal Empire. The 9-year-old Aurangzeb was reunited with his parents at Agra in 1628. The young Aurangzeb studied statecraft and military tactics, the Quran, and languages in preparation for his future role. Shah Jahan, however, favored his first son Dara Shikoh and believed that he had the potential to become the next Mughal emperor. Aurangzeb, Military Leader The 15-year-old Aurangzeb proved his courage in 1633. All of Shah Jahans court was arrayed in a pavilion and watching an elephant fight when one of the elephants ran out of control. As it thundered toward the royal family, everyone scattered except Aurangzeb, who ran forward and headed off the furious pachyderm. This act of near-suicidal bravery raised Aurangzebs status in the family. The following year, the teenager got command of an army of 10,000 cavalry and 4,000 infantry; he soon was dispatched to put down the Bundela rebellion. When he was 18, the young prince was appointed viceroy of the Deccan region, south of the Mughal heartland. When Aurangzebs sister died in a fire in 1644, he took three weeks to return home to Agra rather than rushing back immediately. Shah Jahan was so angry about his tardiness that he stripped Aurangzeb of his viceroy of Deccan title. Relations between the two deteriorated the following year, and Aurangzeb was banished from court. He bitterly accused the emperor of favoring Dara Shikoh. Shah Jahan needed all of his sons in order to run his huge empire, however, so in 1646 he appointed Aurangzeb governor of Gujarat. The following year, the 28-year-old Aurangzeb also took up the governorships of Balkh (Afghanistan) and Badakhshan (Tajikistan) on the empires vulnerable northern flank. Although Aurangzeb had a lot of success in extending Mughal rule north and westward, in 1652 he failed to take the city of Kandahar, Afghanistan from the Safavids. His father again recalled him to the capital. Aurangzeb would not languish in Agra for long, though; that same year, he was sent south to govern the Deccan once more. Aurangzeb Fights for the Throne In late 1657, Shah Jahan became ill. His beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal had died in 1631 and he never really got over her loss. As his condition worsened, his four sons by Mumtaz began to fight for the Peacock Throne. Shah Jahan favored the eldest son Dara, but many Muslims considered him too worldly and irreligious. Shuja, the second son, was a hedonist who used his position as governor of Bengal as a platform for acquiring beautiful women and wine. Aurangzeb, a much more committed Muslim than either of the elder brothers, saw his chance to rally the faithful behind his own banner. Aurangzeb craftily recruited his younger brother Murad, convincing him that together they could remove Dara and Shuja and place Murad on the throne. Aurangzeb disavowed any plans to rule himself, claiming that his only ambition was to make the hajj to Mecca. Later in 1658 as the combined armies of Murad and Aurangzeb moved north toward the capital, Shah Jahan recovered his health. Dara, who had crowned himself regent, stepped aside. The three younger brothers refused to believe that Shah Jahan was well, though, and converged on Agra, where they defeated Daras army. Dara fled north but was betrayed by a Baluchi chieftain and brought back to Agra in June 1659. Aurangzeb had him executed for apostasy from Islam and presented his head to their father. Shuja also fled to Arakan (Burma) and was executed there. Meanwhile, Aurangzeb had his former ally Murad executed on trumped-up murder charges in 1661. In addition to disposing of all of his rival brothers, the new Mughal Emperor placed his father under house arrest in Agra Fort. Shah Jahan lived there for eight years, until 1666. He spent most of his time in bed, gazing out the window at the Taj Mahal. The Reign of Aurangzeb Aurangzebs 48-year reign is often cited as a Golden Age of the Mughal Empire, but it was rife with trouble and rebellions. Although Mughal rulers from Akbar the Great through Shah Jahan practiced a remarkable degree of religious tolerance and were great patrons of the arts, Aurangzeb reversed both of these policies. He practiced a much more orthodox, even fundamentalist version of Islam, going so far as to outlaw music and other performances in 1668. Both Muslims and Hindus were forbidden to sing, play musical instruments, or to dance- a serious damper on the traditions of both faiths in India. Aurangzeb also ordered the destruction of Hindu temples, although the exact number is not known. Estimates range from under 100 to tens of thousands. In addition, he ordered the enslavement of Christian missionaries. Aurangzeb expanded Mughal rule both north and south, but his constant military campaigns and religious intolerance rankled many of his subjects. He did not hesitate to torture and kill prisoners of war, political prisoners, and anyone he considered un-Islamic. To make matters worse, the empire became over-extended and Aurangzeb imposed ever higher taxes in order to pay for his wars. The Mughal army was never able to completely quash Hindu resistance in the Deccan, and the Sikhs of northern Punjab rose up against Aurangzeb repeatedly throughout his reign. Perhaps most worryingly for the Mughal emperor, he relied heavily on Rajput warriors, who by this time formed the backbone of his southern army and were faithful Hindus. Although they were displeased with his policies, they did not abandon Aurangzeb during his lifetime, but they revolted against his son as soon as the emperor died. Perhaps the most disastrous revolt of all was the Pashtun Rebellion of 1672–1674. Babur, the founder of the Mughal Dynasty, came from Afghanistan to conquer India, and the family had always relied upon the fierce Pashtun tribesmen of Afghanistan and what is now Pakistan to secure the northern borderlands. Charges that a Mughal governor was molesting tribal women sparked a revolt among the Pashtuns, which led to a complete breakdown of control over the northern tier of the empire and its critical trade routes. Death On March 3, 1707, the 88-year-old Aurangzeb died in central India. He left an empire stretched to the breaking point and riddled with rebellions. Under his son Bahadur Shah I, the Mughal Dynasty began its long, slow decline into oblivion, which finally ended when the British sent the last emperor into exile in 1858  and established the British Raj in India. Legacy Emperor Aurangzeb is considered to be the last of the Great Mughals. However, his ruthlessness, treachery, and intolerance surely contributed to the weakening of the once-great empire. Perhaps Aurangzebs early experiences of being held hostage by his grandfather and being constantly overlooked by his father warped the young princes personality. Certainly, the lack of a specified line of succession did not make family life particularly easy. The brothers must have grown up knowing that one day they would have to fight one another for power. In any case, Aurangzeb was a fearless man who knew what he had to do in order to survive. Unfortunately, his choices left the Mughal Empire itself far less able to fend off foreign imperialism in the end. Sources Ikram, S.M, Ed. Ainslie T. Embree.  Muslim Civilization in India. New York: Columbia University Press, 1964.Spear, T.G. Percival. â€Å"Aurangzeb.†Ã‚  Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica, 27 Feb. 2019.Truschke, Audrey. â€Å"The Great Aurangzeb Is Everybodys Least Favourite Mughal.†Ã‚  Aeon, 4 Apr. 2019.

Australian Social Class Essays

Australian Social Class Essays Australian Social Class Paper Australian Social Class Paper Life chances include access to resources such as lath, education, occupation, housing and health. An individuals opportunities to access such resources vary according to social classes. To illustrate the extent to which a persons social class impacts on his or her life chances in Australia, this paper will begin with an examination of social class, including the major theories behind the concept of class. Life chances will also be defined, as will inequality and social mobility within Australia. Finally, evidence on how social class (particularly socio-economic status) Impacts life chances will be considered. Social class can be described as the hierarchical grouping of Individuals based on their economic position. While Australia is often described as an egalitarian society that is free of class barriers, Holmes et al argues that The rhetoric of equality becomes incomprehensible when basic measurements of inequality are looked at in any detail (Holmes, Hughes, Julian 2006 p. 91). According to data gathered by the United Nations Development Program, Australia is the worlds fifth-most unequal developed nation. Between the mid sasss and mid sasss, incomes of the top 20% of earners grew four times faster than that of the bottom 20%. Mishmash 2009, The Age 16 Gauge 2009). A study by Andrew Leigh revealed that in the early 1 asss, a CEO In a top 50 company earned 27 times more than the national average; only a decade later it was 98 times more. While these figures represent significant inequality wealth Australia, Elegies study also revealed that the Inequality gap In accumulated wealth Is twice as wide as it is in take home pay (Mishmash 2009, The Age 1 6 Gauge 2009). The existence of class within Australia can be explained from various theoretical perspectives, most of which are based on the class theories of Marx and Weber. Marx identified a two-class model, including an upper / ruling class that own the means of production and a working class that provide the labor for the ruling class. Weber expanded on Mars theory with the addition of two middle classes and also identified other indicators of class from within the social order that are more transparent, such as status groups. ASPI defines status as a system in which people are ranked on the basis of the amount of honor, prestige or esteem they receive (ASPI 1996 pop) While status differences can Influence variations In lifestyle, ASPI argues that It Is class differences that Influence life chances. Socio-economic status refers to a combination of the dimensions of class and status, of which wealth Is a central determinant. Almost all class theories recognize the existence of a ruling class, middle class and working class in Australia, however there is now debate over the existence of an underclass, consisting of the permanently unemployed and low income earners. The upper class consists of the wealthiest 5-10% of the population, whose wealth comes from the control of property and capital. ASPI argues that those who own and intro the economic resources are in a position to make important decisions about their own lives and the lives of other people, and often therefore determine the life chances of others (ASPI 1996 p. 77). The middle class consists mainly of individuals with non manual occupations and can be broken down to include upper middle class (professions egg doctors, dentists, lawyers etc) and lower middle class (routine white collar Jobs). The working class has been distinguished by its non ownership of the means of production. According to Marx, their role is to provide labor power to the lulling class. Traditionally consisting of manual workers and consistent with low income, the inferior market situation of this class is reflected in life chances. According to Van Krieger et al, various studies have shown that manual workers are more likely to die younger, suffer from poor health, miss out on home ownership, be convicted of a criminal offence and have children that do not go on to higher education. Perhaps the key determinant of socio-economic status or social class is wealth. Referring to the total assets or property that a person possesses, ASPI argues that Wealth confers economic and social power; it provides security in times of unexpected expenditure and provides greater freedom of choice in everyday life (ASPI 1996, pop). It is wealth that enables the purchase of assets such as housing and allows access to educational and health facilities. Without these, life chances are inhibited. Evidence suggests that wealth is heavily concentrated in Australia. A 2002 HILLS survey revealed that the bottom half of the population own less than 10% of the total household net worth While the wealthiest 10% account for 45% of total household net worth (Headed, Marks, Wooden 2004 p. L). Wealth is strongly linked to inheritance, thus maintaining its concentration. Just as wealth is linked to inheritance, so too is poverty. According to Orgy Where persons starts in the income and wealth distribution curve has an important bearing on their life chances (Orgy 2006, Pl 7). A 2005 study by The Brotherhood of SST Laurence found that those born into poverty have far higher instances of infant mortality, poor immunization against disease, higher risk of mental health problems, low birth weight babies and youth suicide (Scuttles Smyth, 2005 p ). Within Australia, evidence suggests that an individuals life chances are redundantly determined by his or her ascribed inequalities, such as gender, race and family background. In an a society with equality of opportunity it would be the achieved inequalities such as education, occupation and skills that would determine life chances, however as argued by ASPI He ascribed attribute of family background has a major influence on the education an individual will receive and on ten occupation en/seen wall enter, regardless AT ten telltales AT ten Uninominal (Aspen 1996, pop). The ascribed attribute of family background is a key determinant of social class. Social mobility refers to the ease and frequency by which indiv iduals can move up the social hierarchy to a higher class. Social mobility can occur either within an individuals lifetime (intra-generational mobility) or between generations (inter- generational mobility), and cab be used as a tool to measure the degree of equality within a society. In an egalitarian society, social mobility would be fluid. An individual born into a low social class would not necessarily remain stagnant within that class. This is not the case in most developed countries, including Australia. ASPI argues hat While it is possible in theory to move up the hierarchy, rags to riches stories are very rare and mobility is fairly limited (ASPI 1996, p. 72), while Orgy argues that there is a high degree of inter-generational transmission of poor social and economic outcomes in Australia (Orgy 2006, pop). There are several barriers inhibiting social mobility in Australia, resulting in a cycle of disadvantage for many. Such barriers include income and assets, employment, education, health and housing. The 2005 study by The Brotherhood of SST Laurence revealed that educational opportunities have a significant impact on the lower class. Children born into the underprivileged areas are less likely to have access to pre- schools, less likely to achieve adequacy in literacy and innumeracy tests and more likely to begin and remain in lower paying vocations. Perhaps one of the more compelling examples originates from a study conducted in Victoria and New South Wales that states 25% of all early school leavers come from Just 5% of postcodes (Scuttles and Smyth 2005, p. 17). Limitations on the lower classes to achieve wealth impacts their ability to provide adequate housing for their children. Scuttles and Smyth argue that a child raised without a secure home faces barriers to higher educational achievement and later Job security, which may lead to homeless raising families who in turn become homeless (Scuttles and Smyth 2005, p. 5). There are significant inequalities within Australia, indicating the existence of a hierarchical class structure. Australian society consists of an upper class, a middle class and a working class, although there is also debate on the existence of an underclass. An individuals position within this class structure largely ultimately determines his or her life chances. Opportunities to achieve desirable life outc omes, including wealth, occupation, quality education, good health and housing differ between the social classes. A lack of social mobility in Australia means social class in Australia operates cyclically. Those born into economic disadvantage are not only likely to remain that way, but will also eventually pass on their economic circumstances to their offspring. Similarly, those born into higher socio-economic families are more likely to have access to quality education, achieve occupational success, acquire wealth, enjoy better health and produce offspring that will in turn share the same opportunities.

Technology and Issues with Modern Communication Essay

Technology and Issues with Modern Communication - Essay Example e benefits of modern technology to an effective communication, there are also four words that pose challenges that we should think about – Communication, Ubiquitous, Consequential, & Complex†. Today, the internet and mobile phones are one of the mostly used medium of communication as it provides real-time messages to be exchanged, not to mention the affordability of doing so. However, we can see a paradigm shift in the kind of messages we now create – from detailed sentences to communicate as sending letters would always put pressure on enveloping the whole message before sending it out because of the time it will take to get to the recipient and the cost, convenience we now enjoy with modern technology makes us shift to a conversational way of communicating (Thomas, M.). Thus, most of the time, we fail to establish the story or the purpose of a message and go directly to the main point which somehow fails to deliver the point to a recipient. The next challenge would be the ubiquitous & consequential quality of modern technology. We all know that technologies that aid us to communicate are universal. Everyone now has easy access to it. However, one downside to this would be the fact that everyone desires to get a hold of the faster gadget available with more features for a better exchange of messages without really taking time to get proper education on how to use it. Thus, increased spending, not getting the most of a certain gadget, and at the same time lessened person to person interaction is diminished because of the proliferation of social media. Also, modern technology being deemed to be consequential to the quality of life has a strong tendency to be merely an object that describes a status quo instead of being used as an instrument to establish lasting and sustainable peer interaction, friendships, and successful business transactions. Lastly, as with great power comes great responsibility, one of the downsides of modern technology would be the