Aurangzeb's tomb at the centre of a brewing political storm

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, formerly Aurangabad, is Maharashtra’s tourism capital. The city serves as a base for Ajanta Caves and Ellora Caves—both UNESCO World Heritage Sites—along with Grishneshwar Temple, which is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas. It is also a base for tourists visiting Lonar Lake/crater, a National Geo-Heritage Monument.

Another of its imposing structures is the Deogiri Killa, or the Daulatabad Fort. The fort, once considered impregnable by military standards, is the origin of the current political issue. Originally called Deogiri, meaning ‘Hill of Gods’, it was renamed as Daulatabad, which means the ‘Abode of Wealth’. The town was part of the caravan routes in the sixth century.

The city has been shaped by successive rulers of various dynasties – Satavahana, Vakataka, Chalukya, Rashtrakuta, Yadav, Khilji, Tuglaq, Bahmani Sultanate, Nizam Shahi, Deccan Sultans under Mughals, Hyderabad Nizams, and Marathas and Britishers.

From Deogiri or Devagiri, the Yadavas ruled a vast stretch between the Tungabhadra and Narmada rivers, covering parts of present-day Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Madhya Pradesh. In 1296, Alauddin Khilji defeated the Yadava king Krishna and placed the territory under his slave-general Malik Kafur. It remained under the control of the Delhi Sultanate. Muhammad bin Tughlaq later became the Sultan of Delhi and in 1327 shifted the capital to Deogiri and renamed it as Daulatabad. In 1334, however, the capital was back in Delhi. In 1499, Daulatabad became a part of the Ahmadnagar Sultanate.

In 1636, Mughal viceroy of the Deccan region Aurangzeb (November 3, 1618, to March 3, 1707) annexed the city into the Mughal Empire. In 1653, he renamed it Aurangabad and made it the capital of the Mughal Empire’s Deccan region. He ruled the empire from July 1658 until his death in March 1707. Khuldabad gained prominence during the Tughlaq period as an abode of Sufi saints and houses several significant structures and tombs, including those of Aurangzeb, Azam Shah and his wife, Zain-ud-din’s Dargah, Burhan-ud-din’s mausoleum, tombs of Asaf Jah and Nasir Jang, Bani Begum’s Maqbara, Khan Jahan’s Lal Bagh, Dargah of Malik Ambar, and the tombs of Tana Shah and Zar Zari Baksh. Aurangzeb’s Tomb is maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

Aurangzeb had a long and fraught history with the Marathas, especially with Shahaji Bhosale (March 18, 1594–January 23, 1664) and his son Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj (February 19, 1630–April 3, 1680). His hostility towards Shivaji’s son, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj (May 14, 1657 – March 11, 1689), was particularly brutal—Sambhaji, aged around 32, was captured and tortured for 40 days before being executed at Aurangzeb’s behest.

In 2022-2023, Aurangabad was officially renamed Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar.

Tensions had been brewing for months – ever since Chhaava (Marathi for lion cub), a historical film based on the life of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, was released.

The movie, inspired by late Shivaji Sawant’s book Chhaava, is based on the life of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, the son of the legendary Maratha warrior-king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. It is directed by Laxman Utekar and produced by Dinesh Vijan. Starring Vicky Kaushal as Sambhaji Maharaj, Rashmika Mandanna as Maharani Yesubai and Akshaye Khanna as Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, the film was released on February 14.

Scenes depicting Sambhaji Maharaj’s torture sparked widespread anger among people against Islamic rulers, particularly Mughals and specifically Aurangzeb. The controversy escalated when certain references vis-à-vis Sambhaji Maharaj in the film were deemed objectionable. Maharashtra CM Fadnavis, who also holds the Home and Law & Judiciary portfolios, directed the administration to ensure that objectionable references are removed. 

Then came the demand of razing Aurangzeb’s grave.

The issue flared up when Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Asim Azmi praised Aurangzeb, leading to his suspension from the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly for the ongoing budget session.

Meanwhile, Chhatrapati Udayanraje Bhosale of the Satara royal family, the 13th descendant of Shivaji Maharaj and a BJP MP, demanded that the grave be razed. “Those who visit Aurangzeb’s tomb and pay homage may be his future. They should take that tomb to their own homes, but the glorification of Aurangzeb will not be tolerated anymore,” he said. The Hindu Janjugriti Samiti urged the government to stop financial aid for the maintenance of the tomb.  Maharashtra Ports and Fisheries Minister Nitesh Rane too said that Aurangzeb’s grave should be razed. Fadnavis said that the tomb is under the protection of ASI: “It is the state’s duty to protect it. However, glorification of Aurangzeb will not be allowed.”

The issue took a violent turn on March 17 – Shivaji Maharaj’s birth anniversary – when the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal launched a Babri Masjid-style campaign, with the main function at Nagpur, the headquarters of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological fountainhead of the BJP.

Rumours circulated online that a copy of the Quran was burnt during a protest by Hindu organisations, triggering violent clashes in Nagpur. The police intervened and managed to quell the violence. “The mob targeted specific houses and establishments. It (the attack) appears to be a premeditated conspiracy… Police recovered a tempo full of stones and weapons. In the morning, after skirmishes, the situation was under control, but by evening, things escalated. This shows the violence was a well-planned attack,” said Chief Minister Fadnavis.

The demand to demolish Aurangzeb’s tomb is likely to rapidly turn into a nationwide controversy. As of now, security remains tight around the complex which houses several graves, including that of Aurangzeb. DHNS