AURUNGZEBE' (properly, Aurangztb, " ornament of time throne") was the most power ful of the great Moguls, the last who ruled with energy and effect. He was b. on the 22d Oct., 1618, and was 10 years old when, his grandfather dying, his father, Shah-Jelman, ascended the throne. A. early aspired to wield the rod of empire, but he craftily hid his designs beneath the cloak of piety. In 1657, his father, who had previously promoted him to high civil and military offices in the state, in performing the duties of which he greatly distinguished himself, was seized with an illness from which he was not expected to recover. The reins of power were at once seized by his eldest son, Mira, who treated his brothers very arbitrarily—Shujii at that time being governor of Bengal, A. of the Deccan, and Mdrad of Guzerat. The first immediately 'took up arms. A.'s policy was to let the two light it out, and exhaust each other, and then to play off his third brother against the victor. He conferred with Mtirad; assured him he had no earthly ambition; that the crown he strove for was a spiritual, and not a temporal one; and that, for affec tion's sake, and with a view to promote the interests of the true faith—Ddra was liberal in his religious opinions, and had written a book to prove that :Mohammed and Brahma agreed in all essential points—he would support his pretensions to the throne. Mtirad believed him, and the forces of the two were joined. Meanwhile, Darn having overcome Shujil's army, directed his forces against his other two brothers; but A.'s plausibility prevailed over thira's generals, who deserted, and Ditra had to seek safety in flight. By this time, however, Shah-Jehan had somewhat recovered. A. professed the utmost loyalty, but secretly gave his son instructions to take possession of Shah-Jehau's palace, which was done, and the aged monarch was made prisoner. A. next seized and confined his too confiding brother, Mdrad; and after a struggle of two or three years' duration, Wm and Shujit also fell into his power, and all three were put to death. The scepter was now firmly within the grasp of Aurungzebe. He professed not to care for the impe
,,rial insignia, but was ultimately induced to receive them on Aug. 2, 1678. He, at the same time, assumed the presumptuous title of Alemgir, " conqueror of the world.'" He also took the title of Mohi-eddin, "the reviver of religion." In the seventh year of A.'s reign. his father died, at a good old age; but there are suspicions, nevertheless, that his death was hastened by slow poison, administered by command of his son.
A.'s long reign admit' a century was distinguished by great outward prosperity; but the empire was diseased at its heart. Everywhere there was distrust; A., who had established his empire by fraud, was naturally enough distrusted by all. He lacked con fidence in his statesmen, who, in their turn, distrusted him and one another. His sons imitated him in his disobedience to his father, and the Hindoos, whom he treated with great harshness, excited the Mahrattas against him in the s. Still his great abilities sufficed during his reign not only to preserve his empire in tact, but even to enlarge it considerably. Discord between the monarchs of Bijapur and Golconda, which was mainly due to his policy when acting as governor of the Deccan, enabled him to add these two kingdoms to his empire. But the seeds of decay which had been sown in his reign bore ample fruit in the reign of his son. The decadence of the Mogul empire dates from A.'s death, which took place at Ahmednuggur, on the 21st Feb., 1707, in the 89th year of his age, and 50th of his reign. The latter years of A.'s life were passed in misery. The memory of his own crimes weighed heavy on his soul. Ile lived in constant dread that he himself would receive of the measure which he had meted out to others. His court was remarkable among oriental courts for its economy and freedom from ostentation. A.'s character was not without its good features, as instanced by the fact, that in the third year of his reign. when there was a great famine in the land, he gave unreservedly the funds of his treasury, which had been greatly augmented by his frugality, to procure food for his people.