Book Review: Aurangzeb- The Man and The Myth by Audrey Truschke

The author of this book specializes in Mughal history and Mughal Empire. This book is based on eight chapters. Aurangzeb ruled for forty-nine years over a population of 150 million people. Being the sixth ruler of the Mughal Empire he named himself ‘seizer of the world’ (Alamgir). Aurangzeb was a complex ruler who the author thinks has wrongly been attributed as a villain in history. Aurangzeb longed for territory, political power and adopted a particular ideal of justice.

Some consider him as a religious fanatic who destroyed temples and restricted celebration of Holi. The author stresses that such arguments remain invalid as Aurangzeb issued many articles protecting Hindu temples, granted stipends and lands to Brahmins. Moreover, the author explains that Aurangzeb consulted Hindu ascetics on health matters and employed more Hindus in his administration than any prior Mughal ruler. In fact, the top positions in his government were given to Hindus. Raghunatha was appointed diwani (Chief finance minister of the empire) by Auragzeb.

Aurangzeb was born in 1618. He rose to power by killing his brothers and later kept his father Shah Jahan (under house arrest) for more than 7 years. He eliminated the position of a formal court historian, supported a vast imperial library and sponsored the construction of Badshahi masjid in Lahore- built at a time when it stood as the largest mosque in the world. He spent the first half of his reign mainly at Court in Delhi and the second half campaigning in the Deccan. Between 1679 and 1707, Aurangzeb increased Hindu participation at the elite levels of the Mughal state by nearly 50 percent. Hindus rose to 31.6 percent of the Mughal nobility.

Shivaji and Aurangzeb’s fight is highlighted in chapter four. Shivaji was a master of raids and guerilla warfare. The Mughal-Maratha conflict was shaped by lust for raw power. The author believes that both Mughal and Maratha writers gave the rivalry a religious touch, which was not the case. In fact, it was a thirst for political power.

Chapter five elaborates the morality and leadership in Aurangzeb. Aurangzeb prayed regularly, did not consume alcohol and opium. His interpretation of Islam included talismanic aspects and when religious obligations conflicted with state interests he put his weight behind the latter. Aurangzeb sponsored a legal book named Fatwa-i-Alamgiri, revived Jazya tax after one hundred years, tried to ban/limit alcohol, opium, prostitution, gambling, inflammatory theological writings and public celebrations of religious festivals. Aurangzeb had thousands of temples in his domain and yes he did destroy some.  He believed that Kings represent God on earth and thus must ensure peace on earth including religious communities.

The author believes that for Aurangzeb Islamic teachings and Mughal teachings made him protect Hindu temples, pilgrimage destinations, and holy men. The idea that religious institutions could be subject to politically motivated destructions makes many modern people see red, but pre-modern Indians did not show such a firm line between religion and politics.

Furthermore, the author is of the view that: “Hindu kings targeted one another’s temples beginning in the seventh century, regularly looting and defiling images of Dogra, Ganesha, Vishnu, and so forth. They also periodically destroyed each other’s temples. Some Hindu kings ever commissioned Sanskrit poetry to celebrate and memorialize such actions. Indo-Muslim rulers, such as Aurangzeb, followed suit in considering Hindu temples legitimate targets of punitive state action.”

Within a few decades of Aurangzeb’s death, the Mughal empire lost all it had gained in Deccan, and the empire started crumbling. By 1700s, Aurangzeb favored his grandsons over his sons. Aurangzeb died in 1707 and is buried in an unmarked grave within the Chishti Sufi Shrine of Zaynuddin Shirazi in Khuldabad.

Aurangzeb was an emperor devoted to power, his vision of justice, and expansion. In seven years between 1712 and 1719, four Mughal Kings ruled in quick succession. In total five kings ascended the Mughal throne in the thirteen years after Aurangzeb’s death, as compared to four kings in the previous one hundred and fifty years. The author adds: “From late 1750s onward, the East India Company stripped the already-reduced Mughals of nearly all the trappings of actual sovereigns, including their landholdings, an army, and their ability to collect revenue.”

Aurangzeb was an excellent military tactician who believed in his own brand of justice, upheld Mughal traditions and expanded his grip over subcontinent. He died expanding the Mughal dynasty to its maximum. He is considered to play a very important role in the Indian medieval history.

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Book Review: A Life History of Allan Fakeer by Raza Hyder Mugheri

A life History of Allan Fakeer is a dissertation on a legend from Sindh. It covers many aspects of the legend’s life. This book is a scholarly work based on five chapters. The introductory chapter briefly explains different approaches used by anthropologists to study life history. This is done to give a better understanding of the research study.

The second chapter includes the introductions of locale, where the study has been conducted. Titled ‘Life History of Allan Fakeer’, the third chapter gives a detailed account of Allan Fakeer’s life. In the fourth chapter Fakeer’s singing, his style and performance are discussed. The final concluding chapter is regarding Allan Fakeer’s life. His life is analyzed keeping in view a theoretical framework.

Allan Fakeer belongs to the Manganhar community. Some say Manganhar tribe was actually Samma people and because of their profession Mangan (to beg) their caste became Manganhar. Allan’s father was Zawar Daim Ali Fakeer, a well-known drummer. As Allan Fakeer grew old he participated in many ceremonies of his village. He did this with his father playing drums together. He also learned Jhumar (dance) and Sehra (wedding songs) from his father. Allan Fakeer’s mother’s death was the main turning point in Allan Fakeer’s life. Allan’s step mother was rude to him and his father did not pay enough attention to him.

Allan’s step mother was rude to him and his father did not pay enough attention to him. 

Allan started wandering all day. He befriended a person named Daud Fakeer outside Manjhand village. Daud Fakeer was a hermaphrodite who served Allan Fakeer with opium and he became habitual of it. In his village Allan Fakeer was dishonored due to his association with Daud Fakeer. Allan left his village and started begging in trains and buses. In 1976 Allan married his cousin.

 For food he preferred eating fish and pulses fried in black chilies. Allan’s dress and style was very unique. Parts of his clothing are briefly explained. The famous Sindhi poet Shaikh Ayaz appointed Allan Fakeer as a staff Artist in Sindhology. His basic pay was 470 rupees per month. He was not regular in his job due to private performances. Once Allan Fakeer’s beard and mustache were shaved as he had attended a function arranged by Muthada Qoumi Movement (M.Q.M), on the insistence of his close friend. This had a impact on Allan Fakeer.

Allan Fakeer was addicted to charas and hash. He was also fond of drinking. Moreover, he was also suffering from hypertension and diabetes. He died on 4^th July 2000 in Karachi. His dead body was later shifted to Jamshoro. Allan was a comedian, singer, performer and musician. He received numerous awards, both national and international. Allan Fakeer had memorized all poems of Shah-Jo-Risalo; sang folk, Sufi, ceremonial and patriotic poetry. In addition to that Allan Fakeer was a regular singer at the shrines of Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai, Sachal Sarmast and Qalandar Lal Shahbaz.

In the concluding chapter of the book the writer argues that the death of Allan Fakeer’s mother was a major turning point in the life history of Allan Fakeer. The author stresses that: “Allan Fakeer;s ascribed status was that of a Manganhar. He performed many roles by his self-choices to earn his living. He was looking for a new role and a new identity. Ultimately, his choice of singing Shah-Jo-Raag in his own created style helped him becoming a folk singer. He adopted a cultural role that gave him an enduring identity.”

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Book Review: Ice Mummy- The Discovery of a 5000-year-old man by Mark Dubowski and Cathy East Dubowski

This is a short interesting read about a mummy. The special thing about this mummy is its discovery by two hikers. In Sept 1991 two German hikers hike in the Alps, the border region where Austria meets Italy. Reinhold Messner, a famous mountaineer later looks at the body. He believes that the body is not hundred years old but it may be thousands of years old.

Dr. Rainer Henn comes to examine the body. Dr. Henn and his helpers put the mummy in a bag. They take it for examination. The mummy is kept inside a room where the temperature is 21.2 degrees Fahrenheit. This is to prevent the mummy from rotting. Dr. Konrad Spindler later examines the mummy and believes that it is at least 4000 years old. An axe, jacket, pants and animal boots made of animal skins are under study. Carbon-14 dating shows that the mummy is more than 5000 years old. The reason for the man’s death is freezing. In Bolzano Italy a museum has been built for the Ice mummy so that people could see it with their own eyes.

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