Episodes
Aurangzeb's Gardens: The Emperor Who Planted Paradise
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Aurangzeb's gardens — the orchards, pleasure grounds, and shaded retreats he cultivated across the Mughal Empire. From the terraced gardens of Kashmir to the vineyards of the Deccan, we uncover how the emperor who spent decades at war also planted thousands of fruit trees, built aqueducts to water them, and sought solace in green spaces. We visit the Bagh-i-Jahanara in Delhi, the gardens of Aurangabad, and the famous Shalimar Bagh in Kashmir, drawing on…
Aurangzeb's War Horses: The Cavalry That Carried an Empire
In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore the overlooked workhorses of Mughal warfare: the war horses that carried Aurangzeb's armies through the Deccan for decades. From the prized horses of Turan and Iran to the hardy Deccan ponies, Lucas details how the Mughal cavalry was organized, supplied, and maneuvered, drawing on the Maasir-i-Alamgiri and the Fatawa-e-Alamgiri. He explains the crucial role of the remount system, the logistics of fodder and water, and the devastating…
Aurangzeb's Jizya Tax: Faith, Finance, and Rebellion
In this episode, Lucas and Luna examine Aurangzeb's reimposition of the jizya tax on non-Muslims in 1679—a decision that reshaped the Mughal Empire. They trace the tax's history from its Quranic origins through earlier Mughal practice, and explore Aurangzeb's motivations: piety, fiscal need, and political calculation. The conversation covers protests from Hindus and Jains, including a dramatic crowd at the Red Fort, and the tax's role in fueling Rajput and Maratha resistance. Drawing on sources…
Aurangzeb's Water Works: Canals, Wells, and an Empire's Thirst
Aurangzeb is remembered for war and piety, but what about water? In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the emperor's hydraulic projects across the Mughal Empire — from the massive canal he commissioned in the Punjab to the stepwells and baolis of the Deccan. Drawing on Mughal chronicles like the Maasir-i-Alamgiri and the Fatawa-e-Alamgiri, they uncover how water infrastructure shaped settlement, agriculture, and even military strategy. Discover the engineers behind these works, the role of…
Aurangzeb's Spies: The Empire's Hidden Eyes
In a realm stretching from Kabul to the Deccan, Aurangzeb relied on an intricate network of spies and informants to keep his grip on power. This episode follows the emperor's intelligence machine: the royal news-writers (waqia-nawis) who documented every court session, the secret reporters (khufia-nawis) who shadowed nobles, and the postal runners who carried their dispatches across thousands of miles. We meet Munshi Muhammad Israfil, a news-writer in the Deccan whose reports survive in Persian…
Aurangzeb's Arrest of His Daughter: A Family Fracture
In 1681, the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb arrested his own daughter, Princess Zeb-un-Nissa, and confined her for the last two decades of her life. Why would a ruler imprison his child? This episode unpacks the family and political fracture that led to the arrest — the flight of her full brother Prince Akbar to the Marathas, the rebellion that shook the Deccan, and the suspicion that fell on the most learned woman in the empire. We look at what the Maasir-i-Alamgiri and the Fatawa-e-Alamgiri tell us…
Aurangzeb's Army: The Mughal Military Machine
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the vast military apparatus of Aurangzeb's Mughal Empire — not just the battles, but the logistics, technology, and diversity of forces that sustained a 50-year reign. They discuss the mansabdari system, which tied rank to military obligation and created a complex hierarchy of commanders; the elite ahadis, imperial guards who answered directly to the emperor; the crucial role of the artillery, from massive cannons like the Zarb Zaman to the swift…
Aurangzeb's Deccan Letter: The Emperor Who Spoke Marathi
In Episode 200 of Fexingo History, we look at a side of Aurangzeb that rarely makes it into the grand narratives of war and policy: the emperor's personal letters — many written in Marathi. These weren't courtly documents composed by scribes; they were dictated, often from military camps, to farmers, local officials, and even Maratha warriors. Through them we hear a ruler trying to govern a vast Deccan by correspondence, offering practical instructions on irrigation, grain prices, and land…
Aurangzeb's Ramadan: The Sultan of Fasting at War
In the year 1703, the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, aged eighty-five and deep in the Deccan wars, observed Ramadan with a ferocity that stunned his court. This episode of Fexingo History follows the emperor through the holy month: his pre-dawn meals, his daylight fasts, his night prayers, and the strange spectacle of a king at war who refused to break his fast even as cannonballs flew. We explore the practicalities of imperial fasting—how the royal kitchen adjusted, how soldiers coped, and how…
Aurangzeb's Deccan Exile: The Emperor Who Died Far From Home
In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore the final years of Aurangzeb's life, when the aging emperor left Delhi and never returned. They trace his slow, grinding wars in the Deccan, the daily routines of a ruler who slept on the ground and sewed caps, and the letters he wrote to his sons — full of regret and political calculation. The conversation moves from the siege of Golconda to the fall of Bijapur, then to the guerilla campaigns of the Marathas and the famine that emptied…
Aurangzeb's Deccan War: The Siege of Golconda
In 1687, Aurangzeb's armies surrounded Golconda, the last great Deccan sultanate and home of the fabled Koh-i-Noor diamond. This episode digs into the eight-month siege that broke the Qutb Shahi dynasty — the tunnels, the bribes, the famine, and the moment a traitor opened the gates. We trace the military engineering of Mughal siegecraft, the role of the Habshi general Sidi Masud, and the aftermath that saw Golconda's wealth flow to Delhi. Along the way, we meet the poet-king Abul Hasan Qutb…
Aurangzeb's Coinage: The Emperor Who Minted His Faith
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore a less-trodden facet of Aurangzeb's reign: his coinage. From the kalima-bearing gold mohurs that replaced the legacy of Shah Jahan to the controversial jizya tokens, coins were more than money—they were state propaganda. The episode traces the shift from the emperor's early 'Aurangzeb Alamgir' inscriptions to the overtly Islamic legends of his later years, touching on the 1668 ban on the Persian 'zodiac' motifs, the use of 'Sahib-i-Qiran' titles, and the…
Aurangzeb's Love Letters: The Emperor's Secret Heart
In 1656, a 38-year-old prince named Aurangzeb wrote a letter to his dying father that would reveal a side of him history often forgets. This episode uncovers the intimate correspondence between Aurangzeb and his father, Shah Jahan, and his mother, Mumtaz Mahal — letters that survive in the imperial archives. We explore how a man known for rigid piety and ruthless ambition could also express profound tenderness, asking his father for forgiveness and recalling his mother's gentle embrace. We read…
Aurangzeb's Jain Edicts: Faith, Famine, and Imperial Mercy
In 1681, as Aurangzeb marched south to begin the long Deccan campaigns, a famine gripped Gujarat, and the emperor issued a remarkable set of farmans granting protection to Jain pilgrims, temples, and merchants. This episode explores those edicts: how they emerged from a moment of crisis, what they reveal about Mughal religious policy under a ruler often caricatured as fanatical, and the forgotten role of Jain merchants and monks in the imperial economy. We read from the edicts themselves—often…
Aurangzeb's Slave Generals: From Chains to Command
In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore a little-known facet of Aurangzeb's reign: the rise of enslaved generals and administrators. From the Deccan to the Punjab, men like Khwaja Abul Hasan, Inayatullah Khan, and the Ethiopian-born Sidi Yaqut rose from bondage to command armies and govern provinces. Drawing on the Maasir-i-Alamgiri and the Fatawa-e-Alamgiri, they discuss the institution of slavery in the Mughal Empire, the roles of eunuchs and concubines in the imperial…
Aurangzeb's Poisonous Legacy: The Farrukhsiyar Plot
In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna delve into the final, strangest twist of Aurangzeb's long shadow: the poisoning of his grandson, Prince Farrukhsiyar, by his own aunt. Set against the crumbling Mughal court in the early 1700s, they explore the lethal intrigue of the zenana, the ambitions of Princess Zinat-un-Nisa, and the bloody succession wars that followed Aurangzeb's death. From the chilly corridors of the Red Fort to the fevered whispers of the harem, Lucas pieces together…
Aurangzeb's Elephant Armies: War Beasts of the Mughal Empire
In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore the role of war elephants in Aurangzeb's military campaigns. From the massive armored beasts that terrified enemies in the Deccan to the logistical nightmare of feeding and moving them, elephants were both a symbol of Mughal power and a practical weapon of war. Lucas tells the story of how Aurangzeb deployed these living tanks at key battles like the siege of Golconda, and how their presence shaped battle tactics. He also shares a…
Aurangzeb and the Deccan Heartland: Beyond the Battlefields
In this episode, Lucas and Luna step away from Aurangzeb's military campaigns and tax policies to explore the Deccan's cultural and intellectual life under his long reign. They discuss the rise of Marathi as a literary language, the flourishing of Indo-Persian poetry in the Deccan courts, and the architectural legacy of Aurangzeb's mosques and caravanserais. The episode also looks at the emperor's own writings—his letters and his Quranic transcriptions—as windows into his personal piety and…
Aurangzeb's Ottoman Letters: The Mughal Emperor in Istanbul's Court
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore a little-known aspect of Aurangzeb's reign: his correspondence with the Ottoman sultans. From embassies carried across the Indian Ocean to letters asserting his role as a defender of the faith, we trace how the Mughal emperor sought recognition from the Ottoman caliphs. Why did Aurangzeb write to Mehmed IV? What did the Ottomans make of his claims? And what does this exchange reveal about the broader Muslim world of the 17th century? Drawing on accounts…
Aurangzeb's Personal Piety: The Emperor Who Copied the Quran
Aurangzeb is often remembered as a zealot who destroyed temples and banned music, but his personal piety was far more complex: he was a devout Muslim who memorized the Quran as a child, copied it twice by hand, lived frugally, and spent his nights in prayer. This episode delves into the emperor's daily routine, his meticulous calligraphy, his compilation of Hanafi law in the Fatawa-e-Alamgiri, and the deep religious devotion that shaped his reign. We explore whether his piety was genuine or a…
Aurangzeb's Siege of Bijapur: The Fall of the Adil Shahi Sultanate
In this episode, Lucas and Luna dig into one of Aurangzeb's most costly and dramatic campaigns: the siege of Bijapur, capital of the Adil Shahi sultanate. They explore the city's formidable defenses, the failed negotiations, the military engineering, and the decisive role of betrayal. Discover how the Mughal emperor finally captured the stronghold in 1686, what happened to the young Sultan Sikandar Adil Shah, and how this victory—like so many others—sowed the seeds of imperial overreach. Learn…
Aurangzeb's Silent Court: The Banning of Music
In 1668, Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb issued a decree that silenced the imperial court's musicians—naqqaras were muted, instruments destroyed, and performers like Gopala Naik and Ramdas forced to seek patronage elsewhere. This episode explores the motivations behind the ban, from Aurangzeb's personal piety to the influence of Hanafi fiqh, which deemed music haram. We examine a letter to his son Bahadur Shah I, where Aurangzeb condemns music as a distraction from God, and consider the consequences…
Aurangzeb's Kandahar Campaigns: The Frontier War
Aurangzeb is remembered as a relentless conqueror, but his two early campaigns to recapture Kandahar from the Safavid Empire ended in failure. In this episode, we explore the strategic importance of Kandahar, the sieges of 1649 and 1653, and how these defeats shaped Aurangzeb's military thinking. Along the way, we meet the Safavid shah Abbas II, the Mughal generals Sadullah Khan and Dara Shikoh, and the rugged landscape that humbled the Mughal army. We also consider the long-term consequences…
Aurangzeb's Rajput Gamble: The Marwar War That Cost an Empire
In 1678, the death of Maharaja Jaswant Singh of Marwar triggered a succession crisis that Aurangzeb mishandled disastrously. This episode dives into the ensuing Rajput rebellion, the legendary Durgadas Rathore, the daring rescue of the infant Ajit Singh, and the destruction of Hindu temples in Jodhpur. We explore how Aurangzeb's heavy-handed policies alienated the Rajput clans, broke a centuries-old alliance, and fatally weakened the Mughal military apparatus. Drawing on accounts from the…
Aurangzeb vs the Sikhs: The Martyrdom That Forged the Khalsa
In 1675, Emperor Aurangzeb ordered the public execution of Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Sikh guru, in Delhi's Chandni Chowk. This brutal act, intended to suppress dissent, instead ignited a rebellion that would eventually help topple the Mughal Empire. In this episode, we trace the escalating conflict: from the peaceful protests of the Kashmiri Pandits to the guru's refusal to convert, and from his beheading to the rise of his son, Guru Gobind Singh. Learn how the guru transformed the Sikh…
Aurangzeb's Rebel Son Prince Akbar and the Maratha Alliance
In 1681, Aurangzeb faced a rebellion from his own son, Prince Akbar. This episode explores how the prince, born of a Rajput mother, allied with the Maratha king Sambhaji and Rajput chieftain Durgadas Rathore in a bid to seize the Mughal throne. We trace Akbar's flight from the Deccan to the Portuguese fortress of Diu and finally to exile in the Safavid court of Shah Suleiman. The rebellion exposed deep fissures in the empire and foreshadowed its decline. Drawing on Persian chronicles like the…
Aurangzeb's Daughters: The Learned Princesses Behind the Throne
Beyond the battlefield, Aurangzeb's court was home to some of the most accomplished women of the Mughal era. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the lives of the emperor's daughters—particularly the poet-princess Zeb-un-Nisa and the patron Zinat-un-Nisa. They discuss Zeb-un-Nisa's Persian poetry, her vast library, her defiance of her father's orthodoxy, and her role as a patron of arts. They also delve into Zinat-un-Nisa's architectural legacy, including the Zinat-ul-Masajid mosque in…
The Jat Rebellion: How Peasant Warriors Plundered Akbar's Tomb
In 1688, while Aurangzeb was bogged down in the Deccan, a peasant army from the Mathura region struck at the heart of Mughal prestige: they looted Akbar's tomb at Sikandra. This episode tells the story of the Jat rebellion under Raja Ram Jat, the siege of Sinsini, and the humiliating desecration that forced Aurangzeb to divert scarce resources. Learn about the origins of Jat resistance, the charismatic leader Raja Ram, and how his death at the hands of Mughal forces only fueled a decades-long…
How Aurangzeb Bankrupted the Mughal Empire
Aurangzeb's reign is often remembered for its military expansion and religious policies, but beneath the surface, an economic catastrophe was unfolding. This episode explores the financial crisis that drained the Mughal treasury, from the jagirdari system's collapse to the devastating Deccan famine of 1702. We trace how endless warfare, revenue shortfalls, and corruption hollowed out the empire, forcing Aurangzeb to squeeze peasants and revive jizya for cash. Along the way, we meet the banjara…
Aurangzeb's English War: The Emperor Who Bent the East India Company
In 1686, the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb turned his gaze from the Deccan to the coast, where the English East India Company had grown bold. When the Company refused to pay customs at Surat and sheltered pirates, Aurangzeb ordered a crackdown. This episode follows the ensuing conflict: the arrest of English factors at Hugli, the Mughal blockade of Bombay, and the humiliating embassy of Sir John Child, who had to beg forgiveness on his knees. We explore how a global trading corporation learned that…
Aurangzeb's Naval Ambitions The Emperor Who Built a Fleet
In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore a lesser-known aspect of Aurangzeb's reign: his ambitious naval projects. While the Mughal emperor is famous for his land campaigns in the Deccan, he also invested heavily in shipbuilding along the Gujarat and Bengal coasts, constructing a fleet of over 800 vessels. The episode details the construction of the Mughal navy under admirals like Sidi Yaqub and the capture of the Portuguese-held fortress of Janjira. It delves into the…
Aurangzeb's Last Will: The Emperor Who Died Begging Forgiveness
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the final hours of Aurangzeb's life through his will, the Wasiyat Nama. Discover how the austere emperor, who had ruled for nearly fifty years, died with only a few rupees and a request for his son to not blame himself. They discuss Aurangzeb's handwritten letters, his regret over imprisoning his father Shah Jahan, the fate of the Taj Mahal during his reign, and the historical debate over whether he truly repented. The episode also covers the legend of…
Aurangzeb's Deccan Campaigns: The War That Broke the Mughals
In this episode, we explore Aurangzeb's long, grinding war in the Deccan — a conflict that stretched for over two decades and ultimately broke the Mughal Empire. We focus on the pivotal siege of Bijapur in 1686, where Mughal artillery, led by the Frenchman or Venetian? Actually, it was a French gunner named Eustache de Lisle, breached the Adil Shahi defenses. We also examine the brutal guerrilla tactics of the Marathas under Sambhaji, the son of Shivaji, and how Aurangzeb's obsession with…
Aurangzeb's Imperial Camp: A Moving City of War
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the logistics and daily life of Aurangzeb's imperial camp during his twenty-five-year Deccan campaign. They discuss how the camp functioned as a mobile capital, with markets, bathhouses, and administrative offices. The conversation touches on the vast entourage of soldiers, servants, and merchants who accompanied the emperor, the challenges of supply and sanitation, and the environmental impact of such a massive moving city. They also examine contemporary…
Aurangzeb's Hindu Temples: Destruction and Patronage
Aurangzeb is infamous for ordering the destruction of Hindu temples, but his actual policy was more complex than the stereotype. This episode explores the political and religious calculus behind temple destruction — and surprising instances of temple patronage. Lucas and Luna examine specific cases: the Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi (1669), the Kesava Deo temple in Mathura (1670), and the Somnath temple's earlier fate under Mahmud of Ghazni. They contrast these with instances where…
Aurangzeb's Buddhist Edicts: The Emperor Who Fought Dharma
In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore a little-known facet of Aurangzeb's reign: his confrontation with Buddhism. While earlier episodes covered his persecution of Sikhs and his jizya tax on Hindus, the emperor's policy toward Buddhist communities in the Deccan and along the northwest frontier reveals a more complex picture. We discuss the destruction of Buddhist monasteries at Sannati and Ratnagiri, the confrontation with the Sakya monks of Ladakh, and the political…
Aurangzeb's Assam Disaster: How the Mughals Lost the Northeast
When the Mughal Empire pushed east into the Brahmaputra valley, it met its match in the Ahom kingdom. Unlike the Rajputs or Deccan sultans, the Ahoms fought a guerrilla war from their swampy, riverine homeland. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the disastrous 1662 campaign of Mir Jumla, who captured the Ahom capital Garhgaon but couldn't hold it. They discuss the Ahom commander Lachit Borphukan, whose naval ambush at Saraighat in 1671 shattered a second Mughal invasion. They examine how…
Aurangzeb's War of Succession: Brothers, Blood, and the Peacock Throne
In 1657, as Emperor Shah Jahan lay ill in Agra, his four sons plunged the Mughal Empire into a brutal civil war. This episode follows the war of succession that brought Aurangzeb to power — from the decisive battle of Samugarh to the imprisonment of Shah Jahan in Agra Fort, the execution of Dara Shikoh, and the deaths of his other brothers. We explore the military strategies, the shifting alliances, the role of the ulama and the nobility, and the long shadow this fratricidal struggle cast over…
Aurangzeb's Architecture: The Emperor Who Built Beyond the Taj
When we think of Mughal architecture, we think of Shah Jahan — the Taj Mahal, the Red Fort, the Jama Masjid. But Aurangzeb, the last great Mughal emperor, was a builder too, though his monuments tell a very different story. This episode takes you from the austere Badshahi Mosque in Lahore — the largest mosque in the world when it was built in 1673 — to the little-known Zinat-ul-Masajid in Delhi, and the controversial Moti Masjid inside the Red Fort, which Aurangzeb stripped of ornament to…
Aurangzeb's Bengal Campaign The Conquest of the Delta
In the late 1660s, the Mughal Empire turned its attention eastward. This episode follows Aurangzeb's conquest of Bengal, a wealthy and rebellious region ruled by the independent Nawab Shaista Khan's predecessor, Mir Jumla. We explore the brutal campaign through the dense Sundarbans, the capture of the Portuguese pirate base at Chittagong, and the economic integration of Bengal's fertile delta into the Mughal heartland. Learn how Mughal expansion reshaped the region's trade, agriculture, and…
Aurangzeb's Siege of Golconda: The Fall of the Diamond Kingdom
In 1687, the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb laid siege to Golconda, the wealthiest kingdom in India and the source of the Koh-i-Noor diamond. This episode dives into the 8-month campaign that ended with Mughal conquest through betrayal, not battle. We explore the Qutb Shahi dynasty's final stand, the legendary diamond mines of Kollur, the role of the Afghan mercenary Abdur Rasul, and how the fall of Golconda shifted the Deccan's balance of power. Lucas and Luna discuss the siege's engineering—how…
Aurangzeb's Secret Spy Network: The Emperor Who Knew Everything
Emperor Aurangzeb ruled the Mughal Empire for nearly 50 years, and one of his most powerful tools wasn't an army or a tax policy — it was information. This episode pulls back the veil on Aurangzeb's intelligence network: the news-writers (waqia-navis), postal spies (dak chaukis), and household informants who kept him constantly updated on governors, generals, princes, even his own sons. Drawing on the Maasir-i-Alamgiri and accounts by European travelers like Niccolao Manucci, we explore how…
Aurangzeb's Maratha Implosion: The Long Road to Panipat
In the early 1700s, the Mughal Empire under Aurangzeb was locked in a grinding, decades-long war against the Marathas. But the emperor's death in 1707 didn't end the conflict—it set off a chain reaction. This episode of Fexingo History traces the improbable rise of the Marathas from guerrilla fighters to imperial power brokers. Lucas and Luna explore how the Maratha king Shahu, released from Mughal captivity after Aurangzeb's death, empowered the Peshwas to become the de facto rulers of a…
Aurangzeb's Fatwa: The Fatawa-e-Alamgiri and Islamic Law in Mughal India
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the Fatawa-e-Alamgiri, the massive compendium of Hanafi Islamic law commissioned by Aurangzeb. They discuss why the emperor, known for his piety and legalism, undertook this project in the midst of his Deccan wars. The conversation covers the role of the ulama, the choice of the Hanafi school, the legal status of Hindus and Shias, and the fatwa's long-term impact on Mughal governance and South Asian Islam. Lucas draws on the work of scholars like Muzaffar…
Aurangzeb's Hindu Generals: Pragmatism Over Bigotry
Aurangzeb famously imposed jizya and destroyed temples, but he also relied on Hindu generals and administrators throughout his reign. This episode explores the careers of Raja Jaswant Singh, Raja Jai Singh, and other Hindu nobles who commanded Mughal armies, governed provinces, and shaped policy. We examine the complex relationship between Aurangzeb's personal piety and his pragmatic need for capable allies. How did these men reconcile their faith with service to a Muslim emperor? What does…
Aurangzeb's Sikh Persecution: Guru Tegh Bahadur and the Rise of the Khalsa
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Aurangzeb's fraught relationship with the Sikh community, focusing on the execution of Guru Tegh Bahadur in 1675 and the subsequent militarization of the Sikhs under Guru Gobind Singh. They discuss the political context behind the martyrdom—the emperor's fear of a coalition between Sikhs, Hindus, and Rajputs in the Punjab—and the controversial Mughal text, the Maasir-i-Alamgiri, which presents a different account. The conversation then follows Guru Gobind…
Aurangzeb's Kashmir: The Emperor's Summer Retreat and Final Resting Place
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Aurangzeb's relationship with Kashmir — the Mughal paradise that served as his summer retreat and, unexpectedly, his final resting place. They trace the emperor's visits to the valley, his patronage of the Shalimar Bagh and other gardens, and the political symbolism of his long stays in Srinagar. The conversation also covers Aurangzeb's controversial decision to be buried in a simple, unmarked grave in Khuldabad (Deccan) rather than in a grand mausoleum…
Aurangzeb's Persian Poetry: The Emperor as Mystic Poet
Aurangzeb is remembered as a puritanical emperor, a destroyer of temples, and a ruthless politician. But he was also a poet. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the emperor's Persian verse, preserved in the Maasir-i-Alamgiri and other sources. They read his ghazals, discuss his pen name 'Alamgir', and debate what his poetry reveals about his inner life—his piety, his melancholy, and his private regrets. The conversation touches on the literary culture of the Mughal court, the influence of…
Aurangzeb's Elephant Corps: War Beasts of the Mughal Empire
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the pivotal role of war elephants in Aurangzeb's military campaigns. From the capture of Golconda's famed elephant stables to the psychological terror they inflicted on Maratha guerrilla fighters, we examine how these behemoths shaped battlefield tactics and logistics. We discuss the specialized training of mahouts, the massive costs of maintaining elephant corps, and the decline of elephant warfare as artillery improved. Drawing on accounts from the…
Aurangzeb's Slave Soldiers: The Rise and Fall of the Mughal Harem Guard
In this episode, Lucas and Luna dive into a little-known but crucial aspect of Aurangzeb's military: the slave soldiers who served as his personal guard and enforcers. Drawing on the Maasir-i-Alamgiri and European accounts from Niccolao Manucci and François Bernier, we explore how the emperor expanded the corps of eunuch slaves (khwaja-sara) and elite Turkic slave soldiers (gholam) to secure his throne. We discuss the recruitment from the slave markets of Central Asia and Africa, the role of…
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