The Mughal Empire evokes lavish images of cuisine, architecture and cultural syncretism. History textbooks often portray Mughal rulers as enlightened patrons of the arts presiding over an economic golden age.
However, these narratives overlook religious persecution, high taxation, discriminatory policies, cultural repression and economic exploitation that caused immense suffering during the Mughal regime.
Systematic Annihilation of Temples and Hindu Icons
Mughal rulers harbored deep contempt towards Hinduism, sanctioning the widespread demolition of temples and religious icons. The intensity of temple destruction varied, reaching a crescendo during the reigns of Aurangzeb and Shah Jahan.
Scale of Temple Destruction
Between 1669-1707 AD, Aurangzeb issued orders for the destruction of thousands of temples with some accounts suggesting over 60,000 temples were demolished. This counts only the officially recorded instances of destruction. Temples demolished included major pilgrimage sites like the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Krishna Janmabhoomi Temple and key Jain sites.
Centuries-old temples were razed to the ground and mosques erected in their place. Aurangzeb also had over 10,000 idols destroyed, dwarfing the previous figures under other Mughal rulers.
Psychological Impact
The demolition of sacred sites built over centuries caused immense religious and emotional trauma for Hindus. Seeing their beloved deities defiled in such an atrocious manner led to a loss of faith in the system for many.
The cultural vandalism created an indelible perception that Hinduism faced an existential threat under oppressive Islamic rule. It reinforced the view that the Mughals despite their artistic sophistication harbored deep disdain towards indigenous religions and culture.
This psychological scar manifested later on during India‘s Partition, with large-scale religious violence erupting as British rule ended. The tearing open of colonial era fissures ultimately led to one of the largest mass migrations in modern history.
Economic Exploitation of an Extraordinary Scale
The Mughal penchant for foreign wars and personal extravagance fueled extraordinary revenue extraction from an impoverished peasantry and subdued kingdoms.
Oppressive Taxation
Mughals imposed over 80 different taxes on peasants, artisans and indigenous rulers who paid tribute. Hindus bore the brunt paying additional taxes like Jizya imposed exclusively on non-Muslims.
- Jizya tax was imposed in 1679 by Aurangzeb at exorbitant rates going up to 9% of annual earnings
- Additional taxes on pilgrimages, religious fairs (2.5%) and base land taxes (33%) caused extreme hardship
- Total tax revenue extraction estimated at $450 million in 1700 AD, climbing to over $600 million by Aurangzeb‘s death in 1707 AD
This revenue extraction caused many farmers to abandon their lands and artisans to give up their crafts. Tax drove large portions of the peasantry into poverty just trying to sustain basic subsistence.
Financing Foreign Wars
Excessive taxes funded the exorbitant costs of waging 27-year long war campaigns by Shah Jahan and 30-year campaigns by Aurangzeb. These wars extended Mughal territorial reach but drained precious capital that could have financed domestic investment.
- War campaign costs totaled $380 million during Shah Jahan‘s reign from 1627-1658 AD
- Aurangzeb spent an estimated $18 billion on war campaigns from 1658 to 1707 AD
- India was deprived of funds equating 5X its annual GDP due to these foreign wars
The real burden of these wars was borne by the Hindu peasantry who sank deeper into poverty while war victories benefited the Muslim nobility.
Demolition of India‘s Prosperity
Excess taxation coupled with rampant corruption depleted capital for investment, leading to economic stagnation and drop in prosperity.
- India‘s share of global GDP declined rapidly from 25% in 1600 AD to just 15-17% by Aurangzeb‘s death in 1707 AD
- Mughal lands accounted for 1/4th of Asia‘s GDP in 1590s but its share had dropped by over 50% in less than a century
- China and Western Europe surged ahead as India‘s global leadership in steel, textiles declined
- India was the world‘s leading economy in early 17th century but dropped to the 4th largest by the early 18th century
The economic legacies coupled with cultural repression created an uneasy relationship between Islamic rulers and their Hindu subjects contributing to a sense of national trauma.
Cultural Repression – Suppression of Indigenous Faiths and Knowledge Systems
The Mughals ruled according to Islamic precepts, impinging upon indigenous cultural and faith practices deeming some heretical and worthy of prohibition.
- Indigenous fairs, festivals banned
- Patronage focused on literature, music conforming to Persian tastes
- Ancient texts, treatises were burnt for being antithetical to Islam
- Yoga, Tantra marginalized as Hindu religious practices proliferated in secret
Temples and Hindu religious authorities faced systemic neglect and discrimination:
- Ancient temples left in state of disrepair with selective exceptions
- Establishment of mosques and madrassas was prioritized
- Granting of rent free land given to Islamic scholars and clergy
These cultural constraints created resentment and a sense of disenfranchisement among the Hindu masses. When British colonial rule took over, a cultural reawakening took place leading to rediscovery of ancient Hindu texts and emphasis on yoga‘s physical and spiritual traditions.
Rewriting Mughal History – Emergence of Balanced Narratives
Modern textbooks had excessively glorified the ornamental contributions of Mughal rulers often glossing over periods of intense religious persecution. Discriminatory policies against Hindus and darker realities were skimmed over or explained away through rose-tinted glasses.
This sparked intense debate culminating in recent revisions that portray a more balanced perspective:
- Reduced coverage allotted to Mughal rulers with greater emphasis on Maratha rulers like Shivaji
- More balanced discussion on economic, cultural and religious oppression during Mughal rule
- Inclusion of primary evidence on magnitude of temple demolition under different rulers
- Efforts to compile unbiased chronological accounts from multiple vantage points
There is vocal criticism of overly romanticized narratives as it breeds historical neglect and religious apologia. For history to enlighten current societies, textbooks must cultivate nuance and objectivity.
The Mughal Empire left a mixed legacy – enriching Indian cuisine, art and architecture while simultaneously unleashing religious intolerance, economic exploitation and cultural repression at unprecedented levels before the British Raj.
Instead of justifying or rationalizing the destructive facets, Indian historians must analyze Mughal rule frankly but objectively. Lasting reconciliation emerges not by revising inconvenient truths but by learning lessons that foster unity, equality and prosperity.