Aurungzebe (Aurangzeb, 'Ornament of the Throne') was the most powerful of the Mogul emperors of India, the last who ruled with energy and effect. He was born in 1618, and was the third son of Shah-Jehan. He early cherished or professed profound religious zeal. 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, Dara, who was unpopular with the orthodox Mohammedans, as being too liberal in his theological views. Of the brothers, Shuja was at that time governor of Bengal, Aurungzebe of the Deccan, and Murad of Guzerat. The first immediately took up arms. Aurungzebe's policy was to let the two fight it out, and exhaust each other, and then to play off his third brother against the victor. He conferred with Murad; assured him he had no earthly ambition; that the crown he strove for was a spiritual, and not a temporal one; and that, for affection's sake, and with a view to promote the interests of the true faith, he would support his pretensions to the throne. Murad believed him, and the forces of the two were joined. Meanwhile, Dara having overcome Shuja's army, directed his forces against his other two brothers; but Aurungzebe's plausibility prevailed over Dara's generals, who deserted, and Dara had to seek safety in flight. By this time, however, Shah-Jehan had somewhat recovered. Aurungzebe professed the utmost loyalty, but secretly gave his son instructions to take possession of Shah-Jehan's palace, which was done, and the aged monarch was made prisoner. Aurungzebe next seized and confined his too confiding brother, Murad; and after a struggle of two or three years' duration, Dara and Shuja also fell into his power, and all three were put to death. The sceptre was now firmly within the grasp of Aurungzebe. He professed not to care for the imperial insignia, but was ultimately induced to receive them in August 1658, assuming the title of Alamgir, 'Conqueror of the World,' and later, that of Mohi-eddin, 'the Reviver of Religion.' In the seventh year of Aurungzebe's reign, his father died, still in confinement.
Aurungzebe's long reign of half a century was distinguished by great outward prosperity, and has been represented as the most brilliant in Indian annals; but the empire was diseased at its heart. Everywhere there was distrust; the emperor, who had established his throne by fraud, was naturally enough distrusted by all. He lacked confidence in his statesmen, who, in their turn, distrusted him and one another. His sons imitated him in his disobedience to his father, and the Hindus, whom he treated with great harshness, excited the Mahrattas against him in the south. Still his great abilities sufficed during his reign not only to preserve his empire intact, but even to enlarge it considerably. Discord between the monarchs of Bijapur and Golconda enabled him to add these two kingdoms to his empire. But though some of the independent Mohammedan princes were subdued, the Hindu states were gathering strength for the overthrow of the Mogul power; and the seeds of decay which had been sown in his reign bore ample fruit in the reign of his son. His schemes had come to little good; most of his enterprises failed; and he may be said to have ruined the empire. His later years were passed in the fear of receiving the measure he had meted to others, and he died, a fugitive before the Mahrattas, at Ahmednagar, in February 1707. See Stanley Lane-Poole's Aurangzeb (1893).