King Aurangzeb, ring any bells? Its pointless to argue over history.
In 1699, on Aurangzeb's orders the Mughal governor of Sarhind held Guru Gobind's 2 young sons (7 and 9 years old) Sahibzada Zorawar Singh and Sahibzada Fateh Singh captive and bricked up alive within a wall with their knee caps being chopped off in the process. The two sons of Guru Gobind, Zorawar (9 years old) and Fateh (7 years old) were offered safe passage if they became Muslims. With a courage that belied their years, both boys refused to do so. Wazir Khan sentenced them to death. They were bricked up alive within a wall. Sikhs were hunted around this area and price was levied on the heads of the Sikhs. Gobind Singh wrote a letter named Zafarnamah to Aurungzeb. The letter is written in exquisite Persian verse. In this letter, Guru Gobind Singh reminds Aurangzeb how he and his henchmen had broken their oaths taken by the holy Koran.
It should be noted that despite the atrocities committed by the Mughal leadership in the name of their religion, the Sikh Gurus never criticised their religion, rather they blamed their evil directly. In the following verses of the Zafarnama, Guru Gobind Singh addresses the evil practices of Aurangzeb directly, he never attacks his religion:
Aurangzeb! I did not know that you are a perjurer; that you are mere worshipper of wealth and breaker of your faith.
You neither follow the teachings of Islam nor you understand its meaning. You do not know the ways of the Lord nor do you have any faith in the Prophet Mohammed.
Any believer of his faith, will not look here and there (while fulfilling) his own promises.
This man (Aurangzeb) who swears by the Koran as well as by One God, cannot be trusted even equivalent of a speck of sand.
(So now) if you swear hundred times on the Koran, I do not have trust in you even equivalent to a drop of water.
The Zafarnama had a demoralising effect on Emperor Aurangzeb who saw his end looming over the horizon and his future appeared very bleak.
"I do not know who I am, where I am, where I am to go and what will happen to a sinful person like me. Many like me have passed away wasting their lives. Allah was in my heart but my blind eyes failed to see him. I do not know how I will be received in Allah's court. I do not have any hope for my future, I have committed many sins and do not know what punishments will be awarded to me in return".
Will Of Aurangzeb
The will was recorded by Maulvi Hamid-ud Din in chapter 8 of his hand written book in Persian about the life of Aurangzeb:
1. There is no doubt that I have been the emperor of India and I have ruled over this country. But I am sorry to say that I have not been able to do a good deed in my lifetime. My inner soul is cursing me as a sinner. But now it is of no avail. It is my wish that my last rites be performed by my dear son Azam, nobody else should touch my body.
2. My servant, Aya Beg, has my purse in which I have carefully kept my earnings of 4 Rs and 2 annas. In my spare time I have been writing the Koran and stitching caps. It was by selling the caps that I made an honest earning of 4 Rs and 2 annas. My coffin should be purchased with this amount. No other money should be spent for covering the body of a sinner. This is my dying wish. By selling the copies of the Koran I collected 305 Rs. That money is also with Aya Beg. It is my will that poor Mohammedans should be fed with sweet rice purchased by this money.
3. All my articles - clothes, ink stand, pens and books should be given to my son Azam. The labour charges for digging my grave will be paid by Prince Azam.
4. My grave should be dug in a dense forest. When I am buried my face should remain uncovered. Do not bury my face in earth. I want to present myself to Allah with a naked face. I am told whoever goes to the supreme court with a naked face will have his sins forgiven.
5. My coffin should be made of thick Khaddar. Do not place a costly shawl on the corpse. The route of my funeral should not be showered with flowers. No one should be permitted to place any flowers on my body. No music should be played or sung, I hate music.
6. No tomb should be built for me. Only a chabootra or platform may be erected.
7. I have not been able to pay the salaries of my soldiers and my personal servants for several months. I bequeath that after my death at least my personal servants be paid in full as the treasury is empty. Niamat Ali has served my very faithfully he has cleaned my body and has never let my bed remain dirty.
8. No mausoleum should be raised in my memory. No stone with my name should be placed at my grave. There should be no trees planted near the grave. A sinner like me does not deserve the protection of a shady tree.
9. My son, Azam has the authority to rule from the throne of Delhi. Kam Bakhsh should be entrusted with the governance of Bijapur and Golconda States.
10. Allah should not make anyone an emperor, the most unfortunate person is he who is an emperor. My sins should not be mentioned in any social gathering. No story of my life should be told to anyone.
