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43rd B.P.S.C. Prelims 1999

Religious Policy of the Mughals

Authentic Past Paper Standard Evaluation

The meaning of 'Jihad' carried on by Aurangzeb is-

Solution & Analysis

Answer: B

Concept Aurangzeb’s religious policy was driven by his vision of turning the Mughal Empire from a pluralistic state into a strictly Islamic one.

Explanation In Aurangzeb's political theology, the 'Jihad' (striving) meant transforming Dar-ul-Harb (The Land of War/Infidelity) into Dar-ul-Islam (The Land of Islam). He aimed to ensure the supremacy of the Sharia and Islamic governance over all his territories.

Logical Breakup
Logic 1: Option B is correct. His specific use of the term 'Jihad' in statecraft referred to the administrative and military effort to expand the reach of Islamic law.
Logic 2: Dar-ul-Harb (A) is the target state he wished to change, and Jizya (D) was just one of the fiscal tools used to reach this goal.

Active Recall

Question

What is the difference between Dar-ul-Islam and Dar-ul-Harb?

Answer

Dar-ul-Islam is territory where Islamic law is supreme; Dar-ul-Harb is territory where non-Muslim law prevails.

Core Insight

Aurangzeb's ideological shift towards Dar-ul-Islam alienated the non-Muslim elites and is often cited by historians as a factor in the eventual decline of Mughal stability.

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