Was Aurangzeb born in Gujarat?

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut equated Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, saying that both were born in Gujarat. Here is what the historical record says.

Emperor Aurangzeb, watercolor and gold on paper by unknown artist. (Los Angeles County Museum of Art/Wikimedia Commons)

3 min readNew DelhiMar 22, 2024 11:13 AM IST First published on: Mar 21, 2024 at 07:00 AM IST

“They have called me Aurangzeb,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday (March 20), taking a swipe at the Opposition.

“Our opponents are creating new records. Today itself, they have showered on Modi the 104th abuse. They have called me Aurangzeb. There has been an announcement to take off Modi’s head,” he said, at the Network18 Summit.

Previously Sanjay Raut, veteran Shiv Sena (UBT) leader, had compared Mughal emperor Aurangzeb with PM Modi, saying that both were born in Gujarat.

“Shivaji Maharaj was born in Maharashtra and Aurangzeb was born in Gujarat… where [Narendra] Modi was born … [today] Aurangzeb-like attitude is marching against Maharashtra, attacking Shiv Sena, and our self esteem,” Raut said in a rally (loosely translated from Marathi).

Politics aside, what does the historical record say?

Aurangzeb’s early years in Gujarat

Aurangzeb was born in Dohad (or Dahod) in present-day Gujarat on November 3, 1618. He was prince Khurram’s (not yet emperor Shah Jahan) sixth child, and third son, after Darah Shukoh and Shah Shuja.

At the time, Khurram had been made the governor of the Gujarat province, appointed to the post by his father, emperor Jahangir in 1618. Aurangzeb would, thus, spend his early years in Gujarat until his father decided to [unsuccessfully] rebel against the Emperor in 1622.

In Research | A side of Aurangzeb India is not familiar with

Some historians claim that brothers Dara and Aurangzeb were sent to Jahangir as “hostages” after Khurram’s rebellion was quelled. “He [Khurram] had to submit to his father his young sons, Dara and Aurangzib, as hostages. These two reached Jahangir’s Court at Lahore in June 1626,” historian Sir Jadunath Sarkar wrote in A Short History of Aurangzib (1930). Others, however, claim that Khurram and Aurangzeb patched up by 1625 itself.

Either way, Aurangzeb spent anywhere between 4-8 first years of his life in Gujarat.

Gujarat in the Mughal Empire

Gujarat fell to Mughal rule in 1573, when then Emperor Akbar defeated the Gujarat Sultanate under Muzaffar Shah III. It was subsequently governed by viceroys and officers appointed by the Mughal state, and became one of its most important provinces.

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Most notably, in 1612, then Emperor Jahangir (reign 1605-27) permitted the British East India Company to set up factories (trading posts/warehouses) in the port of Surat. East India Company steadily increased its presence in the province after that. During the reign of Aurangzeb (1657-1708), the region was marred by significant instability, with Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj raiding Mughal outposts in the province, including the port of Surat.

However, Mughal control persisted till about 1759, when Surat fell to the East India Company.