Let us now return to Aurangzeb. In his book "Mughal Administration," Sir Jadunath Sarkar3, foremost historian on the Mughal dynasty, mentions that during Aurangzeb%u2019s reign in power, nearly 65 types of taxes were abolished, which resulted in a yearly revenue loss of 50 million Rupees from the state treasury. It is also worth mentioning here that Aurangzeb did not impose Jizya in the beginning of his reign but introduced it after 16 years during which 80 types of taxes were abolished. Other historians stated that when Aurangzeb abolished eighty taxes no one thanked him for his generosity. But when he imposed only one, and not heavy at all, people began to show their displeasure. (Ref: Vindication of Aurangzeb)
I could see how even fair-minded individuals like Nobel Laureate Professor Amartya Sen may have been deceived by the deadly venoms of dishonest, prejudiced historians whose sole aim has been to smear Muslim history. Such intellectual dishonesty by historians is dangerous - more explosive and more damaging than nuclear bombs. We have already seen its hideous effect with the destruction of Muslim historic sites (including the Babri Mosque) and recent riots in India that killed thousands of Muslims. Let us not fall into the trap set by those who want to "neatly divide our world." Let truth vanquish falsehood.
1 For example, see Shri Binoy Ghosh%u2019s Bharatjaner Etihash (Bengali for: History of Indian People), Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
2 Quoted in Chepe Rakha Itihash (The History %u2013 Hushed Up) by G. A. Murtaza, Barddhaman, India.
3 He demonstrated his vast knowledge of Persian-language (the official language during the Mughal period) sources. However, he was a Euro-centric historian and thus, not flawless in historical accounts. He served as the Vice Chancellor of the University of Calcutta (1926-28).
