[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Studies](https://indike.org/pramana/ins) › [General history and culture](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.general) › [The Cambridge History of India, Vol. IV: The Mughul Period](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.general.burn-1937) › v4.c19.68 # The Cambridge History of India, Vol. IV: The Mughul Period v4.c19.68 The Cambridge History of India, Vol. IV: The Mughul Period v4.c19.68 - **Language:** English ### [v4.c19.68](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.general.burn-1937.v4.c19.68) In his Benares \*farmān\*, granted on 10 March, 1659, before his throne was secure, Aurangzīb had declared that his religion forbade the building of new temples but did not enjoin the demolition of long-standing ones. But his own action both before and after his accession had not respected this distinction. When acting as governor of Gujarāt (1645), he had not only demolished the new temple of Chintāman (at Sāraspur) but also several old ones. During his second viceroyalty of the Deccan he had pulled down the temple of Khānde Rāo on a hill south of Aurangābād. His first step after his accession was to forbid old temples to be repaired (1664). A little later his iconoclastic zeal burst forth in full force. On 19 April, 1669, he issued a general order to "the governors of all the provinces to demolish the schools and temples of the infidels and put down their teaching and religious practices strongly". Officers were sent to every \*pargana\* to demolish the local temples and the governor had to send the report of the execution of the order under the seal of the \*qāzī\* and attested by pious Shaikhs of the locality. The censors of public morals (\*Muhtasibs\*) appointed to every subdivision and city had it as their normal duty to go round and destroy Hindu places of worship within their jurisdiction. So large was the number of official temple-breakers that a \*dārogha\* (superintendent) had to be placed over them to guide and unite their activities. Besides numberless minor shrines throughout the empire, all the most famous Hindu places of worship now suffered destruction: the temples of Somnāth at Pātan, Vishvanāth at Benares and Keshav Dev at Muttra. Even the loyal state of Jaipur did not escape, sixty-six temples being demolished at Amber. During the Rājput war, in Udaipur and Chitor alone in two months 239 temples suffered ruin by his order. - [Previous: v4.c19.67](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.general.burn-1937.v4.c19.67) - [Next: v4.c19.69](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.general.burn-1937.v4.c19.69) - [Up: v4.c19](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.general.burn-1937.v4.c19) ## Linked texts (1) - [Somnath Temple](https://indike.org/pramana/inp.monument.somnath-temple) --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/ins.general.burn-1937.v4.c19.68](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.general.burn-1937.v4.c19.68) · Pramāṇa