History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v3.c37.s10.t2.3

v3.c37.s10.t2.3

Abdul Wahhab* was born at Anhilwara Pattan, now a city in the Gaikwad's dominions. He belonged to the Bohra clan, a race of Hindu traders who had been converted to Shia-ism by a famous Muslim saint many centuries ago. But an independent Sultan of Gujrat made several of them Sunnis and thus introduced an element of discord. Since then, the Bohras have been split up into two sects, fighting bitterly over this religious difference. Shaikh Muhammad Tahir of Pattan, a famous scholar of this race, spent many years in Arabia, and on his return vigorously employed the authority of the Mughal Government to put down Shia beliefs and practices among the Bohras, for which he was murdered by the persecuted sect. His grandson, Abdul Wahhab, also made a great name for himself by his mastery of Canon Law and Theology, and served as Qazi of Pattan in Shah Jahan's reign. He joined Aurangzib during his second viceroyalty of the Deccan and was made much of by the prince. After the victory of Samugarh, when the other Qazis refused to declare Aurangzib's usurpation of a living father's throne as legal, Abdul Wahhab issued a decree asserting that as Shah Jahan was physically unfit to govern, the throne was virtually vacant and therefore Aurangzib’s accession to it was no violation of Quranic law. For this eminent service his patron made him Chief Qazi of the Empire.