History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v5.c84.s6.t1.19

v5.c84.s6.t1.19

It will be enough if we briefly refer here to his treatment of the Ismailia sect,* the Bohra branch of which supplied the best oversea traders and retail dealers in his western realm. Their spiritual guide Qutb had been put to death by order of Aurangzib early in his reign, and the sect was driven into secret ways in practising its faith. Later, many of their leading men were arrested and kept in prison on a charge of teaching heresy. In 1705 Isa and Taj, two silk-vendors of the Sulaimani branch of the Bohras, were bound down in security not to collect money from the people by threat and accusation nor to teach heretical opinions. A little later they were sent to Court in chains. In the same year, the Emperor learnt that Khanji, the head of the Ismailia sect and successor to Qutb, had sent twelve emissaries (*dais*) who were secretly perverting Muslims to this heresy and had collected Rs. 1,14,000 from the members of this creed in Ahmadabad for procuring the release of their brethren then confined by Aurangzib. The Emperor on hearing of it ordered the twelve men and certain other members of this community to be arrested quietly without the knowledge of the rest of the sect, and sent to him under careful guard, with the money collected and the sixty and odd holy books of their faith. This was done. At the same time orthodox teachers were appointed by the State to educate the children and illiterate people of the Bohras in every village and city in Sunni doctrines and practices. [*Mirat* 376—378; Inayet's *Ahkam* 271 *b*.] Their mosques had been converted to Sunni usage earlier in the reign [*Mirat*, 277.]