Protestors Burn Poster Of Bahadur Shah Zafar Instead Of Aurangzeb In Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

Currently, the whole of Maharashtra is engaged in a heated discussion about Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. Several parts of the state are witnessing protests demanding the demolition of Aurangzeb’s grave in Maharashtra’s Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district.

Right-wing groups have raised the demand for the demolition of Aurangzeb’s grave in Khuldabad, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. Organizations like the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal have threatened to conduct ‘karseva’ and statewide rallies if their demand is not met. They plan to submit a petition to the state government on Monday, calling for legal action to remove the cemetery.

This debate was reignited after Udayanraje Bhosale, a Satara MP for the BJP and a descendant of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, called for the removal of Aurangzeb’s tomb in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.

In Maharashtra, Aurangzeb is infamous for his conflicts with the Marathas, who strongly opposed his expansionist policies. Under the orders of Shivaji Maharaj, his son Sambhaji was captured, tortured, and executed. The issue gained more attention after the release of the film Chhava.

Meanwhile, in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, protestors were seen burning a poster of Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar II during the protest. Zafar’s photo was also adorned with a garland of footwear.

Who was Bahadur Shah Zafar?

For the uninitiated, Bahadur Shah II, often known as Bahadur Shah Zafar, was the twentieth and final Mughal emperor and a Hindustani poet. His real name was Mirza Abu Zafar Siraj-ud-din Muhammad. By the time of his rule, the Mughal Empire was largely symbolic, with his power confined to the walled city of Old Delhi (Shahjahanbad). In 1858, he was found guilty of involvement in the Indian Rebellion of 1857, and the British exiled him to Rangoon (present-day Yangon) in British-controlled Burma. Among his famous Urdu Ghazals are “Baat karni mujhe mushkil kabhi aisi to na thi” and “Lagta nahin hai dil mera ujDe dayar mein.”

Aurangzeb was Bahadur Shah Zafar’s great-great-grandfather, making Zafar a descendant of Aurangzeb.