Aurangzeb

Aurangzeb defeated his brothers Dara Shikoh, Shuja, and Murad Baksh in a civil war for the Mughal throne. He captured and executed Dara Shikoh, who was the favored successor of Shah Jahan. This victory established Aurangzeb as the sole Mughal emperor, but it also weakened the empire through internal conflict.

Aurangzeb ordered the execution of Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Sikh guru, for refusing to convert to Islam. The guru was beheaded in Delhi. This event intensified the Sikh resistance against Mughal rule and led to the formation of the Khalsa by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699.

Aurangzeb re-imposed the jizya tax on non-Muslim subjects, which had been abolished by Akbar. This tax was levied on Hindus, Sikhs, and other non-Muslims. The re-imposition alienated many Hindu subjects and contributed to rebellions, including the Maratha uprising under Shivaji.

Aurangzeb engaged in a prolonged war against the Maratha Empire under Shivaji and his successors. The conflict lasted for 27 years, with Aurangzeb personally leading campaigns in the Deccan. Despite initial successes, the Mughals failed to subdue the Marathas, and the war exhausted the empire's resources.

Aurangzeb led a prolonged campaign to conquer the Deccan Sultanates of Bijapur and Golconda. He captured Bijapur in 1686 and Golconda in 1687 after lengthy sieges. These conquests extended Mughal rule to the southern tip of India, but they also drained the empire's treasury and military resources.