Aurangzeb Alamgir seized the throne after a bitter war of succession against his brothers.
Unlike his predecessors, he was strictly orthodox in his personal religion and state policies. He spent the latter half of his reign in a relentless, decades-long military campaign in the Deccan.
Lahore's Badshahi Mosque, commissioned by Aurangzeb in 1673, was the largest mosque in the world for over 300 years until the construction of the Faisal Mosque in Islamabad in 1986.
Source: Department of Archaeology & Museums, Pakistan
Architecture in Pakistan
Aurangzeb commissioned the colossal Badshahi Mosque in Lahore in 1673. For over three centuries, it remained the largest mosque in the world, standing today as one of Pakistan's most iconic landmarks.
Historical Significance
While he expanded the empire to its greatest borders, his rigid policies and endless wars alienated allies and fatally drained the treasury, planting the seeds for the empire's rapid decline.
Major Events
- Expansion to the farthest southern reaches of the subcontinent
- Compilation of the Fatawa-e-Alamgiri (Islamic legal code)
- Continuous wars against the Marathas and Sikhs
Key Places
Key Figures
Historical Media
