One of the reasons that Aurangzeb's reign (1658-1707) led to the eventual decline of the Mughals was that he discontinued the policy of pluralism, which refers to permitting different religious faiths to practice freely. Akhbar, a leader of the Mughal Empire from 1556-1605 and one of Aurangzeb's predecessors, was one of the greatest leaders of the empire and established a policy of tolerance that extended to non-Muslims. For example, he abolished a tax on non-Muslims...
One of the reasons that Aurangzeb's reign (1658-1707) led to the eventual decline of the Mughals was that he discontinued the policy of pluralism, which refers to permitting different religious faiths to practice freely. Akhbar, a leader of the Mughal Empire from 1556-1605 and one of Aurangzeb's predecessors, was one of the greatest leaders of the empire and established a policy of tolerance that extended to non-Muslims. For example, he abolished a tax on non-Muslims and allowed them to assume military and civilian positions, earning their trust.
However, Aurangzeb did not follow the tolerant policies of the emperors before him. If I were his chief advisor, I would recommend that he continue the more tolerant policy of his predecessors and not insist on the precedence of sharia, or Muslim religious law, over secular law. I would also urge him to practice more tolerance towards the Hindus in his realm, as he ordered their temples and schools destroyed. In addition, I would urge him to become less dictatorial and less punitive of his opponents, as he executed many political and religious opponents (including his own brother, who he thought was sympathetic to Hinduism). As there were many rebellions during his reign, his policies clearly resulted in increasing internal opposition. A more tolerant and multicultural platform might have allowed him to restore the grandeur and stability of the Mughal Empire.
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