In overnight clashes in Nagpur's Mahal area, cars were set on fire, stones were thrown and over a dozen were injured. At the centre of the violence is a stone frame less than three yards in length -- the tomb of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, who died more than 300 years ago.

Aurangzeb's final resting place is simple and unremarkable compared to the tombs of his father Shahjahan and his predecessors Humayun, Akbar and Jahangir, which are grand tourist spots. But history, politics and emotions have come together in a way that this relatively obscure monument is now in the middle of a storm in Maharashtra that threatens peace and unity.

The Tomb Of Aurangzeb

Aurangzeb is a controversial figure who ruled for nearly 50 years in the 17th century, the longest for any Mughal emperor. He is a loathed figure among Hindu hardliners, who accuse him of persecuting their faith. Determined to intensify his campaigns against Marathas, he moved from Agra to the Deccan and made Aurangabad his capital. He died there in 1707.

Per his wish, he was buried next to his spiritual teacher Sayyad Zain-ud-din Shirazi in Khuldabad. It was also his wish that his tomb be simple, a marked departure from his predecessor. On the tomb is a stone frame, less than three yards in length. There is a "cavity" in the middle. It is filled with soil and plants grow there. The tomb lies under the open sky. According to the Archaeological Survey of India, marble screens on three sides of the tomb were erected by the Nizams of Hyderabad later, at the instance of Lord Curzon, who served as viceroy to India.

What Aurangzeb Told Sons About His Tomb

The book History of Aurangzib by Jadunath Sarkar cites an alleged will of the Mughal emperor with detailed instructions on his final resting place. He allocated "four rupees and two annas" for his tomb, the price of caps he sewed himself to earn a living in his later years. He also said three hundred and five rupees, which he received as wages for copying the Quran, were in his purse. "Distribute them to the faqirs on the day of my death. As the money got by copying the Quran is regarded with respect by the Shia sect*, do not spend it on my shroud and other necessaries."

The alleged will also instructed that the top of the coffin on his bier be covered with a coarse white cloth. It said the spreading of a canopy and any procession of musicians must be avoided.

Maharashtra and Aurangzeb

Like most historical figures, Aurangzeb divides opinion. While many regard him as an intolerant ruler whose reign witnessed the destruction of many temples, others argue that politics, and not religious fanaticism, drove his actions.

In Maharashtra, however, Aurangzeb is a villain. The Mughal emperor fought Marathas for about two decades and brutally executed Maratha king Sambhaji, son of Maratha icon Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. It was against this backdrop that Aurangabad was renamed Chhatrapati Sambhajnagar by the Maharashtra government in 2022 to honour the Maratha ruler.

Over time, Sambhaji Maharaj has come to be regarded as a martyr, with Hindu nationalists citing his bravery and loyalty to religion in the face of death. This narrative was reinforced by the blockbuster Chhava, a movie based on Sambhaji's life.

Emotions ran high, and then a remark by Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Azmi sparked a massive row. Mr Azmi said, "I don't consider Aurangzeb a cruel ruler. During that era, power struggles were political, not religious. Aurangzeb's army had many Hindus, just as Chhatrapati Shivaji's army had several Muslims." He later retracted his remarks, but the damage was done and the 17th Century Mughal ruler had returned to claim headlines.

The Tomb Row And What Happened In Nagpur

The demand to remove Aurangzeb's tomb from Maharashtra was first raised by BJP's Satara MP Udayanraje Bhosale, a descendant of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. "What is the need... send a JCB machine and raze his grave... he was a thief and lootera (robber)... Those who visit Aurangzeb's tomb and pay homage may be his future. They should take that tomb to their own homes, but the glorification of Aurangzeb will not be tolerated anymore," Mr Bhosale said.

When Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was asked about this, he agreed with the demand but said that the tomb is an ASI-protected monument and any move against it should follow the law. "We want the same thing, but you need to do it within the framework of the law, because it is a protected site."

Groups like VHP, Bajrang Dal and others in Nagpur held protests to press for the tomb's removal and burnt Aurangzeb's images and a replica of the tomb. A video sparked a rumour that the green cloth covering the replica had sacred verses inscribed on it. This sparked tension and a mob went on the rampage last evening, setting vehicles on fire and attacking cops when resisted.

Aurangzeb's Tomb, Now

Nearly 500 km from Nagpur, security has been stepped up near the tomb premises in Khuldabad. Police have made registration a must for visitors and are also checking their identity documents. An official said a State Reserve Police Force company of 50 cops, 30 local police personnel, and 20 Home Guard personnel, have been deployed in the area.

Parvez Kabeer Ahmed, the tomb's caretaker, said visits to the tomb have declined amid demands for its demolition. "The situation here is peaceful, and people should not believe in rumours. Footfall of visitors has gone down after the demands to demolish the grave have come up. The footfall is usually low during Ramzan. Nearly 100 people visit daily, but the number has gone down since the issue was raised," he said, according to a PTI report.