An emperor who died in 1707, and his rather modest grave, have become the subject of heated debate, tensions and even an excuse for violence in 2025. Aurangzeb has been used as an emotive issue by the Hindu Right for decades now, before which the British colonials too found him to be an easy villain. The Wire's Jahnavi Sen speaks to historian Dr Ruchika Sharma and author Parvati Sharma about the Mughal ruler's life and policies, the political use of his figure to try and vilify Muslims, and the growth of propaganda claiming to be history.

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