On 28 March 1688, a

Jat The Jat people (, ), also spelt Jaat and Jatt, are a traditionally agricultural community in Northern India and Pakistan. Originally pastoralists in the lower Indus river-valley of Sindh, many Jats migrated north into the Punjab region in l ...

army led by

Rajaram of Sinsini Rajaram Jat (reign 1670–1688) was a chieftain of Sinsini, who led organised rebellion against Mughal emperor Aurangzeb after Gokula Jat was executed in Agra on 1 January 1670. Rajaram united the Jats, modernised their military capabilities, ...

attacked and desecrated the tomb of Mughal Emperor

Akbar Akbar (Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar, – ), popularly known as Akbar the Great, was the third Mughal emperor, who reigned from 1556 to 1605. Akbar succeeded his father, Humayun, under a regent, Bairam Khan, who helped the young emperor expa ...

Sikandra, Agra Akbar's tomb is the mausoleum of the third and greatest Mughal emperor Akbar. The tomb was built in 1605–1613 by his son, Jahangir and is situated on 119 acres of grounds in Sikandra, a suburb of Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. The buildings are ...

. The raiders exhumed Akbar’s remains and burned them, marking a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict between the Jats and the Mughal Empire since the uprising of 1669 under Gokula. This successful raid followed an earlier, unsuccessful attempt in 1685.

Background

The desecration was an act of vengeance by the Jats, as noted by historian Aziz Ahmad, who highlighted the irony of targeting Akbar’s tomb.

, a Mughal emperor renowned for his efforts to foster harmony between

Hindus Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

and

Muslims Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...

and promote equality, was an unlikely target for such an attack. In 1685, Rajaram Jat had previously attempted to plunder the tomb but was intercepted 10 miles from Sikandra by Mughal faujdar Mir Abul Fazl. The confrontation resulted in heavy casualties on both sides, with Fazl sustaining severe injuries. Despite the Mughal victory,

Aurangzeb Alamgir I (Muhi al-Din Muhammad; 3 November 1618 – 3 March 1707), commonly known by the title Aurangzeb, also called Aurangzeb the Conqueror, was the sixth Mughal emperors, Mughal emperor, reigning from 1658 until his death in 1707, becomi ...

rewarded Fazl with an increase in his mansab (military rank) by 200 sawars and the title of Iltifat Khan.

Desecration

In 1688, Rajaram Jat capitalised on the delayed arrival of Agra’s new faujdar,

Shaista Khan Mirza Abu Talib (b. 22 November 1600 – d. 1694), better known as Shaista Khan, was a general and the Subahdar of Mughal Bengal. He was maternal uncle to the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, and acted as a key figure during his reign. Shaista Khan ini ...

. With the naib (deputy) Muhammad Baqa in charge, who remained passive during the attack, the Jats faced little resistance. They looted gold, silver, and gems from the tomb, damaged the mausoleum, and destroyed items they could not carry. According to

Niccolao Manucci Niccolao Manucci (19 April 1638 – 1717) was a Venetian writer, a self-taught physician, and traveller, who wrote accounts of the Mughal Empire as a first-hand witness. His work is considered to be one of the most useful foreign sources for th ...

, the Jats also burned Akbar’s remains. The raiders further plundered nearby villages that maintained the

Taj Mahal The Taj Mahal ( ; ; ) is an ivory-white marble mausoleum on the right bank of the river Yamuna in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. It was commissioned in 1631 by the fifth Mughal Empire, Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan () to house the tomb of his belo ...

, setting them ablaze, and attacked Mughal officials at

Palwal Palwal is a city and a municipal council. It is the headquarters of Palwal district, the 21st district of Haryana state in northern India. It is a centre of the cotton trade in the area. It is part of Braj region. It is also a part of Na ...

while ransacking the Khurja pargana. In response to the inaction of Mughal officials, Emperor Aurangzeb reduced the mansab of Khan-i-Jahan and his deputy by 1,000 and 500 sawars, respectively.

Aftermath

The desecration was a significant blow to Mughal prestige, as noted by architectural historian Catherine Asher. Alarmed by the incident, Aurangzeb appointed Raja Ram Singh of

Amber Amber is fossilized tree resin. Examples of it have been appreciated for its color and natural beauty since the Neolithic times, and worked as a gemstone since antiquity."Amber" (2004). In Maxine N. Lurie and Marc Mappen (eds.) ''Encyclopedia ...

, as Mathura’s faujdar to pursue Rajaram Jat and restore order. However, Ram Singh, who was in

Kabul Kabul is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. Located in the eastern half of the country, it is also a municipality, forming part of the Kabul Province. The city is divided for administration into #Districts, 22 municipal districts. A ...

at the time, died before assuming his post. The Mughal administration also established thanas (police outposts) in the

Mathura Mathura () is a city and the administrative headquarters of Mathura district in the states and union territories of India, Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is located south-east of Delhi; and about from the town of Vrindavan. In ancient ti ...

region to strengthen security and prevent further attacks.

References

{{coord missing, Uttar Pradesh 1688 in India Cemetery vandalism and desecration Mughal tombs Akbar History of Agra Crime in Uttar Pradesh Hinduism-motivated violence in India Looting in India 1680s crimes 17th-century Hinduism Religious building and structure arson fires in India Attacks on Islamic buildings Anti-Muslim violence in India Battles involving the Jats