Friday, Jul 24, 2026 The claims desk. Receipts included. POWERED BY LENZ
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HISTORY

The Claim

In February 1659, Mughal emperor Aurangzeb issued an order to officials in Banaras (Varanasi) stating that Brahmins and other Hindus were not to be harmed.

The Short Version

The historical record supports that Aurangzeb issued a February 1659 farman to Banaras officials protecting Brahmins and other Hindus from unlawful interference. The claim is slightly overstated because surviving summaries usually use narrower wording than “not to be harmed.” It is best understood as a local, context-specific order, not a full statement of his wider religious policy.

Caveats

  • The surviving wording is usually translated as preventing Brahmins and other Hindus from being unlawfully disturbed or interfered with, which is narrower than a blanket ban on all harm.
  • The order was specific to Banaras and a local administrative context; it should not be generalized into an empire-wide guarantee.
  • This document does not settle broader debates about Aurangzeb’s overall policy, which also includes later actions against some temples.

The Receipts

  1. How Aurangzeb turned from protector to destroyer of Varanasi temple

    Times of India

  2. What Aurangzeb did to preserve Hindu temples (and protect non-Muslim religious leaders)

    Sabrang India

  3. Unravelling the Myth: Exploring State and Religion under Aurangzeb

    Juniper Publishers

  4. Vol-10-No-2-An-Analysis-of-the-Mughal-Religious-Policy

    Muslim Societies

  5. Benares Farman of Aurangzeb - Fortune IAS Circle

    Fortune IAS Circle

  6. On Aurangzeb, Kashi Vishwanath, Lies and Half-Truths

    Satyameva Jayate

  7. Mughal emperor Aurangzeb protected Hindu temples more often than he demolished them

    Quartz

  8. Aurangzeb

    Wikipedia

  9. 'कट्टर' मुसलमान था तो मंदिरों को जमीन दान क्यों देता था Aurangzeb? | NBT

    YouTube

  10. क्या हिंदुओं का दुश्मन था औरंगजेब?, काशी में औरंगजेब ने क्या किया था ...

    YouTube

+ 12 more sources — see the full list on Lenz

Filed Under

AurangzebBanaras