Fatawa-i-Alamgiri
Topic: The Mughal Empire: Babur to Aurangzeb · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The Fatawa-i-Alamgiri is a large collection of Islamic law based on the Hanafi school, one of the main schools of Sunni Islamic law. A board of Muslim scholars prepared it under Aurangzeb's patronage, c. 1660s–1670s. It was meant to guide qazis (Muslim judges) in deciding cases. It reflects Aurangzeb's aim to rule according to Islamic law. The name comes from his title "Alamgir", meaning "conqueror of the world".
Example
Aurangzeb was a strict Sunni. He banned music at court and brought back the jizya, a tax on non-Muslims. The Fatawa-i-Alamgiri was compiled during his reign so that judges across the empire could follow one standard set of Hanafi legal rulings.
Don't confuse with
- Farman: an emperor's own order. The Fatawa-i-Alamgiri is a book of legal rulings compiled by scholars.
- Ain-i-Akbari: Abul Fazl's account of Akbar's administration, not a law book.
Related concepts
- Aurangzeb
- Mughal war of succession 1657-58
- Dara Shikoh
- Farman
- Badshahi Mosque, Lahore
- Bibi Ka Maqbara