Varanasi: The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has made a significant conclusion regarding the Gyanvapi Mosque site in Varanasi, stating that a substantial Hindu temple existed there before the construction of the current structure. This conclusion, based on scientific study and observation, is supported by ample evidence. The site adjacent to the Kashi Vishwanath temple is believed to have witnessed the demolition of a temple under the orders of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, with the Gyanvapi Mosque subsequently erected on its ruins.
Saki Mustaid Khan's Masir-e-Alamgiri, a Persian-language historical account penned shortly after Aurangzeb's death in 1707, serves as a prominent primary source for this revelation. The ASI report cites historian Jadunath Sarkar's translation of this text from 1947. According to Masir-i-Alamgiri, Aurangzeb, driven by a desire to establish Islam, issued orders to governors across provinces to demolish schools and temples of non-Muslims. This royal decree, issued on April 9, 1669, during Aurangzeb's reign, led to the destruction of the Vishwanath Temple in Kashi and the Keshavdev Temple in Mathura, marking what the government termed Aurangzeb's assault on Hindu religion.
Historian SA A Rizvi noted the stark contrast between Aurangzeb's reign and Akbar's policy of coexistence, citing Aurangzeb's discriminatory customs duties and puritanical ordinances following Prince Azam's marriage in 1669. Rizvi highlighted a general order to demolish temples and Hindu education centers, affecting iconic structures like the Vishwanath temple in Banaras and the Keshav Rai temple in Mathura. Historian Richard Eaton argued that the 1669 decree wasn't a general order for immediate temple destruction but targeted institutions with specific educational practices. Another theory connects the destruction of the Kashi temple to Chhatrapati Shivaji's escape, with Aurangzeb seeking retribution.
Eaton pointed out a rebellion in Banaras in 1669, implicating zamindars suspected of aiding Shivaji's escape, Aurangzeb's adversary. Historian Audrey Truschke highlighted Aurangzeb's demolition of a significant portion of the Vishwanath temple in Banaras in 1669, emphasizing that the temple, built during Akbar's reign by Raja Man Singh, suffered destruction after his descendant Jai Singh assisted Shivaji's escape from the Mughal court in 1666.
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