Administration of Justice in Aurangzeb’s Time

Summary

Using real cases recorded in court bulletins and Jaipur archives, this article examines how justice was administered during Aurangzeb’s reign. It summarises dozens of disputes involving murder, theft, inheritance and land revenue. The Qazi required sworn testimony and, in homicide cases, often ordered the payment of blood money or oaths on the Qur’anfile:///home/oai/redirect.html. Governors intervened to remit land revenue for poor cultivators or to release debtors when relatives paid their duesfile:///home/oai/redirect.html. Hindu litigants appeared alongside Muslims, and customary law was applied flexibly. The author argues that these cases reveal a pragmatic system focused on maintaining order and revenue rather than enforcing doctrinal law. By looking at actual practice rather than legal theory, the article provides a more nuanced picture of Mughal justice.