Aurangzeb imposed the jizyah on the Hindus on 2 April, 1679. This meant that Hindus would have to pay an additional tax because they were kaffirs (infidels) in the eyes of Islam. This imposition was in line with the Quran and reduced Hindus in their homeland to the status of second-class citizens. The Mughal Badshah (emperor) did not spare the Hindu temples as well. He ordered the destruction of hundreds of temples all over India and spared no means to desecrate the idols of the Hindu gods and goddesses. He, who had earlier beheaded his elder brother, the enlightened Darah Shukoh, who had been the first to get the Upanishads translated into Persian which later facilitated translations into the European languages for the wide diffusion of their message, imprisoned his own father Shah Jahan and usurped his throne, now went into a frenetic zeal to destroy Hinduism. Persecution of the Hindus rang the death-knell for the Mughal empire as the Marathas under Chhatrapati Shivaji rose in the Deccan (Dakshinatya) in defence of the Motherland and her ancient civilization centred in Hinduism.
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