Reassessing the Role and Status of the Diwan al-Sadarat within the Mughal State under Aurangzeb (1658-1707)

Abstract

The effectiveness of the Mughal Empire’s governance in India was supported by the role played by each department or diwan. One of the important diwan was the Diwan al-Sadarat, which played a significant role in matters pertaining to religion and development. Although the Diwan al-Sadarat had experienced a period of decline especially during the reign of Akbar, the situation has been changed after Aurangzeb assumed leadership of Mughal Empire in 1658 as well as he had initiated efforts to consolidate this institution during his reign. Hence, this study aimed to examine the Diwan al-Sadarat’s role and position in the Mughal Empire’s governance during Aurangzeb’s reign (1658–1707). This qualitative study adopted the historical study approach and content analysis method for collecting and analysing data from primary and secondary sources. Findings indicate that before Aurangzeb’s reign, Diwan al-Sadarat’s role was not considered significant due to several factors, including the Mughal rulers’ policies that did not support the Diwan al-Sadarat’s function, and the limited involvement of religious scholars (ulama) in the Mughal government. In addition, this study also found that the Diwan al-Sadarat’s role and position improved significantly after Aurangzeb took steps to empower the institution. The Diwan al-Sadarat played a key role in advancing education and religious affairs through various initiatives during his reign, such as overseeing the development of India’s education sector, providing grants for educational institutions, appointing religious officials and managing the distribution of madad al-ma‘ash (endowments or stipends for religious scholars). This article offers a novel perspective by examining how Aurangzeb sought to sustain his authority through the institutional empowerment of the Diwan within his governance structure.