Aurangabad, commonly used as a base
for a visit to the World Heritage Sites of Ajanta and Ellora is seeped
in medieval history. Named for Aurangzeb, the last of the great Mughal
Emperors, Aurangabad acquired plenty of monuments and a rich culture
as its heritage from the middle ages. The one single factor that determined
Aurangabad's role in the history of medieval India is its location.
So strategic is its location at the cross roads of north and south India,
that Mohammed-bin-Tughlak and Aurangzeb, two powerful kings attempted
to translocate their capital from Delhi to Aurangabad. Their vision
was clear, from Aurangabad, they would be better able to control both
northern and southern regions of their empires. The fact they failed
should not be attributed to the inherent flaws in their scheme as it
should on the less evident fact that their empires were crumbling.
Under Aurangzeb, Aurangabad became
the seat of the powerful Mughal Empire for a short while. His predecessors
prefered Agra, Delhi or Lahore - all in the north, and Aurangzeb's move
was not unopposed. But the autocratic Emperor's will prevailed. The
Mughal court moved to Aurangabad and remained there till the his death.
Built during his years in Aurangabad were such architectural gems as
the Bibi-ka-Maqbara, a mausoleum with a marked resemblance to the Taj
Mahal and a medieval watermill. Aurangabad became a thriving industrial
centre with many fine academic institutions. Its textiles became much
sought after and even today, the weavers of Aurangabad produce fine
textiles like pathani, himroo and kimkhwab.
But Aurangabad crowning glory is undoubtedly
the famous Buddhist caves at Ajanta & the magnificent rock temples
of Ellora. Built between 200 BC and 650 AD, the viharas and chaityas
at Ajanta are masterpieces as are the incredibly ornate temples carved
out of hard rock at Ellora.
Information Aurangabad
Area 316,421sq km
Population 592,000 (approx.)
Language Marathi, Urdu, Hindi, and English
Religion Hindu, Muslim
State
Maharashtra