Describe Aurangzeb’s Administration under the following headlines: A Setback to the Policy of Religious Toleration Provincial Government

(a) A Setback to the Policy of Religious Toleration: Soon after his accession, Aurangzeb abandoned the liberal religious viewpoints of his predecessors^ Though Akbar Jahangir and Shah Jahan’s approach to faith was more liberal than the empire’s founder. Aurangzeb’s position is not so obvious. While his conservative interpretation of Islam and belief in Shria (Islamic law) is well documented, how this affected the empire remains unclear. Despite claims of sweeping edicts and policies, contradictory accounts exists his compilation of the Fatwa-e-Alamgirie, a digest of Muslim law, was either intended for personal use, never enforced. While some assert that the lack of broad adoption was due to an inherent flow, others insist they were only intended for his observance. While it is possible the war of succession and continued incursions combined with Shah Jahan’s spending made cultural expenditures impossible. 

(b) Provincial Government: The number of proinces had risen to’ twenty-one in the time of Aurangzeb. The Diwan or the Revenue Chief of the province was required to keep a strict watch over the Subahdar (the Governor) so that the latter would not become all powerful.