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At a critical juncture, India finds itself grappling with two seemingly disparate yet equally contentious issues – the historical shadow of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb’s reign and the looming threat of retaliatory tariffs from US president Donald Trump.

While Hindutva groups in India remain fixated on reopening centuries-old wounds from Aurangzeb’s rule – particularly his taxation policies and alleged destruction of temples – the immediate economic repercussions of Trump’s tariffs may prove far more damaging.

Aurangzeb’s imposition of jizya, a capitation or poll tax on non-Muslims, remains one of the most debated aspects of his reign. Historians like Audrey Truschke, in her book Aurangzeb: The Man and the Myth, note that the tax alienated many Hindus and contradicted the earlier Mughal principle of sulh-i kull (universal peace), established under Akbar.

Some have spoken of a scathing letter penned by Maratha ruler Chhatrapati Shivaji to Aurangzeb disparaging the jizya on grounds that it went against the policy of Akbar to resolve issues peacefully. Other accounts have it that Rana Raj Singh of Mewar wrote this letter between 1650 and 1680.

Though exemptions existed for the poor and unemployed, the tax’s burden fell unevenly, with Hindu merchants (baniyas) reportedly paying more. Yet, the full extent of its impact remains disputed among scholars.

In contrast, Trump’s impending reciprocal tariffs – set to take effect on April 2 – threaten to inflict severe, measurable harm on countries across the world, including the Indian economy. Economists like Paul Krugman warn that these measures could disrupt global trade, hitting not just the US but also partner nations like Canada and Mexico, with whom the US has revised free trade agreement that were notched during Trump’s first term, but other countries like India with disproportionate force.

A rupture in trade........

© The Wire