Mughal emperor who wrote poem on Hindu gods

Aurangzeb, often depicted as a strict Islamic ruler with animosity towards Hindus, had a surprising aspect to his reign.

He encouraged his son, Azam Shah, to learn Hindi and compose poetry.

Azam Shah's Hindi poetry notably praised Hindu deities like Gauri and Shiva.

This stands in contrast to Aurangzeb's general reputation as intolerant towards Hinduism.

Aurangzeb facilitated Hindi education by commissioning the lexicon 'Tohfatul-Hind', aiding Persian speakers in learning Hindi.

Copies of 'Tohfatul-Hind' are still preserved at the Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Library in Patna.

Renowned Hindi author and critic Pandey Manejar documented Azam Shah's Hindi poetry in his book.

These instances challenge the conventional portrayal of Aurangzeb's religious policies and cultural attitudes.