Page:History of Aurangzib (based on original sources) Vol 3.djvu/95

HISTORY OF ALJRANGZIB Cf-I, XXVIII words should be spitefully trampled under foot or defiled by unbelievers.

(2) The ancient kings of Persia, and following them the Muslim rulers of that country as well as the Mughal sovereigns of India used to observe the day when the Sun enters the Aries as a time of rejoicing, because it was the New Year's Day of the Zoroastrian calendar (1st of Farwardin) and the traditional date of the accession of the mythical king Naushirwan. A sort of carnival was held on the occasion at Court and throughout the empire. But the common people looked upon the day as one of special sanctity and religious significance like the two Ids of the Muslim calendar. This was an innovation on the orthodox practice of Islam, and Aurangzib therefore forbade the keeping of the day and transferred the customary Nauroz rejoicings of the Court to the coronation festivity in the month of Ram.zan.

(3) A Censor of Morals (muhtasib) was appointed to regulate the lives of the people in strict accordance with the Holy Law. "The innovators, atheists heretics who had deviated from the straight path of Islam, infidels, hypocrites and the spiritually indifferent who had spread over India,—were chastised and forced to give up their wicked courses, obey the theologians and observe the fasts and prayers refularly." (Aqil Khan, 89.)

The duty of the Censor was to enforce the