the viceroy of the Deccan for the second time and made Aurangabad his capital, which is sometimes referred to as Khujista Bunyad by the Chroniclers of Aurangzeb’s reign.
Thereafter in 1724, with the intention of founding his own dynasty, Asif Jah, a Turkic general and Nizam-al-Mulk of the Mughals in the Deccan region, decided to withdraw from the crumbling Mughal Empire and decided to make Aurangabad his capital.
Later, in 1763, the capital from Aurangabad was transferred to Hyderabad by Asif Jah’s son and successor Nizam Ali Khan Asaf Jah II, Nizam of Hyderabad who eventually was made to pay an indemnity of 30 million rupees to the Marathas when the city came under the Maratha rule, following the victory of Maratha’s in the Battle of Kharda in 1795. However, the rule of the Marathas lasted for only eight years.
Following the victory of the British in the Second Anglo-Maratha War, the city came under the rule of the Nizam of Hyderabad, under the protection of the British East India Company. The city was acknowledged as Aurangabad and became a part of the Princely State of Hyderabad during the period of the British Raj. After India got independence in1947, the city was annexed into the Indian Union and remained a part of Hyderabad State until 1956. Thereafter, it became a part of the newly formed bilingual Bombay state and in 1960 it became a part of the Maharashtra state.
Aurangabad is a tourism hub and surrounded by many historical monuments, which include the famous – Bibi Ka Maqbara, the burial place of Emperor Aurangzeb’s wife, Dilras Banu Begum, also known as Rabia-ud-Daurani. Bibi Ka Maqbara is situated about 3 km (2 mi) from the city and is popularly known as “Taj of the Deccan”, because of its resemblance to the Taj Mahal at Agra.
Situated at a distance of 1km from the city, this 17th century Water Mill is known for its underground water channel culminating an artificial waterfall that powers the mill.
Set amid this magnificent city are the 12 Buddhist caves which dates back to the 3rd Century. Situated at a distance of 5 km (3 mi) from the city, these caves are believed to have the Tantric influences evident in the iconography and architectural designs of the caves.
