What major political event directly occasioned the serious structural break between the Mughals and Rajputs during the reign of Aurangzeb?
- AIncreased importance of the Marathas in the Mughal state.
- BThe succession crisis in Marwar following the death of Maharaja Jaswant Singh.
- CAurangzeb's blatant favoritism towards Muslims in civil services.
- DAurangzeb's systematic destruction of major regional Hindu temples.
Solution & Step-by-step Explanation
The critical tipping point in Mughal-Rajput relations under Aurangzeb was his intervention in the Marwar succession dispute after the death of Maharaja Jaswant Singh in 1878. Aurangzeb's attempt to impose a puppet ruler and ignore the legitimate infant heir, Ajit Singh, alienated both the Rathores of Marwar and the Sisodias of Mewar, culminating in prolonged conflict.