Because of his simple and pious way of life, the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb was popularly called:

Because of his simple and pious way of life, the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb was popularly called "Zinda Pir", meaning "living saint".

Why he was called Zinda Pir:

• Aurangzeb lived a simple and disciplined life, unlike many other emperors.
• He prayed regularly, fasted, and followed the rules of Islam strictly.
• He did not drink wine and avoided luxuries.
• He is said to have earned money for his personal expenses by copying the Quran and sewing caps, rather than taking it from the treasury.
• He knew the Quran by heart (he was a hafiz).
• He dressed simply and ate simple food.

His religious attitude:

• He wanted to rule according to the Sharia (Islamic law).
• He appointed muhtasibs (censors of public morals) to enforce Islamic rules.
• He stopped some court practices that he considered un-Islamic, such as the jharokha darshan and the weighing of the emperor against gold and silver.
• He withdrew patronage from court music and painting in his later years.

Historians' assessment:

• Historians differ in their views of Aurangzeb.
• Some see him as a bigot whose policies alienated many of his subjects.
• Others point out that he gave grants to temples, appointed many Hindus to high posts, and acted largely for political reasons.
• Most agree that his long wars in the Deccan and his policies contributed to the weakening of the empire.

Other popular titles:

• "Rangila": Muhammad Shah, because of his love of pleasure.
• "Jahanpanah": "Refuge of the World", a general title used for emperors.
• "Shah-i-Alam": a title, later used by Shah Alam I and Shah Alam II.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Jahanpanah, Rangila and Shah-i-Alam were not used for Aurangzeb's piety.