The speaker claims that both Hindu and Muslim kings historically engaged in both destroying and donating to temples, citing examples like King Harshadev and Aurangzeb, and criticizes selective historical narratives.

Historical records confirm that Hindu kings frequently destroyed religious images and temples of their rivals during military campaigns and power struggles. Examples include the Pallava ruler Narasimhavarman I, Rashtrakuta king Indra III, and Chola king Rajadhiraja.

King Harsha (Harshadeva) of Kashmir (r. 1089–1101 CE) is documented to have systematically looted and desecrated Hindu and Buddhist temples, establishing a dedicated office for this purpose to finance his treasury.

Temples were destroyed for economic wealth, as they were repositories of riches, and as symbols of political authority to humiliate or subjugate rival rulers. Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb ordered the demolition of the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in 1669 CE, and the Gyanvapi Mosque was subsequently built on its site.

This is one instance among many where Muslim rulers destroyed temples in India. However, Aurangzeb also provided grants and donations to numerous Hindu and Jain temples, including the Maha Kaleshwar temple of Ujjain, Balaji temple of Chitrakoot, and Umanand temple of Guwahati, and issued orders for the protection of non-Muslim religious institutions.

Other Muslim rulers like Akbar and Jahangir also made grants to temples. The assessment of Aurangzeb as the 'worst king' is subjective.

While his 'religious bigotry' and 'rigid religious policies' alienated non-Muslims and contributed to the decline of the Mughal Empire, he is also recognized as a 'complex personality and an able statesman' who expanded the empire to its greatest territorial extent. The claim that King Harshadev destroyed the 'most' temples is not definitively supported by comparative historical data in the provided sources, though his actions were systematic and unprecedented in Kashmir's history.

Hindu kings also extensively built temples throughout Indian history, with numerous examples such as the Brihadisvara Temple built by Rajaraja Chola I and the current Kashi Vishwanath Temple rebuilt by Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar. [1][2][3]