By the beginning of the 18th century Aurangzeb, the sixth Emperor, ruled over probably one fourth of

the worlds population: 150 million people. After this apotheosis, the empire declined, the Mughals
were confined to ever more ceremonial roles while the East India Company and then the British
ruled, until the final catastrophe extinguished the dynasty. What is left is a magnificent array of art,
Persian miniatures in bejewelled colours, commemorating and recording life at court, battles, the
hunt, flora and fauna, and endless portraits of courtiers, aristocrats, mistresses, wives and the
emperors themselves.
The Mughals came from Central Asia, via Afghanistan, and were proud to claim descent from
Genghis Khan and Timur the Lame, aka Tamerlane; they were in varying degrees fervent admirers
of Persian culture, much of which they imported to their Indian dominions. Under the first emperor
Babur, Persian became the spoken and written language of choice, and practically all the Mughals
were united in their admiration of Persian culture, not to mention gardens and building styles.
Their personal history was marked by continual strife, addiction to opium and alcohol, and general
family chaos as the imperial succession was fought over. The fifth Emperor Shah Jehan, the builder
of the Taj Mahal, was incarcerated for the last eight years of his life by his successor, his second son
Aurangzeb. He could look out from his prison at the great building which commemorated his love for
his wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died after giving birth to their 14th child.