Founding of the Mughal Empire:

The young prince Babur, descended from Timur on his father's side and Genghis Khan on
his mother's, finished his conquest of northern India in 1526, defeating the Delhi Sultan
Ibrahim Shah Lodi at the First Battle of Panipat.

Babur was a refugee from the fierce dynastic struggles in Central Asia; his uncles and
other warlords had repeatedly denied him rule over the Silk Road cities of Samarkand
and Fergana, his birth-right. Babur was able to establish a base in Kabul, though, from
which he turned south and conquered much of the Indian subcontinent.

Babur called his dynasty "Timurid," but it is better known as the Mughal Dynasty - a
Persian rendering of the word "Mongol."

Babur's Reign:

Babur was never able to conquer Rajputana, home of the warlike Rajputs. He ruled over
the rest of northern India and the plain of the Ganges River, though.

Although he was a Muslim, Babur followed a rather loose interpretation of the Quran in
some ways. He drank heavily at his famously lavish feasts, and also enjoyed smoking
hashish.

Babur's flexible and tolerant religious views would be all the more evident in his
grandson, Akbar the Great.

In 1530, Babur died at the age of just 47. His eldest son Humayan fought off an attempt
to seat his aunt's husband as emperor and assumed the throne. Babur's body was returned
to Kabul, Afghanistan, nine years after his death, and buried in the Bagh-e Babur.

Height of the Mughals:

Humayan was not a very strong leader. In 1540, the Pashtun ruler Sher Shah Suri
defeated the Timurids, deposing Humayan. The second Timurid emperor only regained
his throne with aid from Persia in 1555, a year before his death, but at that time he
managed even to expand on Babur's empire.

When Humayan died after a fall down the stairs, his 13-year-old son Akbar was crowned.
Akbar defeated the remnants of the Pashtuns, and brought some previously unquelled
Hindu regions under Timurid control. He also gained control over Rajput through
diplomacy and marriage alliances.

Akbar was an enthusiastic patron of literature, poetry, architecture, science, and painting.
Although he was a committed Muslim, Akbar encouraged religious tolerance and sought
wisdom from holy men of all faiths. He became known as "Akbar the Great."
Shah Jahan and the Taj Mahal:

Akbar's son, Jahangir, ruled the Mughal Empire in peace and prosperity from 1605 until
1627. He was succeeded by his own son, Shah Jahan.

The 36-year-old Shah Jahan inherited an incredible empire in 1627, but any joy he felt
would be short lived. Just four years later, his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal, died during
the birth of their fourteenth child. The emperor went into deep mourning and was not
seen in public for a year.

As an expression of his love, Shah Jahan commissioned the building of a magnificent

tomb for his dear wife. Designed by the Persian architect Ustad Ahmad Lahauri, and
constructed of white marble, the Taj Mahal is considered the crowning achievement of
Mughal architecture.

The Mughal Empire Weakens:

Shah Jahan's third son, Aurangzeb, seized the throne and had all of his brothers executed
after a protracted succession struggle in 1658.

At the time, Shah Jahan was still alive, but Aurangzeb had his sickly father confined to
the Fort at Agra. Shah Jahan spent his declining years gazing out at the Taj, and died in
1666.

The ruthless Aurangzeb proved to be the last of the "Great Mughals." Throughout his
reign, he expanded the empire in all directions. He also enforced a much more orthodox
brand of Islam, even banning music in the empire (which made many Hindu rites
impossible to perform).

A three-year-long revolt by the Mughals' long-time ally, the Pashtun, began in 1672. In
the aftermath, the Mughals lost much of their authority in what is now Afghanistan,
seriously weakening the empire.

The British East India Company:

Aurangzeb died in 1707, and the Mughal state began a long, slow process of crumbling
from within and without. Increasing peasant revolts and sectarian violence threatened the
stability of the throne, and various nobles and warlords sought to control the line of weak
emperors. All around the borders, powerful new kingdoms sprang up and began to chip
away at Mughal land holdings.

The British East India Company (BEI) was founded in 1600, while Akbar was still on the
throne. Initially, it was only interested in trade and had to content itself with working
around the fringes of the Mughal Empire. As the Mughals weakened, however, the BEI
grew increasingly powerful.
The Last Days of the Mughal Empire:

In 1757, the BEI defeated the Nawab of Bengal and French company interests at the
Battle of Palashi (Plassey). After this victory, the BEI took political control of much of
the subcontinent, marking the start of the British Raj in India. The later Mughal rulers
held on to their throne, but they were simply puppets of the British.

In 1857, half of the Indian Army rose up against the BEI in what is known as the Sepoy
Rebellion or the Indian Mutiny. The British home government intervened to protect its
own financial stake in the company and put down the so-called rebellion.

Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar was arrested, tried for treason, and exiled to Burma.

It was the end of the Mughal Dynasty.

The Mughal Legacy in India:

The Mughal Dynasty left a large and visible mark on India. Among the most striking
examples of Mughal heritage are the many beautiful buildings that were constructed in
the Mughal style - not just the Taj Mahal, but also the Red Fort in Delhi, the Fort of Agra,
Humayan's Tomb and a number of other lovely works. The melding of Persian and Indian
styles created some of the world's best-known monuments.

This combination of influences can also be seen in the arts, cuisine, gardens and even in
the Urdu language. Through the Mughals, Indo-Persian culture reached an apogee of
refinement and beauty.

List of Mughal Emperors:

• Babur (1526-1530)

• Humayun (1530-1540, 1555-1556)

• Akbar (1556-1605)

• Jahangir (1605-1627)

• Shah Jahan (1627-1658)

• Aurangzeb (1658-1707)

• Bahadur Shah (1707-1712)

• Jahandar Shah (1712-1713)

• Furrukhsiyar (1713-1719)
• Rafi ul-Darjat (1719-1719)

• Rafi ud-Daulat (1719-1719)

• Nikusiyar (1719-1743)

• Mohammed Ibrahim (1720-1744)

• Mohammed Shah (1719-1720, 1720-1748)

• Ahmad Shah Bahadur (1748-1754)

• Alamgir II (1754-1759)

• Shah Jahan III (1759-1759)

• Shah Alam II (1759-1806)

• Akbar Shah II (1806-1837)

• Bahadur Shah II (1837-1857)

Decline of the Mughals:

The period of the Great Mughals, which began in 1526 with Babur’s accession to the
throne, ended with the death of Aurangzeb in 1707. Aurangzeb’s death marked the end of
an era in Indian history. When Aurangzeb died, the empire of the Mughals was the
largest in India. Yet, within about fifty years of his death, the Mughal Empire
disintegrated.

Aurangzeb’s death was followed by a war of succession among his three sons. It ended in
the victory of the eldest brother, Prince Muazzam. The sixty five-year-old prince
ascended the throne under the name of Bahadur Shah.
Bahadur Shah (1707 A.D.-1712 A.D.):

Bahadur Shah followed a policy of compromise and conciliation and tried to conciliate
the Rajputs, the Marathas, the Bundelas, the Jats and the Sikhs. During his reign the
Marathas and the Sikhs became more powerful. He had also to face revolt from the Sikhs.
Bahadur Shah died in 1712.

Wars of Succession, which had been a regular feature among the Mughals, had become
more acute after the death of Bahadur Shah. This was specially so because the nobles had
become very powerful. Different factions of nobles supported rival claimants to the
throne in order to occupy high posts.

Jahandar Shah (1712 A.D.-1713 A.D.):

Jahandar Shah who succeeded Bahadur Shah was weak and incompetent. He was
controlled by nobles and could manage to rule only for one year.
 Farrukhsiyar (1713 A.D.-1719 A.D.):

Farrukhsiyar ascended the throne with the help of the Sayyid brothers who were
popularly called the ‘king makers’. He was controlled by the Sayyid brothers who were
the real authority behind Mughal power. When he tried to free himself from their control,
he was killed by them.

Mohammad Shah (1719 A.D.-1748 A.D.):

The Sayyids helped Mohammad Shah, ascend the 18-year-old grandson of Bahadur Shah,
to the throne. Taking advantage of the weak rule of Mohammad Shah and the constant
rivalry among the various factions of the nobility, some powerful and ambitious nobles
established virtually independent states. Hyderabad, Bengal, Awadh and Rohilkhand
offered but nominal loyalty to the Mughal Emperor. The Mughal Empire practically
broke up.

Mohammad Shah’s long reign of nearly 30 years (1719-1748 A.D.) was the last chance
of saving the empire. When his reign began, Mughal prestige among the people was still
an important political force. A strong ruler could have saved the dynasty. But
Mohammad Shah was not equal to the task. He neglected the affairs of the state and
never gave full support to able wazirs.

Nadir Shah’s Invasion:

The condition of India with its incompetent rulers, weak administration and poor military
strength attracted foreign invaders. Nadir Shah, the ruler of Persia, attacked Punjab in
1739. Mohammad Shah was easily defeated and imprisoned. Nadir Shah marched
towards Delhi. Nadir Shah was a ferocious invader.
 He massacred thousands of people in Delhi. Delhi looked deserted for
days. Mohammad Shah, however, was reinstated on the throne. Nadir Shah carried with
him the Kohinoor diamond and the Peacock throne of Shah Jahan. By plundering a big
city like Delhi, he got enormous wealth.

Nadir Shah’s invasion gave a crushing blow to the already tottering Mughal Empire and
hastened the process of its disintegration. Mohammad Shah’s kingdom was practically
confined to Delhi and its neighbourhood. He died in 1748.

Mohammad Shah was succeeded by a number of inefficient rulers Ahmad Shah (1748-
1754), Alamgir II (1754-1759), Shah Alam II (1759-1806), Akbar II (1806-1837) and
Bahadur Shah II (1837-1857). During the rule of Alamgir II, the East India Company
fought the Battle of Plassey in 1757 and defeated Siraj-ud-Daulah, the Nawab of Bengal.
They thus got a foothold in Bengal.

In 1761, during the reign of Shah Alam II, Ahmad Shah Abdali, the independent ruler of
Afghanistan, invaded India. He conquered Punjab and marched towards Delhi. By this
time, the Marathas had extended their influence up to Delhi. Hence a war between the
Marathas and Ahmad Shah Abdali was inevitable.
In the Third Battle of Panipat the Marathas were completely defeated. They lost
thousands of soldiers along with their very good generals. They were forced to retreat to
the Deccan. Ahmad Shah Abdali’s invasion further weakened the Mughal Empire.

Shah Alam II granted the Dewani of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa

to the East India Company in 1765. This allowed the Company to collect revenue from
these areas. It also showed that Mughal authority was recognised by the Indian
rulers.Mughal rule formally came to an end when Bahadur Shah was deposed and
deported to Rangoon by the East India Company (1757).

Causes of the decline of the Mughal Empire:

1. Wars of Succession:

The Mughals did not follow any law of succession like the law of primogeniture.
Consequently, each time a ruler died, a war of succession between the brothers for the
throne started. This weakened the Mughal Empire, especially after Aurangzeb. The
nobles, by siding with one contender or the other, increased their own power.

2. Aurangzeb’s Policies:

Aurangzeb failed to realise that the vast Mughal Empire depended on the willing support
of the people. He lost the support of the Rajputs who had contributed greatly to the
strength of the Empire. They had acted as pillars of support, but Aurangzeb’s policy
turned them to bitter foes. The wars with the Sikhs, the Marathas, the Jats and the Rajputs
had drained the resources of the Mughal Empire.

3. Weak Successors of Aurangzeb:

The successors of Aurangzeb were weak and became victims of the intrigues and
conspiracies of the faction-ridden nobles. They were inefficient generals and incapable of
suppressing revolts. The absence of a strong ruler, an efficient bureaucracy and a capable
army had made the Mughal Empire weak.

4. Empty Treasury:

Shah Jahan’s zeal for construction had depleted the treasury. Aurangzeb’s long wars in
the south had further drained the exchequer.

5. Invasions:

Foreign invasions sapped the remaining strength of the Mughals and hastened the process
of disintegration. The invasions of Nadir Shah and Ahmad Shah Abdali resulted in
further drainage of wealth. These invasions shook the very stability of the empire.

6. Size of the Empire and Challenge from Regional Powers:

The Mughal Empire had become too large to be controlled by any ruler from one centre
i.e. Delhi. The Great Mughals were efficient and exercised control over ministers and
army, but the later Mughals were poor administrators. As a result, the distant provinces
became independent. The rise of independent states led to the disintegration of the
Mughal Empire.
The Later Mughal Rulers (1707 A.D.-1857 A.D.):

Reference Book in Library

The Empire of the Great Mughals:

History, Art and Culture, Annemarie Schimmel.

Code: 954.025, SCH, 2005, 9683