The Mughal Empire (Persian:
big
شاهان مغول
[/b]
ShÄhÄn-e MoÄ¡ul; self-designation: big
گوركانى
[/b] - GÅ«rkÄnÄ«)
sup[
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]/supsup[
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]/sup was a Muslim Persianatesup[
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]/sup imperial power of the Indian subcontinent which began in 1526, ruled most of the Indian Subcontinent as Hindustan by the late 17th and early 18th centuries, and ended in the mid-19th century.sup[
4
]/sup The Mughal Emperors were descendants of the Timurids, and at the height of their power, around 1700, they controlled most of the Indian Subcontinent — extending from present-day Bangladesh in the east to Balochistan in the west, Kashmir in the north to the Kaveri basin in the south.sup
[citation needed]
/sup Its population at that time has been estimated as between 110 and 130 million, over a territory of over 4 million km² (1.5 million mi²).sup[
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]/sup
Following 1725 it declined rapidly, weakened by wars of succession, agrarian crises fueling local revolts, the growth of religious intolerance, and British colonialism. The last Emperor, Bahadur Zafar Shah II, whose rule was restricted to the city of Delhi, was imprisoned and exiled by the British after the Indian Rebellion of 1857.
The classic period of the Empire starts with the accession of Jalaluddin Mohammad Akbar, better known as Akbar the Great, in 1556, and ends with the death of Emperor Aurangzeb in 1707, although the Empire continued for another 150 years. During this period, the Empire was marked by a highly centralized administration connecting the different regions. All the significant monuments of the Mughals, their most visible legacy, date to this period.
The name Mughal is derived from the original homelands of the Timurids, the Central Asian steppes once conquered by Genghis Khan and hence known as Moghulistan, "Land of Mongols". The Mughals were Persianized Turko-Mongols and are responsible for transferring the Persian literary and high culture to India, thus forming the base for the highly sophisticated Indo-Persian culture.
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Early History
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The foundation for the Baburids empire was established around the early 1500s by the Timurid prince Babur, when he took control of the Doab and eastern regions of Khorasan controlling the fertile Sindh region and the lower valley of the Indus River.sup[
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]/sup In 1526, Babur defeated the last of the Delhi Sultans, Ibrahim Shah Lodi, at the First Battle of Panipat. To secure his newly founded kingdom, Babur then had to face the Rajput confederacy led by Rana Sanga of Chittor, at the Battle of Khanwa. These early military successes of the Turks, achieved by an army much smaller than its opponents, have been attributed to their cohesion, mobility, horse-mounted archers, and use of artillery.sup[
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Babur's son Humayun succeeded him in 1530 but suffered major reversals at the hands of the Pashtun Sher Shah Suri and effectively lost most of the fledgling empire before it could grow beyond a minor regional state. From 1540 Humayun became a ruler in exile, reaching the Court of the Safavid rule in 1554 while his force still controlled some fortresses and small regions. But when the Pashtuns fell into disarray with the death of Sher Shah Suri, Humayun returned with a mixed army, raised more troops and managed to reconquer Delhi in 1555.
Humayun crossed the rough terrain of the Makran people with his wife, but left behind their infant son Jalaluddin to spare him the rigours of the journey. Akbar, as Jalaluddin would be better known in his later years, was born in the town of sindh in where he was raised by his uncle Askari. There he became an excellent outdoorsman, horseman, and hunter, and learned the arts of war. The resurgent Humayun then conquered the central plateau around Delhi, but months later died in an accident, leaving the realm unsettled and in war.
Historical map of the Mughal Empire.
Akbar succeeded his father on
14 February
1556, while in the midst of a war against Sikandar Shah Suri for the throne of Delhi. He soon won his eighteenth victory at age 21 or 22. He became known as Akbar, as he was a wise ruler, set fair but steep taxes. He investigated the production in a certain area and taxed inhabitants 1/5 of their agricultural produce. He also set up an efficient bureaucracy and was tolerant of religious differences which softened the resistance by the conquered. He made alliances with Rajputs and appointed Hindu generals and administrators.
Jahangir, the son of Baburid Emperor Akbar ruled the empire from 1605–1627. In October 1627, Shah Jahan, son of Baburid Emperor Jahangir succeeded to the throne, where he inherited a vast and rich empire in India. At mid-century this was perhaps the greatest empire in the world. Shah Jahan commissioned the famous Taj Mahal (1630–1653) in Agra which was built by the Persian architect Ustad Ahmad Lahauri as a tomb for Shah Jahan's wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died giving birth to their 14th child. By 1700 the empire reached its peak under the leadership of Aurangzeb Alamgir with major parts of present day India and most of Afghanistan under its domain. Aurangzeb was the last of what are now referred to as the Great Turk kings.
Tremendous influence from Persian cuisine can be seen in the Indian culinary traditions originating in this period.
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Emperor Birth Reign Period Death Notes
Zaheeruddin Babar
February 23, 1483
1526-1530
December 26, 1530
Founder of the Mughal Dynasty.
Nasiruddin Mohammed Humayun
March 6, 1508
1530-1540
January 1556
Reign interrupted by Suri Dynasty. Youth and inexperience at ascension led to his being regarded as a less effective ruler than usurper, Sher Shah Suri.
Sher Shah Suri
1472
1540-1545
May 1545
Deposed Humayun and led the Suri Dynasty; introduced tight, effective administration policies that would later be adopted by Akbar.
Islam Shah Suri
c.1500
1545-1554
1554
2nd and last ruler of the Suri Dynasty, with less control of the empire than his father; claims of sons Sikandar and Adil Shah were eliminated by Humayun's restoration.
Nasiruddin Mohammed Humayun
March 6, 1508
1555-1556
January 1556
Restored rule was more unified and effective than initial reign of 1530-1540; left unified empire for his son, Akbar.
Jalaluddin Mohammed Akbar
November 14, 1542
1556-1605
October 27, 1605
Akbar added the most territory to the Empire and is regarded as the most illustrious ruler of the Mughal Dynasty; he married Mariam-uz-Zamani, a princess, from Rajputana like him. Hira Kunwari (her maiden name) was a Hindu and many opposed at first, but under him, harmonic Muslim/Hindu relations were at their highest.
Nuruddin Mohammed Jahangir
October 1569
1605-1627
1627
Jahangir set the precedent for sons rebelling against their Emperor fathers. Opened first relations with the British East India Company. Reportedly was an alcoholic and his wife Empress Nur Jahan became the real power behind the throne and competently ruled in his place.
Shahabuddin Mohammed Shah Jahan Known as Prince Khurram before ascension to the throne
January 5, 1592
1627-1658
1666
Under him, Mughal art and architecture reached their zenith; constructed the Taj Mahal, Jama Masjid, Jahangir mausoleum and Shalimar Gardens in Lahore. Deposed and imprisoned by his son Aurangzeb.
Moinuddin Mohammed Aurangzeb Alamgir
October 21, 1618
1658-1707
March 3, 1707
Much less extravagant or tolerant of Hindus and Hinduism than his predecessors; brought the empire to its greatest physical extent and imposed Islamic Sharia on the Mughal Empire. Extreme policies left many enemies to undermine the empire after his death.
Bahadur Shah I
a.k.a Shah Alaam I
October 14, 1643
1707-1712
February 1712
First of the Mughal emperors to preside over a steady and severe decline in the empire's control and power. After his reign, the emperor became a progressively insignificant figurehead.
Jahandar Shah
1664
1712-1713
February 1713
He was merely a puppet in the hands of his Chief Minister Zulfikar Khan. The acts of Jahandar Shah brought down the prestige of the Mughal Empire.
Furrukhsiyar
1683
1713-1719
1719
In 1717 he granted a firman to the English East India Company granting them duty free trading rights for Bengal, and confirmed their position in India.
Rafi Ul-Darjat
Unknown
1719
1719
Rafi Ud-Daulat
a.k.a Shah Jahan II
Unknown
1719
1719
Nikusiyar
Unknown
1719
1743
Mohammed Ibrahim
Unknown
1720
1744
Mohammed Shah
1702
1719-1720, 1720-1748
1748
Suffered the invasion of Nadir-Shah of Persia in 1739.
Ahmad Shah Bahadur
1725
1748-54
1754
Alamgir II
1699
1754-1759
1759
Shah Jahan III
Unknown
Briefly in 1759
1770s
Shah Alaam II
1728
1759-1806
1806
Suffered the invasion of Ahmed-Shah-Abdali in 1761; granted the 'Nizami' of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa to the BEIC in 1765, formally accepted the protection of the BEIC in 1803.
Akbar Shah II
1760
1806-1837
1837
Titular figurehead under British protection
Bahadur Shah Zafar
1775
1837-1857
1862
Deposed by the British people and exiled to Burma following the Great Mutiny.
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