Chapter 15
The Mughal Empire
Babur attacked India in early sixteenth century. At that time, India was an easy prey for any
invader, as it was divided into a number of small states. These small kingdoms were incapable of
standing up to any foreign aggression.
Delhi had lost its glory under Ibrahim Lodi. His personal officers opposed him and invited
Babur to invade India. The situation in
Punjab, Gujarat, Bengal, Malwa, Rajputana, Kashmir, etc. , was quite bad. There was widespread lawlessness and
disorder. Boundaries of Mughal Empire
Kabuto Ghamia Songs Kashmir Quandhar.
Lahore ur Multan. Baner Panipat
Dalia Agra Gwalior Chiltor amung Awadh SIND Patria Bihar Ahemdabad Malwa
Gujaray Narmada Gongwana M Khandesh Berar Ahmednagar BAY OF BENGAL Bidar
Golkonda • Gulbarga ARABIAN SEA. Bijapur
Tirpathias God Vjaynagar Callao Cochine SRI LANKA OCEAN INDIAN MUGHAL 1605 CE
The local rulers were unpopular among the masses. At that time, Babur laid the foundation the
Mughal empire in India. He was succeeded
by his son, Humayun. But, it was
Humayun's son Akbar the Great, who proved to be the real glory of the Mughal
empire. Let us study about the Mughal
empire in detail. MUGHAL EMPERORS Babur
(1526–30 CE) Zahir - ud - din Muhammad, commonly known as Babur (Tiger), was
the great grandson of Timur and a descendent of Turkish ruler Chenghis Khan,
who had invaded India several times.
Babur was a brave soldier, an experienced general, a skilled horse
rider, a sure shooter and a skilled swordsman.
After becoming the ruler of Kabul, he conquered Ghazni and
Samarkand. But, his failure to bring
Samarkand permanently under his control made him give up his ambition of
expanding his empire in central Asia. He
First Battle of Panipat had to head towards India. Babur was also attracted by the fabulous
wealth of India. Babur became the ruler
of Hindustan by defeating the army of Ibrahim Lodi in the First Battie of
Panipat in 1526 CE. Babur's victory
ended the power of the Afghans and boosted his economic security and
influence. He distributed his wealth
generously to buy the confidence of the public and Afghan chiefs, who had
opposed him. In order to have complete
control over north India, Babur hat to defeat Rajputs as well. The two sides met at a fierce battle of
Khanwa, where Rana Sanga wa defeated.
This defeat ended the power of great warriors - the Rajputs. Babur was not only a grea military commander
but also a learned scholar. He wrote
Babarnama or Tuzuk - i - Baburi in Turkish.
It includes important events related to Babur's life. Humayun (1530–40 CE and 1555–56 CE) Nasir -
ud - din Muhammad Humayun, the eldest son of Babur, faced innumerable
difficulties to retain the Mughal empire in India. Babur had gifted separate provinces to his
other three sons. The army was a combination
of people from different countries and language groups. Humayun had inherited an empty treasury. He had Humayun's Tomb 120
to face opposition from his brothers, relatives, Afghans and
Rajputs. He multiplied his problems wit
the power of Afghans for good. Thus,
Humayun was defeated by an Afghan, Sher Shah Suri at Chau and Kanauj and was
forced to leave India and take refuge in Iran in 1540. his own foilies. He was addicted to opium. He lacked military ability. His father had failed to cruz after fifteen
years, Humanyun defeated Sikandar Suri, a weak successor of Sher Shah Suri ar
restored the Mughal empire in India once again.
Unfortunately, he died after slipping from the ste of his library
building at Delhi. Do you know? Sher Shah Suri (1540–45) was an Afghan. He was given the title of Sherkhan 'by the
rulers of Bihar Gradually, he brought Bihar and Bengal under his control and
defeated Humanyun at Chausa. He tool the
title of 'Sher Shah' and established an efficient administration in India under
Amirs in provinces He set - up a strong army.
He ordered land assessment of all cultivable land. He encouraged trade education, construction
of roads, inns, etc. Sher Shah is known
as the Forerunner of Akbar. Akbar
(1556–1605 CE) Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar ascended the throne at the age of
fourteen under the guardianship of Bairam Khan.
The position of Mughals was not very strong in India. Hemu Vikramaditya had defeated the Mughals
and captured Agra and Delhi. In the
second Battle of Panipat, the Mughals, under the leadership of Bairam Khan, *
defeated Hemu in 1556 CE. Agra and Delhi
were taken back and the capital was set - up at Agra. This made Bairam Khan enjoy a position of
respect and power. But slowly,
differences developed between Akbar and Bairam Khan. In 1560, Bairam Khan was forced to go on a
pilgrimage to Mecca, but was assassinated on the way. Under Akbar, the Mughal empire stretched from
Kashmir in the north to Godavari river in the south and from Afghanistan in the
Akbar west to Bengal in the east. Akbar
also conquered Gondwana, Chittor, Ranthambhor, Bihar, Ber Kabul, Kashmir,
Sindh, Deccan and Gujarat. Akbar set -
up an Ibadat - Khana at Fatehpuri Sikri where religious discussions were held
en Friday evening. He started Din - i -
llahi (Divine Faith) in 1582 by blending the good points o religions, like
Hinduism, Christianity, Jainism and other faiths, with Islam. Din - i - llahi was n religion but a socio -
religious path to bridge the differences among different communities. 121
In 1605, Akbar passed away.
He was buried at Sikandara, six miles from Agra. Do you know?
Sikri was named Fatehpur Sikri 'City of Victory' after the conquest of
Gujarat. Sulh - e - kulor universal
peace and harmony was an important part of Din - l - llahi. Sikandara Fort Boundaries of Mughal Empire
under Akbar Kabul. Ghazi Kasim Quandhar
Lahore Multan VO Tsangpo Bikaner Panipat Delhi Agra Gwalior SINO Awach Kandi
Ahemdabad Patna Malwa Bihar Gujarat Khandesh Berar Gondwann ch Ahmad BAY OF
BENGAL ARABIAN SEA Goa Vijaynagar Calicut Cochine ANO INDIAN SRI LANKA OCEAN
Mughal Empire under Akbar 122
22 Do You Know?
AKBAR's NINE GEMS Akbar's court was filled with talented men known as
Nine gems or the Nav Ratna. They were 1.
Birbal: He was known for his statesmanship and wit. 2. Abdur Rahim Khan: He was son of Balram
Khan. He wrote poetry in Hindi. His dohas are recited in India even today, 3.
Abul Fazl: He was a great scholar and historian. He wrote Akbar - nama and Ain ---
Akbari. 4. Faizi: He was brother of
Abdul Fazl. He was a great poet and
philosopher. He translated the Bhagwad
Gita in Persian. 5. Tansen: He was a
singer and musician of exceptional talent.
He was world famous for Raga - deepak 6. Raja Todarmal: He was an
efficient administrator. 7. Raja Maan
Singh: He was one of the greatest generals of Akbar's court. 8. Humam: He was a well - known
physician. 9. Mullah Dopyaja: He was
also a great scholar known for his ready wit.
Jahangir (1605–27 CE) Akbar was succeeded by his son Muhammad Sultan
Salim. He ascended the throne in 1605 at
the Fort of Agra and assumed the name Jahangir (Holder of the World) and the
title of Nur - ud - din (Light of the Faith).
Akbar always addressed him as 'Shaikhu Baba'. In 1606, Jahangir's son, Prince Khusrau,
escaped from Agra. Jahangir followed and
defeated him at the Battle of Bhairowal as many nobles were trying to make
Khusrau the emperor in place of Jahangir.
Jahangir consolidated his territories and developed the administrative
system that was introduced by his father.
The Jahangir court culture of the Mughals flourished under his
rule. He had a keen interest in
gardens. Mughal painting reached its
zenith during his time. He married Nur
Jahan (Light of the World). Jahangir re
- started the war with Rajputs. The
Afghan amirs of Bengal opposed the authority of 123)
Jahangir was able to conquer the Fort of Kamer Do You
Know? the Mughals. The disturbance in the Deccan could not be
controlled. Jahangir died in 1627 due to
excessive drinking and his son, Shah Jahan succeeded the throne where even
Akbar had not succeeded. Do you
know? Jahangir was famous for his
justice. He set - up a 'Chain of Justice
with sixty bells attached to it. It was
made of pure gold. One end was attached
to the Fort of Agra and the other to a stone column on the bank of River
Yamuna. Anyone who wanted justice could
pull the chain to draw the attention of the emperor. Jahangir also issued Twelve Ordinances' for
the better governance of the country.
Shah Jahan (1628–58 CE) Khurram, the third son of Jahangir, took the
title of Shah Jahan. His mother was the
daughter Udai Singh, the ruler of Jodhpur.
Shah Jahan had to face the rebellion of Jujhar Singh, a Bundela Chief
and Jahan Lodi, an Afghan Chief. Under
Shah Jahan, the Deccan policy of the Mughals entered a new phase. He annexed Ahmadnagar and Daulatabad. He forced the rulers of Bijapur and Golconda
to accept his supremacy. In 1636, Shah
Jahan retired to Agra and appointed Aurangzeb as the Governor of Deccan. The Mughal empire reached its greatest
prosperity during the reign of Shah Jahan.
His ministers were efficient and able.
He was an orthodox muslim, but was fair to non - muslims. He increased the magnificence of the
court. The Peacock Throne, the Taj Mahal
at Agra, the Red Fort and Jama Masjid in Delhi, and numerous other works of art
and architecture testify his wealth as well as his aesthetic Shah Jahan
sense. He is known as an 'Engineer
King'. He was an excellent
calligraphist. He gave patronage to
scholars, artisans and craftsmen.
Poetry, music, painting, dance, astronomy, mathematics and medicine
flourished under this intelligent emperor.
In September 1657, Shah Jahan fell ill.
Immediately, his sons started making preparations for capturing the
throne. In 1658, Aurangzeb took over the
throne and imprisoned his father, who died in captivity in 1666. 124
Aurangzeb (1658–1707 CE) After capturing Agra, Aurangzeb
crowned himself as the emperor. He
assumed the title of Alamgir. He
abolished the inland duties (rahdari) and octroi (pandari) to please his
subjects. He was a Muslim fanatic and
opposed religious tolerance. He
discontinued the practice of inscribing the Kalima on the coins and abolished
the celebration of the New Year Day (Nauroz).
His rule was a period of ceaseless wars in different parts of India. The revolts of Rajputs proved very harmful for
him. The Marathas had become very
powerful under Shivaji. Aurangzeb sent
Shaista Khan, the Governor of Bengal to fight against Shivaji, but Shaista Khan
was defeated. Aurangzeb invited Shivaji
to Agra for talks, where he was imprisoned.
Shivaji, somehow, managed to escape from the prison. Aurangzeb the Marathas, the Jats and the
Sikhs never allowed Aurangzeb to rest in peace.
He killed Guru Teg Bahadur, whose son, Guru Govind Singh fought the
Mughals till Aurangzeb's death in 1707.
Aurangzeb conquered Bijapur and Golconda in Deccan. But due to his short - sighted policies, his
vast empire went out of his grip. Many
governors revolted against the emperor and established themselves as
independent rulers. Though Mughal empire
survived till 1857, its rulers were the pensioners of the East India Company
after 1803. The last emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar - ll had to face a trial for
leading the mutiny of 1857. He was convicted and exiled to Rangoon. Bahadur Shah Zafar - 11 GOVERNANCE UNDER
MUGHAL EMPIRE Administration The Mughals managed to unite the country
politically. They established a uniform
system of administration which was a combination of both Indian and Persian
systems. They believed in the supreme
authority of the king. A strong army and
efficient ministers assisted the emperor.
The whole empire was divided into Subas (provinces) which were governed
by Subedars (governors). The diwan was
the collector of land revenue. The
kotwal looked after the law and order in the city. Akbar introduced the Mansabdari system based
on rank or position in the official hierarchy.
The mansabdars were responsible for both civil and military
administration. 125
The society was divided into two levels. The nobility and the high officials formed
the upper class. They lived a life of
luxury. The lower classes were involved
in agricultural and other lowly jobs in the cities. They lived in miserable condition. The main source of state income was from the
land society and economy revenue which was fixed at one - third of the
produce. The state land was known as
Khalisa. Trade was well - developed as
Indian goods were exported to different parts of Asia, Africa and Europe many
foreign companies, like the Portuguese, Dutch and the English, were involved in
trading. The Mughal emperors encouraged
trade by building sarais, roads, etc.
Religion The Mughal emperors followed Islam. Akbar was the first Mughal ruler to adopt a
policy of religious tolerance (Sulh - e - Kul) towards other religions to build
a strong empire in India. It aimed at
harmony among different religions. He
set - up a hall for worship (Ibdat Khana), which was open to believers of
different religions like Jains, Hindus, Zoroastrians, Christians, etc. Jahangir and Shah Jahan were also tolerant
towards other religions but Aurangzeb was a staunch Muslim. He forced the Hindus to adopt Islam. He imposed Jazia on Hindus. His policy of religious intolerance weakened
the foundations of the Mughal empire, Literature, Art and Architecture all
great works of Sanskrit like Rajatarangini, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Puranas,
etc. , were translated into Arabic. History became an important part of Indian
writings. Babarnama, Akbarnama and Ain - i - Akbari are the main sources of
information of that period. Jahangir was
a scholar of Persian language. He wrote
Tuzuk - i - Jahangiri, Shah Jahan patronised famous writers of that time. Mughal rule was a golden period of
music. Tansen was the famous jewel of
Akbar's court. Poetry was very
popular. It was based on a variety of
themes ranging from royal court to worship.
The Mughals built fine specimens of architecture. Akbar built the famous Humayun Tomb in Delhi,
Fatehpur Sikri and Buland Darwaza near Agra.
Jahangir laid beautiful gardens like Shalimar Bagh, but it is Shah Jahan
who is known as an 'Engineer Emperor'.
He built Red Fort, Jama Masjid and the world famous Taj Mahal. Aurangzeb did not favor fine arts. Tansen Do You Know? Akbar built Buland Darwaza at Fatehpur Sikri
to commemorate his victory over Gujarat.
126
The paintings of the
Mughal period were a synthesis of Indian and Persian schools of art. Besides being a patron of painters, Jahangir
himself was a well - known painter. The
literature, music, painting, architecture, were all at their zenith during the
Mughal empire, DECLINE OF MUGHAL EMPIRE The strong points of Mughal empire were
religious tolerance, humane approach, skilful Do You Know? diplomacy and able administration. But the disintegration started once these
policies were After Aurangzeb, nine rulers came to the reversed. throne within a period of 54 years • The
religious intolerance of Aurangzeb turned the Rajputs against him, who had
always supported the Mughal empire. Same
was the condition of the Sikhs and the Marathas. • The Mughals did not have any rule of
succession and hence, the death of each ruler resulted in bloody wars and
conspiracies of nobles. Weak and
inefficient successors of Aurangzeb provided an open invitation for internal
rebels and foreign invasions. • Corrupt
officials and heavy burden of land revenue resulted in revolts by peasants
leading to low tax collection • The nobles / mansabdars gradually became more
powerful than the central authority.
They started improving independent states like Hyderabad, Awadh, Bengal,
etc. The Europeans were the rising power
in the world at that time and they gradually took over the internal
administration, trade and territories of Mughal Empire to strengthen their
rule. Aurangzeb remained in Deccan for
almost 20 years, which gave an opportunity to governors to establish
independent states. Keywords inland
duties: collection of taxes by the government or authority on purchase or sale of
things. kalima: there is only one God,
Allah who is worthy of worship as per the Holy Quran mansabdari each officer
was given a rank or position called 'mansab: mutiny. an open rebellion against authorities,
octroi: a tax levied on goods entering a city, sarais: rest houses. These were also used as the Dak Chaukis (post
offices). . 127
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