THE GREAT

MUGHAL EMPIRE PPT

Made by Abhinav Maurya

Introduction The Mughal Empire was an imperial power in the Indian subcontinent from

1526 to 1757. The Mughal emperors were the Muslims and direct descendants of both Genghis khan (through his son Chagatai khan) of Tamerlane. They controlled most of the subcontinent- extending from Bengal in the east to Baluchistan in the west, Kashmir in the north to Kaveri basin in the south. The total area is 1,737,460 square miles.

Its population at that time has been estimated as between 110 to 150 million. They followed Rupee as a currency.

The “Classic Period” of the empire started in 1556 with accession of Akbar the Great.

The longevity of the Mughal empire can be contributed to a number of factors. The Mughal emperors were ambitious and for the most part able rulers. But Akbar is perhaps the Mughal emperor responsible for much of the prosperity and harmony achieved during the Mughal Empire.

The reign of ShahJahan, the fifth emperor, was the golden age of Mughal Architecture and the Art. The most famous Taj Mahal at Agra as well as the Pearl Mosque, the Red Fort, the Jama Masjid of Delhi, and the Lahore Fort.

During the rule of Aurangzeb, victories in the south expanded the Mughal Empire to more than 1.25 million square miles, ruling over more than 150 million subjects, nearly ¼ of the world’s population, with a combined GDP of over $90 billion .

Dynasty was the greatest, richest and longest lasting Muslim dynasty to rule India. By 1650, the Mughal empire had expanded farther North and South.

MUGHAL DYNASTY

The Mughal Empire was the dominant power in the Indian subcontinent

between the mid-16th century and the early 18th century. Founded in

1526, it officially survived until 1858, when it was supplanted by the

British Raj. The dynasty is sometimes referred to as the Timurid dynasty

as Babur was descended from Timur.

The Great and Famous Mughal Emperors were –

i. Babur (1526-1530) The First of the Mughals

ii. Humayun (1530-1556) The Luckless Leader

iii. Akbar (1556-1605) The Great

iv. Jahangir (1605-1627) The Paragon of Stability

v. Shah Jahan (1627-1658) The Master Builder

vi. Aurangzeb (1658-1707) The Intolerant

Babur (1526-1530)

The First of the Mughals

Zahir-ud-din Muhammad Babur (14 February 1483 – 26 December 1530) was a

conqueror from Central Asia who, following a series of setbacks, finally succeeded in

laying the basis for the Mughal dynasty in the Indian Subcontinent and became the first

Mughal emperor.

He was a direct descendant of Timur through his father, and a descendant

also of Genghis Khan through his mother. Culturally, he was greatly influenced by

the Persian culture and this affected both his own actions and those of his successors.

Babur was a direct descendant of the Turkish Genghis Khan and Timor from

Tamerlane.

Defeated the Delhi Sultanate & established the Mughal Empire.

Gunpowder, a skilled commander, trained soldiers on horses contributed

to the victory.

Gained control of the whole northern India .

Made Agra capital.

He reigned for 4 short years and died at age 47 in 1530.

Did not enact new laws or organization in the empire due to early his death.

Baburnama – which Babur wrote to gives record of his career.

Humayun (1530-1556) The Luckless Leader

Nasir ud-din Muhammad Humayun ( 7 march 1508 AD – 17 January 1556 AD) was the second Mughal emperor who ruled a large territory consisting of what is now Afghanistan, Pakistan, and parts of northern India from 1530–1540 and again from 1555–1556. On the eve of his death in 1556, the Mughal empire spanned almost one million square kilometers.

Humayun lost Mughal territories to the shershah suri, and regained them 15 years later. . Humayun was loyal, gentle and humane man by the standards of the day. He was interested in poetry and fascinated by astrology and the occult.

Subsequently, in a very short time, Humayun was able to expand the empire further, leaving a substantial legacy for his son, Akbar. His peaceful personality, patience and non-provocative methods of speech earned

him the title “Insān-i-Kamil” (‘perfect man’), among the Mughals.

Shershah suri had died in 1545; his son and successor Islam shah died too, in 1554. Three rivals for the throne all marched on Delhi, while in many cities leaders tried to stake a claim for independence. This was a perfect opportunity for the Mughals to march back to India.

The Mughal emperor Humayun, gathered a vast army and attempted the challenging task of retaking the throne in Delhi. Humayun placed the army under the able leadership of Bairam khan.

On 27 January 1556, Humayun, with his arms full of books, was descending the staircase from his library when the muezzin announced the adhan.

Akbar (1556-1605) The Great

Abu'l-fath Jalal-ud-din Muhammad

Akbar (14 October 1542 – 27 October 1605) was the third Mughal emperor. At the end of his reign in 1605 the Mughal empire covered most of northern and central India. He is most appreciated for having a liberal outlook on all faiths and beliefs and during his era, culture and art reached a zenith as compared to his predecessors.

He and Bairam khan defeated Hemu during the second battle of Panipat and later won famous victories during the siege of chittorgarh and the siege of ranthambore; he greatly expanded the empire and is regarded as the most illustrious ruler of the Mughal empire as he set up the empire's various institutions; he married mariam-uz-zamani, a Rajput princess.

Akbar was 13 years old when he ascended the Mughal throne in Delhi (February 1556), during his reign, he eliminated military threats from the powerful Pashtun descendants of shershah Suri, and at the second battle of Panipat he decisively defeated the newly self-declared Hindu king Hemu. He influenced the whole of the Indian subcontinent as he ruled a greater part of it as an emperor.

Akbar organized his army as well as the nobility by means of a system called the mansabdari. The mansabdars were divided into 33 classes.

Akbar started din-i-iiahi (divine faith) in 1582 by blending the good points of all religions.

The Reign cover by Akbar the Great

Jahangir (1605-1627) The Paragon Of Stability

Nur-ud-din Mohammad Salim, known by his imperial name Jahangir,(30 August 1569-28 October 1627) was the fourth Mughal Emperor who ruled from 1605 until his death in 1627.

Jahangir built on his father's foundations of excellent administration, and his reign was characterized by political stability, a strong economy and impressive cultural achievements. The imperial frontiers continued to move forward—in Bengal, Mewar, Ahmadnagar and the Deccan. Much of India was politically pacified; Jahangir's dealings with the Hindu rulers of Rajput Ana were particularly successful, and he settled the conflicts inherited from his father. The Hindu rulers all accepted Mughal supremacy and in return were given high ranks in the Mughal aristocracy.

Jahangir was fascinated with art, science and, architecture. From a young age he showed a leaning towards painting and had an atelier of his own. His interest in portraiture led to much development in this art form. The art of Mughal painting reached great heights under Jahangir's reign. His interest in painting also served his scientific interests in nature. The painter Us tad Mansur became one of the best artists to document the animals and plants which Jahangir either encountered on his military exhibitions or received as donations from emissaries of other countries.

Jahangir maintained a huge aviary and a large zoo, kept a record of every specimen and organised experiments. Jahangir patronized the European and Persian arts. He promoted Persian culture throughout his empire. This was especially so during the period when he came under the influence of his Persian Empress, Nur Jahan, and her relatives, who from 1611 had

dominated Mughal politics. Amongst the most highly regarded Mughal architecture dating from Jahangir's reign is the famous Shalimar Gardens in Kashmir. The world's first seamless celestial globe was built by Mughal scientists under the patronage of Jahangir.

Sir Thomas Roe, England's first ambassador to the Mughal court, went as far as labelling Jahangir, who was sympathetic to Christianity, an atheist.

Jahangir died on the way back from Kashmir near Sara Saidabad in 1627. To preserve his body, the entrails were removed and buried in the Changes Fort, Kashmir. The body was then transferred to Lahore to be buried in Sahara Bagh, a suburb of Lahore, Punjab. He was succeeded by his third son, Prince Khurram who took the title of Shah Jahan. Jahangir's elegant mausoleum is located in the Shahdara locale of Lahore and is a popular tourist attraction in Lahore.

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A'la Azad Abul Muzaffar Shahab ud-Din Mohammad Khurram, known by his imperial name Shah Jahan, (January 5, 1592 – January 22, 1666) was emperor of the Mughal Empire in South Asia from 1628 until 1658. He was the fifth Mughal emperor after Babur, Humayun, Akbar, and Jahangir. While young, he was the favourite of his legendary grandfather, Akbar the Great.

At a young age, he was chosen as successor to the Mughal throne after the death of Emperor Jahangir. He succeeded to the throne upon his father's death in 1627. He is considered to be one of the greatest Mughals. His reign has been called the Golden Age of

the Mughals and one of the most prosperous ages of Indian civilization. Like Akbar, he was eager to expand his vast empire. In 1658, he fell ill and was confined by his son Emperor Aurangzeb in Agra Fort until his death in 1666.

The period of his reign was the golden age of Mughal architecture. Shah Jahan erected many splendid monuments-

I. The most famous of which is the Taj Mahal at Agra built in the memory of Mumtaz Mahal.

II. The Red Fort and the Jama Masjid in Delhi, mosques in Lahore.

Shah Jahan’s Architectural Legacy

Shah Jahan left behind a grand legacy of structures constructed during his reign.. His most famous building was the Taj Mahal, now a wonder of the world, which he built out of love for his wife the Empress Mumtaz Mahal.

Jama Masjid, Delhi one of the largest mosques in the Mughal Empire was completed during the reign of Shah Jahan.

Aurangzeb (1658-1707) The Intolerant

Abul Muzaffar Muhi-ud-Din Mohammad Aurangzeb, (4 November 1618 - 3 March 1707) commonly known as Aurangzeb was the sixth Mughal Emperor and ruled over most of the Indian subcontinent. His reign lasted for 49 years from 1658 until his death in 1707.

Aurangzeb was a notable expansionist and was among the wealthiest of the Mughal rulers with an annual yearly tribute of £38,624,680 (in 1690). During his lifetime, victories in the south expanded the Mughal Empire to more than 3.2 million square kilometres and he ruled over a population estimated as being in the range of 100-150 million subjects.

He was a pious Muslim, and his policies partly abandoned the religious toleration of his predecessors, which remains a very controversial aspect of his reign.

He was a strong and effective ruler, but with his death the great period of the Mughal dynasty came to an end, and central control of the sub-continent declined rapidly.

Decline Of Mughal Empire By the mid-18th

century, the Marathas had ravaged the Mughal provinces from the Deccan to Bengal, and internal dissatisfaction (as well as separatist agendas from the Rajputs, Sikhs, and Jats) arose due to the weakness of

the Mughal Empire's administrative and economic systems. In 1739, a weakened Mughal Empire was defeated in the Battle of Karnal by the forces of Nader Shah. Mughal power was severely limited. The last emperor,

Bahadur Shah II had authority over only the city of Shahjahanabad. He supported the Indian Rebellion of 1857 and was overthrown by the British, and the last remnants of the empire were taken over by the British Raj.

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