Mughals

Mughals

1. Mughals History Grade 5

2. Medieval Age

3. Mughal Era-1556C.E to 1857

4. Time Line Defeated Ibrahim Lodi Babur Son of Babur Humayun Defeated Rana Pratap at the Battle of Haldighati Akbar Jahangir Wife Nur Jahan Aurangzeb Decline of the Mughal Empire Built the Taj Mahal Shah Jahan

5. Timeline Table 1526-1530 1530-1556 1556-1605 1605-1627 1627-1658 Babur Humayun Akbar Jahangir Shah Jahan 1658-1707 1707-11712 followed by numerous rulers Aurangzeb Bahadur Shah Zafar Did not follow primogeniture Bahadur Shah 1 1837-1857 Last Ruler of the Mughal Dynasty

6. Mughals Mughal history in India spans from 1526 CE to 1857 CE. With a firm foundation for its administration, the Mughals were able to establish a solid economy and flourishing trade. The Mughal Empire in India was established by Babur. Ruling a large territory as the Indian subcontinent involving such a diversity of people and cultures was an extremely difficult task to accomplish in the Middle Ages. However, in contrast to their predecessors, the Mughals created an empire and accomplished what had before seemed possible for only short periods of time. From the latter half of the 16th century, they expanded their kingdom from Agra and Delhi, going on to control nearly all of the subcontinent in the 17th century. They imposed structures of administration and ideas of governance that outlasted their rule. It left a political legacy, which the succeeding rulers of the subcontinent could not ignore. 

7. Babur Establishes the Mughal Empire 01

8. Babur Defeats Ibrahim Lodi Captures Delhi The battle that followed, now known as the  First Battle of Panipat , marked the fall of the Delhi Sultanate. With superior tactics and firepower, Babur crushed Lodi's army, killing the sultan and 20,000 of his men. In March 1527 at the Battle of Khanwa , Babur's army managed to deal the Rajputs a huge defeat. Zahir - ud -din Muhammad, nicknamed "Babur" or "Lion," was born into the Timurid royal family in Andijan, now in  Uzbekistan , on February 14, 1483. His father Umar Sheikh Mirza was the Emir of Ferghana. In 1521, a perfect opportunity for southern expansion presented itself to Babur. The  sultan  of the  Delhi Sultanate , Ibrahim Lodi, was hated and reviled by his citizens. After just four years of Lodi's rule, the Afghan nobility was so fed up with him that they invited the Timurid Babur to come to the Delhi Sultanate and depose him.

9. Humayun Regains the Mughal Empire from Sher Shah Suri 02

10. Humayun Defeated by Sher Shah Captures Delhi In 1540, in the Battle of Bilgram or Ganges also known as Battle of Kanauj , Humayun was forced to fight with Sher Khan alone and after losing his kingdom, Humayun became an exile for the next fifteen years. With the help of the Safavid ruler, he defeated his brothers Kamran and Askarin and defeated the Afghans and recovered the Mughal throne. Nasiruddin Muhammad Humayun  was the second  Mughal Emperor . He ruled  Afghanistan ,  Pakistan , and parts of northern  India  from  1530  to 1540. In 1532, Humayun and Sher Shah Suri clashed on the battlefield. In 1534, Humayun defeated Bahadur Shah and captured Gujrat. Sher Shah meanwhile regrouped and defeated Humayun, at Chausa in 1539 and at Kanauj the next year (1540). Humayun was forced to go to Persia in exile, for 15 years. In 1555, Humayun returned to India and defeated the successor of Sher Shah, Islam Shah and regained India.

11. Akbar Fortifies the Mughal Empire and the dynasty 03

12. Akbar Akbar’s position was in danger when he succeeded his father Humayun as Delhi was seized by the Afghans. In 1556, in the second battle of Panipat , Akbar defeated Hemu and the army of Hemu fled which made the victory of Mughal decisive. During the first 5 years of Akbar’s reign, Bairam Khan acted as his regent. The military conquests of Akbar were extensive. In 1576, the Mughal Army defeated Rana Pratap Singh in the battle of Haldighati , following the defeat of Mewar, other leading Rajput leaders surrendered to Akbar and accepted his suzerainty. Akbar’s policy towards Rajput was combined with broad religious toleration. Akbar’s biography is called Akbarnama and was written by Abul Fazl in Persian. Emperor Akbar had brilliant men in his court and the most prominent of them were called navaratnas (nine jewels). Some of them were Birbal, Raja Todal Mal, Abul Fazl , Tansen , etc. In the military, Akbar brought many innovations and sought the help of Ottomans and Europeans in this regard. He encouraged the use of firearms in his military. He also modernized cannons and fortifications and used elephants in warfare. His government encouraged traders and protected them. Akbar’s reign is marked by economic and religious harmony and he is hence called ‘Akbar the Great’. Akbar died of an illness that followed dysentery in 1605. His tomb is at a mausoleum at Sikandra in Agra. He had reigned for 49 years. He was succeeded on the throne by his son Jahangir.

13. Akbar Akbar’s Religious Policy It’s Akbar’s religious policy that made way to his name in the history pages. In 1562, he abolished jiziya . He did not like the intrusion of the Muslim Ulemas in political matters. In 1579, he delivered the “Infallibility Decree” and proclaimed his religious powers. In 1582, he propagated a new religion called Din Ilahi or Divine Faith .

14. Jahangir Fortifies the Mughal Empire and the dynasty 04

15. Jahangir Prince Salīm was the eldest son of the emperor  Akbar , who early marked Salīm to succeed him. Impatient for power, however, Salīm revolted in 1599 while Akbar was engaged in the  Deccan . Akbar on his deathbed confirmed Salīm as his successor. The new emperor chose the Persian name Jahāngīr (“World Seizer”) as his  reign name . In Jahāngīr’s court, being the favourite wife was no small privilege. Nūr Jahān’s father, now known as Iʿtimād al- Dawlah , and her brother, Āṣaf Khan, were granted prominent positions at court; together, the three formed a kind of “ junta ” that heavily influenced Jahāngīr in political matters. As Jahāngīr’s hard-partying ways were no secret (he was a heavy drinker and opium eater), many historians theorize that Nūr Jahān became the Mughal Empire’s de facto empress. Eventually she even  minted  coins in her name and issued royal decrees—two powers typically reserved for sovereigns, not wives.

16. Shah Jahan Built the Red Fort, Jama Masjid and the Taj Mahal https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhsTExu60k8 05

17. Shah Jahan Shah Jahan was born in Lahore, Pakistan to Prince Salim (who later became Emperor Jahangir) and his Rajput wife from Marwar Princess Jagat Gosaini . Her official Mughal name was Bilqis Makani. Shah Jahan’s grandfather was  Mughal Emperor Akbar . Although initially named Prince Khurram, he assumed the regnal name Shah Jahan later. He was Jahangir’s third son and considered the ablest and competent to be king. After Jahangir’s death, he overthrew his rivals to the throne and emerged victorious. He was crowned on 14 February 1628 in Agra. He was educated in martial arts and a variety of fine arts. He was brought up chiefly by Akbar’s first wife, the childless Empress Ruqaiya Sultan Begum. Shah Jahan – Later Life When Shah Jahan became ill in 1658, Dara Shikoh (Mumtaz Mahal’s eldest son) assumed the role of regent in his father’s stead, which swiftly incurred the animosity of his brothers. Aurangzeb, the third son, gathered a well-trained army and became its chief commander. He faced Dara’s army near Agra and defeated him during the Battle of Samugarh . Although Shah Jahan fully recovered from his illness, Aurangzeb declared him incompetent to rule and put him under house arrest in Agra Fort. Shah Jahan died on 22 January 1666 aged 74 years.

18. Shah Jahan Reign as the Emperor of the Mughal Empire Shah Jahan was an able military commander. While still a prince, he was able to obtain the submission of the Rajput state of Mewar which Akbar had not been able to defeat. Mewar then became a vassal of the Mughal Empire. On becoming the emperor, Shah Jahan executed many of his former rivals including his own brother Shahryar, imprisoned many more and consolidated his power. As king, Shah Jahan expanded the military and promoted the production of arms. He annexed several territories. Shah Jahan married multiple times as was the custom. His favourite was said to be Arjumand Banu Begum who is better known as Mumtaz Mahal. She died during childbirth in 1631 and Shah Jahan was said to be depressed. He got the  Taj Mahal  built in her honour and perhaps, he is most famous for this architectural feat. He also created many other architectural marvels including the Pearl Mosque at Agra, the Red Fort, the Jama Masjid at Delhi, the Shalimar Gardens and some other buildings in present Pakistan. He also got the famous Peacock Throne built.

19. Aurangzeb Fortifies the Mughal Empire and the dynasty 06

20. Aurangzeb On 3 November 1618, Aurangzeb was born in Dahod, Gujarat to Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan and his wife Mumtaz Mahal. Aurangzeb was the third son of Shah Jahan. He had three brothers and two sisters. He assumed the title of Aurangzeb Alamgir after he took the Mughal throne. In 1636, Aurangzeb was appointed the Viceroy of the Deccan. He had successful military campaigns there for his father. He was also appointed the governor of Gujarat, and later of Balkh, Multan and Sindh. Shah Jahan had designated his eldest son Dara Shikoh as his heir, and so there was a rivalry between Dara and Aurangzeb who also nurtured dreams of becoming the emperor. There was no system of primogeniture among the Mughals and it was customary for sons to fight for the throne after the father’s death. When Shah Jahan became ill, there was a tussle for power among his four sons. Aurangzeb managed to succeed and he usurped the throne by putting his own father in prison at Agra Fort. He was crowned the king in 1659 at Delhi. The first ten years of his rule are chronicled in Alamgir Nama written by Muhammad Kazim. He reversed many of Akbar’s policies towards non-Muslims. He reintroduced the Jizya or the tax on non-Muslims. He is said to have destroyed many Hindu temples. Under his reign, the Mughal Empire expanded. He had a massive army and the empire reached its zenith under him in terms of area.

21. Aurangzeb Aurangzeb also banned the use of alcohol, gambling and music from his empire. The textile industry flourished under him. In 1667, he gave permission to the French for setting up a factory at Surat. During his reign, he had to deal with many rebellions such as by the Jats around Mathura, the Marathas under  Shivaji  and Sambhaji , many Rajputs , the Sikhs and the Pashtuns. Though the Mughal Empire reached its territorial heights during Aurangzeb’s time, it was also beginning of the end in many ways. Aurangzeb’s successors were not able to maintain the vast empire’s territorial integrity and many new states were formed out of former Mughal vassals. Aurangzeb died in Ahmednagar in February 1707 of old age and illness at the age of 88. He was in the middle of a Deccan campaign then. He had reigned for 49 years. His son Azam Shah ascended the throne thereafter but was soon defeated by his half-brother Shah Alam . Shah Alam then succeeded to the Mughal throne assuming the title, Bahadur Shah I.

22. Bahadur Shah Zafar The last ruler of the Mughal dynasty 07

23. Descendants of two great lineages of rulers-Genghis Khan (died 1227), the Mongol ruler who ruled over parts of China and Central Asia from mother’s side-successors of Timur (died 1404), the ruler of Iran, Iraq and modern-day Turkey from father’s side-Mughals did not like to be called Mughal or Mongol as Genghis Khan’s memory was associated with the massacre of innumerable people-it was also linked with the Uzbegs , their Mongol competitors-they were proud of their Timurid ancestry because their great ancestor had captured Delhi in 1398. Did not follow primogeniture

24. Monuments What Great Buildings did the Mughals Create? Some of the most famous buildings created during Mughal era are given below. Taj Mahal – It was built by Shah Jahan between 1632 and 1653, in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal. The United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) recognized Taj Mahal as a World Heritage Site in 1983. It is located in Agra. Red Fort – UNESCO designated it as the World Heritage Site in 2007. It was built by Shah Jahan, when he decided to move the capital from Agra to Delhi. It was the residence of Mughal rulers. Shalimar Gardens – It is a 40 acre garden built by Shah Jahan in 1642. It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1981. Jama Masjid – Built by Shah Jahan. The construction was completed in 1656. Badshahi Mosque – At the time of completion in 1673, it was the largest mosque in the world. It was built during the reign of Aurangazeb . Humayun’s Tomb – It was built in 1570 in memory of Emperor Humayun, it was declared as the world heritage site in 1993.

25. Art Where did the Mughal School of Miniature-Painting originate? Answer: Since the Time or Famous rulers such as Akbar, Jahangir and Shah Jahan, the Mughal School of Miniature Paintings has essentially originated. In Mughal paintings, Mughal emperors including Akbar, Jahangir, and Shah Jahan developed or created artists. People can observe mixture of Islamic, Persian and Indian art in Mughal paintings. Numerous paintings were made for Mughal emperors by artists like Abdus Samad. These artists painted pictures of trees, plants, miniatures, and so on., based on the desires of emperors. In the ruling decades of Shah Jahan and Akbar, artists were kept separately to draw their dreams in their palaces.