Mughal Emperors
Mughal Emperors
The Mughal Empire (1526-1857, effectively 1526-1707) was founded by Babur after the first battle of Panipat and reached its widest extent under Aurangzeb. Six rulers - Babur, Humayun, Akbar, Jahangir, Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb - are called the Great Mughals; after 1707 the empire survived in name only.
Babur and Humayun
| Battle | Year | Defeated | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Panipat | 1526 | Ibrahim Lodi | Founded Mughal rule; first major Indian use of field artillery and the tulughma tactic |
| Khanwa | 1527 | Rana Sanga of Mewar | Broke Rajput resistance; Babur took the title Ghazi |
| Chanderi | 1528 | Medini Rai | Consolidated central India |
| Ghaghra | 1529 | Afghan confederacy | Secured the east |
Babur wrote the Baburnama in Chaghatai Turkish, a remarkably frank memoir. Humayun lost the empire to Sher Shah Suri at Chausa in 1539 and Kannauj in 1540, spent fifteen years in exile in Persia, and recovered Delhi in 1555 only to die the next year. His sister Gulbadan Begum wrote the Humayun-nama.
शेरशाह सूरी का काल (1540-1545) मुगल इतिहास का हिस्सा नहीं है पर परीक्षा में उतना ही पूछा जाता है - रुपया, ग्रैंड ट्रंक रोड, सराय, और भूमि माप पर आधारित राजस्व व्यवस्था | अकबर ने इन्हीं को आगे बढ़ाया |
Sher Shah's short reign matters because Akbar built on it. He issued the silver rupaya and the copper dam, rebuilt the Grand Trunk Road from Sonargaon to the Indus, established sarais that doubled as post stations, and introduced a revenue system based on measurement with a written agreement (patta) and a deed of obligation (qabuliyat).
Akbar, 1556-1605
Akbar's reign begins with the second battle of Panipat in 1556 against Hemu, fought under the regency of Bairam Khan. His achievement was to convert conquest into a durable state through administrative and religious policy rather than force alone.
- Abolished the pilgrim tax in 1563 and jizya in 1564
- Rajput alliance through marriage and by giving Rajputs high mansabs and commands
- Built the Ibadat Khana at Fatehpur Sikri in 1575 for religious discussion
- Issued the Mahzar in 1579, making him the final arbiter in disputed religious matters
- Proclaimed Din-i-Ilahi in 1582 - an order of discipleship, not a mass religion; Birbal was its only notable Hindu member
- Sulh-i-kul, universal peace, was the guiding principle of his policy
Jahangir, Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb
| Emperor | Reign | Key points |
|---|---|---|
| Jahangir | 1605-1627 | Chain of justice at Agra fort; Nur Jahan's influence; treaty with Mewar in 1615; received Captain Hawkins and Sir Thomas Roe; wrote Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri |
| Shah Jahan | 1628-1658 | Peak of Mughal architecture - Taj Mahal, Red Fort, Jama Masjid; costly Central Asian campaigns; loss of Kandahar in 1649 |
| Aurangzeb | 1658-1707 | Widest territorial extent; reimposed jizya in 1679; annexed Bijapur 1686 and Golconda 1687; twenty-seven year Deccan war; conflict with Marathas, Jats, Satnamis and Sikhs |
1526 Panipat I → 1556 Panipat II → 1707 Aurangzeb's death → 1761 Panipat III
✗ Din-i-Ilahi was a new religion with many followers | ✓ It was a small order of discipleship; only a handful joined, and it did not survive Akbar
Aurangzeb's reign is the empire's paradox: the largest territory and the deepest crisis together. The Deccan wars drained the treasury, jagirs became scarce relative to the number of mansabdars, and simultaneous revolts stretched the army. His death in 1707 marks the practical end of effective Mughal power.
Linkage: this topic sets up the Mansabdari and land revenue topic, the decline of the Mughals, and the rise of the Marathas. Sher Shah's rupaya connects to the Economy material on currency, Thomas Roe's embassy to the Advent of Europeans in Modern India, and Mughal monuments to Art and Culture.
Exam pointer: two to three questions across medieval history, and Akbar and Aurangzeb dominate. The pattern favours policy and administration over battles. Traps: calling Din-i-Ilahi a mass religion, dating the abolition of jizya to Jahangir, confusing the three battles of Panipat, and crediting the Grand Trunk Road to Akbar rather than Sher Shah. Memoirs and their authors - Baburnama, Humayun-nama, Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri - are a standard matching set.
FAQ
Why is the second battle of Panipat important?
It was fought in 1556 between Akbar's forces under Bairam Khan and Hemu, the Hindu general who had captured Delhi. Hemu was struck by an arrow and captured, and his defeat secured the restoration of Mughal rule in north India at the very start of Akbar's reign.
What was Din-i-Ilahi?
An order of discipleship proclaimed by Akbar in 1582, drawing ethical ideas from several faiths and centred on loyalty to the emperor as a spiritual guide. It was never a mass religion; very few people joined, Birbal being the only notable Hindu, and it lapsed after Akbar's death.
Why did Aurangzeb's Deccan campaigns weaken the empire?
They lasted more than two decades, consumed treasury and manpower, kept the emperor away from the north for years, and produced territory that yielded less revenue than it cost to hold. They also worsened the jagirdari crisis by adding mansabdars without adding assignable revenue.
60-second recap
- Babur wins Panipat 1526, Khanwa 1527, Chanderi 1528, Ghaghra 1529; writes the Baburnama.
- Sher Shah gives the rupaya, the Grand Trunk Road, sarais and patta-qabuliyat revenue.
- Akbar: Panipat II 1556, jizya abolished 1564, Ibadat Khana 1575, Mahzar 1579, Din-i-Ilahi 1582.
- Jahangir receives Hawkins and Thomas Roe; Nur Jahan is politically influential.
- Shah Jahan builds the Taj Mahal and Red Fort but loses Kandahar in 1649.
- Aurangzeb reimposes jizya in 1679, annexes Bijapur and Golconda, and dies in 1707.