1. Introduction
The Mughal Empire was the largest empire ever in the Indian subcontinent. It encompassed most of modern-day Pakistan, India, Afghanistan and parts of southeast Asia.
It reached its peak under Akbar the Great (1542–1605), who was also called Shah Jahan (Knighted Emperor). His son, Jahangir (1602–1627), established a second dynasty which ruled for about 40 years. During this time, Mughal rule extended from Punjab in the west to Bengal in the east, from Kashmir and Sindh in the south to Gujarat in western India and from Maharashtra and Goa in the north to Afghanistan in the northeast.
The empire was a multi-ethnic one, with many different languages and religions forming part of its population.[12] It formed an early example of centralisation because it was ruled by emperors who were also Delhi's local administrators.[13] The empire declined when it came under pressure from several competing regional powers.[14]By 1687, after almost two centuries of decline ,[15] during which time most of India had come under Muslim rule,[16] it had lost most of its territory to the Marathas.
INDIAN HISTORY MUGHAL EMPIRE
2. History:
The Mughal Empire lasted for more than two centuries (16th and 17th centuries), from the fall of the Ottoman Empire in the early part of the century to the end of World War I, when it fell to British colonial rule.
A lot of people think of this period as a time when India’s economic and political culture was at its zenith: where India was celebrated for its high culture and its art. The Mughal Empire led to an expansion in architecture, literature, science and religion; but also a systematic repression of all sorts of alternative styles, as well as a vast expansion in warfare, which resulted in a great number of casualties on both sides.
The Mughal dynasty ruled large parts of Asia with varying degrees of success. The dynasty was founded by Shah Jahan (ruled 1628-58), who had been made emperor 15 years earlier by his father Aurangzeb (ruled 1658-1707). By his death in 1657, he had made himself heir apparent to the throne. His son Aurangzeb took control after his father’s death in 1707; however, he was overthrown by his brother Shah Alam II (ruled 1712-40) who sent him into exile. In 1739, after three decades away from politics and an unsuccessful attempt to regain some semblance of power through marriage alliances with European princes, Shah Alam II returned to Delhi and was proclaimed Emperor once again in 1742.[11] click hereINDIAN HISTORY MUGHAL EMPIRE
His reign had one lasting impact on Indian historiography: he was credited with having “conquered” Afghanistan.[11] In fact, it is possible that Kabul descended into anarchy by this point.[11] However historians have long known that no such conquest ever occurred; however it goes without saying that Afghan history is indebted to the Mughals very much. It is known that Afghans were settled there before their arrival; these settlements are named after them: Kabul Plains,[8] Ghorah,[9] Jalalabad,[10] Kohistan,[8]and most importantly Kandahar.[11][12][13][14]
The Mughals were responsible for building numerous tombs throughout India as well as many temples.[15][16][17][18][19][20] Their courts served as centers for Islamic learning,[21] which flourished under their patronage.[22] Tughlaq dynasty saw an increase in artistic production under their patronage while they
3. The Rise of the Empire:
The Mughals (or Mughal Empire) were a dynasty of Central Asian Persian Moghul origin that ruled over parts of what is now India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. The dynasty was founded in 1526 by Nur Jahan. It lasted until 1761 when the last emperor, Shah Jahan abdicated in favour of his son, Aurangzeb.
There are several important terms to understand about the Mughals:
• a short form for "Moghul" (Mogul), which refers to the people of Persian origin from Central Asia;[b]
• an old name for Delhi,[c] which referred to the imperial capital city,
• a title for Shah Jahan (1526-1605), which was given as a reward for his victory over Balban and other rivals,[d][e]
[b] Some people write mughaiempire, while other people write moghul empire. We will use mughaiempire here, because it is often used in English.[f]click here
Here are some important terms to remember with regards to the Mughals:
• Majesty or Imperial Power: this refers to how powerful an Emperor or ruling family was. Note that this is not how power works in real life. A king might be very powerful politically but not technically in power; and an emperor can be very powerful politically but not technically in power—for example, a member of the House of Tudor might be legally crowned king [g]. So there isn't really any kind of "true" way to measure power. Instead we measure it based on whether or not an Emperor had enough money to do what he wanted and whether or just about anyone would follow him if he wanted something done.[h]
• Empire: This refers to the size of a country's territory under one ruler—note that it is quite possible for a country's territory to be quite large when only one ruler rules it.[i][j] An Empire covers mostly North America and parts of South America today ([k]), although there have been many smaller empires around since then ([l]). So basically any place where two countries have existed together. For example, England and France are both Empires today ([m]). So we could say that The Netherlands is an Empire as it shares borders with Belgium and Germany today ([n]). The United States is also an Empire as they share borders with Canada
4. The Empire's End:
The Mughal Empire (or Mogul Empire) was a medieval Indian empire in South Asia, comprising the modern states of India and Pakistan.
The Mughal dynasty was founded by Shah Jahan in 1627 after his father, the emperor Akbar, died. Shah Jahan was succeeded by his son, who ruled from 1658 to 1658.
The empire saw some of its most famous and powerful leaders: Humayun, Jahangir and Aurangzeb. The empire fell into decline with the death of Aurangzeb at the Battle of Panipat in 1707 and the following decline led to the independence of various parts of India such as Bengal and Maratha Empire. However, Mughal rule continued at various places such as Delhi until 1857 when it was defeated by British East India Company forces. After a brief period of British rule India gained independence in 1947 after several wars with former colonial powers.click here
5. Conclusion:
The Mughals are most famously known for their contributions to the Indian subcontinent, notably through their social, cultural and religious institutions, particularly the Mughal Empire.
The Mughals started to expand in 1526 and came to control large areas of North India. This made them one of the largest empires in the world at that time.
The Mughal Empire was centred on the city of Delhi (Dhālikot), which served as both a political and a cultural centre, where dynasties and empires could be controlled by access to its court.
The term mughal is derived from a Persian word meaning “emperor” and refers to all members of a dynasty who ruled as emperors. It is not only used in reference to the royal family but also applies to all members of a dynasty who ruled during a certain period.
A large number of rulers were named mughal during their lifetime or under their authority or suzerainty, such as Aurangzeb (1556–1605) and Akbar (1542–1605). As well as rulers themselves, the term can also be used metaphorically for all peoples whose lives were affected by these rulers in some way: for example, there was an Ottoman mughal who was also king of Turkey .
Emperors such as Babar had far-reaching impacts on society; they created urban settlements with mosques/mosques within them. They also established schools that educated future generations in many subjects like theology, calligraphy, science etc. They also built palaces that looked like Biblical palaces like Taj Mahal(built by Babar) and Alhambra(built by Jahangir). There are numerous other examples that can be listed if you are interested.click hereINDIAN HISTORY MUGHAL EMPIRE