By Tim Lambert
The Mughal empire was founded by Babur 1483-1530, a descendant of Genghis Khan. From 1504, he ruled part of what is now Afghanistan. From the Turks, he had learned to use cannons and muskets. Guns enabled him to win great victories over the Indians who were still using traditional methods of warfare. He had also learned new cavalry tactics from the Turks. Instead of charging straight at the enemy, Babur’s cavalry rode around their flanks and attacked from the rear.
In 1526 Babur crushed the army of Ibrahim Lodhi at the battle of Panipat. Babur made a barricade of carts. Behind them, he positioned his cannons and musketeers. The enemy attacked but they faced withering cannon and musket fire. Babur’s cavalry then rode around the enemy army and attacked from the rear. The Indians were routed.
Other Indian rulers now united against Babur but they were crushed at the battle of Khanau in 1527. Babur placed his cannons and guns behind the ramparts. The Indians attacked on horseback again and again but were mowed down. Babur then became ruler of Northern India.
He was succeeded by his son Humayun 1508-1556. However, in the 1530s, an Afghan ruler named Sher Shah attacked the empire. By 1540, Sher Shah prevailed and made himself ruler of much of Northern India. Humayan went into exile and wandered from place to place.
Then in 1542, his son Akbar was born. Humayan then moved to Persia. Sher Shah died in battle in 1545 and his empire split up. Humayan was then able, with Persian help to re-conquer the Mughal empire. He invaded India in 1554 and by 1556 was in control of the North. Unfortunately, he died after falling down some stairs.
However, his son Akbar 1556-1605 was, perhaps, the greatest Mughal ruler. He took Gujarat in 1574, Bengal in 1576, Kashmir in 1586, Orissa in 1592, and Baluchistan in 1595. Akbar also reorganized the government and created an efficient civil service. Akbar was a Muslim but he was tolerant in matters of religion. He abolished the tax previous rulers levied on non-Muslims. He also gave Hindus high office.
Akbar admired Persian culture and promoted it in India. Persian language literature flourished in India during his reign (although Hindu literature flourished too). Persian and Hindu styles of painting merged to form a new style of Mughal painting.
Akbar was succeeded by his son Selim, who called himself Jahangir. Under him, Mughal influence in the South of India increased and the empire flourished. His wife was named Mehrunissa (later she was called Nur Jahan or light of the world). She was Persian and because of her Persian culture became even more influential in the Mughal realms.
During the reign of Jahangir, the arts continued to flourish. An elaborate and intricate school of painting existed. It was also a great age for architecture. When Jahangir died in 1627 his wife was forced into retirement but she occupied herself by building a magnificent mausoleum for her father in Agra.
The Mughal Empire reached its peak in the 17th century its only weakness being power struggles among the ruling family and occasional rebellions.
Shah Jahan became ruler in 1627. Under him, the empire prospered. He is famous for building the Taj Mahal, one of the most beautiful buildings in the world. It was erected as a memorial to his queen Mumtaz Mahal 1594-1630. Shah Jahan was devastated when she died. After her death, he began building the Taj Mahal. It took 20,000 craftsmen and laborers 22 years to build. It was begun in 1631 and finished in 1653.
Aurangzeb (1658-1707) greatly expanded the empire. He conquered almost all of southern India by 1687. Under him, the empire became so vast it was difficult for one man to rule.
However, he undid the religious toleration of his predecessors. In 1664 he banned the repair of Hindu temples and in 1669 he banned his subjects from building new ones. Also, in 1679 he reintroduced a poll tax on Hindus called the Jizira. Aurangzeb also taxed his subjects heavily. The result was a series of rebellions.
Aurangzeb’s greatest enemy was Shivaji, leader of the Marathas in southern India. Shivaji led a form of guerrilla warfare. His bases were in the mountains but mounted on horses his men could raid caravans and then fall back to the mountains.
In 1664, his men raided the port of Surat. Aurangzeb sent an army to intimidate Shivaji then invited him to the capital, Delhi, and tried to come to terms with him by offering him a post in the empire. However, the two men argued and Shivaji escaped from Delhi by hiding in a basket. He then returned to raiding. Shivaji was succeeded by his son Sambhaji. He was captured by the Mughals and executed in 1689 but the guerrilla war went on.
The Fall of the Mughal Empire
Aurangzeb was succeeded by his son Bahadur Shah, 1707-1712. By his time cracks were appearing in the empire. Heavy taxation caused more and more rebellions. After 1712, powerful nobles in the empire began to break away and form virtually independent states.
Meanwhile, the old enemy, the Marathas, attacked the Mughal Empire led by a man named Baji Rao. The Mughals were forced to cede territory to them. Then in 1739, disaster struck when the Persians launched an attack on the Mughal Empire. They sacked Delhi. The Mughal empire continued, but its power was rapidly fading. Delhi was sacked again in 1761, this time by an Afghan kingdom.