2. The Mughal Empire ruled most of India and Pakistan
in the 16th and 17th centuries.
It consolidated Islam in South Asia, and spread Muslim
(and particularly Persian) arts and culture as well as
the faith.
The Mughals were Muslims who ruled a country with
a large Hindu majority. However for much of their
empire they allowed Hindus to reach senior
government or military positions.
4. Zahiruddin Babur (February , 14, 1483 – December 26, 1530) was a chieftain and
prince from Fergana who defeated Hindu as well as other Muslim kings many
times and founded the Mughal Empire in the Hindustan. Babur (1526 – 1530)
was a descendant of Tamerlane from his father’s side and Genghis Khan from his
maternal side, and was destined in turn to be the first ruler or founder of the
Mughal Empire. Many people from India consider him to have been a great
emperor. In 1525 Babur set out to conquer India. He had only about twelve
thousand men with him but he had been promised help by Daulat Khan Lodi, the
governor of Punjab. They planned to march together against the ruling
Sultan Ibrahim Lodi, who was the king of Delhi at that time. Babur started off to
Delhi with his small army of men. The two armies met at the famous First Battle
Of Panipat, at a small village near Delhi.
5. Babur’s favorite son Humayun took the reins of the empire after his father
succumbed to disease at the young age of forty-seven. Humayun lost control of his
kingdom early on in his reign, but later with Persian aid, he would eventually regain
an even larger one. His official residence was the Purana Quila at delhi.
In 1539, seeking to expand his realm, Sher Khan met Humayun at the battle of
Chausa. Humayun was defeated and barely escaped with his own life.
Humayun was a keen astronomer. He died after falling down the stairs of his own
library in 1556. Thus Humayun ruled in India for barely ten years and died at the age
of forty-eight, leaving behind the then only thirteen-year-old Akbar as his heir.
Humayuns’ tomb is located in Delhi and is made up of red sandstones.
6. Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar was the greatest Mughal ruler of Hindustan. He was
only 13 when he ruled under the guidance of Bairam Khan. He is also known
as Akbar the Great. He was born on October, 15, 1542 and died on October 27, 1605 .
He was the son of the Mughal ruler Humayun and his wife Hamida Begum. His son's
name was Salim also known as Jehangir. Akbar's favorite courtier was Birbal. Akbar
was very eager to learn about other religions and faiths and even though he could
not read he loved to have people reading to him. Akbar had also built
a city called Fatehpur Sikri which served him as a capital from 1565-81.He
had Navratnas or nine gems, his famous nine ministers and advisers, in his court. He
captured most of North and Central India. He had friendly relations with the Rajputs
and treated them with equal respect. His tomb is located at Siakandra in Agra.
Akbar's rule is considered to be the best period of Mughal India and a 'classical' age
or era of prosperity and liberality.
7. Jahangir was born on 9 September 1569 at Fatehpur Sikri. Jahangir married Mehrunissa,
the young widow of a Mughal officer. She soon became Jahangir's favorite queen and
assumed the title of Nur Jahan, 'Light of the World‘. Under Jahangir, the empire
continued to be a war state attuned to conquest and expansion. Jahangir lacked the
political enterprise of his father Akbar. But he was an honest man and a tolerant ruler.
He strived to reform society and was tolerant towards Hindus, Christians and Jews. The
English East India Company sent Captain William Hawkins and Sir Thomas Roe to
Jahangir’s court to secure trade concessions. Jahangir died on the way back from Kashmir
near Gujrat in 1627. To preserve his body, the entrails were removed and buried in the
Gujrat. The body was then transferred to Lahore to be buried in Shahadra Bagh, a suburb
of Lahore. He was succeeded by his third son, Prince Khurram who took the title of Shah
Jahan.
8. Prince Khurram ascended the throne in 1628 and took the title of Shah Jahan. The name
"Khurram" was chosen for the young prince by his grandfather, Akbar, with whom the young
prince shared a close relationship. The period of his reign is considered as the golden age of
Mughal art and architecture. Shah Jahan is best known for erecting many splendid
monuments, the most famous of which in all the world, is the Taj Mahal at Agra, built in 1632–
1648 as a tomb for his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal. He was also the founder of the new
imperial capital called Shahajanabad, now known as Old Delhi. At a young age, he was chosen
as successor to the Mughal throne after the death of his father, Emperor Jahangir, in 1627. He
is considered 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.
9. Aurangzeb was given the title "Alamgir" or "world-seizer," by his father and is known for his
acceptance of Islam law. During his reign, the Mughal empire reached its greatest extent . He
became the emperor in 1658 after killing his three brothers and imprisoning his father. At first
he was made the viceroy of Deccan. But when he came three weeks later after his sister’s
death in a fire, Shah Jahan got angry and exiled him from the post of viceroy of Deccan. His
relationship with his father got bitterer when he favored Dara Shikoh the elder brother of
Aurangzeb as the emperor. During his reign he banned singing, dancing and playing musical
instrument in his empire. He was not open-minded and was not able to tolerate other
religions. He destroyed many Hindu temples. Aurangzeb spent many of his years fighting
against the rebellions. During his time Shivaji established the Maratha Empire. The Sikhs
rebelled against the emperor and fought many battles. He died on 20 February 1707. He was
the last famous Mughal emperor and after his death, Mughal empires declination started. His
mausoleum is located in khuldabad.
10.
11. The head of
the judiciary
was the Chief
Quazi and Mir
Adl was an
official of the
judiciary.
The Mughal
Empire was
divided into
subas, under a
subedar,
which were
further divided
into Sarkars.
The Sarkar was
further divided
into Parganas
which were
made up of
villages.
The
Mansabdari
System was a
new form of
administrative
organization
introduced by
Akbar.
A Mansabdar
was a holder
of a rank in
the
administratio
n, appointed
personally by
the emperor.
