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|s4 = British Raj
|s4 = British Raj
|flag_s4 = British Raj Red Ensign.svg
|flag_s4 = British Raj Red Ensign.svg
|s5 = Hyderabad State
|s6 = Hyderabad State
|flag_s5 = Asafia flag of Hyderabad State.png
|flag_s6 = Asafia flag of Hyderabad State.png
|s5 = Mysore Kingdom
|flag_s5 = Flag of Mysore.svg
|image_flag = Flag of the Mughal Empire.svg
|image_flag = Flag of the Mughal Empire.svg
|flag_border = no
|flag_border = no
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|national_motto =
|national_motto =
|national_anthem =
|national_anthem =
|common_languages = [[Persian language|Persian]] (initially also [[Chagatai language|Chagatai Turkic]]; later also [[Urdu]])
|common_languages = [[Persian language|Persian]], [[Chagatai language|Chagatai Turkic]] (later also [[Hindustani language| Hindustani]])
|religion = [[Hinduism]], [[Sunni Islam]], and [[syncretism]]
|religion = [[Hinduism]], [[Sunni Islam]], and [[syncretism]]
|currency = Rupee
|currency = Rupee
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|stat_pop5 =
|stat_pop5 =
|footnotes = Population source:<ref name="Richards1993">{{cite book|last=Richards|first=John F.|title=The Mughal Empire|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0521251198|doi=10.2277/0521251192|editor1-first=Gordon|editor1-last=Johnson|editor1-link=Gordon Johnson (historian)|editor2-first=C. A.|editor2-last=Bayly|editor2-link=Christopher Alan Bayly|accessdate=14 October 2010|series=The New Cambridge history of India: 1.5|volume=I. The Mughals and their Contemporaries|location=Cambridge|pages=1, 190|date=March 26, 1993}}</ref>
|footnotes = Population source:<ref name="Richards1993">{{cite book|last=Richards|first=John F.|title=The Mughal Empire|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0521251198|doi=10.2277/0521251192|editor1-first=Gordon|editor1-last=Johnson|editor1-link=Gordon Johnson (historian)|editor2-first=C. A.|editor2-last=Bayly|editor2-link=Christopher Alan Bayly|accessdate=14 October 2010|series=The New Cambridge history of India: 1.5|volume=I. The Mughals and their Contemporaries|location=Cambridge|pages=1, 190|date=March 26, 1993}}</ref>
|today = {{flag|Afghanistan}}<br>{{flag|Bangladesh}}<br>{{flag|India}}<br>{{flag|Pakistan}}
|today = {{flag|Afghanistan}}<br>{{flag|Bangladesh}}<br>{{flag|India}}<br>{{flag|Pakistan}}<br>{{flag|Uzbekistan}}
}}
}}
{{South Asian history}}
{{South Asian history}}
The '''Mughal Empire''' ({{lang-fa|شاهان مغول}}, {{lang|fa-Latn|''Shāhān-e Moġul''}}; {{Lang-ur|{{Nastaliq|مغلیہ سلطنت}}}}; self-designation: {{lang|fa|گوركانى}}, {{lang|fa-Latn|''Gūrkānī''}}),<span dir="ltr"><ref name="Thackston">{{cite book|title=The [[Baburnama]]: Memoirs of Babur, Prince and Emperor|publisher=[[Modern Library]]|isbn=978-0375761379|author=Zahir ud-Din Mohammad|authorlink=Babur|editor=Thackston, Wheeler M.|editor-link=Wheeler Thackston|location=New York|page=xlvi|date=September 10, 2002|quote=In India the dynasty always called itself {{lang|fa-Latn|Gurkani}}, after {{lang|chg-Latn|[[Timur|Temür]]}}'s title {{lang|fa-Latn|Gurkân}}, the Persianized form of the Mongolian {{lang|mn-Latn|''kürägän''}}, 'son-in-law,' a title he assumed after his marriage to a [[Genghisid]] princess.}}</ref><ref name="Balfour">{{cite book|last=Balfour|first=E.G.|authorlink=Edward Balfour|title=Encyclopaedia Asiatica: Comprising Indian-subcontinent, Eastern and Southern Asia|year=1976|publisher=Cosmo Publications|isbn=978-8170203254|location=New Delhi|at=S. 460, S. 488, S. 897}}</ref> or '''Mogul''' (also '''Moghul''') '''Empire''' in former English usage, was an imperial power in South Asia that ruled a large portion of the [[Indian subcontinent]]. It began in 1526, invaded and ruled most of [[India]] by the late 17th and early 18th centuries, and ended in the mid-19th century.<ref>
The '''Mughal Empire''' ({{lang-fa|شاهان مغول}}, {{lang|fa-Latn|''Shāhān-e Moġul''}}; self-designation: {{lang|fa|گوركانى}}, {{lang|fa-Latn|''Gūrkānī''}}),<span dir="ltr"><ref name="Thackston">{{cite book|title=The [[Baburnama]]: Memoirs of Babur, Prince and Emperor|publisher=[[Modern Library]]|isbn=978-0375761379|author=Zahir ud-Din Mohammad|authorlink=Babur|editor=Thackston, Wheeler M.|editor-link=Wheeler Thackston|location=New York|page=xlvi|date=September 10, 2002|quote=In India the dynasty always called itself {{lang|fa-Latn|Gurkani}}, after {{lang|chg-Latn|[[Timur|Temür]]}}'s title {{lang|fa-Latn|Gurkân}}, the Persianized form of the Mongolian {{lang|mn-Latn|''kürägän''}}, 'son-in-law,' a title he assumed after his marriage to a [[Genghisid]] princess.}}</ref><ref name="Balfour">{{cite book|last=Balfour|first=E.G.|authorlink=Edward Balfour|title=Encyclopaedia Asiatica: Comprising Indian-subcontinent, Eastern and Southern Asia|year=1976|publisher=Cosmo Publications|isbn=978-8170203254|location=New Delhi|at=S. 460, S. 488, S. 897}}</ref> or '''Mogul''' (also '''Moghul''') '''Empire''' in former English usage, was a [[Turkic peoples| Turkic]] imperial power from [[Farghana]], in present-day [[Uzbekistan]],<ref>{{cite book|title=Other Routes: 1500 Years of African and Asian Travel Writing |pages=162 |last=Khair |first=Tabish |isbn=1-904955-11-8 |publisher=Signal Books |date=2006-01-06 |accessdate=2006-11-07}}</ref> that ruled a large portion of the [[South Asia]].
[http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/southasia/History/Mughals/mughals.html "The Mughal Empire"]</ref>


The [[Mughal emperors]] were descendants of the [[Timurids]], a dynasty of [[Turco-Mongol]] ancestry, and at the height of their power around 1700, they controlled most of the [[Indian Subcontinent]]—extending from [[Bengal]] in the east to [[Balochistan (region)|Balochistan]] in the west, [[Kashmir]] in the north to the [[Kaveri]] basin in the south.<ref>[http://sun.menloschool.org/~sportman/westernstudies/first/1718/2000/eblock/mughal/ menloschool.org]{{dead link|date=October 2010}}</ref>
The [[Mughal emperors]] were descendants of the [[Timurids]], a dynasty of [[Turco-Mongol]] ancestry, and at the height of their power around 1700, they controlled most of the [[Indian Subcontinent]]—extending from [[Bengal]] in the east to [[Balochistan (region)|Balochistan]] in the west, [[Kashmir]] in the north to the [[Kaveri]] basin in the south.<ref>[http://sun.menloschool.org/~sportman/westernstudies/first/1718/2000/eblock/mughal/ menloschool.org]{{dead link|date=October 2010}}</ref>
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The "classic period" of the Empire started in 1556 with the accession of [[Akbar the Great|Jalaluddin Mohammad Akbar]], better known as Akbar the Great. It ended with the death and defeat of Emperor [[Aurangzeb]] in 1707 by the rising [[Hindu]] [[Maratha Empire]],<ref name="BBC">{{cite web|title=Mughal Empire (1500s, 1600s)|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/history/mughalempire_1.shtml|work=bbc.co.uk|publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation|accessdate=18 October 2010|location=London|at=Section 5: Aurangzeb}}</ref> although the dynasty continued for another 150 years. During the classic period, the Empire was marked by a highly centralized administration connecting the different regions. All the significant monuments of the Mughals, their most visible legacy, date to this period which was characterised by the expansion of Persian cultural influence in the Indian subcontinent, with brilliant literary, artistic, and architectural results.
The "classic period" of the Empire started in 1556 with the accession of [[Akbar the Great|Jalaluddin Mohammad Akbar]], better known as Akbar the Great. It ended with the death and defeat of Emperor [[Aurangzeb]] in 1707 by the rising [[Hindu]] [[Maratha Empire]],<ref name="BBC">{{cite web|title=Mughal Empire (1500s, 1600s)|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/history/mughalempire_1.shtml|work=bbc.co.uk|publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation|accessdate=18 October 2010|location=London|at=Section 5: Aurangzeb}}</ref> although the dynasty continued for another 150 years. During the classic period, the Empire was marked by a highly centralized administration connecting the different regions. All the significant monuments of the Mughals, their most visible legacy, date to this period which was characterised by the expansion of Persian cultural influence in the Indian subcontinent, with brilliant literary, artistic, and architectural results.


Following 1725 the Mughal Empire declined rapidly, weakened by wars of succession, agrarian crises fueling local revolts, the growth of religious intolerance, the rise of the [[Maratha Empire|Maratha]], [[Durrani Empire|Durrani]], and [[Sikh Empire|Sikh]] empires and finally [[British colonialism]]. The last Emperor, [[Bahadur Shah II]], whose rule was restricted to the city of [[Delhi]], was imprisoned and exiled by the [[British Empire|British]] after the [[Indian Rebellion of 1857]].
Following 1725 the Mughal Empire declined rapidly, weakened by wars of succession, agrarian crises fueling local revolts, the growth of religious intolerance, the rise of the [[Maratha Empire]] in India and [[Durrani Empire]] in Afghanistan and finally [[British colonialism]]. The last Emperor, [[Bahadur Shah II]], whose rule was restricted to the city of [[Delhi]], was imprisoned and exiled by the [[British Empire|British]] after the [[Indian Rebellion of 1857]].


The name ''Mughal'' is derived from the original homelands of the Timurids, the Central Asian steppes once conquered by [[Genghis Khan]] and hence known as ''[[Moghulistan]]'', "Land of Mongols". Although early Mughals spoke the [[Chagatai language]] and maintained some [[Turko-Mongol]] practices, they became essentially [[Persianized]]<ref name="Canfield">Robert L. Canfield, ''Turko-Persia in historical perspective'', Cambridge University Press, 1991. pg 20: "The Mughals – Persianized Turks who invaded from Central Asia and claimed descent from both Timur and Genghis – strengthened the Persianate culture of Muslim India"</ref> and transferred the [[Persian culture|Persian literary and high culture]]<ref name="Canfield"/> to India, thus forming the base for the [[Indo-Persian culture]].<ref name="Canfield"/>
The name ''Mughal'' is derived from the original homelands of the Timurids, the Central Asian steppes once conquered by [[Genghis Khan]] and hence known as ''[[Moghulistan]]'', "Land of Mongols". Although early Mughals spoke the [[Chagatai language]] and maintained some [[Turko-Mongol]] practices, they became essentially [[Persianized]]<ref name="Canfield">Robert L. Canfield, ''Turko-Persia in historical perspective'', Cambridge University Press, 1991. pg 20: "The Mughals – Persianized Turks who invaded from Central Asia and claimed descent from both Timur and Genghis – strengthened the Persianate culture of Muslim India"</ref> and transferred the [[Persian culture|Persian literary and high culture]]<ref name="Canfield"/> to India, thus forming the base for the [[Indo-Persian culture]].<ref name="Canfield"/>


== Early history ==
== Early history ==
In 1495, At only twelve years of age, [[Babur|Zahir ud-din Muhammad Babur]] obtained his first power position, succeeding his father as ruler of [[Farghana]], in present-day [[Uzbekistan]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Other Routes: 1500 Years of African and Asian Travel Writing |pages=162 |last=Khair |first=Tabish |isbn=1-904955-11-8 |publisher=Signal Books |date=2006-01-06 |accessdate=2006-11-07}}</ref> His uncles were relentless in their attempts to dislodge him from this position as well as many of his other territorial possessions to come.<ref>{{cite book|title=Domesticity and Power in the Early Mughal World |last=Lal |first=Ruby |isbn=0-521-85022-3 |date=2005-09-25 |accessdate=2006-11-08 |pages=69 |quote=It was over these possessions, provinces controlled by uncles, or cousins of varying degrees, that Babur fought with close and distant relatives for much of his life.}}</ref> Thus, Babur spent a large portion of his life shelterless and in [[exile]], aided only by friends and [[peasant]]s. In 1497, Babur attacked the Uzbek city of [[Samarkand]] and after seven months succeeded in capturing the city.<ref name="Afghanistan">{{cite book |title= Afghanistan: A Short History of Its People and Politics |last=Ewans |first=Martin |isbn=0-06-050508-7 |publisher=HarperCollins |month=September | year=2002 |pages=26–7}}</ref> Meanwhile, a rebellion amongst nobles back home approximately 350&nbsp;kilometers (200&nbsp;miles) away robbed him of [[Farghana Valley|Farghana]].<ref name="Afghanistan" /> As he was marching to recover it, Babur's troops deserted in Samarkand, leaving him with neither Samarkand nor Fergana.
[[Babur|Zahir ud-din Muhammad Babur]] learned about the riches of [[Hindustan]] and conquest of it by his ancestor, [[Timur Lang]], in 1503 at Dikh-Kat, a place in the Transoxiana region. At that time, he was roaming as a wanderer after losing his principality, Farghana. In his memoirs he wrote that after he had acquired Kabul (in 1514), he desired to regain the territories in Hindustan held once by Turks. He started his exploratory raids from September 1519 when he visited the Indo-Afghan borders to suppress the rising by Yusufzai tribes. He undertook similar raids up to 1524 and had established his base camp at Peshawar. In 1526, Babur defeated the last of the [[Delhi Sultanate|Delhi Sultans]], [[Ibrahim Lodhi|Ibrahim Shah Lodi]], at the [[First Battle of Panipat]]. To secure his newly founded kingdom, Babur then had to face the formidable [[Rajput]] [[Rana Sanga]] of [[Chittor]], at the [[Battle of Khanwa]]. Rana Sanga offered stiff resistance but was defeated.

[[File:Shaybani.jpg|thumb|120px|right|Portrait of [[Muhammad Shaybani]], who defeated Babur in [[Samarkand]] in 1501]]
By 1501, he was ready again to regain control of Samarkand, but was shortly thereafter defeated by his most formidable enemy, [[Muhammad Shaybani]], [[Khan (title)|khan]] of the [[Uzbeks]].<ref name="Afghanistan" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://depts.washington.edu/silkroad/texts/babur/babur1.html |quote=After being driven out of Samarkand in 1501 by the Uzbek Shaibanids... |title=The Memoirs of Babur |accessdate=2006-11-08 |publisher=Walter Chapin Center for the Humanities at the University of Washington |work=Silk Road Seattle}}</ref> Samarkand, his lifelong obsession, was lost again. Escaping with a small band of followers from Fergana, for three years Babur concentrated on building up a strong army, recruiting widely amongst the [[Tajik people| Tajiks]] of [[Badakhshan]] in particular. In 1504, he was able to cross the snowy [[Hindu Kush]] mountains and capture [[Kabul]]<ref name="Afghanistan" /> from the [[Arghun Dynasty|Arghunids]], who were forced to retreat to [[Kandahar]]. With this move, he gained a wealthy new kingdom and re-established his fortunes and assumed the title of ''[[Padshah]]''. In the following year, Babur united with [[Husayn Bayqarah]] of [[Herat]], a fellow [[Timurid Dynasty|Timurid]] and distant relative, against the [[usurper]] Muhammad Shaybani.<ref name="perspect">{{cite book |title=Perspectives on Persian Painting: Illustrations to Amir Khusrau's Khamsah |last=Brend |first=Barbara |date=2002-12-20 |isbn=0-7007-1467-7 |publisher=Routledge (UK) |pages=188 |accessdate=2006-11-08}}</ref> However, the death of Husayn Bayqarah in 1506 delayed that venture. Babur instead occupied his allies' city of [[Herat]], spending just two months there before being forced to leave due to diminishing resources.<ref name="perspect" /> Nevertheless, he marvelled at the intellectual abundance in Herat, which he stated was "filled with learned and matched men.",<ref>{{cite book |title=The Sewing Circles of Herat: A Personal Voyage Through Afghanistan |last=Lamb |first=Christina |pages=153 |isbn=0-06-050527-3 |publisher=HarperCollins |month=February | year=2004 |accessdate=2006-11-08}}</ref> and became acquainted with the work of the [[Uzbek people|Uzbek]] poet [[Mir Ali Shir Nava'i]], who encouraged the use of [[Chagatai language|Chagatai]] as a [[literary language]]. Nava'i's proficiency with the language, which he is credited with founding,<ref>{{cite book |title=Mehmed the Conqueror and His Time |last=Hickmann |first=William C. |date=1992-10-19 |isbn=0-691-01078-1 |pages=473 |quote=Eastern Turk Mir Ali Shir Neva'i (1441-1501), founder of the Chagatai literary language}}</ref> may have influenced Babur in his decision to use it for his memoirs, ''[[Baburnama]]''.

A brewing rebellion finally induced him to return to [[Kabul]] from [[Herat]]. He prevailed on that occasion, but two years later a revolt among some of his leading generals drove him out of Kabul. Escaping with very few companions, Babur soon returned to the city, capturing Kabul again and regaining the allegiance of the rebels. [[Muhammad Shaybani]] was defeated and killed by [[Ismail I]], [[Safavid]] ruler of [[Persia]], in 1510,<ref>{{cite book |title=Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of World Religions |last=Doniger |first=Wendy |isbn=0-87779-044-2 |month=September | year=1999 |pages=539 |publisher=Merriam-Webster |accessdate=2006-11-10}}</ref> and Babur used this opportunity to attempt to reconquer his ancestral Timurid territories. Over the following few years, Babur and [[Shah]] [[Ismail I]] would form a partnership in an attempt to take over parts of [[Central Asia]]. In return for Ismail's assistance, Babur permitted the Safavids to act as a [[suzerainty|suzerain]] over him and his followers.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Islamic World in Ascendancy: From the Arab Conquests to the Siege in Vienna |last=Sicker |first=Martin |isbn=0-275-96892-8 |month=August | year=2000 |pages=189 |accessdate=2006-11-10 |quote=Ismail was quite prepared to lend his support to the displaced Timurid prince, Zahir ad-Din Babur, who offered to accept Safavid suzerainty in return for help in regaining control of Transoxiana.}}</ref> Conversely, Shah Ismail reunited Babur with his sister Khānzāda, who had been imprisoned by and forced to marry the recently deceased [[Muhammad Shaybani|Shaybani]].<ref>{{cite book |title=History of the Rise of the Mahomedan Power in India Till the Year A. D. 1612 |last=Briggs |first=John |year=1829 |accessdate=2006-11-10 |quote=Shah Ismael at this time sent Khanzada Begum (Babur's sister) to him. This princess had been made prisoner at the capture of Samarkand by Sheebany Khan, who afterwards married her.}}</ref>

With this assistance, Babur marched on [[Bukhara]], where his army were apparently treated as liberators, Babur having greater legitimacy as a Timurid, unlike the Uzbegs. Towns and villages are said to have emptied in order to greet him, and aid and feed his army. At this point Babur dismissed his Persian aide, believing them no longer needed. In October 1511 Babur made a triumphant re-entry into Samarkand, ending a ten year absence. Bazaars were draped in gold, and again villages and towns emptied to greet the liberator. Dressed as a Shia, Babur stood out starkly amongst the masses of Sunnis who had thronged to greet him.{{Citation needed|date=April 2010}} The original belief was that this show of Shi'ism was a ploy to garner Persian help which would soon be dropped. While it was indeed a ploy, Babur did not think it wise to drop the charade. His cousin, Haidar, wrote that Babur was still too fearful of the Uzbegs to dismiss the Persian aid. Babur did not drop the show of collaboration with the Shia Persian Shah, resulting in popular disapproval and the re-conquering of the city by the Uzbegs eight months later.

In 1526, Babur defeated the last of the [[Delhi Sultanate|Delhi Sultans]], [[Ibrahim Lodhi|Ibrahim Shah Lodi]], at the [[First Battle of Panipat]]. To secure his newly founded kingdom, Babur then had to face the formidable [[Rajput]] [[Rana Sanga]] of [[Chittor]], at the [[Battle of Khanwa]]. Rana Sanga offered stiff resistance but was defeated.


Babur's son [[Humayun]] succeeded him in 1530, but suffered reversals at the hands of the [[Pashtun]] [[Sher Shah Suri]] and lost most of the fledgling empire before it could grow beyond a minor regional state. From 1540 Humayun became ruler in exile, reaching the court of the [[Safavid]] rule in 1554 while his force still controlled some fortresses and small regions. But when the Pashtuns fell into disarray with the death of Sher Shah Suri, Humayun returned with a mixed army, raised more troops, and managed to reconquer [[Delhi]] in 1555.
Babur's son [[Humayun]] succeeded him in 1530, but suffered reversals at the hands of the [[Pashtun]] [[Sher Shah Suri]] and lost most of the fledgling empire before it could grow beyond a minor regional state. From 1540 Humayun became ruler in exile, reaching the court of the [[Safavid]] rule in 1554 while his force still controlled some fortresses and small regions. But when the Pashtuns fell into disarray with the death of Sher Shah Suri, Humayun returned with a mixed army, raised more troops, and managed to reconquer [[Delhi]] in 1555.
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== Mughal dynasty ==
== Mughal dynasty ==
[[File:Mughal Genealogical Table.svg|thumb|left|Genealogy of the Mughal Dynasty]]
[[File:Mughal Genealogical Table.svg|thumb|left|Genealogy of the Mughal Dynasty]]
The Mughal Empire was the dominant power in the [[Indian subcontinent]] between the mid-16th century and the early 18th century. Founded in 1526, it officially survived until 1858, when it was supplanted by the [[British Raj]]. The [[dynasty]] is sometimes referred to as the [[Timurid dynasty]] as [[Babur]] was descended from [[Timur]].
The Mughal Empire was the dominant power in the [[South Asia]] between the mid-16th century and the early 18th century. Founded in 1526, it officially survived until 1858, when it was supplanted by the [[British Raj]]. The [[dynasty]] is sometimes referred to as the [[Timurid dynasty]] as [[Babur]] was descended from [[Timur]].


The Mughal dynasty was founded when Babur, hailing from [[Ferghana]] (Modern [[Uzbekistan]]), invaded parts of northern India and defeated [[Lodhi dynasty|Ibrahim Shah Lodhi]], the ruler of Delhi, at the [[First battle of Panipat|First Battle of Panipat]] in 1526. The Mughal Empire superseded the [[Delhi Sultanate]] as rulers of northern India. In time, the state thus founded by Babur far exceeded the bounds of the Delhi Sultanate, eventually encompassing a major portion of India and earning the appellation of Empire. A brief interregnum (1540–1555) during the reign of Babur's son, [[Humayun]], saw the rise of the Afghan [[Suri Dynasty]] under [[Sher Shah Suri]], a competent and efficient ruler in his own right. However, Sher Shah's untimely death and the military incompetence of his successors enabled Humayun to regain his throne in 1555. However, Humayun died a few months later, and was succeeded by his son, the 13-year-old [[Akbar the Great]].
The Mughal dynasty was founded when Babur, hailing from [[Ferghana]] (Modern [[Uzbekistan]]), invaded parts of north-western and northern India and defeated [[Lodhi dynasty|Ibrahim Shah Lodhi]], the ruler of Delhi, at the [[First battle of Panipat|First Battle of Panipat]] in 1526. The Mughal Empire superseded the [[Delhi Sultanate]] as rulers of northern India. In time, the state thus founded by Babur far exceeded the bounds of the Delhi Sultanate, eventually encompassing a major portion of India and earning the appellation of Empire. A brief interregnum (1540–1555) during the reign of Babur's son, [[Humayun]], saw the rise of the Afghan [[Suri Dynasty]] under [[Sher Shah Suri]], a competent and efficient ruler in his own right. However, Sher Shah's untimely death and the military incompetence of his successors enabled Humayun to regain his throne in 1555. However, Humayun died a few months later, and was succeeded by his son, the 13-year-old [[Akbar the Great]].


The greatest portions of Mughal expansion was accomplished during the reign of Akbar (1556–1605). The empire was maintained as the dominant force of the present-day [[Indian subcontinent]] for a hundred years further by his successors [[Jahangir]], [[Shah Jahan]], and [[Aurangzeb]]. The first six emperors, who enjoyed power both de jure and de facto, are usually referred to by just one name, a title adopted upon his accession by each emperor. The relevant [[title]] is bolded in the list below.
The greatest portions of Mughal expansion was accomplished during the reign of Akbar (1556–1605). The empire was maintained as the dominant force of the present-day [[Indian subcontinent]] for a hundred years further by his successors [[Jahangir]], [[Shah Jahan]], and [[Aurangzeb]]. The first six emperors, who enjoyed power both de jure and de facto, are usually referred to by just one name, a title adopted upon his accession by each emperor. The relevant [[title]] is bolded in the list below.
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| [[Aurangzeb|Mohiuddin Muhammad ''Aurangzeb'' Alamgir]] || Oct 21, 1618 || 1658–1707 || Mar 3, 1707 || He reinterpreted [[Sharia|Islamic law]] and presented the [[Fatawa-e-Alamgiri]]; he captured the [[diamond]] mines of the [[Sultanate of Golconda]]; he spent more than 20 years of his life defeating major rebel factions in India; his conquests expanded the empire to its greatest extent; the over-stretched empire was controlled by [[Nawab]]s, and faced challenges after his death. He made two copies of the [[Qur'an]] using his own [[calligraphy]].
| [[Aurangzeb|Mohiuddin Muhammad ''Aurangzeb'' Alamgir]] || Oct 21, 1618 || 1658–1707 || Mar 3, 1707 || He reinterpreted [[Sharia|Islamic law]] and presented the [[Fatawa-e-Alamgiri]]; he captured the [[diamond]] mines of the [[Sultanate of Golconda]]; he spent more than 20 years of his life defeating major rebel factions in India; his conquests expanded the empire to its greatest extent; the over-stretched empire was controlled by [[Nawab]]s, and faced challenges after his death. He made two copies of the [[Qur'an]] using his own [[calligraphy]].
|-
|-
| [[Bahadur Shah I]] || Oct 14, 1643 || 1707–1712 || Feb 1712 || First of the Mughal emperors to preside over a steady and severe decline in the territories under the empire's control and military power due to the rising strength of the autonomous [[Nawab]]s. After his reign, the emperor became a progressively insignificant figurehead.
| [[Bahadur Shah I]] || Oct 14, 1643 || 1707–1712 || Feb 1712 || First of the Mughal emperors to preside over a steady and severe decline in the territories under the empire's control and military power due to the rising strength of the [[Maratha Empire]].<ref name="BBC">{{cite web|title=Mughal Empire (1500s, 1600s)|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/history/mughalempire_1.shtml|work=bbc.co.uk|publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation|accessdate=18 October 2010|location=London|at=Section 5: Aurangzeb}}</ref> After his reign, the emperor became a progressively insignificant figurehead.
|-
|-
| [[Jahandar Shah]] || 1664 || 1712–1713 || Feb 1713 ||He was highly influenced by his [[Grand Vizier]] Zulfikar Khan.
| [[Jahandar Shah]] || 1664 || 1712–1713 || Feb 1713 ||He was highly influenced by his [[Grand Vizier]] Zulfikar Khan.
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{{Empires}}
{{Empires}}
{{Iran topics}}
{{Iran topics}}
{{Former Turkic states}}


[[Category: History of Iran]]
[[Category:States and territories established in 1526]]
[[Category:States and territories established in 1526]]
[[Category:Mughal Empire| ]]
[[Category:Mughal Empire| ]]

Revision as of 07:30, 30 March 2011

The Mughal Empire
شاهان مغول
[Shāhān-e Moġul] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)
1526–1858
Flag of the Mughal Empire
Map of Mughal Empire in 1700 CE
Mughal Empire (green) during its greatest territorial extent, c. 1700
CapitalAgra; Fatehpur Sikri; Delhi
Common languagesPersian, Chagatai Turkic (later also Hindustani)
Religion
Hinduism, Sunni Islam, and syncretism
GovernmentAbsolute monarchy, unitary state
with federal structure
Emperor 
• 1526–1530
Babur
• 1530–1539, 1555–1556
Humayun
• 1556–1605
Akbar
• 1605–1627
Jahangir
• 1628–1658
Shah Jahan
• 1658–1707
Aurangzeb
Historical eraEarly modern
• First Battle of Panipat
21 April 1526
• Indian Rebellion of 1857
20 June 1858
Area
17003,200,000 km2 (1,200,000 sq mi)
Population
• 1700
150,000,000
CurrencyRupee
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Timurid dynasty
Delhi Sultanate
Suri dynasty
Adil Shahi dynasty
Deccan Sultanates
Maratha Empire
Durrani Empire
Company Raj
British Raj
Mysore Kingdom
Hyderabad State
Today part of Afghanistan
 Bangladesh
 India
 Pakistan
 Uzbekistan
Population source:[1]

Template:South Asian history The Mughal Empire (Persian: شاهان مغول, [Shāhān-e Moġul] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help); self-designation: گوركانى, [Gūrkānī] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)),[2][3] or Mogul (also Moghul) Empire in former English usage, was a Turkic imperial power from Farghana, in present-day Uzbekistan,[4] that ruled a large portion of the South Asia.

The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids, a dynasty of Turco-Mongol ancestry, and at the height of their power around 1700, they controlled most of the Indian Subcontinent—extending from Bengal in the east to Balochistan in the west, Kashmir in the north to the Kaveri basin in the south.[5] Its population at that time has been estimated as between 110 and 150 million, over a territory of more than 3.2 million square kilometres (1.2 million square miles).[1]

The "classic period" of the Empire started in 1556 with the accession of Jalaluddin Mohammad Akbar, better known as Akbar the Great. It ended with the death and defeat of Emperor Aurangzeb in 1707 by the rising Hindu Maratha Empire,[6] although the dynasty continued for another 150 years. During the classic period, the Empire was marked by a highly centralized administration connecting the different regions. All the significant monuments of the Mughals, their most visible legacy, date to this period which was characterised by the expansion of Persian cultural influence in the Indian subcontinent, with brilliant literary, artistic, and architectural results.

Following 1725 the Mughal Empire declined rapidly, weakened by wars of succession, agrarian crises fueling local revolts, the growth of religious intolerance, the rise of the Maratha Empire in India and Durrani Empire in Afghanistan and finally British colonialism. The last Emperor, Bahadur Shah II, whose rule was restricted to the city of Delhi, was imprisoned and exiled by the British after the Indian Rebellion of 1857.

The name Mughal is derived from the original homelands of the Timurids, the Central Asian steppes once conquered by Genghis Khan and hence known as Moghulistan, "Land of Mongols". Although early Mughals spoke the Chagatai language and maintained some Turko-Mongol practices, they became essentially Persianized[7] and transferred the Persian literary and high culture[7] to India, thus forming the base for the Indo-Persian culture.[7]

Early history

In 1495, At only twelve years of age, Zahir ud-din Muhammad Babur obtained his first power position, succeeding his father as ruler of Farghana, in present-day Uzbekistan.[8] His uncles were relentless in their attempts to dislodge him from this position as well as many of his other territorial possessions to come.[9] Thus, Babur spent a large portion of his life shelterless and in exile, aided only by friends and peasants. In 1497, Babur attacked the Uzbek city of Samarkand and after seven months succeeded in capturing the city.[10] Meanwhile, a rebellion amongst nobles back home approximately 350 kilometers (200 miles) away robbed him of Farghana.[10] As he was marching to recover it, Babur's troops deserted in Samarkand, leaving him with neither Samarkand nor Fergana.

Portrait of Muhammad Shaybani, who defeated Babur in Samarkand in 1501

By 1501, he was ready again to regain control of Samarkand, but was shortly thereafter defeated by his most formidable enemy, Muhammad Shaybani, khan of the Uzbeks.[10][11] Samarkand, his lifelong obsession, was lost again. Escaping with a small band of followers from Fergana, for three years Babur concentrated on building up a strong army, recruiting widely amongst the Tajiks of Badakhshan in particular. In 1504, he was able to cross the snowy Hindu Kush mountains and capture Kabul[10] from the Arghunids, who were forced to retreat to Kandahar. With this move, he gained a wealthy new kingdom and re-established his fortunes and assumed the title of Padshah. In the following year, Babur united with Husayn Bayqarah of Herat, a fellow Timurid and distant relative, against the usurper Muhammad Shaybani.[12] However, the death of Husayn Bayqarah in 1506 delayed that venture. Babur instead occupied his allies' city of Herat, spending just two months there before being forced to leave due to diminishing resources.[12] Nevertheless, he marvelled at the intellectual abundance in Herat, which he stated was "filled with learned and matched men.",[13] and became acquainted with the work of the Uzbek poet Mir Ali Shir Nava'i, who encouraged the use of Chagatai as a literary language. Nava'i's proficiency with the language, which he is credited with founding,[14] may have influenced Babur in his decision to use it for his memoirs, Baburnama.

A brewing rebellion finally induced him to return to Kabul from Herat. He prevailed on that occasion, but two years later a revolt among some of his leading generals drove him out of Kabul. Escaping with very few companions, Babur soon returned to the city, capturing Kabul again and regaining the allegiance of the rebels. Muhammad Shaybani was defeated and killed by Ismail I, Safavid ruler of Persia, in 1510,[15] and Babur used this opportunity to attempt to reconquer his ancestral Timurid territories. Over the following few years, Babur and Shah Ismail I would form a partnership in an attempt to take over parts of Central Asia. In return for Ismail's assistance, Babur permitted the Safavids to act as a suzerain over him and his followers.[16] Conversely, Shah Ismail reunited Babur with his sister Khānzāda, who had been imprisoned by and forced to marry the recently deceased Shaybani.[17]

With this assistance, Babur marched on Bukhara, where his army were apparently treated as liberators, Babur having greater legitimacy as a Timurid, unlike the Uzbegs. Towns and villages are said to have emptied in order to greet him, and aid and feed his army. At this point Babur dismissed his Persian aide, believing them no longer needed. In October 1511 Babur made a triumphant re-entry into Samarkand, ending a ten year absence. Bazaars were draped in gold, and again villages and towns emptied to greet the liberator. Dressed as a Shia, Babur stood out starkly amongst the masses of Sunnis who had thronged to greet him.[citation needed] The original belief was that this show of Shi'ism was a ploy to garner Persian help which would soon be dropped. While it was indeed a ploy, Babur did not think it wise to drop the charade. His cousin, Haidar, wrote that Babur was still too fearful of the Uzbegs to dismiss the Persian aid. Babur did not drop the show of collaboration with the Shia Persian Shah, resulting in popular disapproval and the re-conquering of the city by the Uzbegs eight months later.

In 1526, Babur defeated the last of the Delhi Sultans, Ibrahim Shah Lodi, at the First Battle of Panipat. To secure his newly founded kingdom, Babur then had to face the formidable Rajput Rana Sanga of Chittor, at the Battle of Khanwa. Rana Sanga offered stiff resistance but was defeated.

Babur's son Humayun succeeded him in 1530, but suffered reversals at the hands of the Pashtun Sher Shah Suri and lost most of the fledgling empire before it could grow beyond a minor regional state. From 1540 Humayun became ruler in exile, reaching the court of the Safavid rule in 1554 while his force still controlled some fortresses and small regions. But when the Pashtuns fell into disarray with the death of Sher Shah Suri, Humayun returned with a mixed army, raised more troops, and managed to reconquer Delhi in 1555.

Humayun crossed the rough terrain of the Makran with his wife. The resurgent Humayun then conquered the central plateau around Delhi, but months later died in an accident, leaving the realm unsettled and in war.

Akbar succeeded his father on 14 February 1556, while in the midst of a war against Sikandar Shah Suri for the throne of Delhi. He soon won his eighteenth victory at age 21 or 22. He became known as Akbar, as he was a wise ruler, setting high but fair taxes. He was a more inclusive in his approach to the non-Muslim subjects of the Empire. He investigated the production in a certain area and taxed inhabitants one-fifth of their agricultural produce. He also set up an efficient bureaucracy and was tolerant of religious differences which softened the resistance by the locals. He made alliances with Rajputs and appointed native generals and administrators. Later in life, he devised his own brand of syncretic philosophy based on tolerance.

Jahangir, son of Emperor Akbar, ruled the empire from 1605–1627. In October 1627, Shah Jahan, son of Emperor Jahangir succeeded to the throne, where he inherited a vast and rich empire. At mid-century this was perhaps the greatest empire in the world. Shah Jahan commissioned the famous Taj Mahal (1630–1653) in Agra which was built by the Persian architect Ustad Ahmad Lahauri as a tomb for Shah Jahan's wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died giving birth to their 14th child. By 1700 the empire reached its peak under the leadership of Aurangzeb Alamgir with major parts of present day India, Pakistan, and most of Afghanistan under its domain. Aurangzeb was the last of what are now referred to as the Great Mughal kings, living a shrewd life but dying peacefully.

Mughal dynasty

Genealogy of the Mughal Dynasty

The Mughal Empire was the dominant power in the South Asia between the mid-16th century and the early 18th century. Founded in 1526, it officially survived until 1858, when it was supplanted by the British Raj. The dynasty is sometimes referred to as the Timurid dynasty as Babur was descended from Timur.

The Mughal dynasty was founded when Babur, hailing from Ferghana (Modern Uzbekistan), invaded parts of north-western and northern India and defeated Ibrahim Shah Lodhi, the ruler of Delhi, at the First Battle of Panipat in 1526. The Mughal Empire superseded the Delhi Sultanate as rulers of northern India. In time, the state thus founded by Babur far exceeded the bounds of the Delhi Sultanate, eventually encompassing a major portion of India and earning the appellation of Empire. A brief interregnum (1540–1555) during the reign of Babur's son, Humayun, saw the rise of the Afghan Suri Dynasty under Sher Shah Suri, a competent and efficient ruler in his own right. However, Sher Shah's untimely death and the military incompetence of his successors enabled Humayun to regain his throne in 1555. However, Humayun died a few months later, and was succeeded by his son, the 13-year-old Akbar the Great.

The greatest portions of Mughal expansion was accomplished during the reign of Akbar (1556–1605). The empire was maintained as the dominant force of the present-day Indian subcontinent for a hundred years further by his successors Jahangir, Shah Jahan, and Aurangzeb. The first six emperors, who enjoyed power both de jure and de facto, are usually referred to by just one name, a title adopted upon his accession by each emperor. The relevant title is bolded in the list below.

Akbar the Great initiated certain important policies, such as religious liberalism (abolition of the jizya tax), inclusion of natives in the affairs of the empire, and political alliance/marriage with the Rajputs, that were innovative for his milieu; he also adopted some policies of Sher Shah Suri, such as the division of the empire into sarkar raj, in his administration of the empire. These policies, which undoubtedly served to maintain the power and stability of the empire, were preserved by his two immediate successors but were discarded by Emperor Aurangzeb who spent nearly his entire career expanding his realm, beyond the Urdu Belt, into the Deccan and South India, Assam in the east; this venture provoked resistance from the Marathas, Sikhs, and Ahoms.

Decline

Sikh and Maratha states gained territory after the Mughal empire's decline. Map showing territories in 1700 and 1792

After Emperor Aurangzeb's death in 1707, the empire fell into succession crisis. Barring Muhammad Shah, none of the Mughal emperors could hold on to power for a decade. In the 18th century, the Empire suffered the depredations of invaders like Nadir Shah of Persia and Ahmed Shah Abdali of Afghanistan, who repeatedly sacked Delhi, the Mughal capital. Most of the empire's territories in India passed to the Marathas, Nawabs, and Nizams by c. 1750. In 1804, the blind and powerless Shah Alam II formally accepted the protection of the British East India Company. The company had already begun to refer to the weakened emperor as "King of Delhi", rather than "Emperor of India". The once glorious and mighty Mughal army was disbanded in 1805 by the British; only the guards of the Red Fort were spared to serve with the King Of Delhi, which avoided the uncomfortable implication that British sovereignty was outranked by the Indian monarch. Nonetheless, for a few decades afterward the BEIC continued to rule the areas under its control as the nominal servants of the emperor and in his name. In 1857, even these courtesies were disposed. After some rebels in the Sepoy Rebellion declared their allegiance to Shah Alam's descendant, Bahadur Shah II, the British decided to abolish the institution altogether. They deposed the last Mughal emperor in 1857 and exiled him to Burma, where he died in 1862.

List of Mughal emperors

Certain important particulars regarding the Mughal emperors is tabulated below:

Emperor Birth Reign Period Death Notes
Zaheeruddin Muhammad Babur Feb 23, 1483 1526–1530 Dec 26, 1530 Founder of the Mughal Dynasty.
Nasiruddin Muhammad Humayun Mar 6, 1508 1530–1540 Jan 1556 Reign interrupted by Suri Dynasty. Youth and inexperience at ascension led to his being regarded as a less effective ruler than usurper, Sher Shah Suri.
Sher Shah Suri 1472 1540–1545 May 1545 Deposed Humayun and led the Suri Dynasty.
Islam Shah Suri c.1500 1545–1554 1554 2nd and last ruler of the Suri Dynasty, claims of sons Sikandar and Adil Shah were eliminated by Humayun's restoration.
Nasiruddin Muhammad Humayun Mar 6, 1508 1555–1556 Jan 1556 Restored rule was more unified and effective than initial reign of 1530–1540; left unified empire for his son, Akbar.
Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar Nov 14, 1542 1556–1605 Oct 27, 1605 Akbar greatly expanded the Empire and is regarded as the most illustrious ruler of the Mughal Dynasty as he set up the empire's various institutions; he married Mariam-uz-Zamani, a Rajput princess. One of his most famous construction marvels was the Lahore Fort.
Nooruddin Muhammad Jahangir Oct 1569 1605–1627 1627 Jahangir set the precedent for sons rebelling against their emperor fathers. Opened first relations with the British East India Company. Reportedly was an alcoholic, and his wife Empress Noor Jahan became the real power behind the throne and competently ruled in his place.
Shahaabuddin Muhammad Shah Jahan Jan 5, 1592 1627–1658 1666 Under him, Mughal art and architecture reached their zenith; constructed the Taj Mahal, Jama Masjid, Red Fort, Jahangir mausoleum, and Shalimar Gardens in Lahore. Deposed and imprisoned by his son Aurangzeb.
Mohiuddin Muhammad Aurangzeb Alamgir Oct 21, 1618 1658–1707 Mar 3, 1707 He reinterpreted Islamic law and presented the Fatawa-e-Alamgiri; he captured the diamond mines of the Sultanate of Golconda; he spent more than 20 years of his life defeating major rebel factions in India; his conquests expanded the empire to its greatest extent; the over-stretched empire was controlled by Nawabs, and faced challenges after his death. He made two copies of the Qur'an using his own calligraphy.
Bahadur Shah I Oct 14, 1643 1707–1712 Feb 1712 First of the Mughal emperors to preside over a steady and severe decline in the territories under the empire's control and military power due to the rising strength of the Maratha Empire.[6] After his reign, the emperor became a progressively insignificant figurehead.
Jahandar Shah 1664 1712–1713 Feb 1713 He was highly influenced by his Grand Vizier Zulfikar Khan.
Furrukhsiyar 1683 1713–1719 1719 In 1717 he granted a firman to the English East India Company granting them duty free trading rights for Bengal and confirmed their position in India.
Rafi Ul-Darjat Unknown 1719 1719  
Rafi Ud-Daulat
a.k.a Shah Jahan II
Unknown 1719 1719  
Nikusiyar Unknown 1719 1743  
Muhammad Ibrahim Unknown 1720 1744  
Muhammad Shah 1702 1719–1720, 1720–1748 1748 Suffered the invasion of Nadir-Shah of Persia in 1739.
Ahmad Shah Bahadur 1725 1748–54 1754 Mughal forces massacred by the Maratha during the Battle of Sikandarabad;
Alamgir II 1699 1754–1759 1759  
Shah Jahan III Unknown In 1759 1770s consolidation of the Nizam of Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa, during the Battle of Buxar. Hyder Ali becomes Nawab of Mysore in 1761;
Shah Alam II 1728 1759–1806 1806 Ahmed-Shah-Abdali in 1761 defeated the Marathas during the Third Battle of Panipat; The fall of Tipu Sultan of Mysore in 1799;
Akbar Shah II 1760 1806–1837 1837 Titular figurehead under British protection
Bahadur Shah Zafar 1775 1837–1857 1862 The last Mughal emperor was deposed by the British and exiled to Burma following the Indian Rebellion of 1857.

Influence on the Indian subcontinent

The Taj Mahal in Agra, India built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan
The Red Fort in Delhi was the main palace of the empire during the reign of Shah Jahan.
Lalbagh Fort, constructed in the mid 17th century in Dhaka during the reign of Aurangzeb
The Alamgiri Gate is the main entrance to the Lahore Fort built during the reign of Aurangzeb.

A major Mughal contribution to the Indian subcontinent was their unique architecture. Many monuments were built by the Muslim emperors, especially Shahjahan, during the Mughal era including the UNESCO World Heritage Site Taj Mahal, which is known to be one of the finer examples of Mughal architecture. Other World Heritage Sites includes the Humayun's Tomb, Fatehpur Sikri, Red Fort, Agra Fort, and Lahore Fort.

The palaces, tombs, and forts built by the dynasty stands today in Delhi, Aurangabad, Fatehpur Sikri, Agra, Jaipur, Lahore, Kabul, Sheikhupura, and many other cities of India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh.[18] With few memories of Central Asia, Babur's descendents absorbed traits and customs of the Indian Subcontinent,[19] and became more or less naturalised.

Mughal influence can be seen in cultural contributions such as[20]:

Although the land the Mughals once ruled has separated into what is now India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan, their influence can still be seen widely today. Tombs of the emperors are spread throughout India, Afghanistan,[24] and Pakistan. There are 16 million descendants spread throughout the Subcontinent and possibly the world.[25][unreliable source?]

Urdu language

Although Persian was the dominant and "official" language of the empire, the language of the elite later evolved into a form of Hindustani today known as Urdu. Highly Persianized and also influenced by Arabic and Turkic, the language was written in a type of Perso-Arabic script known as Nastaliq, and with literary conventions and specialized vocabulary being retained from Persian, Arabic and Turkic; the new dialect was eventually given its own name of Urdu. Compared with Hindi, the Urdu language draws more vocabulary from Persian and Arabic (via Persian) and (to a much lesser degree) from Turkic languages where Hindi draws vocabulary from Sanskrit more heavily.[26] Modern Hindi, which uses Sanskrit-based vocabulary along with Urdu loan words from Persian and Arabic, is mutually intelligible with Urdu.[27]

Mughal society

The Indian economy remained as prosperous under the Mughals as it was, because of the creation of a road system and a uniform currency, together with the unification of the country. Manufactured goods and peasant-grown cash crops were sold throughout the world. Key industries included shipbuilding (the Indian shipbuilding industry was as advanced as the European, and Indians sold ships to European firms), textiles, and steel. The Mughals maintained a small fleet, which merely carried pilgrims to Mecca, imported a few Arab horses in Surat. Debal in Sindh was mostly autonomous. The Mughals also maintained various river fleets of Dhows, which transported soldiers over rivers and fought rebels. Among its admirals were Yahya Saleh, Munnawar Khan, and Muhammad Saleh Kamboh. The Mughals also protected the Siddis of Janjira. Its sailors were renowned and often voyaged to China and the East African Swahili Coast, together with some Mughal subjects carrying out private-sector trade. Cities and towns boomed under the Mughals; however, for the most part, they were military and political centres, not manufacturing or commerce centres. Only those guilds which produced goods for the bureaucracy made goods in the towns; most industry was based in rural areas. The Mughals also built Maktabs in every province under their authority, where youth were taught the Quran and Islamic law such as the Fatawa-e-Alamgiri in their indigenous languages.

The nobility was a heterogeneous body; while it primarily consisted of Rajput aristocrats and foreigners from Muslim countries, people of all castes and nationalities could gain a title from the emperor. The middle class of openly affluent traders consisted of a few wealthy merchants living in the coastal towns; the bulk of the merchants pretended to be poor to avoid taxation. The bulk of the people were poor. The standard of living of the poor was as low as, or somewhat higher than, the standard of living of the Indian poor under the British Raj; whatever benefits the British brought with canals and modern industry were neutralized by rising population growth, high taxes, and the collapse of traditional industry in the nineteenth century.

Science and technology

Astronomy

The 16th and 17th centuries saw a synthesis between Islamic astronomy, where Islamic observational techniques and instruments were employed techniques. While there appears to have been little concern for theoretical astronomy, Mughal astronomers continued to make advances in observational astronomy and produced nearly a hundred Zij treatises. Humayun built a personal observatory near Delhi, while Jahangir and Shah Jahan were also intending to build observatories but were unable to do so. The instruments and observational techniques used at the Mughal observatories were mainly derived from the Islamic tradition.[28][29] In particular, one of the most remarkable astronomical instruments invented in Mughal India is the seamless celestial globe (see Technology below).

Technology

Fathullah Shirazi (c. 1582), a Persian-Indian polymath and mechanical engineer who worked for Akbar the Great in the Mughal Empire, developed a volley gun.[30]

Considered one of the most remarkable feats in metallurgy, the seamless globe was invented in Kashmir by Ali Kashmiri ibn Luqman in 998 AH (1589–90 CE), and twenty other such globes were later produced in Lahore and Kashmir during the Mughal Empire. Before they were rediscovered in the 1980s, it was believed by modern metallurgists to be technically impossible to produce metal globes without any seams, even with modern technology. Another famous series of seamless celestial globes was produced using a lost-wax casting method in the Mughal Empire in 1070 AH (1659–1960 CE) by Muhammad Salih Tahtawi with Arabic and Persian inscriptions. It is considered a major feat in metallurgy. These Mughal metallurgists pioneered the method of wax casting while producing these seamless globes.[31]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b Richards, John F. (March 26, 1993). Johnson, Gordon; Bayly, C. A. (eds.). The Mughal Empire. The New Cambridge history of India: 1.5. Vol. I. The Mughals and their Contemporaries. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 1, 190. doi:10.2277/0521251192. ISBN 978-0521251198. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  2. ^ Zahir ud-Din Mohammad (September 10, 2002). Thackston, Wheeler M. (ed.). The Baburnama: Memoirs of Babur, Prince and Emperor. New York: Modern Library. p. xlvi. ISBN 978-0375761379. In India the dynasty always called itself Gurkani, after Temür's title Gurkân, the Persianized form of the Mongolian [kürägän] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help), 'son-in-law,' a title he assumed after his marriage to a Genghisid princess.
  3. ^ Balfour, E.G. (1976). Encyclopaedia Asiatica: Comprising Indian-subcontinent, Eastern and Southern Asia. New Delhi: Cosmo Publications. S. 460, S. 488, S. 897. ISBN 978-8170203254.
  4. ^ Khair, Tabish (2006-01-06). Other Routes: 1500 Years of African and Asian Travel Writing. Signal Books. p. 162. ISBN 1-904955-11-8. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  5. ^ menloschool.org[dead link]
  6. ^ a b "Mughal Empire (1500s, 1600s)". bbc.co.uk. London: British Broadcasting Corporation. Section 5: Aurangzeb. Retrieved 18 October 2010.
  7. ^ a b c Robert L. Canfield, Turko-Persia in historical perspective, Cambridge University Press, 1991. pg 20: "The Mughals – Persianized Turks who invaded from Central Asia and claimed descent from both Timur and Genghis – strengthened the Persianate culture of Muslim India"
  8. ^ Khair, Tabish (2006-01-06). Other Routes: 1500 Years of African and Asian Travel Writing. Signal Books. p. 162. ISBN 1-904955-11-8. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  9. ^ Lal, Ruby (2005-09-25). Domesticity and Power in the Early Mughal World. p. 69. ISBN 0-521-85022-3. It was over these possessions, provinces controlled by uncles, or cousins of varying degrees, that Babur fought with close and distant relatives for much of his life. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  10. ^ a b c d Ewans, Martin (2002). Afghanistan: A Short History of Its People and Politics. HarperCollins. pp. 26–7. ISBN 0-06-050508-7. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  11. ^ "The Memoirs of Babur". Silk Road Seattle. Walter Chapin Center for the Humanities at the University of Washington. Retrieved 2006-11-08. After being driven out of Samarkand in 1501 by the Uzbek Shaibanids...
  12. ^ a b Brend, Barbara (2002-12-20). Perspectives on Persian Painting: Illustrations to Amir Khusrau's Khamsah. Routledge (UK). p. 188. ISBN 0-7007-1467-7. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  13. ^ Lamb, Christina (2004). The Sewing Circles of Herat: A Personal Voyage Through Afghanistan. HarperCollins. p. 153. ISBN 0-06-050527-3. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  14. ^ Hickmann, William C. (1992-10-19). Mehmed the Conqueror and His Time. p. 473. ISBN 0-691-01078-1. Eastern Turk Mir Ali Shir Neva'i (1441-1501), founder of the Chagatai literary language
  15. ^ Doniger, Wendy (1999). Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of World Religions. Merriam-Webster. p. 539. ISBN 0-87779-044-2. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  16. ^ Sicker, Martin (2000). The Islamic World in Ascendancy: From the Arab Conquests to the Siege in Vienna. p. 189. ISBN 0-275-96892-8. Ismail was quite prepared to lend his support to the displaced Timurid prince, Zahir ad-Din Babur, who offered to accept Safavid suzerainty in return for help in regaining control of Transoxiana. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  17. ^ Briggs, John (1829). History of the Rise of the Mahomedan Power in India Till the Year A. D. 1612. Shah Ismael at this time sent Khanzada Begum (Babur's sister) to him. This princess had been made prisoner at the capture of Samarkand by Sheebany Khan, who afterwards married her. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  18. ^ Ross Marlay, Clark D. Neher. 'Patriots and Tyrants: Ten Asian Leaders' pp.269 ISBN 0847684423
  19. ^ webindia123.com-Indian History-Medieval-Mughal Period-AKBAR
  20. ^ Mughal Contribution to Indian Literature | Writinghood
  21. ^ "Mughal Empire – MSN Encarta". Archived from the original on 2009-11-01. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  22. ^ Indo-Persian Literature Conference: SOAS: North Indian Literary Culture (1450–1650)
  23. ^ Mughlai Recipes, Mughlai Dishes – Cuisine, Mughlai Food
  24. ^ The garden of Bagh-e Babur : Tomb of the Mughal emperor
  25. ^ Descendants of Mughal came together to rehabilitate the Mughal Dynasty | TwoCircles.net
  26. ^ "A Brief Hindi – Urdu FAQ". sikmirza. Archived from the original on 2007-12-02. Retrieved 2008-05-20.
  27. ^ Urdu Dictionary Project is Under Threat : ALL THINGS PAKISTAN
  28. ^ Sharma, Virendra Nath (1995), Sawai Jai Singh and His Astronomy, Motilal Banarsidass Publ., pp. 8–9, ISBN 8120812565
  29. ^ Baber, Zaheer (1996), The Science of Empire: Scientific Knowledge, Civilization, and Colonial Rule in India, State University of New York Press, pp. 82–9, ISBN 0791429199
  30. ^ Bag, A. K. (2005). "Fathullah Shirazi: Cannon, Multi-barrel Gun and Yarghu". Indian Journal of History of Science. 40 (3). New Delhi: Indian National Science Academy: 431–436. ISSN 0019-5235.
  31. ^ Savage-Smith, Emilie (1985), Islamicate Celestial Globes: Their history, Construction, and Use, Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C.

Further reading


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