What is the Mughal empire?
The period between 1526 to 1857 in India's history is known as the Mughal period. The Mughal empire was a Muslim dynasty that ruled Northern India and parts of present day Pakistan and Afghanistan. The empire was established by Zahir-ud-din Muhammad Babur, a descendant of Timur and Genghis Khan, in 1526, which lasted until 1857.
The Mughal empire was interrupted for a brief time from 1540 to 1555 by the Sur dynasty (Sher Shah Suri and his successors). Humayun, son of Babur, however, defeated Sher Shah’s successor and re-established the Mughal empire in 1555.
However, soon after the death of Humayun, the Hindu King Hemu occupied Delhi and Agra. In the second battle of Panipat (5 Nov 1556), Akbar’s general defeated Hemu and the Mughal empire was once again re-established.
The rulers were:
Akbar was the greatest ruler of the Mughal empire. Aurangzeb was last of the great Mughals, and the empire reached its greatest extent under him. However, the empire began to decline after his death. The Mughal rulers after him were weak rulers. That's why there are called the later Mughals. Bahadur Shah Zafar was the last ruler of the Mughal dynasty.
Babur was the first ruler of the Mughal dynasty while Aurangzeb was the last powerful ruler. The rulers from Babur to Aurangzeb are known as the Great Mughals as they were powerful rulers. The Mughal empire ended with Bahadur Shah II, otherwise known as Bahadur Shah Zafar.
In between there were some Mughal pretenders also.
These are only some of the books:
All the three were Indians of course. It was Akbar who started the practice of marrying Hindu princesses and appointing Hindus to high positions among the Mughals. When Babur decided to settle in India, he was a foreigner. But he didn't go back to his native country. After Babur's death his son Humayun became the emperor. Akbar was born at Umarkot which is now in Pakistan.
Badauni mentions the many Hindu customs practiced by Akbar like Hom, Sun worship, wearing rakhi etc.
Jahangir was born at Fatehpur Sikri. Imitating Hindu kings, Akbar and his son Jahangir didn't kept a beard. Unlike his father Jahangir gave Muhammadan titles to some of his Hindu wives.
Shah Jahan was born to Jahangir's Hindu wife Jodh Bai at Lahore, which is in Pakistan.
- One of the Gunpowder empires.
- The government structure was absolute monarchy.
- Agra, Fatehpur Sikri, Lahore and Shahjahanabad were the capitals of the empire.
- Persian was the official language of the Mughals.
The Mughal empire was interrupted for a brief time from 1540 to 1555 by the Sur dynasty (Sher Shah Suri and his successors). Humayun, son of Babur, however, defeated Sher Shah’s successor and re-established the Mughal empire in 1555.
However, soon after the death of Humayun, the Hindu King Hemu occupied Delhi and Agra. In the second battle of Panipat (5 Nov 1556), Akbar’s general defeated Hemu and the Mughal empire was once again re-established.
The rulers were:
- Zahir-ud-din Muhammad "Babur" (1526-1530)
- Nasir-ud-din Muhammad "Humayun" (1530-1540 & 1555-1556)
- Jalal-ud-din Muhammad "Akbar (1556-1605)
- Nur-ud-din Muhammad Salim "Jahangir" (1605-1627)
- Shahab-ud-din Muhammad Khurram "Shah Jahan" (1628-1658)
- Muhi-ud-din Mohammad "Aurangzeb" (1658-1707)
- Qutb-ud-din Muazzam Bahadur "Shah Alam" (1707-1712)
- Muizz-ud-din Muhammad "Jahandar Shah" (1712-1713)
- Muin-ud-din Muhammad "Farrukh-Siyar" (1713-1719)
- Shams-ud-din Muhammad "Rafi-ud-Darajat" (1719)
- Rafi-ud-din Muhammad Rafi-ud-Daulah "Shah Jahan II" (1719)
- Nasir-ud-din Roshan Akhtar “Muhammad Shah" (1719-1748)
- Mujahid-ud-din Muhammad "Ahmad Shah" (1748-1754)
- Aziz-ud-din "Alamgir II" (1754-1759)
- Jalal ud-din Ali Gauhar "Shah Alam II" (1759-1806)
- Muin-ud-din Muhammad "Akbar Shah II" (1806-1837)
- Siraj-ud-din Muhammad "Bahadur Shah Zafar" (1837-1857)
Akbar was the greatest ruler of the Mughal empire. Aurangzeb was last of the great Mughals, and the empire reached its greatest extent under him. However, the empire began to decline after his death. The Mughal rulers after him were weak rulers. That's why there are called the later Mughals. Bahadur Shah Zafar was the last ruler of the Mughal dynasty.
What is the sequence of Mughal emperors in India?
The Great Mughals (1526-1707)
- Zahir-ud-din Muhammad "Babur" (1526-1530) - Important battles were the first battle of Panipat (1526) and the battle of Khanwa (1527)
- Nasir-ud-din Muhammad "Humayun" (1530-1540 & 1555-1556) - Humayun was defeated by Sher Shah Suri in the battle of Chausa (1539) and Kannauj (1540)
- Jalal-ud-din Muhammad "Akbar” (1556-1605) - Re-established the Mughal empire after defeating Hemu in the 2nd battle of Panipat (1556)
- Nur-ud-din Muhammad Salim titled "Jahangir" (1605-1627)
- Shahab-ud-din Muhammad Khurram titled "Shah Jahan" (1628-1658) - builder of the world wonder Taj Mahal in Agra
- Muhi-ud-din Mohammad “Aurangzeb” titled “Alamgir” (1658-1707)
The Later Mughals (1707–1857)
- Qutb-ud-din Muazzam Bahadur Shah titled “Shah Alam I", otherwise known as "Bahadur Shah I" (1707-1712)
- Muizz-ud-din Muhammad "Jahandar Shah" (1712-1713)
- Muin-ud-din Muhammad "Farrukh-Siyar" (1713-1719)
- Shams-ud-din Muhammad "Rafi-ud-Darajat" (1719)
- Rafi-ud-din Muhammad Rafi-ud-Daulah titled "Shah Jahan II" (1719)
- Nasir-ud-din Roshan Akhtar “Muhammad Shah” nicknamed "Rangila" (1719-1748). Nadir Shah defeated himin the battle of Karnal in 1739
- Mujahid-ud-din Muhammad "Ahmad Shah" (1748-1754)
- Aziz-ud-din "Alamgir II" (1754-1759)
- Jalal ud-din Ali Gauhar "Shah Alam II" (1759-1806) - Shah Alam was defeated in the battle of Buxar in 1764 by the British
- Muin-ud-din Muhammad "Akbar Shah II" (1806-1837)
- Siraj-ud-din Muhammad "Bahadur Shah Zafar" (1837-1857) - He took part in the 1857 war of independence and was exiled to Rangoon in Burma, where he died in 1862.
Babur was the first ruler of the Mughal dynasty while Aurangzeb was the last powerful ruler. The rulers from Babur to Aurangzeb are known as the Great Mughals as they were powerful rulers. The Mughal empire ended with Bahadur Shah II, otherwise known as Bahadur Shah Zafar.
In between there were some Mughal pretenders also.
What are some of the books on Mughal rule in India?
These are only some of the books:
Autobiography
- Tuzak-i Babari: The Autobiography of Babur, Translated from the original Turki to English
- Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri: or Memoirs of Jahangir
Persian Records with English Translation
- Humayun Nama: The History of Humayun by Gul-Badan Begum
- The Akbar Nama and Ain-i Akbari of Abu'l-Fazl
- The Tabaqat-i-Akbari (in 3 Vols.) of Khwajah Nizamuddin Ahmad
- King of the World: The Padshahnama of Abd al-Hamid Lahori
- The History of India, as Told by Its Own Historians by Henry Miers Elliot edited by John Dowson
Modern History
- Aurangzeb and the Decay of the Mughal Empire by Stanley Lane-Poole
- Fall of the Mughal Empire in 4 Volumes by Jadunath Sarkar
- History of Aurangzib: Based on Original Sources in 5 Volumes by Sir Jadunath Sarkar
- Later Mughals in 2 Volumes by William Irvine
- The Mughal Empire by John Richards
Who was more Indian Akbar, Jahangir or Shah Jahan?
All the three were Indians of course. It was Akbar who started the practice of marrying Hindu princesses and appointing Hindus to high positions among the Mughals. When Babur decided to settle in India, he was a foreigner. But he didn't go back to his native country. After Babur's death his son Humayun became the emperor. Akbar was born at Umarkot which is now in Pakistan.
Badauni mentions the many Hindu customs practiced by Akbar like Hom, Sun worship, wearing rakhi etc.
Jahangir was born at Fatehpur Sikri. Imitating Hindu kings, Akbar and his son Jahangir didn't kept a beard. Unlike his father Jahangir gave Muhammadan titles to some of his Hindu wives.
Shah Jahan was born to Jahangir's Hindu wife Jodh Bai at Lahore, which is in Pakistan.
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