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the Basic history notes a basic concept of history
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Mughals ruled the subcontinent for three centuries and left an indelible mark on its culture and society. Mughal Emperors are well known all over the world for their golden rule over the Sub-continent, which lasted for over three centuries. Not only did they gloriously rule this part of the world, they also left an indelible mark on the Indian Sub- continent with their art and architecture. To this day, there are beautiful buildings in all parts of the Sub-continent, now divided into India and Pakistan, which reminds one of its splendid past.
Mughals came to the Sub-continent when Zahiruddin Babar conquered Delhi in 1526. It was after the famous Battle of Panipat where Babar defeated Ibrahim Lodhi, thus bringing an end to the Lodhi dynasty. This also laid the foundation for Mughal Empire which then went on to rule the Sub-continent for next three centuries. Babar was a very dynamic and enterprising ruler, who could not rule India for more than four years as he died in 1530.
Humayun, Babar's son, succeeded him but he faced several tough times when he ascended the throne. It was because of the fact that his father died before he could consolidate his empire. Sher Shah Suri proved to be the toughest one who brought Afghans to power and temporarily put an end to the Mughal rule after he defeated Humayun in 1540.
known for the magnificent monument of Taj Mahal which he had built in memory of his wife, Mumtaz Mahal (Noor Jahan). But Shah Jahan was accused by his son, Aurangzeb Alamgir, of extravagance and he held his father captive and after some resistance from his brothers came to power in 1658. He remained imprisoned for eight years where he was treated very well but was kept away from the administration of the Empire.
Aurangzeb Alamgir is known in history for his Islamic works. He was a pious man who lived like any other ordinary man of India while he was on the throne. He had seen the way his father had led his life and despised it strongly. Therefore he preferred to work more for the social good of his people.
Though Mughal Empire did continue after the death of Aurangzeb, it is unanimously agreed that the decline had started right after the birth of this great Mughal Emperor. Bahadur Shah Zafar was the last Mughal emperor who ascended the throne in 1837 and was forced to leave in 1857 after the famous war of independence in which British imprisoned Bahadur Shah in a fort and from thereon became real ruler of the Sub-continent till 1947.
By the opening of the eighteenth century when Europe was ruled by Strong monarchies and the European merchant communities were well on the read to prosperity the Muslim powers everywhere showed a
rapid decline. The empire of the Muslims began to weaken rapidly after the death of the great Emperor Alamgir-I in 1707. The causes of the decline and disintegration of the empire is generally regarded as the weakness of the successors of Alamgir-I but really the loss of feeling of solidarity among the Muslims was one of the principal causes of Muslims decadence. The unity of faith gave a unity of feeling to the Muslims. It was this sense of belonging to the same faith that enabled this numerically small minority to rule the teeming millions of the non-Muslim population. Various historians have arrived at the following main causes of the disintegration of the Muslim Society in Indo-Pakistan.
There are many reasons why the Muhgal Empire declined. The decline was gradual some historians blame Aurangzeb for sowing the seeds of decline, the empire continued for another 150 yrs after his death. Perhaps, the real answer was that a number of factors combined to bring about the fall of one of Asia’s most famous dynasties.
The huge empire was very difficult to administer. Decisions often had to be delayed over thousands of miles because of long distance, that’s why emperors couldnot know what exactly was happening in every part of empire. This was one reason why Aurangzeb encouraged the use of mansabdars, but many problems remained. When rebellions broke out it takes many months before the emperors could take decisive action to end them…
The character of the Rulers nobility also degenerated with their rulers. Abundance of wealth, leisure and luxury rendered them inefficient and incompetent. This affected the administration of the State.
Hot climate, abundance of wealth and comforts deteriorated the standards of Mughal army. The soldiers became easy going with the result that by the 18th century they began to avoid the hardships of battlefields. The invasions of Nadir Shah and Ahmed Shah Abdali demolished the army. The soldiers lost their ancestral confidence of victories. The army ceased to be what it had been; a terror for the enemies. The invaders plundered the country at will. Demoralized army could not keep the provinces together.
The latter Muslim Rulers and nobility suffered from intellectual bankruptcy because there was no proper system of education in the country. Lack of proper training resulted in the production of rulers who were not competent to face the challenges of their jobs.
The Mughals had come from the countries of Central Asia. They brought their own culture and customs to Indo-Pakistan. The demands of their religion clashed with the tenets of Hinduism. Thus, the alien Mughal rule remained different throughout and could not provide homogeneous nature to all the castes, creeds and religious of the Sub-
Continent.
The Muslim leaders with the passage of time became habitual of luxurious living. There was a dearth of good administration and fighters. Previously this vacuum was filled by adventures from neighboring states. The stoppage of their influx resulted in deterioration of military and civil standards.
The invasions of Nadir Shah (1739) and Ahmed Shah Abdali (1754-67) not only exposed the hollowness of the Muslim rulers but also created a stale of anarchy in the country. Such situation proved ideal for the rise of Marathas and Sikhs as new powers.
Aurangzeb spent the last 25 years of his rule in the Deccan. Continuous fighting told upon the efficiency and the morale of the army. The conquest of Bijapur and Golkonda finished the two states which served as a check to the Marathas.
The Muslim rulers did not develop their Navy whereas the European nations possessed modern naval fleets. It proved a weak point of the rulers when they had to fight the British and the Portuguese.
The rulers failed to keep pace with the developments in science and technology. Thus they could not equip their army with the latest weapons. As a result they could not effectively face the European nations in the battles of Plassey and Buxer which ultimately decided the tale of the country.
The advent of Europeans like Portuguese and the English is an event of great significance in the Muslim rule. The Portuguese and the British (The English East India Company) came in the guise of traders but developed factories and forts which ultimately became centre of their subversive activities. Their clever maneuverings and the weaknesses of the Muslim Rulers enabled the British to seize control of the country by 1857.empire was in serious decline by the end of 18 century.
