Geo-Strategic importance of India

PRESENTED BY: Saim khan Muslims in india (from 712-1858 A.D)Muhammad Bin Qasim conquered Sindh in 712 A.D

WHY?

Brahmanic Dynasty: established by Raja Chach in the middle of 7th centuryMakran, Bluchistan, Gujarat, Marwar & Small portion of PunjabRaja Dahar took over the reign in 699AD. He adopted an aggressive policy.Dahar provided refugee to dissidents from Mekran and Basra who crossed over to Sindh with ulterior motivesA muslim ship seized by the sea pirates were not returned.Dahar took no step to save the Arab trading ships despite the protestations of the Governor of Basra Hajjaj Bin Yousaf.

Muhmmad Bin Qasims conquest of Sindh:Hajjaj send an expedition under the command of Imad-ud-Din Muhammad Bin QasimEntered through Shiraz & Mekran into SindhThe Governor of Mekran Haroon provided him assistnceM.B Qasim succeeded in smashing DebalWithin 3 years Qasim conquered Entire lower Indus valley, Baluchistan, Sindh, Bahawalpur &Area upto MultanPurpose: was not expand Muslim Empire or to induce conversion to IslamInfact: to punish the willful aggressor Raja Daharmaritime commerce interests: another reason to secure Arab navigation in the area & to boost the commercial activities in the regionReason of his success:-Troop discipline and leadership.The concept of Jihad as a morale booster.Religion; the widespread belief in the prophecy of Muslim success,liberated them from the chains of suppressionappointing Brahmans as collectors of jizyah

Hajjaj bin Yousef died in 714 A.DThe new caliph, Suleimanwas a political enemy of Hajjaj and recalled Muhammad bin Qasim. His untimely removal was more unfortunateThis was the second blunder made by the Arab MuslimsNo progress could be made beyond the confines of Sindh and Multan for the next about 300 years

Sultan Mahmud Sojourns (997-1030 A.D)Sultan Mahmud Ghaznvi took over throne of Ghazni in 998ADHe was the son of Subaktagin (977 A.D)Stormed India thirteen timesDecided to remove the threat from his kingdom (posed by Raja Jayapala than Anandpala)He crushed the joint forces of Rajas of Ujjain, Gawaliar, Kalinjar, Delhi, & Ajmer (1008-1009A.D)

His most crucial battle was Somnath at Kathiwar (1026A.D)50,000Th Hindus lost their livesIdols were destroyed6.5 tons of gold was taken awayOffence was the best form of defenceHis attacks were more like pre-emptive strikes to enlarge his perimeter of securityHe detached Punjab from India & made it part of Ghazni (lahore-1027)

Ghaurids Incrusions:Death of Sultan Mahmud in 1030A.D-successors proved too weakSaljuks from North & Ghaurid Turks from the South ripped apart the Ghaznavid empireAbout the next 150 years no further progress could be made by the muslims in IndiaGhauris battle with GhaznawidsGhiyath-al Din captured GhazniPushing Ghaznawids into PunjabGhaznawi Empire was literally burnt to ashesSultan Shehab-al Din Ghauri (1173-1206 A.D) to recover lost territories annexed Multan & Uchh in 1175 & 1176 A.D repectivelyGhauri was not a skilful General like Mahmud Moved toward Punjab (lahore-1186), defeated Khisraw, last Ghaznawid EmpireBattle of Jamuna 1192-annex Delhi, Ajmer, Kanaujhe was the pioneer in establishing first Turkhish Sultanate in the sub-continent in DelhiSlain in March 1206 A.D

He is the one who crushed the political power of Rajputs & established an Islamic kingdom of northern india Carried out the mission of Mahumud to crush idolatryNo forceful conversion to IslamHis fame reached every nook & corner of the worldSlave Dynastys (Mumluks) contributionsDeath of Ghauri-nephew Mahumud Ghauri succeeded him (1206A.D)Ghaur Kingdom split into threeTajuddin took over GhazniQabacha annexed SindhAppointed Qutb-al-Din Aybak at lahore in 1206 A.DThis marked the Slave dynastic (Mamluk Turks) rule in IndiaShifted the capital to Delhi-a major step toward the expansion of Muslim supremacyThis is the era of Sultanate of Dlehi

It was Aybak who established first Muslim dynasty in IndiaExtended his authority up to the borders of Bihar Turk Sultan Shams-ud-Din Iltutmish succeeded him (after his death in 1210)Founder of independent Sultanate Of DelhiGave greater unity to India

Ghiasuddin Balban: naib of Iltutmish son.He brought significant improvements in the fields of administration & political machinery Introduce an intelligence network to keep himself informed& established Qazi systemDied in 1287 A.DAccording to Vincent: when Balban died, all security of life and property was lost

Mongols:The Mongols also kept raiding Northern IndiaMongols first attacked India during Iltutmish rule in 1221 A.D but were repulsedBalban thwarted two attempts of the Mongols in 1279 & 1285 A.DAla-al-din Khilji received six attacks of the Mongols and all were successful pushed backEffective leadership of the Delhi Sultans frustrated all their attempts and thus save India from getting ransacked Khiljis Gains:Khiljis of Turk origin take over the Sultanate of Delhi through a revolution in 1290 A.DThe Khilijis remain preoccupied with the internal problems and the Mongols menace from northwestAla-al-Din Khilji proved to be most successful in his twenty years reign (1296-1315 A.D)He kept the ever threatening Mongols at bay & freed Ghazni from there clutchesExpanded empire in Bengal and SindhHe introduced new system of assessment and collection of agrarian taxes

Ibn-Batuta:Alaud-Din deserved to be considered oneOf the best SultansHis progenies proved weak and incompetent; paving way for the Tughlaq dynasty to come into powerTughlaqs:From 1329-1413 A.DGhiyath al-din Tughlaq laid the foundation of Tughlaq dynastyMuhammad Bin Tughlaqs hold over certain parts was weakened (1325-51 A.D)His excessive liberality emptied the coffers putting heavy strain on the economyHe faced 22 rebellions during his reignDuring the reign Feruz Tughlaq (1388A.D)Jagirdari system was given a new lease of life,Jagirdars were made so powerfull that theyStarted to interfere in the administrative machinery of the government

People by and large led a peaceful and prosperous lifeEmployed a large number of Brahmans in administrationMarriage alliances were also made with HindusAfter Feruz no other great leader emerged among the TughlaqsAs a result the state affairs got from bad to worseInter tribal and caste rivalries among Muslims surfacedTamer Lane entered India (Taimur) fabulous riches of Indiaannexed Punjab and DelhiThe scars of Taimurs devastation were so deep, the pains of which could be felt for a very long timeAfter his departure not a bird moved a wing in the city for two whole months

He Jolted the boat of the TughlaqsOn his return, Taimur places a noble of Sayyid on the throne with this the rule of Tughlaqs came to an endSyeds (1414-51A.D) and Lodhis (1451-1526A.D)Taimur appointed Khidar KhanTheir rule remained confined to Punjab & DelhiBecause of rebellions kingdom became more & more fragileTaking advantage of this frail rule the Governor of Punjab Bahlul Lodi dethroned him an opened an era of Turco-AfghansLot many Afghanis migrate do India from different tribes (Sur, Lohani,Sarwani,Karrani,Niyazi)First quarter of 16th century witnessed decline and fall of Lodhi Sultanate because Ibrhim Lodhi did not prove as able and tactful as his predecessorsThe new age begins with theunification of India under theGreat Mughals. MUGHAL EMPIRE (1526AD-1858AD) Zaheer-ud-din Babar(1526AD- 1530AD) the first among Mughals

Babar is a Turkish word which means lionTurco-mongolDirect descendent of Taimur and changiz khan

The reasons of Babars attack on Indian sub-continent:

The political situation of Hindustan was in messy stateIbrahim Lodhi had done an irreparable damage to the fabric of unityThere was lawlessness, mal-administration, insecurity and corruption during his reign.Daulat khan lodhi, Alam khan lodhi and Rana Singha invited Babar to attack and promised for his help. (HAPPY ILLUSION: That like Mahmud & Taimur Babar shall also plunder and return to Kabul)

Babar accepted this invitation and marched against Lahore in 1524 AD. (successful)

Awarded Daulat khan lodhi a part of Jullundur. He gets disappointed. And got hold of all Punjab.

Babar asked his governor to retaliate but he failed. Babar decided to attack on India himself

Battle of Panipat-April 1526AD

Babar marched from Kabul to Indian territories and reached Sialkot without any resistance Daulat khan lodhi showed his submissionMarched toward DelhiConfrontation with Ibrahim Lodhi in the battlefield of Panipat 21 April 1526Conquered Delhi and AgraThe dynasty of Lohdis came to an end, giving way to the era of Mughal Empire.

Battle of Kanwah-March 1527AD:

Ruler of Mewar Rana Singha thought that Babar would return after sacking and plunder.Then he would be able to establish Rajput stateWhen Babar takes permanent residence in India he decided to expel him from India.Armies of Babar and Rana Singha confronted in the battlefield of Kanwah near Agra.Babar got the victory because of his disciplined army.Babar also successful in Chanderi/Ghagara

Reasons of Babars success:

Well organized armyDisciplined armyTechnology of cannon ball firingUsed different military strategiesBoost the fighting spirit of the armyHis conquests include Gawaliar, Hisar, Mewar, Bihar & BengalBabar established his rule after a long struggle. He passed away in December 1530AD

Naseer-ud-din Muhammad Humayun (1530-1540AD) (1555-1556AD) and the suris:

The luckless leader

After the death of Babar his son Humayun assumed the throne in 1530AD.Master in Turkish, Arabic and Persian language and literature.He was the governor of Badakhshan during Babars reign.

Administrative problems:

Treasury was almost empty.Humayun was a weak ruler as compare to Babar.When Humayun was in hot waters, none of his brother came to rescue him.

Battles with Lodhis and Afghans: (1530AD-1540AD)

Mehmood lodhi started his activities in Oudh, Bihar and Jaunpur.Humayun crushed his forces and move towards Chunar.( Sher Shah Suri)1531AD: sher Shah becomes a sovereign ruler of Bihar by making an alliance with Afghan tribes.June 1539AD: Humayun and Sher Shah forces collided with each other at Chausa near Buxor.

Humayun lost this war & escaped in Agra.Battle of Qanauj May 1540AD: after a great effort humayun prepared an army of 40,000 (mostly inexperienced).Humayun defeated. Fled toward Persia.Agra and Delhi was captured by Sher Shah Suri.

Return of Humyun: (1555AD-1556AD)

Baihram khan helped him in recovering of his lost empireRecaptured Lahore in February 1555ADDefeating the Sur Army at Sirhind in June 1555 and then captured Delhi.Shah of Persia assisted him to regain the throne on the condition of allowing him to establish Shia school of thought in India.Arrival of large number of Shias from Persia as part of the agreement marked the beginning of sectarian and group jealousies which began to undermine the unity of Muslims.

East: Bengal , south: Khandesh, Southwest: Bhakkar, North: BhimberIn 1556AD Humayun slipped and fell down from stairs and could not survive Jalal-ud-din Muhmmad Akbar (1556AD-1605AD):

The Great

After the death of Humayun, Akbar was formally crowned in 1556AD.At that time there was no central authority. Kashmir, Kabul, Multan, Sindh, Malwa and Gujarat were all independent states.Whereas Afghan chiefs of Bengal and Bihar were on the verge of declaring independence.Baihram khan his mentor sealed the fate of suris in the second battle of panipat in January 1556.

Malwa was conquered in 1561ADAmber (jaipur) 1562AD (Raja Bihari Mal)Chandals in 1564AD (Rani Durgawati)Chittor in 1568ADRanthambore and Kalinjar 1570AD (jaisalmir,Bikanir,jodhpur)Gujarat in 1573ADBengal in 1576AD Khandesh in 1577AD& finally Kabul in 1585AD. Kashmir, Sindh, Kandhar, Deccan and Orissa

Akbars reforms:

Abolished jizya and other taxesAllowed religious freedomElevated the Rajputs and Brahmans to high postsMarried Rajputs princesses & adopted Hindu customsForbade slaughter of Cows and buffaloesIntroduced merit in all the departmentsWeeded out corruptionMixed religion & politics with the concept of Deen-e-ilahi to achieve national unity. It is biased towards Hinduism.

No office lay beyond the reach of Hindus e.g. in 1594, out of 12 finance ministers, 8 were Hindus.A minister of finance Raja Todar Mal and Prime Minister Raja Birbal had a great influence on the governments appointments.Deen-e-ilahi proved an utter failure and Akbar died in 1605AD.

Nur-ud-din Muhammad Jahangir (1605AD-1627AD): the paragon of stability

Just before dying Akbar himself appointed Saleem as his heir apparent.On 1605AD Saleem adopted the title of Nuruddin Muhammad Jahangir.He also followed the Hindu rituals.The governors of Bengal, Orissa and Gujarat were Hindus while Mohan Das held the appointments of Diwan.Jahangir was failed to nip the controversy of Deen-e-Ilahi in the bud.When Mahabat Khan rebelled against him he chose to become a disciple of Sirhindi.

Jahangir made a good start, but things started to go wrong when he came under the spell of his beloved wife Noor Jahan.He indulges in excessive opium drinking and passed away in 1627AD.

Shahab-ud-din Muhammad Shah Jahan (1628AD-1658AD):

the master builder

In January 1628AD jahangirs son Shah Jahan became an emperor.Despites Noor jahans best efforts to crown Shahriyar , Shah Jahan managed to capture the throne. Annexed Cooch-Bihar, Kamrup and Deccan states. Reign of Shah Jahan-The Golden period of Mughal Empire:

There was complete peace and order in the stateShah Jahan was a learned, civilized, dutiful and hard working ruler.Trade, commerce, architecture and literature prospered during his reign. Like: He built Taj Mehal, Red Fort of Delhi, shalimar garden in Lahore, Sheesh Mahal in Lahore & beautiful mosques in Thatha, Agra and Wazir Khan Mosque in Lahore.Central Asian policy: several attempts were made to conquer Qandahar in 1649, 1652 & 1653. 1647 Balkh,BukharaThese adventures were unfruitful from political and military point of view. So Shah Jahans Central Asian policy was failed.

Abul Muzaffar Muhiuddin Aurangzeb Alamgir (1658Ad- 1707AD)

the intolerant

Aurangzeb Alamgir took an office in 1658AD1st period:1658AD-1681AD; during which Aurangzeb was busy in Northern India (Assam, Cooch, Bihar)2nd period:1682AD-1707AD; when Aurangzeb was fully absorbed in the affairs of Deccan, Southern India (Bijapur, Golconda, Ahmadnagar)He crushed down Rajputs, Marhattas, Jats and Sikhs who started to bare their teeth.Aurangzeb banned all kind of musicAll corrupt officials were dismissed Zakat and jizya were imposedSale of alchohal was prohibited

The Mughal Empire reached at its highest glory under his rule & became the largest state ever known in India from the dawn of history till British power.No one equal to him among Mughal emperors. He died in 1707 at the age of 90,after ruling for 50 years.

Bahadur Shah Zafar Bahadur Shah Zafar was the last Mughal emperor of India who was born in 1775 at Delhi.He was last ruler of the Mughal Dynasty, which ruled India for about 300 years. He did not rule over his empire with a strong hand because of the rising power of the British. The first War of Independence in India started in 1857 under the leadership of Bahadur Shah Zafar. He was appointed as the Commander-in-Chief by the freedom fighters. Initially the revolt was quite successful, but later on it was crushed by the powerful British army and Bahadur Shah Zafar, was overthrown.

Despite the failure of the revolt the revolutionaries considered Bahadur Shah Zafar as the Emperor of India. Zafar was hiding at Humayuns tomb, in Delhi, along with his three sons and a grandson when the British army came and killed his sons and grandson and he was charged of treachery. In 1858, he was exiled to Rangoon in Myanmar, he lived there for five years and died at the age of 87, in 1862 . He was buried in the shrine Bahadur Shah Zafar Dargah in Rangoon, which is located near the Shwe Degon Pagoda at 6 Ziwaka Road, at Rangoon.With this the Mughal empire abolished India was brought under the direct rule of the British Crown. This brought the end of the Mughal Empire.HUMAYUNS TOMB, DELHI

THE TAJ MAHAL

DIWAN-I-KHAS, DELHI

LAL QILA, DELHI

FATEHPUR SIKRISHALIMAR BAGH, KASHMIR

MUGHAL PAINTINGS

MUGHAL PAINTINGS

MUGHAL PAINTINGS

MUGHAL ART

MUGHAL JEWELLRY

The fall of Mughal empire

1:Aurangzebs responsibility:Aurangzeb was largely responsible for the downfall of the empire.Aurangzeb was a fanatic and could not tolerate the non-Muslims.He thus lost the friendship and loyalty of the Rajputs. His execution of the Sikh guru and his enmity with the Marathas forced them to raise arms against him. His excessive obsession with the Deccan also destroyed the Mughal army, the treasury and also adversely affected his health. Being a fanatic Sunni Muslim, he could not tolerate even the Shias. They too turned against him. He laid too much stress on simplicity and was against singing, dancing and drinking which were common habits of the Muslim nobles. They did not like a king who was so much against their ways.

Aurangzeb, thus himself gave a green signal to the forces of decay and so after his death the mighty empire disintegrated into smaller states.

2:The Vastness of the Empire:The Mughal Empire is growing in size from the time of Akbar. With the conquest of the South by Aurangzeb, it covered almost all India from Kashmir to river Kaveri and from Kabul to Chittagong it became too vast to be governed from one center at the command of one man. Communications were difficult. Distances were enormous. The Empire therefore began to sink under its own weight.3:Inefficient Administrative MachineryOfficial policies made the Muslim population politically irresponsible.Efficient people were neglected and flatterers, clown, politically immature and non-serious persons joined the royal retinue who were more worried about their personal position and wealth than longevity of Mughal empire.

4:Imperfect organization of armyIn the beginning, Mughals had constituted a permanent army. There were a proper hierarchy, cash salary was paid, although sometimes lands were also granted as an award. With the passage of time this practice was fallen into disuse. Land grants became hereditary and military posts were given to landlords and emir.5:Lack of passion for knowledge and scientific researchThe advancement in knowledge and scientific field was less Social problems were not brought into consideration European nations adopted new techniques of war Once Muslims were the masters of oceans, but now Mughal government was obliged to get license from European seamen and pirates for travelling to Mecca. They failed to explore common points of unity among different sects of Muslims.

6:Economic crisisIn the final phase of Mughal rule, the economic crisis was evident. On some occasions, emirs were not able to take efficient measures because of financial constraints.Centre was loosing its grip on provinces. Rapid change of monarchs had severely affected trade and agriculture which in turn affected financial system. In spite of this, emperors were ready to spent wealth to carry their rivalry, but they were not ready to finance the military expeditions.

7:Incompetent RulersTail ender Mughal rulers were not capable to rule. They usually appointed some ministers as incharge and immersed themselves in merrymaking. Not only emirs and favorites were bribe, but emperor also accepted precious gifts.

8:Rise of the sikhs Marhatas and RajputsBecause of the poor governance of the Mughal, Sikhs looted the mess of Punjab for several years and also caused a great loss to the lives and property of Muslims. Even in this catastrophic situation, they did not try to take corrective measures. In the beginning, Marathas revived military training as soldiers in the forces of Muslims.They showed obedience to and revolted against Mughal Empire according to situation and opportunity. If Ahmad shah Abdali had no crushed their power in the third battle of Panipat, they would become new rulers of whole world.

Rajputs were once close relatives of Mughal rulers, but now they were leading the efforts to undermine their power. They helped the Marathas to acquire strength and whenever they were sent to stop a rebellion, they always offered them a truce.

9:Foreign incursionsAlthough Mughal Empire faced a sharp fall after 1707 AD, but it was so deeply rooted that it took 150 years more to abolish. In 1739 AD, Nadir Shah Durani ruined Dehli, carried on killing for three days and took away royal treasury, peacock throne, Koh-i-Noor diamond and even masterpieces of paintings and art with him. Ahmad Shah Abdalis incursions also weakened the Mughal rule.

10:British East India Company (1600AD)British took full advantage of internal politics and started capturing this region step by step. Consequently India became a colony of Britain. British government issued the permission to establish East India Company, whose apparent purpose was to do trade, but insidiously planning to subjugate India.

Sources:1: Muhammad Bin Qasim to General Pervaiz Musharraf Triumphs, Tribulations,Scars of 1971 tragedy Written by: Asif Haroon2: A History of India written by:Herman Kulke & Dietmar Rothermund