The Mogul Empire1526-1857

Babur 1526-1530

• He founded the empire in 1526 when he defeated a Delhi sultan

• His army of 12,000 defeated the sultan’s 100,000 men

• Moguls were descendants of the Mongols, Turks, Iranians and Afghans

Babur• Educated warrior• Fond of poetry• Created Persian gardens

wherever he conquered, missed cool climate of his homeland (see painting)

Babur

• He had to fight to keep order in his society

• Victory at Kanwaha on March 10, 1527– Became absolute ruler of North

India

• Spent the rest of his life trying to organize his empire & build his capital- Agra

• Died 12/126/1530– Empire passed to his son Hymayan

Humayan• Walks the fine line

between tragedy & embarassment

• Lost empire to rival, had to flee to Safavid empire (Persia / Iran) for help

• Son Akbar born during exile, left behind with mother and guardian

• With help of Safavids, Humayan regained the empire, 1555

• Shortly after, fell down stairs of his observatory, and died (1556)

Humayan’s Tomb

Akbar 1556-1605

• He was Babur’s grandson and took the throne at 13

• He spent most of his reign making and changing administrative policies

• Added many new territories to the empire and built the largest army in Mogul history

Akbar

• He was one of the first Mogul rulers to effectively rule the diverse ethnic make-up of the empire

• Akbar, a Muslim, appointed Hindus to high ranking positions

• He encouraged intermarriage

• He accepted all religions and sects

Jahangir• Often drunken and cruel,

his later years found him often incapacitated by opium and alcohol abuse

• Married a 34 year-old Persian widow he renamed Nur Jahan

Painting commissioned by Akbar celebrating the birth of Jahangir

Jahangir

• Nur Jahan was the de facto ruler of the Mogul empire for the last half of Jahangir’s reign, due to his laziness and inebriation. – She schemed to get her relatives

in positions of power

• Replaced by his son Prince Khurram, who he renamed Shah Jahan (“Emperor of the World”)

Shah Jahan 1627-1658

• Prince Khurram took the throne at 35 and changed his name to Shah Jahan

• He spent most of his time trying to expand south

Shah Jhan

• He was a competent commander with a strict sense of justice

• During his rule he built palaces, mosques and gardens

• The best known structure is the Taj Mahal

• When he became sick his sons fought for control of the empire

Shah Jahan

• Eventually his son Aurangzeb captured the throne and imprisoned his father at Fort Agra because he supported Dara Shukoh (an older son)

• Although it sounds harsh, most Mogul rulers killed their fathers upon succession

TAJ MAHAL

• Shah Jahan built the mausoleum for his wife Mumtaz Mahal in Agra

• It is constructed of materials from India and all over Asia

Mughal Expansion Under Aurangzeb

• Aurangzeb also known as Alamgir (“World Conqueror”)

• Aurangzeb launched military campaigns that eventually added most of the Deccan and South India to the empire

• The cost of these expeditions would later weaken the empire