The Northern Empire in the Eighteenth century

1708-1740s

Review

• Bahadur Shah comes to the throne after a brief succession struggle

• Formally recognizes both Tara Bai and Shahuji’s claim to sardeshmukhi in Deccan (but delays formalization of revenue sharing) hoping to incite them against each other

• Turns his attention to the North

Punjab under Bahadur Shah

• Guru Gobind Singh was assassinated in the Deccan in the midst of negotiations with Bahadur Shah in 1708 at Nanded

• By 1709 a charismatic leader called Banda emerged in Panjab

• A peasant rebellion involving Sikhs, Jat zamindars and peasants, Banjaras, and urban poor begins

Characteristics of Banda’s rebellion

• Adoption of older Sikh forms of communications such as hukam-namas

• Strong affiliation with the new Khalsa (founded in 1699 by Guru Gobind Singh)

• Looting of major urban centers such as Sirhind and Lahore, attacks on trade routes

• Support from peasant groups other than Sikhs, including urban poor, lower-caste groups

Imperial Tactics

• Cordons to limit movement in and out of rebel areas only partially successful

• Wholesale targeting of Sikh creates more problems and alienates Khatris (sikh traders/officials, but not Khalsa)

• Mobilization of local ethnic feuds against Jat Sikhs—particularly groups such as Bhattis, Rangar Rajputs, etc. was more successful

• Attempts to undercut Banda’s authority by sending hukamnamas from Mata Sundari (widow of Guru Gobind Singh)

Mughalfort

Sikh Shrine

Hilly areasWhere Sikhsretreat

Sirhind

Lahore

Consequences of Banda’s rebellion

• While Banda was neutralized by the time of Bahadur Shah’s death, he was not captured until 1715, executed in 1716

• Jagir revenues from Panjab unavailable at a crucial time• Ethnic rivalries in Panjab exacerbated• Khalsa Sikhs in particular further alienated from Mughal

government, would rebel periodically through the mid 18th century, finally occupying Punjab by the 1760s.

• Ranjit Singh would unify the different Sikh states into an empire in the early 19th c.

The succession Struggle

Bahadur Shahr. 1707-1712

Jahandar Shahr.1712-1713

(Zulfikar Khan)Azim-ush Shan Rafi-ush Shah

Rafi-ud DarjatApril 1719

Jahan Shah

Farukhsiyar1713-1719

(Sayyid Bros.)

Rafi-ud DaulahJune 1719

Muhammad Shah1719-48

Changes After Bahadur Shah

• Real power devolved from the Emperor to the nobles—particularly the person designated either wazir or Mir Bakshi

• Zulfikar Khan, the wazir, was key in getting the three princes to cooperate against Azim-ush Shan (former Bengal Governor)

• Only Jahandar Shah survived the struggle, but became a puppet manipulated by Zulfikar Khan

• Strong enmity between the Turani faction led by Chin Qilich Khan and the Irani faction led by Zulfikar and Asad Khan factionalizes the nobles

• In the confusion the revenue system is falling apart

Farukhsiyar 1713-1719

• As the remaining gov. of Bengal after his father’s death Farukhsiyar was ideally positioned to challenge Zulfikar Khan– Bengali revenues remained strong– The Turani faction remained aloof from battle– The imperial soldiers were unpaid due to

Zulfikar Khan’s attention on politics over administration

– Sayyids of Barrah agree to support F. S.

Further Signs of trouble

• Once Emperor, Farukhsiyar finds himself a virtual prisoner of powerful factions such as the Sayyid Brothers

• Attempts to play off one faction against the other fails and only further adds to the problems of imperial breakdown

• Tribute from Bengal the only reliable form of revenue

• Sayyid Brothers alienate most other groups and eventually lose their own power, F. S. is killed

A decline or devolution?

• The 18th Century was eventually marked by the emergence of Mughal successor states founded by important mansabdars

• Mughal rulers after 1719 have longer rules, but little power

• Most successor states were stable enough to survive into the colonial period

• While the Imperial center grew starved of revenue and lost political authority, regional states stabilized and in most areas revenue collection started again and trade picked up

Mughal Successor States

• Awadh—in the Gangetic plane, founded by Burhan ul-Mulk

• Hyderabad—in the Deccan, founded by Nizam ul-Mulk

• Bengal—Claimed by the son-in law of Murshid Quli Khan’s (also other states such as Carnatic, Mysore, Rajput territories)– Other than these “nawabi” states, conquest states by

Marathas and Sikhs, to a lesser degree by Jats

Political v. Economic Decline

• Important to distinguish between the two, why?• No evidence of large scale economic downturn

in new successor states—in most places peasants do well

• S. Asian economy continues to churn out textiles, grains, goods for domestic and international trades

• As some old port cities/hubs decline, new ones emerge and fill in demands

New Features of Political Authority

• Real power in the hands of regional states but most maintain the fiction of respect to the Mughal ruler well into the 18th c. (Mughals remain in Delhi till 1858)

• Revenue farming and an emerging nexus between capital (from Merchants) and state changes revenue collection

• Fluid alliances with each other and European trading companies

• Economy does recover in most areas, however trade in the NW does not pickup until later in the 18th C., Delhi and Surat loose their prominence

• By contrast Calcutta, Bombay, Madras attract business