List Of Mughal Emperors

MUGHAL/TIMURID DYNASTY

The Mughal Dynasty was founded when Babur , a Mongol and Timurid warlord hailing from present-day Uzbekistan , invaded India and defeated Ibrahim Shah Lodhi , ruler of Delhi, at the First Battle Of Panipat in 1526. The Mughal Empire superceded the Delhi Sultanate as rulers of northern India. In time, the state thus founded by Babur far exceeded the bounds of the Delhi Sultanate, eventually encompassing a major portion of India and earning the appellation of Empire. A brief interregnum (1540-1555) during the reign of Babur's son, Humayun , saw the rise of the Afghan Suri Dynasty under Sher Shah Suri , a competent and efficient ruler in his own right. However, Sher Shah's untimely death and the military incompetence of his successors enabled Humayun to regain his throne in in 1555. However, Humayun died a few months later, and was succeeded by his son, the 13-year-old Akbar .

The greatest portions of Mughal expansion was accomplished during the reign of Akbar (1556-1605). The empire was maintained as the dominant force of the present-day Indian Subcontinent for a hundred years further by his successors Jahangir , Shah Jahan , and Aurangzeb . The first six emperors, who enjoyed power both ‘’de jure’’ and ‘’de facto’’, are usually referred to by just one name, a title adopted upon his accession by each Emperor. The relevant Title is bolded in the list below.

Akbar initiated certain important policies, such as religious liberalism (abolition of the Jizya tax), inclusion of Hindu s in the affairs of the empire, and political alliance/marriage with the Hindu Rajput caste, that were innovative for his milieu; he also adopted some policies of Sher Shah Suri, such as the division of the empire into Sarkars , in his administration of the empire. These policies, which undoubtedly served to maintain the power and stability of the empire, were preserved by his two immediate successors but were discarded by Aurangzeb, who pursued a policy where religious tolerance had little space. Furthermore, Aurangzeb spent nearly his entire career seeking to expand his realm into the Deccan and South India ; this venture sapped the resources of the empire while provoking strong resistance from the Maratha s, Sikhs , and Rajputs.

After (and as a result of) Aurangzeb's oppressive reign, the empire fell into decline. Beginning with Bahadur Shah I, the Mughal Emperors progressively declined in power and became figureheads, being initially controlled by sundry courtiers and later by various rising warlords. In the 18th century, the Empire suffered the depradations of invaders like Nadir Shah of Persia and Ahmed Shah Abdali of Afghanistan, who repeatedly sacked Delhi , the Mughal capital. The greater portion of the empire's territories in India passed to the Marathas before falling to the British. In 1803, the blind and powerless Shah Alam II formally accepted the protection of the British East India Company . There was a strange dichotomy, for the HEIC continued to rule the areas under its control as the nominal servants of the emperor, and in his name. After some rebels in the Sepoy Rebellion declared their allegiance to Shah Alam's descendant, Bahadur Shah II , the British decided to institute direct rule. They deposed the last Mughal Emperor in 1857 and exiled him to Burma, where he died in 1862. Thus came to an end the Mughal dynasty, which had contributed a momentous chapter to the history of India.

LIST OF MUGHAL EMPERORS

Certain important particulars regarding the Mughal Emperors is tabulated below:

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List Of Mughal Emperors

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