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The Mughal
Empire, (Mughal
alternative spelling
Mogul) was an empire
that at its greatest
territorial extent
ruled parts of Afghanistan
and most of the
South Asia between
1526 and 1857. The
empire was founded
by the Turkish-Mongol
leader Babar
in 1526, when he
defeated Sultan
Ibrahim Lodhi, the
last of the Delhi
Sultans at the First
Battle of Panipat.
The word "Mughal"
is the Persian version
of "Mongol".
Reign of Aurangzeb and decline of empire
Abu Muzaffar Muhiuddin Muhammad Aurangzeb
Alamgir (November
3, 1618 – March
3, 1707) also known
as Alamgir I, was
the ruler of the
Mughal Empire from
1658 until 1707.
Unlike his predecessors, Aurangzeb led
a remarkably austere
and pious life.
Strict adherence
to Islam and Sharia
(Islamic law) —
as he interpreted
them — were the
foundations of his
reign. He backed
up his faith with
action, abandoning
the religious tolerance
of his predecessors.
Aurangzeb used vast military might to
expand and consolidate
the Mughal empire,
at high cost. His
rule inspired revolt
which he constrained
during his life,
but which exploded
and completely changed
South Asia after
his death.
Extent of Empire
in the late 1600s:
the Mughals ruled
all but the southern
tip of the South
Asia.The last of
the great Mughals
was Emperor Aurangzeb
(1658–1707), who
seized the throne
by killing all of
his brothers and
imprisoning his
own father Shah
Jahan. During his
fifty-year reign,
the empire reached
its greatest physical
size but also showed
the unmistakable
signs of decline.
The bureaucracy
had grown bloated
and excessively
corrupt, and the
huge and unwieldy
army demonstrated
outdated weaponry
and tactics. Aurangzeb
was not the ruler
to restore the dynasty's
declining fortunes
or glory. Awe-inspiring
but lacking in the
charisma needed
to attract outstanding
lieutenants, he
was driven to extend
Mughal rule over
most of South Asia
and to reestablish
Islamic orthodoxy
by adopting a reactionary
attitude toward
those Muslims whom
he suspected of
compromising their
faith.
Aurangzeb was involved in a series of
protracted wars:
against the Pakhtuns
in Afghanistan,
the Sultans of Bijapur
and Golkonda in
the Deccan, the
Marathas in Maharashtra
and the Ahoms in
Assam. Peasant uprisings
and revolts by local
leaders became all
too common, as did
the conniving of
the nobles to preserve
their own status
at the expense of
a steadily weakening
empire. The increasing
association of his
government with
Islam further drove
a wedge between
the ruler and his
non-Muslim subjects.
Aurangzeb forbade
the building of
new temples and
reimposed the jizya.
A fundamentalist
and a censor of
morals, he banned
music at court,
abolished ceremonies,
and persecuted the
Sikhs in Punjab.
Contenders for the
Mughal throne were
many, and the reigns
of Aurangzeb's successors
were short-lived
and filled with
strife. The Mughal
Empire experienced
dramatic reverses
as regional nawabs
or governors broke
away and founded
independent kingdoms.
The Mughals had
to make peace with
Maratha armies,
and Persian and
Afghan armies invaded
Delhi, carrying
away many treasures,
including the Peacock
Throne in 1739.
Page Last Updated:
Friday, March 28, 2008 17:22:23 -0400
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