The Mughal Empire
The Mughal dynasty was founded in 1526 when Babur, a Central Asian prince descended from the Mongol warrior Genghis Khan and the fierce Central Asian warlord Tamerlane invaded the Indian subcontinent.
He laid the foundations of what would become one of the world’s great empires. The dynasty would become known as Mughal, the Persian word for Mongol.
Persian, the language of culture across Iran and Central Asia became the official language of the Mughal Empire. At its peak, the empire controlled a large portion of the Indian subcontinent, extending through Afghanistan , Pakistan , India and Bangladesh.
The Golden Age’ of the Mughal court lasted for about 100 years from about 1560 to 1660
The reigns of Emperors Akbar ( 1556 – 1605) Jahangir ( 1605 – 27) and Shah Jahan ( 1628 – 58),were known for their particular focus on the craftsmanship, arts and creative output
The Mughal imperial structure dates to 1600, to the rule of Babur’s grandson, Akbar and it lasted until 1720, shortly after the death of the last major emperor, Aurangzeb,during whose reign the empire also achieved its maximum geographical extent. Reduced subsequently to the region in and around Old Delhi by 1760, the empire was formally dissolved by the British Raj after the Indian Rebellion of 1857.
Although the Mughal Empire was created and sustained by military warfare, and the introduction of innovative battle techniques, it did not vigorously suppress the cultures and peoples it came to rule.
MILITARY TACTICS
The Mughal India was one of the three Islamic gunpowder empires, along with the Ottoman Empire and Safavid Persia,
In the early years of the empire, the Mughals relied heavily on traditional warfare tactics. These included the use of cavalry, archers, and infantry in a combined-arms approach. The Mughals were particularly known for their use of war elephants, which were used both as a form of transport and as a weapon in battle.
However, the Mughals were also quick to adopt new technologies and tactics. The introduction of gunpowder to the Indian subcontinent in the 16th century had a profound impact on warfare. The Mughals were among the first in the region to incorporate firearms and artillery into their armies. This gave them a significant advantage over their rivals, as it allowed them to break enemy lines and fortifications more easily.
The Mughals also learned from the military tactics of the Europeans, who began to establish colonies in India in the 17th century. They adopted European-style fortifications, which were designed to withstand artillery fire. These fortifications often included star-shaped walls, which allowed defenders to provide overlapping fields of fire.
In addition to these tactical changes, the Mughals also made strategic changes to their military. They established a standing army, which allowed them to respond quickly to threats. They also developed a sophisticated intelligence network, which helped them to anticipate enemy movements and plan their campaigns accordingly.
Overall, the evolution of the Mughal Empire’s military tactics was characterised by a willingness to adopt new technologies and learn from other cultures. This adaptability was a key factor in their ability to maintain control over their vast empire for several centuries.
GOLDEN AGE
The golden age of the great Mughal emperors coincided with the reigns of Elizabeth the 1st in England and Phillip the 2nd in Spain.
The relative peace maintained by the empire during much of the 17th century was a factor in India’s economic expansion.The burgeoning European presence in the Indian Ocean and an increasing demand for Indian raw and finished products generated much wealth for the Mughal court.
There was more conspicuous consumption among the Mughal elite, resulting in greater patronage of painting, literary forms, textiles, and architecture, especially during the reign of Shah Jahan.
Among the Mughal UNESCO World Heritage Sites in South Asia are: Agra Fort, the Red Fort, Humayun’s Tomb, Lahore Fort, and the Taj Mahal, which is described as “the jewel of Muslim art in India, and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world’s heritage”.
THE GREAT MUGHAL EMPERORS
BABUR
The Mughal Empire was founded by Babur , a Central Asian ruler who was ousted from his ancestral domains in Central Asia, Babur turned to India to satisfy his ambitions.He established himself in Kabul and then pushed steadily southward into India from Afghanistan through the Khyber Pass.
HUMAYUN
The instability of the empire became evident under his son, Humayun (reigned 1530–1556), who was forced into exile in Persia by the rebellious Sher Shah Suri (reigned 1540–1545).
Humayun’s exile in Persia established diplomatic ties between the Safavid and Mughal courts and led to increasing Persian cultural influence in the later restored Mughal Empire.Humayun’s triumphant return from Persia in 1555 restored Mughal rule in some parts of India
AKBAR
Akbar (reigned 1556–1605) was the son of Humayun and a Persian princess and is regarded as the great builder and creator of the Mughal Empire launching its golden age .
Through warfare, Akbar was able to extend the empire in all directions and controlled almost the entire Indian subcontinent He created a new ruling elite loyal to him, and implemented a modern administration.He increased trade with European trading companies, encouraged Mughal artisan traditions including the creation of artwork and textiles and India developed a strong and stable economy, leading to commercial expansion and economic development.
Akbar allowed freedom of religion at his court and attempted to resolve socio-political and cultural differences in his empire by establishing a new religion, with strong characteristics of a ruler cult. He left his son an internally stable state, which was in the midst of its golden age, but before long signs of political weakness would emerge.
JAHANGIR
Jahangir (born Salim,reigned 1605–1627) was the son Akbar and an Indian Rajput princess. Salim was addicted to opium, neglected the affairs of the state, and came under the influence of rival court cliques”.Jahangir distinguished himself from Akbar by making substantial efforts to gain the support of the Islamic religious establishment.
SHAH JAHAN
Shah Jahan (reigned 1628–1658) was the son of Jahangir and his wife Jagat Gosain, a Rajput princess. His reign ushered in the golden age of Mughal architecture.During the reign of Shah Jahan, the splendour of the Mughal court reached its peak, as exemplified by the Taj Mahal.
Insert Still Taj Mahal from G drive or our Flickr
The cost of maintaining the court, however, began to exceed the revenue coming in.His reign was called “The Golden Age of Mughal Architecture”. Shah Jahan extended the Mughal Empire to the Deccan by ending the Ahmadnagar Sultanate and forcing the Adil Shahis and Qutb Shahis to pay tribute.
AURANGZEB
With the support of the Islamic orthodoxy, however, a younger son of Shah Jahan, Aurangzeb( r. 1658–1707), seized the throne. Aurangzeb defeated his brother Dara in 1659 and had him executed.
Although Shah Jahan fully recovered from his illness, Aurangzeb kept Shah Jahan imprisoned until he died in 1666. Aurangzeb brought the empire to its greatest territorial extent, and oversaw an increase in the Islamicization of the Mughal state. He encouraged conversion to Islam, reinstated the jizya on non-Muslims, and compiled the Fatawa ‘Alamgiri, a collection of Islamic law.
Aurangzeb also ordered the execution of the Sikh guru Tegh Bahadur, leading to the militarization of the Sikh community.From the imperial perspective, conversion to Islam integrated local elites into the king’s vision of a network of shared identity that would join disparate groups throughout the empire in obedience to the Mughal emperor.He led campaigns from 1682 in the Deccan, annexing its remaining Muslim powers of Bijapur and Golconda, though engaged in a prolonged conflict in the region which had a ruinous effect on the empire.
Aurangzeb is considered the most controversial Mughal emperor,with some historians arguing his religious conservatism and intolerance undermined the stability of Mughal society.
DECLINE (1707–1857)
Aurangzeb’s son, Bahadur Shah I, repealed the religious policies of his father and attempted to reform the administration. “However, after he died in 1712, the Mughal dynasty began to sink into chaos and violent feuds. In 1719 alone, four emperors successively ascended the throne”, as figureheads under the rule of a brotherhood of nobles belonging to the Indian Muslimcaste known as the Sadaat-e-Bara, whose leaders became the de facto sovereigns of the empire.[
During the reign of Muhammad Shah(reigned 1719–1748), the empire began to break up.
The Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II (1759–1806) made futile attempts to reverse the Mughal decline and Delhi was sacked by the Afghans. The British East India Company would soon became the protectors of the Mughal dynasty in Delhi.
The Company took control of the former Mughal province of Bengal-Bihar in 1793 after it abolished local rule (Nizamat) that lasted until 1858, marking the beginning of the British colonial era over the Indian subcontinent. By 1857 a considerable part of former Mughal India was under the East India Company’s control. After a crushing defeat in the Indian Rebellion of 1857 which he nominally led, the last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar, was deposed by the British East India Company and exiled in 1858 to Rangoon, Burma.
Historians have offered numerous accounts of the several factors involved in the rapid collapse of the Mughal Empire between 1707 and 1720, after a century of growth and prosperity. A succession of short-lived incompetent and weak rulers, and civil wars over the succession, created political instability at the centre. The Mughals appeared virtually unassailable during the 17th century, but, once gone, their imperial overstretch became clear, and the situation could not be recovered. The seemingly innocuous European trading companies, such as the British East Indies Company, played no real part in the initial decline; they were still racing to get permission from the Mughal rulers to establish trades and factories in India.
LEGACY of the MUGHALS
The amalgamation of Persian art and literature with Indian art.The Mughal’s left behind a superb collection of miniature paintings
Mughlai cuisine,was an amalgamation of South Asian, Iranian and Central Asian culinary styles.
The development of Mughal clothing, jewellery and fashion, utilizing richly decorated fabrics such as muslin, silk, brocade and velvet.
The influence of the Persian language over Old Hindi led to the development of the Hindustani language
The introduction of sophisticated Iranian-style waterworks and horticulture through Mughal gardening.
The introduction of Turkish baths into the Indian subcontinent.
The evolution and refinement of Mughal and Indian architecture, and, in turn, the development of later Rajput and Sikh palatial architecture. A famous Mughal landmark is the Taj Mahal.
The development of the Pehlwani style of wrestling — a combination of Indian and Persian styles
The construction of Maktab schools, where youth were taught the Quran and Islamic laws.
The development of Hindustani classical music,and instruments such as the sitar.
CUSTOMS of the MUGHALS
The procession of marriage among the royals of the Mughal Empire was recorded with many reports of extravagant gifts. One occasion was during the marriage of a son of emperor Akbar, Salim, with the daughter of a ruler of Bijapur, Raja Bhagwant Das, where the gift presented by Bhagwant Das consisted of many horses, 100 elephants, many male and female slaves of Abyssinian, Caucasian, and native Indian origins.
ARCHITECTURE of the MUGHALS
The Mughals made a major contribution to the Indian subcontinent with the development of their distinctive architectural style. This style was derived from earlier Indo-Islamic architecture as well as from Iranian and Central Asian architecture (particularly Timurid architecture), while incorporating further influences from Hindu architecture.[159][160] Mughal architecture is distinguished, among other things, by bulbous domes, ogive arches, carefully-composed and polished façades, and the use of hard red sandstone and marble as construction materials .
Many monuments were built during the Mughal era by the Muslim emperors, especially Shah Jahan, including the Taj Mahal—a UNESCO World Heritage Siteconsidered “the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world’s heritageattracting 7–8 million visitors a year.
The palaces, tombs, gardens and forts built by the dynasty stand today in Agra, Aurangabad, Delhi, Dhaka, Fatehpur Sikri, Jaipur, Lahore, Kabul, Sheikhupura, and many other cities of India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh.
With thanks to Wikipedia, the Victoria and Albert Museum, London
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