The decline of the Mughal Empire and its rivals

Last time

Before we start: last time, in Shah Waliullah, Syed Ahmad Barelvi, Haji Shariatullah and Titu Mir, you learned these points. Here they are again on one card. Keep them in mind, because today builds on them.

An empire falls apart

At its height the Mughal Empire ruled almost the whole subcontinent. Within fifty years of Aurangzeb's death in 1707, it controlled little beyond Delhi. This lesson covers why it declined, and the powers that rose in its place.

Aurangzeb's legacy

Aurangzeb ruled from 1658 to 1707. His long wars in the Deccan against the Marathas drained the treasury and the army. His strict religious policies, such as reimposing the jizya tax on non-Muslims, turned some Hindu groups against the empire. And the empire had become too big to control from Delhi.

Weak successors

Aurangzeb's successors fought wars of succession, as there was no fixed rule for who should become emperor. Many were weak, short-lived, and controlled by powerful nobles. Provincial governors, such as in Bengal, Awadh and Hyderabad, became almost independent.

Other causes of decline

The economy suffered: high taxes, and peasants burdened to pay for wars. The army lost discipline and fell behind in weapons and training. And outside powers, from Persia, Afghanistan and Europe, took advantage of the weakness.

Nadir Shah

In 1739, Nadir Shah of Persia invaded, defeated the Mughal army, and sacked Delhi. He carried away enormous wealth, including the Peacock Throne. The raid showed the world how weak the Mughals had become.

The Marathas

The Marathas, a Hindu power from western India, had fought Aurangzeb for years. After his death they expanded north. They used fast cavalry and raids, and demanded tribute from large areas. By the 1750s they threatened Delhi itself.

Ahmad Shah Abdali

Ahmad Shah Abdali, also called Durrani, ruler of Afghanistan, invaded the subcontinent several times. In 1761, at the Third Battle of Panipat, he crushed the Maratha army. But he did not stay to rule, so neither the Afghans nor the Marathas filled the gap. This helped the British.

The Sikhs

The Sikhs grew powerful in the Punjab during the 1700s. Ranjit Singh united them, took Lahore in 1799, and built a strong kingdom with a modern army. After his death in 1839 the kingdom weakened, and the British annexed the Punjab in 1849.

A timeline of decline

Here are the key dates in order. Each step weakened the Mughals further, and opened the way for the British.

Why successors faced challenges

Reason one: wars of succession weakened the dynasty and wasted money. Reason two: the empire was too large, and governors broke away. Reason three: invasions by Nadir Shah and Abdali. Reason four: the rising Marathas, Sikhs and British. Explain how each made ruling harder.

Mistakes that lose marks

Mistake one: blaming only Aurangzeb, without his successors and the invaders. Mistake two: confusing Nadir Shah with Ahmad Shah Abdali. Mistake three: describing events without explaining why they weakened the empire. The fix: name the factor, explain the weakness it caused.

The full-marks tip

The full-marks tip: for decline questions, link each factor to how it weakened Mughal control. Use the key dates: 1707, 1739, 1761 and 1799.

On one card

So, on one card: Mughal decline. Keep it for revision.