Many reasons led to the decline of the Mughal Empire
Aurangzeb introduced strict religious policies and intolerant reforms which were controversial to non-
Muslims. He tried to control people's moral behavior by banning drinks, dancing, music, and some other
non-Muslim practices. He tried to fix the length of the beard Muslim men were required to keep. Also,
he introduced the jizya, a tax levied on non-Muslims that Akbar had earlier abolished. Some people
claimed that he was trying to make Hindus forcefully accept Islam while others thought it was to support
long-drawn wars. However this alone cannot be blamed as a sole factor for the collapse of the Mughal
empire, there were other reasons too.
Another reason was the absence of law of succession due to which the princes often fought for the
throne on the death of the emperor. These wars of succession led to a division of the army with various
lobbies supporting various princes. Succession was usually decided by the ability of individual princes
and the support and strength they could get from the courtiers and the army. This infighting incurred a
huge lost of the state exchequer that should have been spent on the public warfare schemes and
consolidating the empire. Thus, infighting among potential successors led to the instability of the Empire.
Yet another problem for the Mughals was the Marathas. they formed a Hindu empire in Southern India
and were a constant source of difficulty for the Mughals. Aurangzeb spent over 25 years trying to defeat
the Maratha forces and after his death, they continued to take land from the Mughals. In 1737 they
defeated the Mughal army and plundered Delhi. By the middle of the 18th century, the Marathas had
replaced the Mughals as the most powerful force in India. They were a constant challenge for the
Mughal empire...preventing them from taking over the Mughals also emptied the Mughal treasury.
Probably the serious challenge was the British expansion in the subcontinent that was rapid. they were
experienced in warfare and had many weapons and other resources so it was difficult for the Mughals to
defeat them. They came for trade but realizing the weak rule of the Mughals they settled there gradually
set up their presidencies and started taking control of areas in the subcontinent. Also, the British were
superior in finance and military might.
Conclusively, I opine that the principal cause of the Mughal Empire's decline was the advent of the
British. This can be attributed to the British possessing contemporary weaponry, well-organized and
adept troops, and their financial superiority over the Mughals.
