TOPIC 1:

REASONS FOR THE DECLINE OF THE MUGHAL EMPIRE 1707-1857:

The Mughal Empire reached its greatest extent in the time of Aurangzeb Alamgir, but it collapsed within a few
decades after his death. The Mughal Empire owes its decline and ultimate downfall to a combination of
factors;

Firstly Aurangzeb’s policies are regarded as a cause for the decline of the Mughal Empire as it led to disunity
among the INDIAN people. Aurangzeb was largely responsible for the downfall of the empire. His predecessors
did a lot to win over the loyalties of their subjects, particularly the Rajput and the other Hindus. But Aurangzeb
was a fanatic and could not tolerate the non-Muslims.

• He imposed Jazia and forbade the

celebration of Hindu festivals. He thus lost
the friendship and loyalty of the Rajput
• His execution of the Sikh guru and his
hatred with the Marathas forced them to
raise arms against him.
• Being a fanatic Sunni Muslim, he could
not tolerate even the Shias. They too
turned against him.
• He laid too much stress on simplicity and
was against singing, dancing and drinking
which were common habits of the Muslim
nobles. They did not like a king who was
so much against their ways.
• His excessive obsession with the Deccan
also destroyed the Mughal army, the
treasury and also adversely affected his
health. So after Aurangzeb’s death the
mighty empire disintegrated into smaller
states.

The absence of any definite law of succession was another important factor. The war of successions not only
led to bitterness, bloodshed, and loss of money and prestige of the empire over a period of time, but to its

HISTORY HANDOUTS -BY DR.USMAN HAMEED TOPIC 1 DECLINE OF MUGHAL EMPIRE Page 1
eventual fall. After the death of a ruler, the princess fought for the throne. This eroded the strength and led to
the instability of the Mughal Empire.

• Jahangir, as prince Salim, revolted against his father Akbar

• Shah Jahan revolted against Jahangir
• Aurangzeb revolted against Shah Jahan
• Aurangzeb also fought against his brothers Dara Shiko and Shuja
• Infighting continued even after Aurangzeb like Moazzam who succeeded the throne under the name
of Bahadur Shah after Aurangzeb, defeated his brothers Azam and Kam Baksh and killed them.
• Bahadur Shah ruled for 5 years and died in 1712. His sons also fought for the throne. The infighting for
the throne greatly weakened the Mughal Empire.

Another reason was unworthy and incompetent successors of Aurangzeb. The character of Mughal kings had
deteriorated over a period of time.

• The successive rulers after Aurangzeb were weak and lacked the character, motivation and
commitment to rule the empire strongly
• They had become ease loving and cowardly. They totally disregarded their state duties and were unable
to detain the declining empire from its fall
• These later Mughal rulers were proven neither good generals nor good statesmen who could control
or administer the large empire which covered nearly the whole of the subcontinent during Aurangzeb’s
rule
• The later rulers were renowned for living an extravagant lifestyle with little thought to the effect it
had on the economy of the empire
• They also lacked courage, determination and training
• Money was spent lavishly on fine buildings, jewellery, fine clothes and food. No infrastructure was
created for the improvement of administration, industry or agriculture.
• Between the death of Bahadur Shah in 1712 and the accession of Mohammad Shah in 1719 there were
five emperor and they were quite unable to exert any authority.
• One of them, JAHANDAR SHAH, has been described by historians as a frivolous and drunken fool.
Another, SHAH JAHAN II perhaps fortunately died after only 3 months due to physical and mental
disability. Wealthy Mughal families seemed more interested in enjoying themselves.

Local revolts also made the Mughals weak. Marathas were the major opponents of Mughals. They were from
central and south India. Aurangzeb fought with them but could not control them. Until 1750, they had become
a major threat for the Mughals. However, Marathas were defeated in 1761 in the battle of Panipat and powerless
Mughals got some more time to rule India, In Punjab, Sikhs were also a major threat for the Mughals.

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 An empire that is divided within itself is open to invasion and conquest by others. This was certainly the case
for the Mughal Empire as it decayed. The first armed invasions came from the PERSIANS and the AFGHANS. For
most of the Mughal period the land that is now Afghanistan was shared between Persia and the Mughals. The
Persians launched an invasion in 1738-39 under NADIR SHAH. They took advantage of the weak state of the
Mughal army and sought to capture some of the empire’s wealth. It was no more than a successful looting
expedition. Delhi was captured and gold, jewels and anything else of value was plundered, including the famous
Peacock Throne. The Persians then returned home with their loot. Between 1747 and 1769, the afghan leader,
AHMED SHAH, led TEN invasions into northern India. All these invasions and revolts made the Mughals virtually
bankrupt and they lost their power completely. Mughal Kingdom was reduced to an area 300 miles long and 100
miles wide near Delhi within 100 years after the death of Aurangzeb.

The rise of British power was the main reason of the decline of the Mughals. The British took full advantage of
the weakness of the Mughals and gradually increased their power. The British expanded the territory under their
control with the help of their superior administration and organization. A series of battles and annexations,
through steps like ‘Subsidiary Alliance’ and ‘Doctrine of Lapse’ and effective administration the British gradually
assumed control over a vast territory in the subcontinent. They also had clear military advantage because of
Industrial development in England (1750-1850). The British had better weapons, superior war techniques and
a well-trained and disciplined army. The British also possessed a strong naval force .The result was that by 1803
the British took over Delhi and placed Shah Alam under British protection with a pension.

MINOR REASONS:

The degeneration of the rulers had also led to the moral degeneration of the nobility. Under the early Mughals, the nobles
performed useful functions and distinguished themselves both in war and peace. But the elite under the later Mughals was
more interested in worldly pursuit and self-enhancement. The nobles who had once been talented men with integrity,
honesty, and loyalty, turned selfish and deceitful. Growth of hostile and rival group in the court also undermined the strength
of the government. Widespread corruption in the administration started and taking bribes became common.

One of the most potent causes of the fall of the Mughal Empire was the deterioration and demoralization of the army. The
military had not only become inefficient but also lacked in training, discipline and cohesion. The army was out-dated in regard
to equipment. It consisted of groups maintained by various nobles, which was the main source of Army's weakness. As the
weakening of the nobles occurred, so did the army. This was because of the soldiers, instead of identifying and uniting as
Mughal Indians, identified themselves with different ethnic groups like Persian, Afghans and Central Asians. The Mughals
had no navy and only maintained small ships that were no match for the well-equipped ships of the foreign traders. It was
this weakness that the French and the British used to their advantage, and were eventually able to establish their control
over India

Another factor contributing to the decline was the financial position of the Mughals, which had become deplorable. The
war of successions, rebellions and luxurious style of living had depleted the once enormous treasury and had led to financial
bankruptcy. During the time of Aurangzeb, the Mughal Empire had expanded to reach its maximum size. This vast area had
become impossible for one ruler to control and govern from one centre. It was during the later Mughals that Deccan, Bengal,
Bihar and Orissa declared their independence.

SUMMARY:

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 • Aurangzeb’s policies
• Absence of any definite line of succession and Infighting
• Unworthy and incompetent successors
• Raids by Nadir Shah (1739) and Ahmad Shah Abdali (1761)
• Raise of Marathas in Deccan and the Sikhs in Punjab
• Rise of British and the French
• Moral degeneration of the nobility
• Deterioration and demoralization of the army /Lack of naval power
• Financial position of the Mughals
• Vastness of the Empire
• Failure of Mansabdari system

MOST EXPECTED SHORT QUESTIONS:

MANSABDARI SYSTEM:

“Mansab” is an Arabic word which means a post, an officer a rank, or status. Therefore, Mansabdar means an officer or the hold er of the
rank, status, and post. Akbar introduced a new system for regulating imperial services which was called Mansabdari system. It was
introduced in 1570 A. D. All the imperial officers of the state were styled as Mansabdars. They were classified from the rank of (10) to ten
thousands (10,000) constituted. The (10) was the lowest rank and the ten thousand (10,000) was the highest. The Mansabdars belonged to
both Civil and Military department.

AURANGZEB'S DECCAN POLICY:

Aurangzeb spent the last 25 years of his life (1682-1707) in the Deccan. During all this long period, he had practically no rest. The object of
his Deccan wars was to conquer the states of Bijapur & Golconda & crush the power of Marathas. But the Marathas did not submit
themselves and continued their struggle till the end. Thus his 25 years of campaign in Deccan resulted in nothing. The wars in the Deccan
drained his resources & loosened his grip in the north. This led to his tragic end in 1707 at Ahamadnagar and slowly led to downfall of Mughal
Empire.

SUBSIDIARY ALLIANCE:

The doctrine of subsidiary alliance was introduced by Lord Wellesley, (1798-1805).According to this the Indian rulers were not allowed to
have their own armed forces. They were protected by the company’s forces but had to pay for them. If any ruler failed to make the payment,
a part of his territory would be taken away.

PARAMOUNTCY:

Under Warren Hasting (1774-85), a new policy of paramount was initiated. The company claimed its authority was paramount or supreme
as its power was greater than the Indian rulers. So they decided that they could annex or threaten to annex any state of India. It was applied
by Lord Dalhousie in 1852.when a ruler didn’t govern his state the British would annex his land. (Oudh, Nagpur)

MARATHAS:

The most serious challenge to Mughal authority came from the Marathas.at the time of his death, Aurangzeb had failed to crush the
Marathas who lived in the Deccan and were a constant thorn in his side. The Marathas were known for their skills as guerrilla fighters and
their devotion to Hinduism. During the e17th century, under their daring and ruthless leader SHIVAJI, Maratha influence spread. In the 18th
century there were ideally placed to fill the vacuum left by the Mughal decline. Maratha power expanded across central India. In 1737 they
defeated a Mughal army outside Delhi and in the following year overran the strategically important of Malwa. This established a gap through
which they could stream eastwards as far as Bengal. By the middle of the century they were the most powerful people in India. In 1760 they
even occupied Delhi.

HOW WERE THE MARATHAS DEFEATED?

Although Marathas were expanding and conquering the rest of the areas of India but the problems were aroused .As a group
the Marathas controlled more territory, had greater wealth and more soldiers than any other ruler. But as with the Mughals
who they had replaced they found it hard to keep control over their expanding territory. Gradually Maratha families began

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to shown loyalty to local rulers rather than to the main PESHWA in the Maratha capital of Puna. Then at the height of their
importance came a decisive defeat at the battle of Panipat in Jan. 1761 at the hands of an invading army from Afghanistan.

A huge number of soldiers for those times fought and inflicted terrible casualties on each other .The Afghan army was made
up of 41800 cavalry supported by 38000 infantry and some other fighters. The Marathas were equipped with 55000 cavalry
with 15000 infantry and thousands of irregular. Ahmed shah Abdali the afghan leader also known as Ahmed shah Durrani
was a military genius. It was his tactical skills that achieved victory. For the Marathas it was dreadful day: Their army was
totally destroyed and thousands of them were killed. Among the dead were many important Marathas leaders including the
PESHWA’S heir and the PESHWA himself died soon afterwards as a result, so it was said, of the shock of defeat. The battle of
Panipat ended the ambitious of the Marathas.

ZAMINDARS:

A zamindar in the Indian subcontinent was a lord. The term means "land owner". Typically hereditary, zamindars held enormous territories
of land and control over their peasants, from whom they reserved the right to collect tax on behalf of imperial courts or for military purposes.
In the 19th and 20th centuries, with the advent of British imperialism, many wealthy and influential zamindars were granted with princely
and royal titles such as Maharaja (Great King), Raja (King) and Nawab.

During the Mughal Empire, zamindars belonged to the nobility and formed the ruling class. Emperor Akbar granted them Mansabs and their
ancestral domains were treated as jagirs. Under British colonial rule in India, the permanent settlement consolidated what became known
as the zamindari system. The British rewarded supportive zamindars by recognizing them as princes.

Nadir Shah:

Emperor Nader Shah, the Shah of Persia (1736–47) and the

founder of the Afsharid dynasty of Persia, invaded the Mughal
Empire, eventually attacking Delhi in March 1739. His army had
easily defeated the Mughals at the battle at Karnal and would
eventually capture the Mughal capital in the aftermath of the
battle. Nadir Shah's victory against the weak and crumbling
Mughal Empire meant that he could afford to turn back and
resume war against Persians and the neighbouring Ottoman
Empire and Central Asia.

Ahmad Shah Durrani:

ASD (1722-1772) also known as Ahmad shah AbdalI was the

founder of the Durrani Empire and is regarded as the founder of
the modern state of Afghanistan. He began his career by
enlisting as a young soldier in the military of the Afsharid
kingdom and quickly rose to become a commander of the Abdali
Regiment, a cavalry of four thousand Abdali Pashtun soldiers.
After the death of Nader Shah in 1747, Ahmad Shah Durrani was
chosen as King of Afghanistan. Rallying his Afghan tribes and
allies, he defeated Mughal and the Maratha empires of India and
Afsharid Empire of Persia. Within a few years, he extended his
control from Khorasan to Kashmir and to the Arabian Sea.
Durrani's mausoleum is located at Kandahar, Afghanistan.

Koh-I-Noor:

The Koh-I-Noor is one of the largest cut diamonds in the world is a part of the Jewels. The diamond was originally owned by the Kakatiya
dynasty. Mined in Golconda, India, there is no record of its original weight, but the earliest well-attested weight is 186 carats. Koh-I-Noor is
Persian for "Mountain of Light"; it has been known by this name since the 18th century. It changed hands between various factions in
modern-day India, Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan, until being ceded to Queen Victoria after the British conquest of the Punjab in1849.Queen

HISTORY HANDOUTS -BY DR.USMAN HAMEED TOPIC 1 DECLINE OF MUGHAL EMPIRE Page 5
Victoria added it to Britain’s Royal crown jewels and it has appeared in various royal crown. Nowadays it is displayed to t he public at the
Tower of London.

WHY DID THE JIZYA TAX PROVOKE AN ANGRY REACTION FROM HINDUS?

This tax was deeply disliked differential tax levied on non-Muslims .Originally JIZYA had been levied on non-Muslims , from the earliest
Islamic period, instead of their being required to join the Muslim army, and as such could be termed a tax for protection of defence . It had
been ended by the emperor Akbar more than a hundred year earlier. In 1679 Aurangzeb reintroduced this controversial tax. Protests and
disturbances followed the announcement but the emperor was determined; some opponents claimed he was trying to force Hindus to
convert to Islam, while others saw it as a means to support the long-drawn wars. It should also be kept in mind that Aurangzeb had earlier
abolished a large number of other tolls and taxes that were applicable to whole population.

AURANGABAD:

The Indian city of AURANGABAD in the Deccan takes its name from Aurangzeb. He used it for many years as his base from which to direct
his armies.

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 PAST PAPERS QUESTIONS 2000-2022:
Question No.1: Was the infighting between Aurangzeb’s successors the most important reason for the collapse of the
Mughal Empire? Explain your answer. (14) November 2001. (Q.1.c)

Question No.2: Briefly explain three reasons for the decline of the Mughal Empire. (7) June.2002. (Q.1.b)

Questions No.3: “Aurangzeb’s successors failed to live up to his courageous and determined personality”. Was this the
most important reasons for the decline of the Mughal Empire? Give reasons for your answer.

(14) November 2003 (Q.1.c)

Questions No.4: Why were the British able to replace the Mughals as the dominant force in the Sub Continent by 1850?

(7) November 2004. (Q. 1.b)

Question No.5: Were the weak and greedy characteristics of Aurangzeb’s successors the most important reasons for the
collapse of the Mughal Empire? Explain your answer. (14) November 2005. (Q.1.c)

Questions No.6: Explain why the Mughal Empire declined following the reign of Aurangzeb.

(7) June 2006. (Q.1.b)

Question No.7: “The coming of the British was the main reason for the decline of the Mughal Empire”, do you agree or
disagree? Give reasons for your answer. (14) June 2007(Q.1.c)

Question No.8: Explain why the successors of Aurangzeb failed to prevent the decline of the Mughal Empire.

(7) November 2008 (Q.1.b)

Question No.9: ‘The policies of Aurangzeb were the main reason for the decline of the Mughal Empire’. Do you agree or
disagree? Give reasons for your answer. (14) November 2009(Q.1.c)

Question No.10: The spread of Maratha power was the main reason for the decline of the Mughal Empire. Do you agree or
disagree? Give reasons for your answer. (14) June 2011 (Q.1.c)

Question No.11: Explain why the Mughal Empire declined following the reign of Aurangzeb.

(7) June 2012 (Q. 1.b)

Question No.12: Read the source below carefully to answer question (a).

The Mughal Empire took 150 years from the death of Aurangzeb in 1707 to break up. His empire was facing difficulties at
the time of his death and following this, the tensions and problems only became worse. The most serious challenge to
Mughal authority came from the Marathas.

(a) Describe what the Marathas did. (4) June 2013 (Q.1.a)

Question No.13: How did the successors of Aurangzeb contribute to the downfall of the Mughal Empire?

(7)November 2013 (Q.1.b)

Question No.14: Were the invasions by the Persians and Afghans the main reason for the decline of the Mughal Empire?
Explain your answer. (14)November 2015(Q.2.c)

Question No. 15: who were zamindars? (4) June 2017 (Q.2.a)

HISTORY HANDOUTS -BY DR.USMAN HAMEED TOPIC 1 DECLINE OF MUGHAL EMPIRE Page 7
Question No.16: Was the infighting between Aurangzeb’s successors the most important reason for the break-up of the
Mughal Empire? Explain your answer. (14) June 2017. (Q.2.c)

Question No.17: who was Ahmed Shah Abdali? (4) June 2019 (Q. 2 a)

Question No.18: Were the policies of Aurangzeb the main reason for the decline of the Mughal Empire? Explain your answer.
(14) May June 2020 (Q. 2 c)

Question No. 19: Describe the Jizya tax. (4)OCT 2020 (Q. 2 A)

Question No.20: This question is about the Mughal Empire. (3)(5)(7)(10) OCT 2021(Q. 1 A/B/C/D)

SOURCE A

During Aurangzeb’s reign he developed good relationships with foreign traders and made generous donations to
several Hindu temples. He introduced restrictions on personal behavior, for example he banned outdoor singing and
dancing and made a declaration on the length of beards. Aurangzeb also increased taxes to pay for expensive wars
and used large amounts of money to pay for luxurious buildings. According to some historians a number of these
policies contributed to the increasing instability of the Mughal Empire by the time of Aurangzeb’s death.

An article on Aurangzeb adapted from History Today, 1984

1 Study the sources (Insert) carefully and then answer the questions which follow.

(a) According to Source A, which policies do some historians claim contributed to the increasing instability of the Mughal
Empire by the time of Aurangzeb’s death? [3]
(b) What can we learn from Source B about Mughal rule in India? [5]

A painting of the Mughal Emperor and his court returning from the Great Mosque at Delhi by Edwin Weeks, c.1918

Surface feature
• there are soldiers and elephants in the painting
• there are some people being carried by the elephants
• there are soldiers on horseback the soldiers are wearing armour
• the soldiers have weapons

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 • some people are bowing
• some people are begging
• the procession is passing a large building/mosque

Valid inference
• the Mughals had a strong army
• the Emperor is being protected
• the Mughals openly displayed their power/control/status
• many people were in awe of the Emperor/loyal to him

Contextual knowledge
• Mughal rule was closely linked with Islam
• the Mughal army was large and loyal to the Emperor
• there were attempts to attack the Mughal Empire from people from within and outside it

(c) Explain why the Hindu community objected to the Jizya tax. [7]

(d) ‘The Marathan rebellions were the main reason for the decline of the Mughal Empire after the death of
Aurangzeb.’How far do you agree with this statement? Explain your answer. [10]

MODEL ANSWER

Maratha were the militant Hindu community concentrated mainly in the

southern Indian state of Maharashtra. The Maratha Empire was founded by the
ferocious Marathan commander Shivaji in the 1670s. They gradually organized
themselves and began to offer stiff resistance to the Mughals. They defeated the
Mughal Army in 1737 outside Delhi and had captured the strategic town of Malwa
in 1738. During the first six decades of the 18th century, they were the most
powerful and established community in India that was ready to fill in the power
vacuum created by the declining Mughal rule. Successive Mughal rulers found it
almost impossible to check the rapidly growing Marathan power. Aurangzeb
rulers about 25 years in the Deccan desperately trying to eliminate the Marathas.
On his return, he found the state treasury almost empty and this added to his
difficulties.

However, the mighty Mughal rule did not decline due to the Maratha factor alone
Historians also blame the prejudiced and intolerant policies of Aurangzeb, who
adopted strict measures against the non-Muslims, He imposed the
discriminatory, Islamic tax Jiziya on the non-Muslims that had earlier been
abolished by Akbar, though he tried to defend himself by waiving some other
taxes. He also demolished a number of Hindu temples, and adopted a harsh
attitude towards the Sikhs. Being a staunch Sunni ruler, he banned many activities
such as painting, music, drinking, gambling and dance that had been part of the
Indian culture and society. He also tried to ban the Hindu custom of Suttee,
burning widow alive on the cremation of her husband. In order to meet huge
expenses of military campaigns, he imposed heavy taxes, and the money

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 collected by taxes was spent on luxurious buildings, a tradition of the Mughal
rulers. All this made Aurangzeb very unpopular, and his successors found it quite
difficult to rule the empire.

Weak successors of Aurangzeb fell victim to extravagant and luxurious lifestyles

and paid little attention to the defence and consolidation of the empire. They
became morally corrupt and comfort-loving, and could not overcome the
difficulties faced by various parts of the huge empire .This complacence is the
usual result of continued successes of major empires, and the Mughals were no
exception to this. Negligence of the weak later Mughals to the state affairs also
contributed to the fall of the Mughal Empire.

The Mughals did not have a definite law of succession. On the death of an
emperor, the princes got engaged in conspiracies, intrigues and making loyal
groups that always led to regicidal wars of succession. Success of a candidate
often depended on the support he could get from the military and ministers.
Thus, state resources were wasted on mutual fights instead of public welfare and
defence of the empire.

Aurangzeb had divided the whole empire between his three sons in order to
prevent a war of succession. However, the three princes began to fight, and
eventually, Prince Muazzam established himself as Emperor. Only after a few
years, his four sons fought over the throne, but the victor, Jahandar Shah was
murdered within a year. So, in the ten years after Aurangzeb's death, twelve
different people claimed to be Emperor at one time. This greatly destabilized the
huge Mughal Empire.

Finally, the last nail in the coffin of the Mughal rule was perhaps driven by the
British, who began to dominate the political horizon of India, 1750 onwards. The
tottering Mughal Empire was no match to the British supremacy in warfare. The
British very skilfully established themselves in India and eventually replaced the
Mughals by annexing all important states between 1757 and 1856. They started
their victorious journey from north-eastern India, and moving southwards, they
turned to the north-western territories of Sindh, Punjab and Kashmir. They also
successfully applied their famous strategy of "divide and rule" to occupy the
Indian subcontinent.

To conclude, we can say that the power of the Marathas was the decisive factor
in the decline of the Mughals because, if the Mughals had won their support, they
might have jointly averted the process of decline, or at least slowed it down.
Instead, Mughals failed to make friends with them and constantly earned their
hostility.

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