Mughal Empire: A bird Eye View

Mughal Empire: A bird Eye View

In early sixteenth century Mughals invaded sub-continent under the leadership of Zahir-ud-din (Babur) and established more than 300 years old Muslim dynasty there. The area of their empire was larger than whole of Europe and their empire was among the strongest and largest dynasties of the world. Mughals were ruler of central Asia. The first Mughal emperor “Babur” who belongs to Turkestan (Who ruled there since he was 12 years old) entered sub-continent was the descended of two great conquering generals i.e. Ganges khan and Taimur.

Babur’s clever military tactics and use of firearms and artillery enable him to defeat Ibrahim Lodhi in the Battle of Panipat in 1526. After defeating Ibrahim Lodhi his next challenge were Indian Chiefs whom he defeated easily and he decided to establish his empire instead of plundered as his predecessor did. The territory he occupied had Hindu majority and he was Muslim. So lot of difficulties to administer such a huge and diverse area are ahead. He established strict rules and treated disobedience strictly. He divided the conquered land into feudal areas and appointed his local persons to administer these areas. But he spent only four years as a ruler when his son Hamayun was suffered a lot and Babur begged Hamayun’s life at the cost of Babur’s own life. Exactly it happened and Hamayun became new emperor.

But Hamayun proved to be a generous and patients man who faced certain difficulties after the death of his father. Babur was a strong leader and skilled administrator. He hold his army together. His army was mixture of personnel who belong different creed, race, territory and culture. But Hamayun did not have such qualities to maintain this diverse army as a unified force. On other hand Afghan rulers intervened again and again. One of them was Sher Shah Suri who defeated Hamayun’s army and established suri dynasty in 1540 which lasted for sixteen years and ended in 1556. Similarly Hamayun’s brothers Kamran, Askari and Hindal were not loyal to him. They went against him.

Hamayun was book lover and established his own library. He focused on research in science and religion. He was and excellent administrator and even draw rules to manage agriculture including irrigation. He allowed his opponents to surrender instead of crushing them. This proved his biggest mistake.

An illetrate but intelligent emperor--- Akbar, son of Hamayun who throned at the age of 13 and great military general. He conquered a huge area even larger than Babar’s region. Few of his military expeditions are:

       I.            Defeat of Hemu in 1556

    II.            Defeat of Rebel muslim army led by Uzbeks and Afghans in 1556.

 III.            A series of campaign against Hindu chiefs (Rebel) in 1567.

 IV.            Bengal and Gujrat added to his empire in 1580.

    V.            In 1589 Kashmir was captured and in 1591 Sindh was annexed and included in his territory.

 VI.            He also added Deccan peninsula in south end Kandahar in Noth-west in 1595.

He took many reforms to consolidate his empire. He ruled almost 50 years.

After the death of Akbar in 1605 Jahangir become new emperor of India. He got arganized, managed, strong founded and huge land from his father. But he also faced certain difficulties like rebellion from his own sons Khusrau and Khurram and his most trust worthy military general Mahabat Khan. He introduced a unique justice system in which he built a gold chain 30 meters long with 60 bells attached to it. If anyone had any complaint he can ring the bell and get listened received justice. He also introduced maintenance of public buildings, ban on manufacturing of drugs and wine. He signed a treaty with British in 1612. His wife Nur Jahan was courgeous and intelligent lady who helped him in various successes, administration of empire and his maintenance and improvement. She claimed her son-in-law Shahryar as the next emperor. But her son Khurram became emperor after the death of Jahangir in 1627.

Khurram renamed himself Shah Jahan. His governor of Deccan Khan Jahan Lodhi persuade the local chiefs against Shah Jahan. But the loyalty of chiefs enabled emperor to Crush Khan Jahan Lodhi. Second challenge faced by Shah Jahan was famine striken to Gujrat and Deccan where people committed cannibalism for survival. But emperor’s loyalty and generosity toward his people became the cause of survival of thousands of people when he spent huge amount on free distribution of food items. Shah Jahan wanted to prove Mughals on invincible power by started a conquest with Persians in central Asia.

He sent his son Aurangzeb twice to defeat Persian army but failed. He sent his other son Dara Shikoh against Persian but he failed too. He again sent his third son Murad who also replaced by Aurangzeb but this expedition was also failed. His filth expedition was his loyal military, governor against Persians who too failed. Such unsuccessful expeditions weakened the Mughal Empire financially and morally. But Shah Jahan’s quickest defeat of Portuguese army in Bengal made its empire strong. In Bengal Portuguese forcefully convert the local to Christianity. Their ambition was shattered by Shah Jahan in 1931. In 1657 Shah Jahan was seriously ill and unable to run the affairs of empire. His four sons and able governors were compete against each other for emperor. His two sons Murad and Shah Shuja went against each other. Aurangzeb joined hand with Murad in order to defeat Dara Shikoh military power. Similarly Aurangzeb defeated imperial army in 1658 led by his father who was recovered for some time. Aurangzeb imprisoned his father in Agra where he lived until his death in 1666. Murad and Dara shikoh were imprisoned then executed by Aurangzeb. Shah Shuja was also killed. Now Aurangzeb became a unique and unlimited powerful emperor.

Aurangzeb faced many difficulties which ever faced by another emperor but the territory he left was the largest in Mughals’ history at the time of his death in 1707 it was stretching from Kashmir to Karnatok and Gazni to chittergang.

       I.            Rebellion of Sikhs, Satnamis in Mewar, Jats in Gokal and conflict with Rajputs from 1679-81 were the biggest hurdles in his era.

    II.            Pathan tribes from NWFP.

 III.            Campaign against Maratha tribe in Deccan for at least 25 years emptied the Mughal treasure.

He banned Satti and imposed “Jizya” tax on non-muslims and enforced Islamic law, stopping singing and dancing in court, ban on consumption of alcohol and many other religious reforms he introduced. He spent on building luxurious buildings and Masajid and military expeditions. Motti masjid (Pearl Mosque) in Delhi was built for his personal prayers. At the age of 89 he was died in 1707 and ruled the empire for almost 50 years. He divided his empire into 3 sons but ultimately his son Prince Muazam became emperor. He remained as an emperor for four years. Then his 3 sons went against each other for throne, but the victor Jahandar Shah was murdered within a year. After the death of Aurangzeb within ten years, 12 different people claimed as emperor at one time, which weakened the strong and stable empire. In 1719 the last claimed Mughal emperor was Muhammad Shah who ruled for thirty years. But he too defeated by a Persian leader Nadir Shah in 1738-39. Nadir Shah captured and sacked Delhi and taking away territory of west of the Indus. Nadir Shah took huge amount of gold, jewels and booty from Mughal’s along with prestige and power of the Mughals. Another hit which totally crumpled the Mughals was done by an Afghan general Ahmed Shah Durarni. Ahmed Shah attacked from Kabul to Peshawar and Lahore and by 1749 he almost took over the Punjab and by 1756 he added Kashmir and Multan to his possessions. Now the Mughal Empire is declining due to emptied treasure of empire weak leadership and poor military forces and their failed expeditions. But the British too put a huge last slap on the empire of Mughal.

Marhatta got strength over Mughal army too because they put lot of resistance to Ahmad Shah Durrani forces. Marhatta captured most of northern India even they tried to capture the Delhi. But Ahmad Shah stopped them and placed Mohammad Shah’s son Ahmad Shah on the throne of Delhi. But Ahmad Shah was imprisoned by his own court and died in captivity. His successor, emperor Alamgir II was assassinated by the order of his chief minister. Similarly other successor Shah Alam II remained in Bihar and did not try to return to Delhi for next 12 years. At the Battle of Buxar in 1764 his army was defeated by the British.

British victory over Shah Alam II, enabled them to conquer Bengal, Orissa and Bihar. In 1803 they occupied Delhi and last three emperor remained under British Protection and by name emperor only. Akbar II, son of Shah Alam II, ruled a little part of Delhi. His son Bahadur Shah II was expelled from his territory in 1858 war of independence. He died in expulsion in Rangoon.

“The once Mighty Mughal Empire is over” because of following reasons:

         I.            Poor administration and governance

      II.            Military expenditure

   III.            War of succession for emperor

   IV.            Invasion from Persian and Afghan

      V.            Weak administration of last Mughal emperors

   VI.            British imperialism and their strength

VII.            Rise of Anti Mughal sentiments

VIII.            Rebellion from internal and external

   IX.            Lack of advancement and modernization

The following article is taken from the source: https://www.dailyo.in/lite/politics/mughals-contribution-indian-economy-rich-culture-tourism-british/story/1/19549.html?__twitter_impression=true&fbclid=IwAR3yjrhMMVRXSIq48u0iKVX1kez5MgXlO4JZLvmB4k3pkiFeE_Ox1eqr9Ys

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No, Mughals didn't loot India. They made us rich

They remained as Indians, not colonists.

India gained independence in 1947 after a long freedom struggle with British imperialism. Perhaps because of that, lack of historical knowledge and sense we see all conquests as colonization.

Colonisation is described by professor Harbans Mukhia as "governance of a land and its people, now on behalf of and primarily for the economic benefits of a community of people inhabiting a far-off land". The Mughals came to India as conquerors but remained as Indians not colonists. They subsumed their identity as well as the group's identity with India and became inseparable from it, says professor Mukhia, giving rise to an enduring culture and history. 

In fact, Mukhia goes on to say that this issue of Mughals being foreign was never a discussion point till quite recently, so well had they integrated and assimilated into the country they had made their own.

There was no reason for it either since Akbar onwards all were born in India with many having Rajput mothers and their "Indianness" was complete. Babur had invaded India at the behest of Daulat Khan Lodi and won the kingdom of Delhi by defeating the forces of Ibrahim khan Lodi at Panipat in 1526 AD. Thus, was laid the foundation of the Mughal Empire. Most of the Mughals contracted marriage alliances with Indian rulers, especially Rajput. They appointed them to high posts and the Kachhwaha Rajput of Amber normally held the highest military posts in the Mughal army. 

It was this sense of identification with the Mughal rulers that led the Indian sepoys who stood up in 1857 AD against the British East India Company in the first war of Indian Independence, to turn towards the aged, frail and powerless Mughal Emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar, coronating him as emperor of Hindustan and fighting under his banner. 

From 16^th century to 18^th century, the Mughal kingdom was the richest and most powerful kingdom in the world and as French traveller Francois Bernier, who came to India in the 17^th century, wrote, “Gold and silver come from every quarter of the globe to Hinduostan.”

This is hardly surprising considering that Sher Shah, and the Mughals had encouraged trade by developing roads, river transport, sea routes, ports and abolishing many inland tolls and taxes. Indian handicrafts were developed. There was a thriving export trade in manufactured goods such as cotton cloth, spices, indigo, woollen and silk cloth, salt etc.

The Indian merchants trading on their own terms and taking only bullion as payment, leading Sir Thomas Roe to say that "Europe bleedeth to enrich Asia".

This trade was traditionally in the hands of the Hindu merchant class who controlled the trade. In fact, Bernier wrote that the Hindus possessed "almost exclusively the trade and wealth of the country". The Muslims mainly held high administrative and army posts.

A very efficient system of administration set up by Akbar facilitated an environment of trade and commerce.

It was this which led the East India Company to seek trade concessions from the Mughal empire and eventually control then destroy it.

A very interesting painting in possession of the British Library painted by Spiridione Roma, named The East Offering Her Riches to Britannia, dated 1778, shows Britannia looking down on a kneeling India who is offering her crown surrounded by rubies and pearls. The advent of the famous drain of wealth from India started with the East India Company not the Delhi Sultanate or the Mughals.

Edmund Burke was the first to use the phrase in the 1780s when he said, India had been "radically and irretrievably ruined" through the company’s "continual Drain" of wealth.

The Cambridge historian Angus Maddison writes in his book, Contours of the World Economy 1–2030 AD: Essays in Macro-economic History, that while India had the largest economy till 1000 AD (with a GDP share of 28.9 per cent in 1000AD) there was no economic growth. It was during the 1000 AD-1500 AD that India began to see a economic growth with its highest (20.9 per cent GDP growth rate) being under the Mughals. In the 18^th century, India had overtaken China as the largest economy in the world.

In 2016, on a PPP adjusted basis, India’s was 7.2 per cent of the world GDP.In 1952, India’s GDP was 3.8 per cent. “Indeed, at the beginning of the 20th century, "the brightest jewel in the British Crown" was the poorest country in the world in terms of per capita income," former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh once said.

Since it's established now that the Mughals did not take away money, let’s talk of what they invested in. They invested in infrastructure, in building great monuments which are a local and tourist draw generating crores of rupees annually. 

As per figures presented by the Ministry of Culture in Lok Sabha, just the Taj Mahal built by Shah Jahan has an average annual ticket sale of over Rs 21 crore. (Last year saw a drop in visitors to the Taj Mahal and figures stood at Rs 17.8 crore.) The Qutub Complex generates over Rs 10 crore in ticket sales, Red Fort and Humayun’s Tomb generate around Rs 6 crore each.

A beautiful new style known as Indo-Islamic architecture which imbibed the best of both was born.

They invested in local arts and crafts, and encouraged old and created new skill sets in India. As Swapna Liddle, covenor of INTACH, Delhi Chapter, says, “To my mind, the greatest Mughal contribution to India was in the form of patronage to the arts. Whether it was building, artisanal crafts like weaving and metal-working, or fine arts like painting, they set standards of taste and perfection that became an example for others to follow, and brought India the global recognition for high quality handmade goods that it still enjoys.”

Mughal paintings, jewels, arts and crafts are the key possessions of many a western museum and gallery as they were looted in and after 1857. Some can be seen in Indian museums too.

Art and literature flourished. While original work was being produced in the local and court languages, translation work from Sanskrit to Persian was also taking place. Akbar encouraged the translation of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata to dispel ignorance, which led to communal hatred.

Dara Shukoh’s Persian translation of the Upanishads named Sirr-e-Akbar taken by Bernier to France where it reached Anquetil Deperron, who translated it into French and Latin. The Latin version reached the German philosopher, Schopenhauer, who was greatly influenced by it and called the Persian Upanishad, "the solace of his life". This awakened an interest in post-Vedic Sanskrit literature amongst the European Orientalists.

It wasn’t only the Mughal emperors who were building, but Hindu mansabdars and traders too were building temples and dharmshalas in many cities, especially Banaras. Madhuri Desai in her extremely well-researched book, Banaras Reconstructed, writes: “The riverfront ghats bear an uncanny resemblance to the Mughal fortress-palaces that line the Jamuna river in Agra and Delhi.”

It’s dangerous to generalize history, especially on communal lines. While economic deprivations for the common man existed, as they did and do in any society, as Frances W Pritchett, professor Emerita, Columbia University, says, “The impression one gains from looking at social conditions during the Mughal period is of a society moving towards integration of its manifold political regions, social systems and cultural inheritances.

The greatness of the Mughals consisted in part at least in the fact that the influence of their court and government permeated society, giving it a new measure of harmony.”

Thus, to say that the Mughals looted India is a falsification of facts.