National University of Computer and
Emerging Sciences
GROUP MEMBERS SECTION F:
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Muhammad Bilal qureshi 21-F9066
Abdul Rehman 21F-9103
Ahmad Ali 21F-9268
Hamza Saeed 21F-9223
Fahad Khalid 21F-9125
PAKISTAN STUDIES
ASSIGNMENT #01
Department Of Sciences & Humanities
MUGHAL EMPIRE
ANCESTORS
The Mughals took great pride in their ancestry. They claimed to be
descended from both the 14th-century Turkic warlord Timur and the
even more formidable Mongol conqueror Genghis Khan (d. 1227). The
genealogy of the Mughals, and of other Timurids is documented in such
works as Mu‘izz al-ansāb (‘Glorifier of Pedigrees’), compiled in Persian
at the court of the Timurid Shah Rukh (d. 1447) in Herat, Afghanistan
GENERATIONS
The Mughal dynasty was notable for its more than two centuries of effective rule over
much of India; for the ability of its rulers, who through seven generations maintained a
record of unusual talent and for its administrative organization. Their generation started
from Babur and so on:
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Mughal emperor Babur (AD 1526-1530)
Mughal emperor Humayun (AD 1530-1556)
Mughal emperor Akbar (AD 1556-1605)
Mughal emperor Jahangir (AD 1605-1627)
Mughal emperor Shah Jahan (AD 1628-1658) ...
Mughal emperor Aurangzeb Alamgir (AD 1658-1707)
Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar (1775 – 1862)
BABUR THE FIRST MUGHAL EMPEROR (AD 1526-1530)
The Mughal Empire was founded by Babur (reigned 1526–1530) His actual name was
Zahir-ud-din Muhammad Babur. His name was derived from the Persian word 'Babr',
which means Tiger, a Central Asian ruler who was descended from the Turco-Mongol
conqueror Timur . 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.
BABUR INVASION OF INDIA
Babur's forces defeated Ibrahim Lodhi in Panipat. However, Lodhi empire was already
crumbling and it was actually Mewar Kingdom which turned into strongest power of
Northern India under capable rule of Rana Sanga. In decisive battle fought near Agra,
Timurid forces of Babur defeated Rajput army of Sanga. The battle was one of the most
decisive and historic battle in Indian history as it sealed the fate of Northern India for
next two centuries. After the battle, The Centre of Mughal power became Agra instead of
Kabul. Babur was one of the most attractive characters in Asian history. While he was a
brilliant general, he was always magnanimous in victory and never ordered the
wholesale slaughter of his enemies. He loved nature and the sheer joy of life. He was a
fine poet, writer, and connoisseur of the arts in general. His hold on northern India was
very tenuous; there were rebellions from the Afghans to the east, and he had little chance
of implementing a civil administration because he was left with only four years of life
after Khanua.
POWERFULL
Babur claimed to be very strong and physically fit. He also claimed to have swum across
every major river he encountered, including twice across the Ganges River. He noted "I
swam across the river Ganges for amusement. I counted my strokes, and found that I
swam over in thirty-three strokes. I then took breath, and swam back to the other. side.
I had crossed by swimming every river I had met, except only the Ganges,"
AUTOBIOGRAPHY
He wrote his autobiography, Babur Nama, in Chaghatai Turkic. It was translated to
Persian during the reign of his grandson Akbar.
DEATH
The story of his death is well-known: His son Humayun was desperately ill and Babur,
then 47 years of age, believed that only the sacrifice of his own life would save his son.
He prayed earnestly, walked three times round the sickbed, and cried, ‘O God, if a life
may be exchanged for a life, I, Babur, give my life for Humayun.’ A little while later
he was heard to exclaim, ‘I have won. I have borne it away. I have saved him’.
Humayun began to recover at once but his father died soon after. Babur was buried, as
he had requested, in a garden in his favorite city of Kabul.
HUMAYUN (AD 1530-1556)
Humayun also known as Nasīr-ad-Dīn Muhammad; 6 March 1508 – 27 January 1556), better
known by his regnal name, Humayun was the second emperor of the Mughal Empire,
who ruled over territory in what is now Afghanistan, Pakistan, Northern India,
and Bangladesh from 1530 to 1540 and again from 1555 to 1556. Like his father, Babur, he
lost his kingdom early but regained it with the aid of the Safavid dynasty of Persia, with
additional territory. At the time of his death in 1556, the Mughal Empire spanned almost
one million square kilometers.
In December 1530, Humayun succeeded his father to the throne of Delhi as ruler of the
Mughal territories in the Indian subcontinent. Humayun was an inexperienced ruler
when he came to power, at the age of 22. His half-brother Kamran
Mirza inherited Kabul and Kandahar, the northernmost parts of their father's empire.
Kamran was to become a bitter rival of Humayun.
INTERUPTION OF SHER SHAH SURI
Sher Shah Suri, who had allied himself with Babur and had been made governor of Bihar,
rebelled and became independent during Humayun’s reign. He defeated Humayun in
two great battles. After forcing Humayun to flee to Persia, he made himself emperor. He
was a very competent ruler. One writer said of him: He set up courts of justice in every
place and was very busy founding charities. For the ease of travelers, he made a rest
house on every road at intervals of two leagues . . . from Punjab to Bengal . . . In each
rest house there were separate lodgings for 62 Muslims and Hindus, supplied with pots
of water, beds, and grain for horses. In each rest house were kept two horses for the quick
dispatch of news. ‘If I live enough,’ he said, ‘I will build a fort in every district to be a
refuge for the oppressed people and a curb to the turbulent, and I will make all the
earthen rest houses of brick for the safety and protection of the highway.
HUMAYUN’S DEATH
On January 17th, 1556, at sunset the emperor ascended to the roof of the library and stood
there for some time for a short prayer. As he was descending, the muezzin cried aloud
the summons to prayer, and he reverently sat down on the second step. When he was
getting up again, his foot slipped and he fell to the ground . . . The court physicians
exerted all their powers, but in vain. On January 24th, 1556, at the setting of the sun,
he left this world for Paradise . . . Other writers attribute the fall to the influence of
opium, to which it is well-known that Humayun was deeply addicted. The news of
Humayun’s death had to be concealed to prevent a disputed succession.
AKBAR THE GREAT (AD 1556-1605)
Akbar (reigned 1556–1605) was born Jalal-ud-din Muhammad in the Rajput Umarkot
Fort, to Humayun and his wife Hamida Banu Begum, a Persian princess. Akbar
succeeded to the throne under a regent, Bairam Khan, who helped consolidate the
Mughal Empire in India. He was undoubtedly one of the greatest kings of the
subcontinent and of the world. His policies are somewhat similar to those of the
Enlightened Despots in Europe in the same century.
IMPRESSIONS OF AKBAR, BY HIS SON JEHANGIR:
My father was always associated with the learned of every creed and religion, especially
the pundits and the learned of India, and though he was illiterate so much became clear
to him through constant intercourse with the learned and wise, and he was so wellacquainted with the niceties of verse and prose composition that his deficiency was not
thought of . . . In his actions he was not like the people of the world, and the Glory of God
manifested itself in him . . . he never placed a foot beyond the base of humility before the
Throne of God, and never for one moment forgot Him. He associated with the good of
every race and creed and persuasion, and was gracious to all in accordance with their
condition and understanding.
REVENUE
Akbar’s revenue system followed that of Sher Shah Suri. Land was carefully measured
and assessed by several criteria (quality of soil, newly broken land from waste or old
tillage, crops grown). The normal tax was one-third of the total income though, in times
of famine, drought or floods, this was reduced. The traditional Hindu impost had been
one-sixth of the total income, but the difference was compensated for by the abolition of
other taxes. In view of the rarity of agrarian disturbances, and the very low prices of food,
this agricultural policy seems to have worked well.
ADMINISTRATION
Administration Akbar must be considered the real founder of Mughal administration.
Under the emperor was the Chancellor, or Wazir, who was immensely powerful and was
automatically in charge of revenue, as well as being expected to lead military expeditions.
Other main departments in the government were the Imperial Household, Military Pay
and Accounts; Canon Law, Civil and Criminal; Religious Endowments and Charity;
Censorship and Public Morals.
DIVINE FAITH
Akbar is recorded by various conflicting sources as having affirmed allegiance to Islam
and as having broken with Islam. His religion was generally regarded by his
contemporaries as a Muslim innovation or a heretical doctrine; only two sources from his
own time—both hostile—accuse him of trying to found a new religion. The influence and
appeal of the Dīn-i Ilāhī were limited and did not survive Akbar, but they did trigger a
strong orthodox reaction in Indian Islam.
DEATH
On 3 October 1605, Akbar fell ill with an attack of dysentery which he never recovered
from. He died on 27 October 1605, after which his body was buried at a mausoleum in
Sikandra, Agra.
This is an irony that one of the most powerful men of the world died from simple
dysentery. He might have other complex health problem(s) that could not be discovered
due to lacking of sophisticated medical equipment’s at his time
JAHANGIR(AD 1605-1627) AND SHAH JEHAN (AD 16281658)
Jahangir (born Salim, reigned 1605–1627) was born to Akbar and his wife Mariam-uzZamani, an Indian Rajput princess. He "was addicted to opium(narcotic drug), neglected
the affairs of the state, and came under the influence of rival court cliques. Jahangir
deliberately distinguished himself from Akbar, and made substantial efforts to harness
the support of the Islamic religious establishment, granting them great tracts of land
as Madad-Ima'ash holders. Like other Mughal emperors, Jehangir was a strange mixture
of conflicting elements—at times harsh, at times gentle and kind.
Shah Jahan (reigned 1628–1658) was born to Jahangir and his wife Jagat Gosaini, a Rajput
princess. During the reign of Shah Jahan, the splendor of the Mughal court reached its
peak, as exemplified by the Mahal. The cost of maintaining the court, however, began to
exceed the revenue coming in. His reign was called as "The Golden Age of Mughal
Architecture". Shah Jahan extended the Mughal empire to the Deccan by ending the
Nizam Shahi dynasty, and forced the Adil Shahis and Qutb Shahis to pay tribute
NOOR JEHAN
Nur Jehan was a Persian who had been married to Sher Afghan, a nobleman in Bengal
who rebelled against Jehangir. Her husband was killed in a scuffle with Jehangir’s
foster-brother, who had been sent to arrest him. The widow was brought to court, where
she was later married to the emperor. She certainly seems to have been a remarkable
woman. A number of stories suggest that she was far above her female contemporaries
both in terms of charm and talent. Jehangir wrote of her: It is impossible to describe the
beauty and wisdom of the queen. If any matter was presented to her, if a difficulty
arose, she solved it . . . If ever she learned that any orphan girl was destitute and
friendless, she would bring about her marriage and give her a wedding portion. It is
probable that during her reign no less than 500 orphan girls were thus married and
portioned . . .
SHAH JEHAN’S DEVELOPMENT OF INDUSTRIES
The European interest in India, already strong in Jehangir’s reign, was especially
enhanced by Shah Jehan’s development of local industries, which consisted of small-scale
domestic manufactures.
SUCCESSION
The internecine wars which followed the death of the emperor as brothers fought for
power (a) undermined the stability of the empire, which was crucial; (b) with the kings
having many wives and large numbers of children the succession was not always clear—
did a younger son of a senior wife have a better claim than an older son of a lesser wife?
THE TAJ MAHAL
The Taj Mahal was built by Shah Jehan as a mausoleum for Mumtaz Mahal, his beloved
wife. Mumtaz Mahal was the daughter of Nur Jehan’s brother, and was perhaps used by
the old queen as a power ploy to extend her ‘reign’. Ask pupils to make a wall chart of
Mumtaz Mahal, including drawings and pictures of the Taj Mahal, sketch maps of its
position, and information on its present condition.
DEATH OF JAHANGIR
Jahangir was trying to restore his health by visiting Kashmir and Kabul. He went from
Kabul to Kashmir but decided to return to Lahore because of a severe cold.
Jahangir died on the journey from Kashmir to Lahore, near Sarai Saada-bad in Bhimber in
1627. To embalm and preserve his body, the entrails were removed; these were buried
inside Bangsar Fort near Bhimber in Kashmir. The body was then conveyed by palanquin
to Lahore and was buried in Shahdara Bagh, a suburb of that city. The elegant
mausoleum is today a popular tourist attraction site.
DEATH OF SHAH JEHAN
Confined to bed, he became progressively weaker until, on 22 January, he commended
the ladies of the imperial court, particularly his consort of later years Akbarabadi Mahal,
to the care of Jahanara. After reciting the Kalama (Laa ilaaha ill allah) and verses from
the Quran, Shah Jahan died, aged 74.
AURANGZEB (AD 1658-1707)
Aurangzeb (reigned 1658–1707), seized the throne. Aurangzeb defeated Dara in 1659 and
had him executed. Although Shah Jahan fully recovered from his illness, Aurangzeb
declared him incompetent to rule, and kept Shah Jahan imprisoned until his death in
1666. During Aurangzeb's reign, the empire gained political strength once more and
became the world's most powerful economy. Aurangzeb oversaw an increase in the
Islamicization of the Mughal state. He encouraged conversion to Islam, reinstated
the jizya on non-Muslims, and compiled the Fatwa Alamgiri, a collection of Islamic law.
Aurangzeb also executed the Sikh guru Tegh Bahadur, leading to the militarization of the
Sikh community.
REIGN
Aurangzeb’s reign was exceptionally long: the most brilliant people are bound to decline
from their peak as they reach their 70s and 80s, and Aurangzeb went on into his 90s. With
age, he probably became embittered with everything – the failure of his dreams, the lack
of good men about him, the frustration of his campaigns, the corruption of his officials.
Ask pupils if leaders should be subject to age limits as people at work are.
RELIGIOUS
Aurangzeb was noted for his religious piety; he memorized the entire Quran,
studied hadiths and stringently observed the rituals of Islam. He did not enjoy a
luxurious life and his personal expenses and constructions of small mosques were
covered by his own earnings, which included the sewing of caps and trade of his written
copies of the Quran. He also patronized works of Islamic and Arabic calligraphy.
TRIBUTE
Aurangzeb received tribute from all over the Indian subcontinent, using this wealth to
establish bases and fortifications in India, particularly in the Carnatic, Deccan, Bengal and
Lahore.
FACTS
After distinguishing himself early in life with his military and administrative ability, he
fought his eldest brother for the right of succession and had several other rival relatives
(including a son) executed. During the first half of his reign, he proved to be a capable
Muslim monarch of a mixed Hindu-Muslim empire; he was disliked for his ruthlessness
but respected. From c. 1680 his devout religious side came to dominate; he excluded
Hindus from public office and destroyed their temples and schools, became embroiled in
fruitless warfare with the Marathas in South India, and executed the Sikh Guru Tegh
Bahadur (r. 1664–75), starting a Sikh-Muslim feud that has continued to the present.
CALLIGRAPHY
Manuscript of the Quran, parts of which are believed to have been written in Aurangzeb's
own hand.
The Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb is known to have patronized works of Islamic
calligraphy; the demand for Quran manuscripts in the Naskhi style peaked during his
reign. Having been instructed by Syed Ali Tabrizi, Aurangzeb was himself a talented
calligrapher in Nash, evidenced by Quran manuscripts that he created.
DEATH
He died at his military camp in Bhingar near Ahmednagar on 3 March 1707 at the age of
88, having outlived many of his children. He had only 300 rupees with him which were
later given to charity as per his instructions and he prior to his death requested not to
spend extravagantly on his funeral but to keep it simple. His modest open-air grave
in Khuldabad, Aurangabad, Maharashtra expresses his deep devotion to his Islamic
beliefs. It is sited in the courtyard of the shrine of the Sufi saint Shaikh Burhan-u'd-din
Gharib, who was a disciple of Nizamuddin Auliya of Delhi.
BAHADUR SHAH ZAFAR (1775 – 1862)
Aurangzeb's son, Bahadur Shah I, repealed the religious policies of his father and
attempted to reform the administration. "However, after his death in 1712, the Mughal
dynasty sank into chaos and violent feuds. In 1719 alone, four emperors successively
ascended the throne.
During the reign of Muhammad Shah (reigned 1719–1748), the empire began to break
up, and vast tracts of central India passed from Mughal to Maratha hands. The faroff Indian campaign of Nadir Shah, who had previously reestablished
Iranian suzerainty over most of West Asia, the Caucasus, and Central Asia, culminated
with the Sack of Delhi and shattered the remnants of Mughal power and prestige. Many
of the empire's elites now sought to control their own affairs, and broke away to form
independent kingdoms. But, according to Sugata Bose and Ayesha Jalal, the Mughal
Emperor continued to be the highest manifestation of sovereignty. Not only the Muslim
gentry, but the Maratha, Hindu, and Sikh leaders took part in ceremonial
acknowledgments of the emperor as the sovereign of India.
DEATH
Bahadur Shah Zafar took refuge in the Humayun's tomb from where he was
apprehended by Major William Hudson. The very next day his sons Mirza Mughal,
Mirza Khizr Sultan and grandson Mirza Abu Bakar were executed. Bahadur Shah
himself was exiled to Rangoon where he died in 1862 at the age of 87.
POETRY
Bahadur Shah Zafar was good in poetry one of his last poetry included ,
lagtā nahīñ hai dil mirā ujḌe dayār meñ
kis kī banī hai ālam-e-nā-pā.edār meñ
in hasratoñ se kah do kahīñ aur jā baseñ
itnī jagah kahāñ hai dil-e-dāġh-dār meñ
LAST PICTURE OF BAHADUR SHAH ZAFAR
THE END OF THE MUGHAL EMPIRE
Some causes of the decline The Mughal dynasty was foreign to the great majority of the
population of India. The empire could be maintained only by a strong ruler; good
administration and a powerful army. When any of these was lacking, the state was liable
to crumble. A vital factor was the quality and leadership of the nobility. The decline in
leadership and in the military began in the later years of Shah Jehan’s reign, steadily
deteriorating thereafter. Aurangzeb managed to hold the empire together, but only
barely, and within a few years of his death, total anarchy broke out. Within a decade of
his death, there were seven fierce battles for the imperial crown, in which a majority of
the best remaining nobles and soldiers were killed. The emperors who succeeded
Aurangzeb lacked the strength and necessary leadership qualities to prevent further
decline.
MILITARY DECLINE
The greatest strength of the armies in the earlier days of the Mughal empire were the
tough, skillful and dedicated soldiers from beyond the north-west. The number of
soldiers from this region diminished rapidly, especially after the links with central Asia
were severed. The harsh Indian climate coupled with the tempting life of luxury in the
courts made the military profession less desirable. The commanders were no longer of
the same caliber as the great military leaders of the early Mughal period.
ECONOMIC PROBLEMS
The economic and financial policies of the government contributed considerably to the
decline of the empire. Akbar’s economic policies were severe but equitable; later
monarchs increased the burden of taxation to pay for ever-increasing military campaigns
and the luxuries of the court. The peasants were consequently under severe economic
pressure and had to endure many hardships.
RELIGIOUS POLICIES
Aurangzeb’s policies alienated some religious groups like the Hindus and Shiahs,
thereby reducing the pool of cultured and educated men from which the emperor could
choose his administrators.
Decline
The Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II (1759–1806) made futile attempts to reverse the
Mughal decline but ultimately had to seek the protection of the Emir of Afghanistan,
Ahmed Shah Abdali, which led to the Third Battle of Panipat between the Maratha
Empire and the Afghans (led by Abdali) in 1761. In 1771, the Marathas recaptured Delhi
from Afghan control and in 1784 they officially became the protectors of the emperor in
Delhi, a state of affairs that continued until the Second Anglo-Maratha War.
START OF BRITISH ERA
Thereafter, the British East India Company became the protectors of the Mughal
dynasty in Delhi. The British East India 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 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 war of 1857–1858 which he nominally led, the last
Mughal, Bahadur Shah Zafar, was deposed by the British East India Company and
exiled in 1858. Through the Government of India Act 1858 the British Crown assumed
direct control of East India Company-held territories in India in the form of the
new British Raj. In 1876 the British Queen Victoria assumed the title of Empress of
India.