THE MUGHAL EMPIRE
SYDNEY, NIKKI, & JORDAN
WHO
• Founded by a Chagatai Turkic prince
named Bābur who was descended from the
Turkic conqueror Timur on his father’s side and
from Chagatai, second son of the Mongol
ruler Genghis Khan, on his mother’s side.
• He was originally from Central Asia but turned
India to quench his thirst for conquest
because he was ousted from his original
domain.
• The creation of this empire was due to the
need to conquer more land. India was easily
taken because it was so unified and easy
pickings.
WHERE
• Northern India – at times their rule extended from
Afghanistan in the west to Bengal in the east.
WHEN
• Start Date: 1526
• End Date: 1857
• Total Duration: 331 years
WHAT
• The Mughal Empire, founded in
1526, was the most powerful
Islamic state to rule in India. It
was at its most prosperous
during the 17th century, when
fine buildings such as the Taj
Mahal were constructed.
• The Taj Mahal was begun in
1632 and completed 22 years
later. About 20,000 people
were employed, including
Asia’s finest craftsmen. Famous
for its perfect symmetry, it is
exactly as wide as it is high,
and the dome is the same
height as its façade.
• Religion: The Mughal Empire
was a time period of peaceful
religious and cultural flourishing
between the Hindus and
Muslims of India, culminating in
a golden age of Islamic-Hindu
cross cultural pollination.
WHAT
• Contact between Western Europe and the Mughal empire
was put into practice in the very beginning of the 17th
century. The Portuguese, English, and later on, the Dutch were
the ones to trade with the Mughal empire. As the first Islamic
power on the Indian subcontinent, the Mughal empire was
more interested in assimilating the land, studying the history,
customs and religion of the people occupying this area, and
communicating with the other two Islamic empires – the
Saffavid and the Ottoman Empires. Akbar was known for his
tolerance towards unorthodox Muslims and Hindus. Along with
being tolerant towards his Hindu and Muslim subjects, Akbar
welcomed Portuguese Jesuits, which allowed Portugal to
enter the trade with Indian goods. At the very end of his rule,
the British, Dutch, and Portuguese started trade with the
Mughal empire as well.
HOW
• The Mughal Empire rose through many generations of
Turkic emperors. Through much warfare over the
generations the empire expanded. Religion played a
major factor in the expansion of the Mughal empire
which was mainly Muslims. The Muslims decided to
conquer any Hindu land thus expanding their empire.
• The decline of the empire was due to rivalries within the
empire, unnecessary warfare, and the invasion of the
Iranian conqueror Nādir Shah in Northern India. Finally
the empire was reduced to a small area that would end
up falling to British control in 1857.
WHY
• Stability (Why not conquered)
• There was no invasion from the West for 200 years during the reign
of the "Great Mughals".
• Fewer tensions and wars, while the relations between Middle
Eastern rulers were good.
• Military Technology (Why not conquered)
• Babur is credited with the first use of canons in India.
• The Mughals also pioneered the use of rockets which were used
in several wars inside the country.
• Other Achievements (Why significant & Why not conquered)
• Jehangir gave the British East India Company trading rights in
Surat.
• This broke the Portuguese monopoly in the Arabian Sea, and also
let the British East India Company perpetually extend its
monopoly on trade with India.
WHY
• Trade and Commerce (Why significant)
• The economy generally did well.
• But the money makers benefited from a road system and a uniform
currency throughout much of the country.
• Administration (Why significant)
• Creation of several data collection, land settlement and tax
calculation schemes that outlived the Empire and some even exist
today.
• Cultural Achievements (Why significant)
• The Mughals ushered in the golden age of Indo-Persian culture
especially with respect to art and architecture. In some ways this is
responsible for the development of the Urdu and Hindi languages.
• One of Akbar's great achievements was establishing a great degree
of religious tolerance, which survived for almost 50 years after his
death.
• Contruction streak building monuments such as the Taj Mahal, the
Red Fort, and several mosques.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
• "Mughal Dynasty | India [1526-1707]." Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
Encyclopedia Britannica. Web. 9 Feb. 2015.
<http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/396125/Mughaldynasty>.
• "Mughal Empire." Mughal Empire. Web. 9 Feb. 2015.
<http://worldvisitguide.com/article/F0010829.html>.
• "Mughal Empire." - New World Encyclopedia. Web. 9 Feb. 2015.
<http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Mughal_Empire>.
• "Muslim Hindu Religious Interactions in the Mughal Empire: The Birth and
Death of a Cohesive Culture." Sensible Reason. Web. 9 Feb. 2015.
<http://sensiblereason.com/muslim-hindu-religious-interactions-in-themughal-empire-the-birth-and-death-off-a-cohesive-culture/>.
• "Quora." What Were the Major Contributions of the Mughal Empire? -.
Web. 9 Feb. 2015. <http://www.quora.com/What-were-the-majorcontributions-of-the-Mughal-empire>.
• Web. 9 Feb. 2015. <http://empires.findthedata.com/q/176/2515/Howlong-did-the-Mughal-Empire-exist>.
• "24 X 7." MUGHAL INDIA. Web. 9 Feb. 2015.
<http://www.factmonster.com/dk/encyclopedia/mughal-india.html>.