Introduction

A large portion of South Asia was under the rule of the Mughal Empire, an early-modern empire between the 16th and 19th centuries.

According to conventional wisdom, Babur, a warrior chieftain from what is now Uzbekistan, established the Mughal empire in 1526 after using assistance from the Safavid and Ottoman sultanates and defeating Ibrahim Lodhi, the sultan of Delhi, in the First Battle of Panipat and conquering the Upper Indian plains.

Overview

  • After Aurangazeb’s death, the Mughal Empire began to crumble; taking advantage of this, Nadir Shah captured the Mughal Emperor and pillaged Delhi in 1739.
  • Aurangazeb’s crude tactics accelerated its degeneration.
  • The decline was caused by the Mughal military becoming demoralized and the ineffective successors.
  • Budgetary difficulties brought on by endless wars was also one of the causes.
  • Another reason attributed to the decline can be European settlements.

Causes for the Decline

Aurangzeb’s nature and governing principles 

In the past, Aurangzeb played a crucial role in the fall of the Mughal Empire.

  • Aurangzeb’s dubious personality prevented any of his sons or nobles from becoming capable adults;
  • His religious intolerance cost him the loyalty of most of his subjects and led to the revolts of the Jats, Satnamis, and Sikhs;
  • A war was fought against the states of Mewar and Marwar due to the Rajput coverage.
  • His coverage of the Deccan prompted a protracted conflict with the Marathas and brought the Mughal Empire to ruin.

The incapability of the Later Mughals

  • The fate of the Empire was sealed when Aurangzeb’s successors proved incompetent and morally corrupt.
  • There has not been a Mughal emperor since Aurangzeb who truly deserved the position; most of them depended on wine and women. Therefore, all proved nugatory rulers.

Economic Bankruptcy

  • The Empire’s economy’s decline began during Shah Jahan’s reign. During the reign of Aurangzeb, the resources of the Empire were further taxed by uprisings, wars in the Deccan, and the administration of the North.
  • Finally, the Later Mughals’ opulent lifestyles, the collapse of the government, and the plunder committed by Nadir Shah and Ahmad Shah Abdali destroyed the foundation of the Empire’s financial system. It played a crucial part in the fall of the Empire.

Deterioration of land relations

  • Instead of paying the officials directly out of the state treasury, Shahjahan and Aurangzeb chose to use jagirs and Paibaqi.
  • Jagirs are temporary land allotments made to officials in exchange for their services, which may or may not be to the Emperor’s satisfaction.
  • The term “paibaqi” refers to money received from reserved lands and sent to the national treasury.
  • The nobles and zamindars frequently had competing interests.

Religious Cause

  • Aurangzeb’s strict religious beliefs and his treatment of the Hindu emperors severely harmed the stability of the Mughal Empire.
  • The Mughal Empire was a secular state during the reigns of Akbar, Jahangir, and Shahjahan. The policy of not interfering with the people’s religious practices and customs and promoting cordial ties between Hindus and Muslims was primarily responsible for its stability.