Dr. Kent Bob Huzen (University of Canterbury) 2012
Abstract:
The Mughal Empire was an Indo-Islamic power that ruled a large portion of the Indian subcontinent which began in 1526 and ended in the mid-19th century. The Mughal Emperors were descendants of the Timurids. The "classic period" of the Empire started in 1556 with the accession of Jalaluddin Mohammad Akbar, better known as Akbar the Great, it ended with the death of Emperor Aurangzeb in 1707, although the dynasty continued for another 150 years.1
Introduction:
Mughal period was often considered as the most enlightened period in
Indian history. During this period, the
Empire was marked by a highly centralized administration connecting the different regions of the
country. The Mughals reshaped India by all their huge sociopolitical and economic manifestation.
Their flamboyant legacy which was characterized
by the expansion of Persian cultural influenced in the Indian
subcontinent even in the present days.
Zahir
ud-din Muhammad Babur, the founder of the Mughal Dynasty was roaming as a wanderer after losing his principality
Farghana. In 1526, Babur defeated the last of the Delhi Sultans, Ibrahim Shah Lodi, at the First
Battle of Panipat. It was a clear victory of Babur because of his advanced military knowledge
use of firearms and cannons. To secure his
newly founded kingdom, Babur then defeated Rana Sanga of Chittor.
Babur's son Humayun succeeded him in
1530, but suffered reversals at the hands of the Pashtun Sher Shah Suri
and lost most of the empire before it
could grow. From 1540 Humayun became ruler in exile but Humayun returned and recaptured Delhi in
1555.2
Akbar
succeeded his father on 14 February 1556. Akbar’s three great achievements
were reforms, religious tolerance and
firm grip on finance. The Mughals also adopted an absolute sovereignty. This particularly took shape
during the times of Akbar, when he issued the
famous mazhar in 1579.3 He became known as Akbar, as he was a wise
ruler, set fair but high taxes. He
investigated the production in a certain area and taxed inhabitants one-fifth
of their agricultural produce. As Akbar
was born in a Hindu Rajput household, he was more liberal in his approach to the non-Muslim
subjects of the Empire. He also set up an efficient bureaucracy and was tolerant of religious
differences which softened the resistance by the locals. He made alliances with Rajputs and
appointed Hindu generals and administrators in
his royal court. Later in life, he devised his own brand of religion
based on tolerance, and inspired by
viewpoints of Hinduism and Islam.
Jahangir,
son of Akbar, ruled the empire from 1605–1627. In October 1627, Shah Jahan,
son of Jahangir succeeded to the throne,
where he inherited a vast and rich empire. At mid century this was undoubtedly
the greatest empire in the world. By 1700 the empire reached its peak under the leadership of Aurangzeb
Alamgir with major parts of present day India,
Pakistan and most of Afghanistan under its domain. Aurangzeb was the
last of what are now referred to as the
Great Mughal kings.
Mughal
Influences: Art, Culture and Trade
A
major Mughal contribution to India was their unique architecture; the palaces,
tombs and forts built by the dynasty
stands today in many parts of India. Mughal influence can be seen in cultural contributions such as,
Centralized, imperialistic government; Persian art and culture mixed with Indian art and culture;
the development of Mughal cuisine; Landscape
gardening and new trade routes to Arab and Turkic lands.4
The
Mughals have also greatly contributed in Indian economic history. As from
Central Asian legacy where trade had the
major economic activity, Mughals understood the
importance of trade. Their main objective in conquering Gujarat, Bengal and
Sindh was to gain control over
sea-trade. To consolidate their dynasty, moreover, they facilitated the development of overland trade routes to
control over Kabul and Kandahar. Unlike other
contemporary regimes, Mughals did not make trade a royal monopoly. They
wished to have a free trade regime in
which different trading groups had a fair chance. 5
An
important aspect of the Mughal rule was the creation of a military-bureaucratic
system named the Mansabdari system. By
adopting a very liberal attitude, the Mughals also helped the development of the Bhakti and the Sufi
movement in the country.
Conclusion:
It is often considered that the Mughals had come to India as invaders but on
the other hand they also considered this
country as their own and settled here. Their policy of reform, tolerance, liberal religious views
and marriages between the Mughals and Hindu
princesses brought a period of understanding between the people of two
faiths, Hindu and Muslim. It also
minimise the hostilities that generally characterised the Hindu-Muslim relations during the medieval times. It also
led to cooperation between the Mughals and the
Rajputs and various other local kings to bring political stability to
medieval India. Thus Mughal rule,
transformed India forever.
Selected
Bibliography
Primary
Sources: Books
Baber,
Zaheer. (1996) The Science of Empire: Scientific Knowledge, Civilization
and Colonial Rule in India, New York:
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Basham,
A.L.(1975) A Cultural History of India, Oxford: Clarendon Press. Briggs, Martin
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Moosvi,
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Mughal
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Mughal
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Websites:
http://www.webindia.com/history/medieval/mughal.htm
http://www.i3pep.org/mughal-empire/
http://www.MSN
Encarta/Mughal Empire.edu
Notes
1
Edward Balfour, The Encyclopaedia Asiatica, Comprising Indian Subcontinent,
Eastern and Southern Asia, (London: Cosmo Publications, 1976) pp. 460-488.
2
John F. Richards, “The Mughal Empire”, in New Cambridge History of India, Vol.
1.5, (Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press, 1996).
3
http://www.i3pep.org/mughal-empire/ Last accessed on 6-10-2010
4
Robert L. Canfield, Turko-Persian in Historical Perspective, (Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press, 1991)
p.20.
5
http://www.i3pep.org/mughal-empire/ Last accessed on 6-10-2010