Class 7 Social Science: The Mughals (16th to 17th Century)

• Who were the Mughals?

  • Lineage
    • Maternal: Descendants of Genghis Khan (Mongol rulers)
    • Paternal: Descendants of Timur (Ruler of Iran, Iraq, modern-day Turkey)
  • Preference
    • Proud of Timurid ancestry, disliked being called Mughal (associated with Genghis Khan's massacres)
  • Military Campaigns
    • Established vast empire in the Indian subcontinent

• Mughal Military Campaigns

  • Babur (1526–1530)
    • Defeated Ibrahim Lodi at the First Battle of Panipat (1526)
    • Defeated Rana Sanga at Khanwa (1527)
  • Humayun (1530–1540, 1555–1556)
    • Defeated by Sher Shah Suri (established Suri dynasty temporarily)
  • Akbar (1556–1605)
    • Expanded empire: Military campaigns against Malwa, Gondwana, Mewar, Gujarat, and Deccan
  • Jahangir (1605–1627)
    • Continued campaigns against Mewar and Sikhs
  • Shah Jahan (1628–1658)
    • Campaigns in the Deccan (Ahmadnagar) and Northwest (Balkh)
  • Aurangzeb (1658–1707)
    • Fought protracted war in the Deccan; faced rebellions (Sikhs, Jats, Marathas)

• Mughal Traditions of Succession

  • No Primogeniture: Oldest son did not automatically inherit the throne
  • Coparcenary Partition: Division of inheritance amongst all sons ( Mughal-Timurid custom)
  • Resulted in violent conflicts and rebellions among princes

• Relations with Other Rulers

  • Policy of Marry and Conquer
    • Rajput rulers married daughters to Mughal families for high positions
    • Mewar (Sisodia Rajputs) initially resisted; later accepted Mughal suzerainty (honorable treatment by Akbar)
  • Mansabdars and Jagirdars
    • Mansabdar: Rank or position system defining military responsibilities and salary
    • Zat ranking: Indicator of status and salary (higher Zat = higher rank)
    • Jagir: Revenue assignments collected by mansabdars (often through servants while they served elsewhere)

• Taxation and Administration

  • Zabt: Revenue system introduced by Todar Mal (Akbar’s revenue minister)
    • Survey of crops, yields, and prices over a 10-year period
    • Cash revenue fixed for each crop
  • Administrative Divisions
    • Empire divided into provinces called Subas
    • Governed by a Subadar (political/military functions) and Diwan (financial officer)
    • Zamindars: Local rural elites who collected taxes and mediated with peasants

• Akbar’s Policies: Sulh-i Kul

  • Sulh-i Kul: Meaning "universal peace" or "absolute peace"
  • Core Philosophy
    • Tolerance of all religions; no discrimination based on religion, caste, or race
    • Focus on ethics: honesty, justice, and peace
  • Influence
    • Followed by Jahangir and Shah Jahan
    • Abul Fazl helped formulate this vision of governance

• The Mughal Empire in the 17th Century and After

  • Economic and commercial prosperity (luxury goods, textiles)
  • Crisis of the late 17th century
    • Aurangzeb's Deccan campaigns depleted imperial treasury and military might
    • Loss of control over Mansabdars and Jagirdars
    • Rise of regional powers: Marathas, Sikhs, Jats, and Rajputs challenging Mughal authority