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[Audio] Mughal Empire. Mughal Empire. By- Group 7 Team Members- Arnav Gupta, Ashutosh Munshi, Sannvi Shrivastav, Khashish Khare, Harsh Rajput, Namami Choudary.

[Audio] Introduction. The political situation in northwest India at the beginning of the sixteenth century was suitable for Babur's entry into India. Ibrahim Lodhi was the Sultan of Punjab and Delhi, but had not much control over his dominions . Babur's efforts to establish a large centralized empire alarmed the Afghan Chiefs as well as the Rajputs . Daulat Khan Lodhi, almost an independent ruler of Punjab, was anxious to strengthen his own position by weakening Ibrahim Lodhi. To achieve his purpose, he invited Babur, the king of Kabul, to invade India. Babur had long been anxious to conquer India..

[Audio] Babur (1526-1530). Babur was a descendant of Timur and Genghiz Khan. His father, Umar Sheikh Mirza, ruled over Farghana (Uzbekistan) Babur captured Samarkand,a merchant town and added it to Farghana in 1497. But he lost both in 1501. Later in 1504, he captured Kabul but lost it again..

[Audio] First Battle Of Khanwa (1527) Babur had yet face a challenge from the Rajput King Rana Sanga who was the hero of a hundred battles of Mewar. He considered Babur as a foreigner and wanted to stop him from conquering Indian territory. He was supported by Afghan chiefs in the battle at Khanwa against Babur. But the Rajputs and Afghans could not match Babur's generalship and modern tactics, thus lost the battle..

[Audio] Humayun (1530-1556) Humayun succeeded his father in 1530. He was not as capable as his father and lacked determination and will. War with Bahadur Shah Humayun led a campaign against Bahadur Shah, the ruler of Gujarat, who was trying to occupy Malwa, Gujarat and Rajasthan. He fled but returned later and captured Gujarat..

[Audio] Encounters with Sher Shah. Humayun laid siege to the Chunar Fort which had been captured by Sher Shah. Getting ample time, Sher Shah was able to cut off all supplies and communication with Agra. Again, Sher Shah encountered Humayun at the Battle of Chausa in 1539 where the emperor saved himself by jumping into the River Ganga. Sher Shah was victorious again. Humayun again met Sher Shah at Kanauj in 1540 and was defeated again..

[Audio] Humayun's Exile. After the defeat in 1540 Humayun lived in exile for fifteen years with his pregnant wife Hamida Banu Begam and wandered in the Thar desert at the hottest time of the year. Later with the help of the Persian King he was able to regain his lost position. But again this did not last long. Humayun died after falling from the stairs of his library at Purana Quil in Delhi in 1556..

[Audio] Sher Shah Suri-The Great Administrator After defeating Ibrahim Lodhi, Babur established Mughal rule in India. They found Sher Shah, charismatic personality to strengthen power and pose a challenge to Mughal rule. His original name was Farid Khan. He got the title "Sher' after killing a tiger. Due to ill-treatment of his stepmother, Sher Khan had to wander from place-to-place in search of job. He got into service of Bahar Khan Lohani, the ruler of Bihar first and then of the Mughals. He captured the throne of Delhi and became Sher Shah. There were a series of conflicts between Humayun and Sher Shah Suri. Sher Shah was on the for only five years (1540-1545). But in this short period, he introduced a sound administration. He introduced a tax collection system, built roads along with resting areas for travellers , dug wells, improved the jurisdiction, founded hospitals, established free kitchens, organized mail services and the police. His management proved so efficient that even Akbar followed his measures..

[Audio] Some of the features of Sher Shah's administrative system are as follows. Division of empire into forty-seven units called sarkars . The administration was centralized with the king as the most powerful person. These were further subdivided into parganas. Each paragana had its own administrative system with Amir, law keeper, treasurer and account keepers To manage and check the performance of his officers, Sher Shah adopted system of transfers across the empire every two or three years. He personally supervised every branch of the administration. As part of the land system, Sher Shah ordered an accurate survey of all lands. Land revenue was fixed at one-third of the produce. Revenue could be paid in cash or in kind. Making of roads.

[Audio] Case Study-Akbar (1556-1605) Unlike his father and grandfather, Akbar was an Indian by birth. He was born in 1542 in a Rajput Fort at Amarkot. He was only 13 years old when his father, Humayun, died This sudden turn of events left the newly reclaimed Mughal empire in peril once again. He was in Punjab at the time of his father's death. He was proclaimed the emperor. Bairam Khan was appointed to young monarch, he guided Akbar at each step and prepared him for his imperial responsibilities..

[Audio] Important Conquests Of Akbar The real founder of the Mughal empire was Akbar. Akbar established a large empire through number of conquests, like Delhi and Agra (1556), Gwalior, Ajmer and Jaunpur (1564), Chittor (1568), Ranthambhor and Kalinga (1569), Bikaner, Jaisalmer and Jodhpur (1570), Gujarat (1572), Bihar and Bengal (1574-76), Kabul (1585-86), Kashmir, Sindh and Kandahar (1586-1595), Ahmadnagar (1600) and Khandesh (1601)..

[Audio] Unification by Akbar Akbar, by his leadership and conquests, brought the whole of northern India and parts of Deccan under his rule. He was able to bring unity in the administrative and the political systems. The officers were transferred from one place to another so that they may not develop their hold in any area. Thus, it is seen that through these measures Akbar easily established unity in the country. Persian was the official language in Akbar's empire. Akbar actively brought together both the Hindu and Muslim-cultures. We can see this in the fine arts, architecture, the paintings and music of that time. Akbar took great interest in Indian culture. The contribution, which Akbar made, became a wealth common to both the Hindus and Muslims. Akbar provided special assistance to Sanskrit and Hindi for their promotion. This gave a great boost to literature that produced cultural unity..

[Audio] Religious Policy Of Akbar Akbar took important measures to establish social unity in his empire. He propagated the idea universal peace called Sulb -i- kul. He removed all religious taxes imposed on non-Muslims thereby ending all social differences. He arranged and encouraged inter- marriages and inter-dining between the Hindus and the Muslims. No unequal treatment was made on the basis of religion with regard to appointments and admissions to various institutions. Akbar himself celebrated Diwali and Dussehra and tried to stop many social evils in the society. Such measures adopted by him helped in promoting social unity during his reign. Akbar started a new religion called Din- i- laki. It contained the good points of all religions and told that there was only one God..

[Audio] Akbar's Administration The art written by Abul Fazl is the main source of information about Akbar's administration. He assisted a number of officials including the Wazir (Head of Revenue). Mir Bakshi (Head of Military). Qazi (Chief Judge) and Sardar (Superior of the royal household). The appointment, promotion and dismissal of officials was in the hands of the king. The empire was divided into fifteen subas or provinces and each suba was under a Subedar. He was incharge of both military and civil matters. The Divan was given the responsibility for collecting the land revenue..Each suba was sub-divided into sarkars or districts. The sarkars were divided into parganas. These were managed by a team of officials. The pargana was made up of a number of villages. The administrative work of village was carried out by the village panchayat..

[Audio] Features Of Land Revenue System Land Revenue The main source of revenue was land. The land reforms were known as Todarmal's Bandobast. During the rule of Akbar and his successors, there were four main methods of revenue collection. Dahsala: One-third of average produce of ten years fixed in rupees per bigha (1/3 of an Acre) Batai: One-third of the total produce per crop. Kankaut: One-third of the estimated produce. Nasaq: Rough calculation of amount payable on the basis of past revenue..

[Audio] The Main Features Of Land Revenue System The main features of the land revenue were: The land was surveyed and measured in bighas with the help of bamboo jaribs. The land was divided into four categories. (a) Polaj -fertile cultivated land (b) PaRauti-less fertile land (c) Chachar -inferior land (d) Banjar -infertile land (3) The land revenue was taken on the basis of the fertility of the land. (4) The annual payment was taken from the cultivators or ryots. (5) The state's share was one-third of the average produce of the land which could be paid in cash or in kind. (6) If the crops failed, the land revenue was waived off..

[Audio] Trade Trade was also the main source of revenue. Crafts and industries flourished under the rule of Akbar. Akbar issued a gold coin known as Mohur. Silver and copper coins were also used..

[Audio] Features Of Military System The military administration of Akbar was based on the Mansabdari system. Mansab meant a rank and a Mansabdar was the holder of the rank Akbar's Mansabdari system Every official was given a Mansab or rank. The rank depended on the nature of the job. The emperor looked after the appointment, promotion and dismissal of Mansabdars Salaries were paid according to the rank in the Branding of horses and maintenance of descriptive roll of the soldiers was continued by Akbar. A standing army was maintained. The cavalry was the most important branch. There was also am organized artillery, The troops were supplied by the Mansabdars..

[Audio] Relations With Other Rulers Akbar expanded and elaborated the policy of Humayun to win over the confidence of other rulers. When Akbar assumed the throne he made a deliberate attempt to win over the Rajputs to his side and used their support in the expansion of Mughal rule in India. Akbar's Rajput policy proved extremely successful for the Mughal Empire. He formed a strong and stable empire with the help of the Rajputs, a martial clan among the Hindus and got rid of his own conspiring nobles and relatives ..

[Audio] Jahangir (1605-1627) Jahangir was the only son of Akbar but within six months of his accession, his son Khusrau revolted. He was blinded and his supporters were put to death. Jahangir was able to bring Rana Amar Singh of Mewar to submit to him and was able to get back the Ahmadnagar Fort..

[Audio] Nur Jahan Jahangir's marriage to Nur Jahan actually was the main cause of the weakening of the Mughal Empire. Nur Jahan took over the administration in her hands. Though very talented, beautiful and educated, she was highly ambitious and her plans favoring her son-in-law Prince Shahriyar, forced Prince Khurram, Jahangir's decorated in youngest son, to revolt. Jahangir's addiction to wine and opium, led him to entrust Nur Jahan images. with all the matters of his state. She became all powerful and this led to a civil war..

[Audio] Shah Jahan (1628-1658) After killing his brothers, Khusrau and Shahriyar, Prince Khurram (Also CalledShah Jahan) ascended the throne in 1628, when he became the king. The Mughal Empire was at its peak and many achievements marked his reign. Though Shah Jahan had nominated his elder son, Dara, as his heir, there was a war of succession between the four brothers (Dara, Shuja, Aurangzeb and Murad). After defeating his brothers and getting them killed and imprisoning his father, Aurangzeb became the Emperor of India..

[Audio] Patronage Of architecture Architecture Under Shah Jahan Shah Jahan is popularly called the Prince of Builders and Engineer King. His reign can also be termed as the Golden Age of Mughal Empire. He built the Taj Mahal at Agra, the Red Fort, and Jama Masjid Delhi. The Taj Mahal is one of the seven wonders of the world'. Music and painting made great progress under him . He built Moti Masjid at Agra for the members of the royal court. It boasts extensive use of white marble. During the day, it shines like a pearl..

[Audio] Aurangzeb (1658-1707) Aurangzeb's Deccan Policy Aurangzeb was the last Mughal Emperor who tried to fulfill his wish of bringing the entire subcontinent under him. His empire extended from Kashmir in the north to the Kaveri in the South, from Kabul in the west to Chiltag in the East. Religious Policy The religious policy of Aurangzeb was just the opposite to that of Akbar. He did not allow new temples to be built and banned various hindu festivals such as Diwali and Dusshera. The Rajputs, the Jats and the Sikhs all united and fought against the Mughals. As the successors of Aurangzeb were weak and could not face the rebellions, it led to the fall of the Mughal empire..

[Audio] Decline of –Mughal empire The reasons for the fall of the Mughal Empire can be summed up as under. (a) Wars of Succession: The Mughals did not follow any law of succession. Each time a ruler died, a war of succession between the brothers began (b) Aurangzeb's Policies: Aurangzeb failed to realize that the vast Mughal Empire depended on the willing support of the people. He lost the support of the Rajputs who had contributed greatly to the strength of the Empire. (c) Weak Successors of Aurangzeb: The successors of Aurangzeb were weak and incompetent. They were inefficient generals and incapable of suppressing revolts..

[Audio] (d) Empty Treasury: Shah Jahan's zeal for construction had depleted the treasury. Aurangzeb's long wars in the south had further drained the exchequer. (e) Invasions: The invasions of Nadir Shah and Shah Abdali resulted in further drainage of wealth. These invasions shook the very foundations of the empire. (f) Vastness of the Empire: The Mughal Empire had become too large to be controlled by any ruler. The early Mughals were efficient and exercised control over ministers and army, but the later Mughals were poor administrators. The rise of independent states led to the disintegration of the Mughal Empire..

[Audio] Thank You.. Thank You.