The Mughal Empire in India

The Mughal Empire in India

• Main Idea: Power and Authority: The Mughal

Empire brought Turks, Persians, and Indians
together in a vast empire.

•The Gupta Empire, which was controlled by Hindus, crumbled
in the late 400s.
•First, the Arabs invaded.
•Then, warlike Muslim tribes from
central Asia carved northwestern India
into many small kingdoms.

• Rajputs=son of kings ruled the kingdoms

​Background Information

INTRODUCTION

• Under the Mughals, India was the heart of a great Islamic

empire and a prolific center of Islamic culture and learning.

• Dynasty was the greatest, richest and longest lasting Muslim

dynasty to rule India.

• Mongol Descendents

• The Great Mughal Emperors were:

• Babur (1526-1530) The First of the Mughals

• Humayun (1530-1556) The Luckless Leader

• Akbar (1556-1605) The Great

• Jahangir (1605-1627) The Paragon of Stability

• Shah Jahan (1627-1658) The Master Builder

• Aurangzeb (1658-1707) The Intolerant

MAP WORK-GROWTH OF THE MUGHAL EMPIRE

Multiple Choice

Look at the map on the previous slide, what is used to distinguish the territory claimed by Barbur?

• yellow

• orange

• purple line

Multiple Choice

Look at the map on slide 5. What geographic feature prevented the Mughal Empire from expanding further to the north?

• Indian Ocean

• Bay of Bengal

• Himalayas

•People who invaded descended
from Turks and Afghans.
•Their leader was a descendant
of Timur the Lame and of Mongol
conqueror Genghis Khan
•They called themselves
Mughals which means “Mongols”.

Multiple Choice

True or False: The Mughals are descendants from the Muslims.

• True

• False

Early History of the Mughals
•The 8th century began with a long,
bloody clash between
Hindus and Muslims.
•For almost 300 years,
the Muslims were able to
advance only as far as the
Indus valley.

•Starting around the year 1000,
well trained Turkish armies
swept into India.
•Led by Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni,
they devastated Indian cities in
brutal campaigns.

Delhi Sultanate
•Delhi eventually became the
capital of a loose empire of Turkish
warlords called the Delhi Sultanate.
•Treated the Hindus as conquered people.
•Between the 13th-16th centuries,
33 different sultans ruled
this divided territory.

Multiple Choice

According to slides 5-7, how were Hindus treated under the Delhi Sultanate?

• they were forced into slavery

• they held high government jobs

• they were treated as conquered peoples

•1398 destroyed Delhi.
•Eventually was rebuilt.
•Not until the 16th century did a new leader, Barbur, arise to unify the empire

​Timur the Lame

Babur 1526-1530

-In 1494, an 11 year old boy,
Babur inherited a kingdom
that is now Uzbekistan and
Tajikistan.

-used gunpowder and trained soldiers on horses to victories over an army led by the sultan of Delhi and the Rajput army
- Only a tiny kingdom,
his elders soon took it away
and drove him south.

•But Babur built an army.
•He swept down into India and
laid the foundation for the vast
Mughal Empire.
•A brilliant general.
•In 1526, he led 12,000 troops
to victory against an army of
100,000 commanded by the
Sultan of Delhi.

-Made Agra the capital

-ruled for 4 short years; not enough time to enact laws

Multiple Choice

How old was Barbur when he inherited the throne?

• 11

• 13

• 14

• 15

Multiple Choice

Why didn't Barbur implement long-lasting reforms?

• He only reigned for 4 years

• There was a brutal civil war

• He was conquered

• He didn't have an interest in ruling

•After Babur’s death,
an incompetent son, Humayan,
lost the territory.
•After that, his 13 year old
grandson, Akbar took the throne.

• Akbar means "Greatest One"
  

​Akbar 1556-1605

Multiple Choice

Akbar means:

• Worst one

• Greatest one

• Magnificent one

• Angry one

​-used heavy artillery

-appointed rajputs as officers to ensure loyalty

-turned potential enemies into allies

-united over 100 million people, more than Europe combined

​Military Conqueror

-Ruled India with wisdom and tolerance [accepting of others]

-married 2 Hindus, a Christian, and a Muslim

-allowed his wives to practice their faith freely in the palace

-he held political and religious conversations with Hindus and Muslims

-He even developed his own faith, Din-l-llahi, based on these conversations; it never caught on in India

Defender of religious freedom

Multiple Choice

True or False: Akbar was a Muslim who married wives of different religious backgrounds.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

What did Akbar call his new religion?

• Islam

• Hinduism

• Sikhism

• Din-l-llahi

-abolished the tax on Hindu pilgrims and the hated jizya, a tax imposed on non-Muslims

-Developed a centralized government

-15 provinces each under a governor; each province was divided into districts, and each district was divided into smaller sections
-bureaucracy [departments] of officials in which natives and foreigners, both Hindus and Muslims, could rise to high office.

Liberal leader

Multiple Choice

Akbar showed tolerance to Hindus by doing the following EXCEPT:

• burning their temples

• Marrying a Hindu wife

• Holding political conversations with them

• Not taxing them

-Created an effective taxation policy.
-Graduated income tax, people paid a tax based on how much they made (rich paid more)

-Because the tax was fair, more people paid it which brought more revenue in for the empire.

-reclaimed land from deceased officials and redistributed it to prevent the growth of feudal aristocracies (elite landowning class)

-children could not inherit land or benefit from their parent's work

​Akbar's government policies

Multiple Choice

The tax that Akbar implemented based on how much you make is called a:

• flat tax

• graduated tax

• variable tax

Multiple Choice

True or False: Akbar allowed children to inherit their dead parents' land.

• True

• False

​Akbar practices cultural blending

​Along with marrying wives of different faiths, Akbar:

-appointed a Spanish Jesuit to tutor his second son

-welcomed the influence of many cultures which influenced art, politics, education, and language

• Persian was the language of
Akbar’s court and high culture.
• Common people spoke Hindi,
a mixture of Persian and
local language.
• Mughal armies were soldiers
of many backgrounds.
• Resulted in yet another language
Urdu, blend of Arabic, Persian,
and Hindi.

Multiple Choice

Akbar practiced cultural blending by doing all of the following EXCEPT:

• hiring a Spanish tutor for his son

• ignoring ideas of conquered people

• allowing people of many backgrounds to serve in the army

• allowing blended languages to be spoken

Akbar's Golden Age
•Arts flourished at the Mughal court, especially book illustrations.
•These paintings were called miniatures.
•Hindu literature enjoyed a revival.
•Architecture was known as the Akbar period.
•Massive, graceful structures decorated with intricate stonework that portrayed Hindu themes.

​Humayun's Tomb

​Fort Agra-a blend of Hindu, Persian, Islamic, and Turkish architecture

Multiple Choice

India experienced a golden age under Akbar:

• True

• False

JAHANGIR 1605 - 1627

THE PARAGON OF STABILITY

• Jahangir succeeded his father Akbar in 1605.
• Opposite of his father

• Poor monarch and warrior but good at maintaining the

status quo.

• He continued many of Akbar’s policies.

• Freedom of worship.
• Fair treatment of Hindus.
• Continued friendship and alliance with Rajputs.
• Allowed foreigners like the Portuguese and English into

India for trade.

• Jahangir married Nur Jahan. She became the

real ruler of the empire until the death of her
husband.

Multiple Choice

Jahangir allowed his wife to take care of affairs of the state.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

True or False: Jahangir kept many of Akbar's policies.

• True

• False

•She was a brilliant politician.
•Installed her father as prime minister.
•Saw Jahangir’s son, Khusrau
as her ticket to future power.
•He rebelled against his father
and she had him removed.

•This became the basis of a long
and bitter religious conflict.
•When Khusrau rebelled he
turned to the Sikhs.

•Sikhs were nonviolent religious
group whose doctrines blended
Buddhism, Hinduism, and Sufism.
•Their leader sheltered Khusrau.
•In response, Mughal rulers had
the leader arrested and tortured
to death.
•Sikhs became target of
Mughal hatred.

Multiple Choice

Why were the Sikh's targeted by Muslims?

• They hid Khusrau, Nur Jahan's son after he led a rebellion.

• They waged a war against the Muslims.

END OF JAHANGIR'S REIGN

• Under the influence of his wife and many others,

Jahangir was not an able ruler like his father.
• He loved to drink and enjoy himself.
• He had to suppress many rebellions.
• Important posts in the court were given to families,

friends, and especially those close to his wife, Nur Jahan.

Multiple Choice

Janaghir was a great ruler like his father, Akbar.

• True

• False

SHAH JAHAN 1627 - 1658

THE MASTER BUILDER

• Shah Jahan succeeded his father in 1627.
• Better ruler than Jahangir.

• Restored the efficiency of government.
• Recovered territories.
• Maintained peace
• Foreign traders were allowed into India and trade increased considerably

• The empire was expanded.
• Shah Jahan was a patron of the arts

• Built many great architecture buildings including the Taj Mahal and the Peacock Throne, a brilliant, gold throne encased in hundreds of precious gems

Multiple Choice

Shah Jahan did all of the following EXCEPT:

• maintained peace

• recovered territory

• sponsored the arts

• closed India to foreign trade

SHAH JAHAN and the TAJ MAHAL

•Taj Mahal, one of the most beautiful buildings in the world

• Built in honor of his wife , Mumtaz Mahal, who died giving birth to their 14th child at the age of 39
• Took over a decade to build and it nearly bankrupted the empire

-While he had the tomb build, people were suffering. There was famine, and he continually raised taxes on farmers to pay for the building

Multiple Choice

What is the Taj Mahal?

• Tomb for Shah Jahan's wife

• Palace for Shah Jahan

• government building

• army fort

THE END OF SHAH JAHAN

•1657 - Shah Jahan became seriously ill and a dispute over the succession of the throne ensued between his three sons.
•Aurangzeb, one of Shah Jahan's son, deposed Shah Jahan in a coup d’etat in 1658. Shah Jahan was imprisoned in the Octagonal Tower of the Agra Fort from which he could see the Taj Mahal. He died in 1666 and was buried next to his wife in the Taj Mahal.

Multiple Choice

What happened to Shah Jahan?

• He was overthrown by Persians.

• His son had him arrested and imprisoned.

• He was exiled.

AURANGZEB 1658 - 1707

THE INTOLERANT

• Aurangzeb ascended the throne after arresting his father and executing his oldest brother

-Expanded Mughal holdings empire to their largest size, but power of empire weakened because he was a

despot-ruler who had absolute poser unjust ruler and rules in an unjust way; lost support of the people

• Primary Interest - Promote Islam vs religious tolerance

Multiple Choice

Aurangzeb was a despot. What is a despot?

• fair ruler

• unjust ruler

• elected official

​Mughal Empire at its Height

Multiple Choice

What color on the map on the previous slide shows Aurangzeb's expansion to the Mughal empire?

• Yellow

• Green

•Rigidly enforced Islamic law.
•Outlawed drinking, gambling,
and other activities viewed as vices.
•Appointed censors to
policed his subjects’ morals.
•Brought back the hated
tax on non-Muslims.
•Dismissed Hindus from
high positions.

​Aurangzeb's policies

•Banned construction of new
temples and had Hindu monuments
destroyed.
•Hindu rajputs who Akbar had
converted from potential enemies
to allies, rebelled.
•Aurangzeb defeated them repeatedly,
but never completely. In the south
militant Hindus founded their own state.

•The Sikhs transformed into a
militant brotherhood.
•They began building a state in the Punjab.
•Aurangzeb imposed oppressive
taxes to pay for the wars against
increasing numbers of enemies.

END OF AURANGZEB

• Aurangzeb over expanded the empire and strained his resources

-large sums of money and manpower were lost

-2 million lost their lives in famine

-lost support of the Hindu people and created years of hatred between Hindus and Muslims

-over expansion of the empire weakened his administration

-allowed the British to have the port of Bombay to make money from debt incurred from the building of the Taj Mahal by his father.

-Aurangzeb died in 1707

-his son Bahadur Shah succeeded him, but he was so old, he only lived a few more years.

-by this time, India was a patchwork of independent states

- the government was so unstable and weak that it was an easy target of invasion and exploitation, first by the Persians and then the British, who would eventually rule all of India.

Multiple Choice

Based on slides 51-54, why would Hindus dislike Aurangzeb?

• burned Hindu temples and destroyed Hindu monuments

• imposed taxes on Hindus

• dismissed Hindus from government positions

• All of the answers are right.

Multiple Choice

According to slide 54, which port did Aurangzeb allow the British to have trading rights to, thus allowing them to eventually take over all of India?

• Bombay

• Madras

• Calcutta

• Delhi

THE SUCCESS OF THE MUGHALS

• It is agreed among many scholars that the Mughal empire

was the greatest, richest and most long-lasting Muslim dynasty
to rule India. This period of Mughal rule produced the finest
and most elegant art and architecture in the history of Muslim
dynasties.

• The Mughal emperors, with few exceptions, were among the

world’s most aesthetically minded rules. Although Turkish and
Persian in background, the Mughals were not Muslim rulers of
India but Indian rulers who happened to be Muslims. This idea
is most evident in Akbar’s obsession of a utopian India for
Hindus and Muslims.

• The longevity of the Mughal empire can be contributed to a

number of factors. The Mughal emperors were ambitious and
for the most part able rulers. But Akbar is perhaps the Mughal
emperor responsible for much of the prosperity and harmony
achieved during the Mughal Empire.

Multiple Choice

Which Mughal leader can be credited for much of the peace, prosperity, and harmony during the Mughal rule in India?

• Aurangzeb

• Akbar

• Shah Jahan

• Jahangir

MUGHAL ART/ARCHITECTURE

• The Mughal Empire and the Great Mughals will

always be remembered as a great influence on
the artistic and cultural life of India. Their
architectural style can still be seen today such as
the Taj Mahal built by Shah Jahan

• The remarkable flowering of art and architecture

under the Mughal Empire is due to several
factors.
• The empire provided a secure framework within

which artistic genius could flourish. Both Hindu and
Muslim artists collaborated to produce some of the
best Indian art.

• The empire commanded wealth and resources that

were unparalleled in Indian history.

• The Mughal emperors were themselves patrons of

art whose intellectual ideas and cultural outlook
were expressed in the architecture.

Multiple Choice

True or False. The Mughal Art and Architecture was so great because Hindus and Muslims worked together on many of the great buildings of that time.

• True

• False