Question

a)Do you think it was the incompetence of the Mughals which led to the rise of regional powers?Give reasons for your answer. ​

Answer 1

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Answer 2

Yes,

Reason :-

• it was the incompetence of the Mughal which led to the rise of regional powers.

• Mughal ruler Aurangzeb, religious tax on non-Muslims, rise in Hindu nationalism and revival of ancient history and promotion of glory by saints in different regions.

• The Regional Powers, like the Sikhs under Ranjit Singh, the Marathas under Baji Rao I and Mysore Kingdom under Hyder Ali and Son. Each of them was equal or greater than one or more European states of that era in terms of size, GDP and population. Also, it wasn’t that they had suddenly erupted out of nothing. The Sikhs had been persecuted since the beginning of their religion by the various Delhi based dynasties- the Mughals are famous as the last dynasty but they were not the only ones.

• The Mughals ruled strongly for 200 years and overall for 350 years (the last 100 odd years as virtual prisoners in Delhi) but before them the Lodhi Dynasty ruled Delhi for some 70 odd years before them the Sayyids had ruled and before them the Tughlaks and before them the Khiljis and before them the Slave Dynasty (later called Qutub Dynasty by some). So, for nearly 400 years before the Mughals came to power various dynasties were competing. Further, Rajputana was almost always neutral or enemy with the ruling houses of Delhi and in a perpetual Frenemy mode (Friend or Enemy depending on ruler).

• The Deccan states were too far away from Delhi to have accepted their rule as were the North-Eastern states and Southern states. The Afghan provinces usually rebelled at intervals of 100 years or so in all these rules. Most of the newer dynasties occupying Delhi first conquered Kabul, made it their base and then marched on Delhi with their “backs secured”.

• This movement of power is well documented. The dynasties ruling Delhi were ruling only until they held the power of the Sword over the “ruled” as the numbers of their allies and permanent friends were never greater than 5% of the total population, the remaining always abhorred them. This was the reason there were near-perpetual rebellions. In-fact Humayun the second Mughal spent most of his rule in exile in Afghanistan while trying to conquer Delhi. Further, after the death of Shah Jahan, there was a major civil war between Aurangazeb and his brothers for the throne which he finally won by force. The empire built on sword was always liable to be broken by the sword and it finally got broken because after the death of Aurangazeb no ruler sitting in “Delhi” could enforce his diktat on the provinces.

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Summary-

• The devil is always in the details and no conqueror has been able to subjugate another culture which is totally alien to that of the conqueror without the power of the sword, the sword itself is double-edged such that if the conqueror is unable to enforce his rule, he himself gets slaughtered and a new ruler emerges either from within (like the various Delhi Sultanates) or without (like the Regional powers).