why did mugal dynesty ends?
Answers
When Aurangzeb died in 1707, he was 88 years old. Even his son Bahadur, who took power after him, was already 63 years old! Bahadur only ruled for five years before he died too. With Aurangzeb and Bahadur gone, all the people who were unhappy in the Mughal Empire broke away from it and started their own countries.
The history of India, as well as of the world, has been divided into three periods: ancient, medieval and modern.
The death of Aurangzeb is believed to have marked the beginning of the modern period. This history is seen to conclude with the achievement of independence in 1947.
Is ‘modern’ an adequate and acceptable term to describe this period of history?
Even if we can refer to different historical periods, in which changes occurred and distinguishing characteristics emerged, we cannot fix precise dates for any specific period. Each period was born out of the previous one. But gradually each one developed its own distinctive characteristics.
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The idea of the ‘modern’ has come from the West. It is associated with the development of science, reason, liberty, equality and democracy. If we use the term ‘modern’ for the period of British rule in India, we accept that these principles were introduced in India by the British.
An alternate way, then, is to characterise this period as the ‘colonial’. The establishment and spread of British rule, and the accompanying transformation in the political, economic, social and cultural worlds, are all part of this colonial rule.
Decline of the Mughals:
The period of the Great Mughals, which began in 1526 with Babur’s accession to the throne, ended with the death of Aurangzeb in 1707. Aurangzeb’s death marked the end of an era in Indian history. When Aurangzeb died, the empire of the Mughals was the largest in India. Yet, within about fifty years of his death, the Mughal Empire disintegrated.
Aurangzeb
Aurangzeb’s death was followed by a war of succession among his three sons. It ended in the victory of the eldest brother, Prince Muazzam. The sixty five-year-old prince ascended the throne under the name of Bahadur Shah.
Bahadur Shah (1707 A.D.-1712 A.D.):
Bahadur Shah followed a policy of compromise and conciliation and tried to conciliate the Rajputs, the Marathas, the Bundelas, the Jats and the Sikhs. During his reign the Marathas and the Sikhs became more powerful. He had also to face revolt from the Sikhs. Bahadur Shah died in 1712.
Bahadur Shah
Wars of Succession, which had been a regular feature among the Mughals, had become more acute after the death of Bahadur Shah. This was specially so because the nobles had become very powerful. Different factions of nobles supported rival claimants to the throne in order to occupy high posts.
Jahandar Shah (1712 A.D.-1713 A.D.):
Jahandar Shah who succeeded Bahadur Shah was weak and incompetent. He was controlled by nobles and could manage to rule only for one year.
Jahandar ShahFarrukhsiyar (1713 A.D.-1719 A.D.):
Farrukhsiyar ascended the throne with the help of the Sayyid brothers who were popularly called the ‘king makers’. He was controlled by the Sayyid brothers who were the real authority behind Mughal power. When he tried to free himself from their control, he was killed by them.
Mohammad Shah (1719 A.D.-1748 A.D.):
The Sayyids helped Mohammad Shah, ascend the 18-year-old grandson of Bahadur Shah, to the throne. Taking advantage of the weak rule of Mohammad Shah and the constant rivalry among the various factions of the nobility, some powerful and ambitious nobles established virtually independent states. Hyderabad, Bengal, Awadh and Rohilkhand offered but nominal loyalty to the Mughal Emperor. The Mughal Empire practically broke up.
Nadir Shah’s Invasion:
The condition of India with its incompetent rulers, weak administration and poor military strength attracted foreign invaders. Nadir Shah, the ruler of Persia, attacked Punjab in 1739. Mohammad Shah was easily defeated and imprisoned. Nadir Shah marched towards Delhi. Nadir Shah was a ferocious invader.
Peacock Throne
Nadir Shah’s invasion gave a crushing blow to the already tottering Mughal Empire and hastened the process of its disintegration. Mohammad Shah’s kingdom was practically confined to Delhi and its neighbourhood. He died in 1748.
Mohammad Shah was succeeded by a number of inefficient rulers Ahmad Shah (1748-1754), Alamgir II (1754-1759), Shah Alam II (1759-1806), Akbar II (1806-1837) and Bahadur Shah II (1837-1857). During the rule of Alamgir II, the East India Company fought the Battle of Plassey in 1757 and defeated Siraj-ud-Daulah, the Nawab of Bengal. They thus got a foothold in Bengal.