Question

write the causes behind the downfall of the mughal empire .

Answer 1

Hi ..!

Few causes for the downfall of the Mughal Empire are as follows :

1. Jagirdari Crisis : The mughals appointed jagirs to pay their officers.By the end of the seventeenth century, there were only a few jagirs left and much of the crown land was transformed into jagir land thus affecting the economy .
2. Mansabdari crisis : Under this system , mansabdars had to maintain a fixed quota of troops for which they were paid by the king.In the seventeenth century , the number of mansabdars had increased and they did not maintain the number of troops. This added to weakening of the military.
3. Rules of succession : There were no clear rules of succession in the mughals thus every death of an emperor was almost always met by wars . This affected the empire by reducing the number of troops and money.
4. Aurangzeb's policies : Aurangzeb spent much of his life away from his capital for which the administration suffered . Some territorries got independent which later became rebels .
5. Jealousies within nobles: The Mughal Empire was divided into three groups of nobles ---- iranis , turanis and hindustanis. They did not care about the development of the empire and led luxurious lives. They were enemies with each other and failed to unite for a common cause.
6. Weak successors : Aurungzeb's successors were weak who were unable to keep the empire intact.