LATER MUGHALS (1707–1857)

Who were the Later Mughals?

  • Rulers who came after Aurangzeb’s death in 1707.
  • Lacked political strength, military control, and administrative skill.
  • Empire gradually became nominal with real power shifting to regional rulers, nobles, and foreign powers like the British.

Important Later Mughal Emperors

1. Bahadur Shah I (1707–1712)

  • Son of Aurangzeb.
  • Tried to reconcile with Rajputs, Sikhs, and Marathas.
  • Released Shahu (Maratha) from captivity.
  • Allowed Guru Gobind Singh to meet him.
  • Could not assert central authority over provincial governors.

2. Jahandar Shah (1712–1713)

  • Became emperor with help of noble Zulfiqar Khan.
  • Reversed Aurangzeb’s religious orthodoxy.
  • Killed by nephew Farrukhsiyar with support of Sayyid Brothers.

3. Farrukhsiyar (1713–1719)

  • Puppet of the Sayyid Brothers (Kingmakers).
  • Gave trade concessions to the British (1717).
  • Removed and killed by Sayyid Brothers when he tried to assert independence.

4. Muhammad Shah ‘Rangeela’ (1719–1748)

  • Culture flourished, but administration weakened.
  • Nadir Shah of Persia invaded Delhi in 1739, looted wealth including the Peacock Throne.
  • This shattered Mughal prestige.

5. Ahmad Shah (1748–1754)

  • Reign marked by increasing control of powerful nobles.
  • Emergence of Ahmad Shah Abdali as a threat from the northwest.

6. Alamgir II (1754–1759)

  • Dependent on Wazir Imad-ul-Mulk.
  • Killed by Imad due to factional rivalry.

7. Shah Alam II (1759–1806)

  • Lost to British at Battle of Buxar (1764).
  • Became pensioner of the British under protection in Allahabad.
  • Title became symbolic.

8. Akbar Shah II (1806–1837)

  • Mughal authority reduced to Delhi city only.
  • British no longer consulted Mughal emperor in administration.

9. Bahadur Shah II (Zafar) (1837–1857)

  • Last Mughal emperor.
  • Leader of the 1857 Revolt, though symbolically.
  • Captured and exiled to Rangoon (Burma) by the British.
  • Mughal rule formally ended in 1858.

DISINTEGRATION OF THE MUGHAL EMPIRE

Internal Causes:

1. Weak and Ineffective Successors

  • Later emperors lacked leadership and administrative capabilities.

2. Degeneration of the Nobility

  • Nobles became selfish, formed factions, and often acted as kingmakers (e.g., Sayyid Brothers).

3. Breakdown of Central Authority

  • Provincial governors (Subahdars) and local nobles started acting independently.
  • Emergence of hereditary governorship weakened the empire.

4. Economic Crisis

  • Costly wars and corruption drained the treasury.
  • Jagirdari system collapsed; peasants revolted under pressure of taxation.

5. Religious and Social Discord

  • Aurangzeb’s religious intolerance alienated Rajputs, Marathas, Sikhs, and Deccan states.

External Causes:

1. Foreign Invasions

  • Nadir Shah (1739): Looted Delhi, undermined Mughal prestige.
  • Ahmad Shah Abdali (1748–1767): Repeated invasions weakened northwest frontier.

2. Rise of Regional Powers

  • Independent kingdoms emerged from former Mughal provinces:
    • Awadh, Bengal, Hyderabad, Mysore, Punjab, Marathas.

3. European Colonial Expansion

  • British East India Company gained military and political dominance after:
    • Battle of Plassey (1757)
    • Battle of Buxar (1764)
  • Mughal emperor became nominal; British ruled in his name until 1857.

End of the Mughal Empire

  • 1857 Revolt: Last effort to restore Mughal glory.
  • Bahadur Shah Zafar made symbolic head of the rebellion.
  • British crushed the revolt.
  • Mughal dynasty abolished under Queen Victoria’s proclamation (1858).
  • India came under direct British Crown rule.

Conclusion

The Mughal Empire disintegrated due to a combination of weak leadership, administrative failures, external invasions, and rising regional and foreign powers. Though the imperial structure collapsed, Mughal influence on Indian art, architecture, and administration remained profound and enduring.

Published by Pragyanxetu

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