Factors Responsible for the Decline of the Mughal Empire

The Mughal Empire began to crumble around the middle of the 17th century. The decline
became apparent under Aurangzeb's reign, and the state of affairs only worsened over time.
Scholars believe a variety of factors contributed to this. Let us discuss them below.

be

1. Economic crisis

The Mughal Empire reached its zenith during the reign of Aurangzeb. But the endless conquests
such as those of Golconda and Bijapur and long-drawn Deccan campaign depleted the financial
and military resources of his empire.

There also emerged an economic situation known as the Jagirdari Crisis. In the later years of
Aurangzeb's reign, there were no further conquests which led to the stagnation of resources
However, the number of mansabdars had risen to a great extent. This led to a mismatch
between the number of mansabdars and the amount of land to be assigned to them as jagir.
Therefore, the salaries and the number of troops to be maintained by the mansabdar had to be
reduced considerably.

Question-Why was there an increase in the number of mansabdars?

2. Weak administration

The central administration became unstable following Aurangzeb's death. Taking advantage of
such a political situation, new regional elites rose to power who challenged the centralizing
tendency. of the Mughals. Many of these regional elites were the jagirdars who had
accumulated enough resources in their hands by extracting maximum revenue from the
peasantry, due to which they could also maintain a strong military force. This helped them to
consolidate their power in their respective regions.
3. Revolts of peasants and zamindars

Peasant revolts had become frequent during the late 17th and early 18th centuries. These
peasant revolts were backed by the local zamindars who were in defiance of the central
authority of the Mughal state. The jagirdars of the state exacted very high revenue from the
jagirs assigned to them and the burden of the the revenue fell on the peasantry. The zamindars
had started to lose out on their share of the serplus. Therefore, whenever peasants rose in
revolt, they had the support of the zamindars. Such disturbances are bound to weaken the
functioning of the state. Phut telre di bend

Word Galaxy

Surplus- an amount, quantity, etc, greater than needed.

4. Foreign invasions

In the middle of the political and economic crisis, Nadir Shah, the ruler of Persia (Iran) sacked
the city of Delhi in 1739 CE. The Mughal Empire suffered significant damage as a result of his
invasion.

Further, repeated invasions of Ahmad Shah Abdali, the Afghan ruler, between 1756 CE and 1761
CE weakened the Mughal Empire considerably.

‫ﮐﻮ‬

Did You Know

Nadir Shah carried away immense booty including the Kohinoor diamond and the peacock
throne of Shah Jahan.
5. Rivalry among the nobility

The Mughal Empire was furthermore weakened by the rivalry among the later Mughal nobility.
The nobility was divided into two major groups, namely the Iranis and the Turanis. There were
many other groups as well such as the Afghans, the Indian Muslims as well as the Hindus
comprising the Rajputs and the Marathas. Mutual rivalries among these groups for self-
aggrandisement diverted the focus away from the effective administration of the empire.

Did You Know

The nobles who came from the Turkish speaking region of Central Asia were called Turanis.
Where do you think the Iranis came from?

6. Arrival of the British

The British had entered India as a trading company by receiving a 'farman' from Emperor
Jahangir to establish factories in the country. The British did not intentionally pursue political
conquest in India at first. But as the political fracturing and instability of the Mughal empire
became apparent, the East India Company seized the opportunity and began making attempts
at territorial expansion. The British had a considerably superior military force, thus it could
defeat any opposition it faced.

Word Galaxy

Farman- a royal order issued by the emperor.

Rise of New Independent States

Hyderabad
Chin Qilich Khan, also known as Nizam-ul-Mulk Asaf Jah I, was one of the most influential
nobles in Farrukhsiyar's court and was responsible for the establishment of an autonomous
Hyderabad.

Awadh

Burhan-ul-Mulk Saadat Khan, who was appointed governor of Awadh by Emperor Muhammad
Shah in 1722 CE, is credited with the formation of an autonomous Awadh. He made numerous
attempts to weaken Mughal control in Awadh.

Bengal

In 1717 CE, Emperor Farrukhsiyar designated Murshid Quli Khan as both the governor and the
diwan (tax collector) of Bengal. The combination of the two roles gave him tremendous power,
and he began to rule autonomously within his domain.

Fig. 6.2 Murshid Quli Khan

Rapid Round

1. Who was Nadir Shah?

2. Which three provinces went on to establish independence from the Mughal power?

Emergence of Regional Powers

The Rajputs
The breakdown of the Mughals created favourable conditions for several other ruling dynasties
to establish their political supremacy. One such dynasty was that of the Rajputs. Many Rajput
kings, especially those belonging to Amber (Jaipur) and Marwar (Jodhpur) had served under the
Mughals. In return, they enjoyed considerable freedom in their watan jagirs. The Mughals had
also established marriage alliances with the Rajputs to appease them and strengthen the base
of the empire. But there was bound to be a conflict when many Rajput rulers tried to expand
their territories.

Raja Ajit Singh of Marwar functioned as the governor of Ajmer and Gujarat, and Jai Singh II (also
known as Sawai Raja Jai Singh) of Amber was appointed governor of Surat. They also tried to
extend their dominions by seizing their neighbouring territories. Nagpur was annexed to Marwar
while a large portion of Bundi was captured by the Amber chief. Jai Singh II established his new
capital at Jaipur and also received the governorship of Agra. However, this revival of the Rajputs
was temporary. The Rajput power suffered as a result of the Maratha incursions into Rajasthan.

The Sikhs

Sikkhism had not begun as a separate religion in India. Guru Nanak had preached devotion
teachings soon attracted many followers and transformed into a separate sect. The persecution
of the Sikhs under Aurangzeb turned out to be the reason for the revolts of the Sikhs.

Guru Teg Bahadur's (the ninth Sikh guru) protests against certain rigid policies of Aurangzeb
resulted in his execution. His successor, Guru Gobind Singh, (the tenth Sikh guru) transformed
the Sikhs into a warrior community. He established the Khalsa, or the brotherhood of the Sikhs
which became a highly militant entity. However, not all Sikhs were members of the Khalsa. He
fought several battles against the Mughals and the neighbouring hill princes with remarkable
courage After his death in 1708 CE, the Sikhs found a new leader in Banda Bahadur and the
revolt against the Mughals continued. Banda Bahadur established his control between the rivers
Ravi and the Yamuna and even established independent administration in the region by
appointing officials and minting a new coin. But, Banda Bahadur was captured in 1715 CE and
executed at Delhi in 1716 CE. The Mughals could not destroy the military strength of the Sikhs
completely but the Sikh territories were split under different leaders These territories were
reunited by Maharaja Ranjit Singh. He carved out an independent kingdom and established his
capital at Lahore in 1799 CE.

Fig. 6.3 Maharaja Ranjit Singh

The Jats

The weak successors of Aurangzeb also gave Jats the opportunity to exploit the situation. They
consolidated their power and established themselves as an independent entity. They were
divided into widely scattered units. Under their leader Churaman, the Jats acquired control over
territories situated to the west of Delhi. It was Badan Singh, a nephew of Churaman, who
established hi authority over almost the whole of Agra and Mathura districts. He was one of the
most powerfu Jat leaders who employed all tactics to achieve his aim. The Jats were
prosperous agriculturis and the towns dominated by them became important trading centres.
The Jat kingdom reached zenith under Badan Singh's adopted son and successor, Suraj Mal
who extended the Jat territo to the east and north, including parts of Delhi, Haryana, and
Rajasthan. He was a capable ruler a a patron of art and literature and his reign is considered the
golden period of the Jat kingdom

Case Study - The Marathas

a of hs he ge. da ur nt ur ne S.

to Herat

Kabul AFGHANS

R. Indis

SH

PUNJAB
S

Sutle

R. Indus

Dethi

RAJPUTS

SIND

Gwalior

MARATHA

Bombay

SS

Seringapatm

MYSORE
fot

ジョ

INDIA early Nineteenth Century

English Miles 100 200 300 400 300

TIBET

NEPAL QURKINAS

OUDH

Lucknow

Cawnpore

Aang

BENGAL

Plassey

PINDARTS
CONFEDERACY

HYDERABAD

Calcutta

NORTHY CIRCARS

Madras

CEYLON

British Territory in 1798.

Territories conquered or ceded 1708-1805.

Protected States, 1805

Boundary of Maratha Confederacy-

Fig.6.4 The Maratha Kingdom

The Marathas were the most formidable group of people to build a powerful independent
kingdom. They rose to prominence under the leadership of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. He was
born to Shahaji Bhonsle, who was in the service of Nizam Shahi of Ahmednagar. According to a
71

Sketch Map not to Scale, An Artist's Impression

contemporary literary source Shivabharat composed by Parmanand Shahaji while distributing

the kingdom of Ahmednagar between the Adil Shahi of Bijapur and the Mughals, whose
combined force wiped out the Nizamshahi in 1636, excluded his jagir from it and made him and
his son independent, either of the Adil Shahi or Mughal emperor

Fig. 6.5 Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's aspiration to establish an indeperident kingdom began modestly,

with him gaining control over the jagirs handed to him by his father. His earliest military
successes recorded were when he captured many hill forts near Poona (present day Pune)
Torana, Rajgad, and Kondana. By virtue of this conquest, he was able to extend his kingdom
further. Around the late 1650s, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was at odds with the Mughals.
Thereafter, he annexed more forts and raided the Mughal territories with great success. Shivaji's
journey as a leader and founder of the Maratha Empire concluded with his passing, leaving
behind a lasting impact. After his death, Shivaji was succeeded by his eldest son, Chhatrapati
Sambhaji Maharaj. Gradually, the effective control of the Maratha kingdom passed into the
hands of the Peshwa (prime minister).

‫ﻟﻮ‬

Did You Know

The historic Torna Fort, also known by its local name 'Prachandagad, was the first fort ever
seized by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, at the age of 16, and it planted the seeds of the Maratha
empire.

The office of the Peshwa (Prime Minister) became significant when Balaji Viswanath, who was
serving as the Peshwa under Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj (Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's
grandson), successfully negotiated with the Mughal Emperor, on the right of the Maratha chief
to collect Chauth (1/4th government revenue) and 'Sardeshmukhi' (1/10th government revenue)
from the Mughal Emperor in the six Deccan provinces, chauth from Malwa and Gujarat, and
autonomous status in Maharashtra.

The office of the Peshwa had become hereditary and Balaji Vishwanath was succeeded by his
son Baji Rao. During Baji Rao's period, the Marathas had successfully defeated rival armies and
acquired large number of territories. However, there was no attempt on establishing an empire
by challenging the Mughal authority. The primary motive of Maratha conquests was extraction
of tribute from those regions and the recognition of their power.

The growth of the Maratha power made other indigenous rulers hostile towards them. As a
result, they joined the forces of Ahmad Shah Abdali in the Third Battle of Panipat (1761 CE) that
resulted in a humiliating defeat for the Marathas. The Marathas could not form a consolidated
empire because their nature of existence was that of a confederacy, wherein power factional
rivalry was inevitable.

Word Galaxy

was shared among various chiefs and Confederacy- an alliance between persons, parties, states
etc.

The administration of the Marathas

The Marathas had developed a sound system of administration. For administrative convenience,
the Maratha kingdom was divided into provinces (prants) and was subdivided into parganas and
tarafs. The King was the supreme head of the government and was assisted by a council of
eight ministers called the Ashtapradhan.

Table 6.1: Council of Ministers and Their Responsibilities

Ministers
Duties and Responsibilities

Peshwa

He was the Prime Minister and head of both civil and military affairs. He looked after general
administration.

Amatya

He was the Finance Minister, who looked after the income and expenditure of the state.

Mantri

He was the Chronicler, who maintained a record of the King's daily doings as well as the court's
proceedings.

Sachiva

He was the Home Secretary, who was responsible for all official correspondence.

Sumant

He was the Foreign Secretary. He advised the King regarding the question of wars and peace
and on matters relating to foreign affairs, i.e. with that of other sovereign states.

Senapati
He was a Commander-in-Chief and responsible for the recruitment, organisation and discipline
of the army.

Panditrao

He looked after the charitable grants, religious works and the moral uplift of the people.

Nyayadhish

He was the Chief Justice, who was responsible for dispensing justice on judicial, civil and
military disputes.

The Military syste

The Marathas had developed a very highly organised military system. They had a very well-
equipped standing army consisting of both infantry andcavalry and even had a navy. Strict
discipline was maintained in the army. They mainly adopted the tactics of guerrilla warfare
which proved useful in the geographical location of the Maratha kingdom. The military strength
of the Marathas lay in the forts. The forts were carefully supervised and great precaution was
taken to maintain the garrisons in the forts.

Word Galaxy

Guerrilla Warfare- type of warfare fought by in fast-moving. small-scale mobile forces using
tactics of surprise raids etc.

People Who Made History

INS Shivaji is the designation given by the Indian Navy to a training facility in Lonavala. The
reason for this is Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's commitment to the creation of a powerful naval
force to secure his realm.

Sources of income

The most important source of income was land revenue. The land revenue was assessed after a
careful survey of the land. It was fixed at 40% of the expected produce payable in cash or kind.
The state encouraged agriculture by advancing loans to buy seeds, cattle, etc.

Due to the hilly terrain, the State did not yield much land revenue. Therefore, besides land
revenue, the other sources of income of the government were Chauth and Sardeshmukhi.
Chauth means one-fourth i.e. 25% of the land revenue to be paid to the zamindars. This was
collected by the Marathas in the Deccan. Sardeshmukhi means an additional levy of 10%
collected from those lands over which the Marathas claimed hereditary rights, but which formed
a part of the neighbouring Mughal territories.