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DAILY
CLASS NOTES
Modern History
Lecture – 01
Fragmented Polity
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Fragmented Polity
Macro View of Modern India:
Basics and Background:
❖ Babur (1526-1530 AD): First Battle of Panipat (1526) took place, where Babur
decisively defeated Ibrahim Lodhi and established the Mughal Dynasty.
NAME REIGN
Babur 1526 - 1530
Humayun 1530 - 1540
1555 - 1556
Akbar 1556 - 1605
Jahangir 1605 - 1628
Shahjahan 1628-1658
Auragzeb 1658 - 1707
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❖ Akbar (1556-1605): He succeeded the throne after his father Humayun’s death. In 1556, in the second
battle of Panipat, he defeated Hemu (Sur’s wazir).
➢ Akbar introduced the Mansabdari system in his administration. Akbar could expand his empire
because of these strong Mansabdars, hence, it was also called a ‘war state’.
➢ There was also another system for the assignment of revenue of a particular territory to the nobles
for their services to the state. It was known as the Jagirdari system and was an integral part of the
Mansabdari System.
Mansabdari System & Army:
❖ It was required for a strong army.
❖ It was not hereditary, directly appointed, promoted and removed by the emperor.
❖ Every officer was assigned a rank (Mansab).
❖ Minimum Mansab was ranked 10 and the maximum was 10,000.
❖ Akbar granted the mansab of 7000 to Mirza Aziz Koka and Raja Maan Singh.
❖ The ranks were divided into Zat and Sawar.
❖ Shahjahan (1628-1658): Succeeded Jahangir and ascended the throne in 1628. He was a great patroniser of
architecture, he built the Taj Mahal; Moti Masjid; Sheesh Mahal and Mussamman Burj at Agra; Red
Fort with its Rang Mahal, Diwan-i-Am and Diwan-i-Khas at Delhi; Jama Masjid in Delhi (red stone);
etc. This led to the huge expense in the Mughal treasury.
❖ Aurangzeb (1658-1707): Shah Jahan’s zeal for construction had depleted the treasury. Aurangzeb’s
long wars in the south had further drained the exchequer. Aurangzeb expanded his empire to a large
extent of the Indian sub-continent; thus his reigning period was also called a ‘territorial climax’.
➢ Aurangzeb had to face multiple other issues, regional groups and rebels like Jats, Marathas and
Sikhs; multiple wars; Jagirdari crisis; Aurangzeb’s bigoted religious policy further exacerbated
the situation; etc. In 1707, Aurangzeb died.
Major Reasons for the Decline of the Mughal Empire:
❖ Wars of Succession: The Mughals did not follow any law of succession like the law of primogeniture.
Consequently, each time a ruler died, a war of succession between the brothers for the throne started. This
weakened the Mughal Empire, especially after Aurangzeb. The nobles, by siding with one contender or the
other, increased their own power.
❖ Aurangzeb’s Policies: Aurangzeb failed to realize that the vast Mughal Empire depended on the willing
support of the people. He lost the support of the Rajputs who had contributed greatly to the strength of the
Empire. They had acted as pillars of support, but Aurangzeb’s policy turned them into bitter foes.
❖ Weak Successors: Later Mughals were weak and became victims of the intrigues and conspiracies of the
faction-ridden nobles. They were inefficient generals and incapable of suppressing revolts. The absence of a
strong ruler, an efficient bureaucracy and a capable army made the Mughal Empire weak.
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❖ Shifting Allegiance of zamindars: Zamindars were the hereditary owners of their lands. They helped in the
collection of revenue and in
local administrations for
which they also maintained
soldiers. During the reign of
Aurangzeb, there was a
marked increase in the power
of zamindars. The ‘Regional
loyalties’ were encouraged
and many Zamindars helped
Nobles to take advantage of
the weakness of the empire
and carve independent territories for themselves.
❖ Jagirdari Crisis: The nobles (Jagirdars/Mansabdars) during the Mughals were granted large Jagirs (lands).
By the end of Aurangzeb’s rule, the number of Jagirdars/Mansabdars increased significantly but the land was
limited. So, the Mughals had to carve out their own land to pacify the Jagirdars.
❖ Conflict among Nobles: Nobles in the Mughal empire were divided on the line of Religion, Homeland and
Tribe. The mutual rivalry among Mughals increased and the weak Emperor failed to put a check on this.
❖ Rise of Regional aspiration: Right from the time of Aurangzeb regional groups like Jats, Marathas and
Sikhs started defying the authority of the Mughal emperor with the aspiration of creating their own
Independent Kingdom. They did not succeed in their effort but this drew the Mughals into continuous
warfare causing the weakening of the empire.
❖ Failure of the Mughal economy:
➢ Shah Jahan’s zeal for construction had depleted the treasury.
➢ Aurangzeb’s long wars in the south had further drained the exchequer. Frequent wars, the luxurious
lifestyle of the emperor and amirs, and the reduction in Khalisa land (under the direct control of the
emperor), all of this resulted in expenditure which was much higher than income.
✓ All this made the empire Economically unstable.
❖ Rise of independent states: The Great Mughals were efficient and exercised control over ministers and the
army, but the later Mughals were poor administrators. As a result, the distant provinces became independent.
The rise of independent states like Bengal, Oudh, Hyderabad, etc. ultimately led to the disintegration of the
Mughal Empire.
❖ External Invasions: The invasions of Nadir Shah and Ahmad Shah Abdali resulted in huge loss of wealth.
❖ Lack of Scientific Progresses: Almost no technological advancement fueled the stagnancy of the empire.
Due to this Mughal Military became obsolete and its administration inefficient.
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Later Mughals:
