MUGHAL DOWNFALL IN THE SUB-CONTINENT

After the death of Aurangzeb Alamgir the last of the Great Mughals, his successors could not
control the vast Mughal Empire. As a result those who were against the Muslim rule became
active. It was said that even some Muslim rulers betrayed and provided help to the enemies of
the Mughals. There were many causes for the downfall of the Muslims, some of them are given
below:
1. Decaying of Islamic spirit
The most important cause among all was that the Mughals had lost their glorious zeal which they
had in the beginning of their rule. They had almost lost their spirit and love for Islam. The spirit
of Jihad was rare. In a way Akbar brought an end to this spirit of Jihad by preferring Hindus to
Muslims and by indulging himself in un-Islamic practices.

2. Mental and moral degradation

The most important cause was that the noble men of the Empire after establishing themselves did
not display their previous character. The Mughals took kingdom as a mean of easy and
comfortable life. They were ignorant of their duties and responsibilities that laid on their
shoulders. After the death of Humayon, almost every ruler with an exception of Aurangzeb led a
life of luxury. They spent most of their time in palaces. This made them unaware of the problems
of the country.

3. No set rule for succession

During the Mughal period there was no set rule for succession to the throne after the death of the
king. The rulers did not even trust their own sons. This absence of trust created a lot of problems
for the kings. The princes used to fight against each other for the throne. The princes used to
fight against each other for the throne. The greatest civil war of this kind took place during the
Mughal period among Shah Jehan’s four sons, which caused bloodshed. After the death of
Aurangzeb Alamgir, four rulers were changed with in a period of ten years which brought
instability.

4. Ignorance of new discoveries and inventions

In the 17th and 18th centuries new discoveries and inventions were being made in the European
countries. Machines were invented, new tools and instruments were being made. European
nations developed new weapons of war and as compared to them the Muslim rulers in the Sub-
Continent made no further advancement in their knowledge and ability.
 5. Ignorance of advancements in sea power
The European countries in the 17th and 18th centuries brought great changes in their sea-power.
The Mughals remained ignorant about this. The Portuguese and the British constructed warships
which carried large cannons. Therefore, they established their supremacy in the Indian Ocean.
The Mughals were aware of these development but they were unaware of the significance of sea-
power.

6. Standard of education remained low

During the Mughal period the standard of education remained low because of lack of proper
reading materials. Except during the rule of Akbar, the rulers did not contribute to intellectual,
cultural and philosophical development. Even during the British rule, the Hindus quickly adopted
English language in place of Persian and accepted modern education. The Muslims at the same
time resisted modern education and also the English language. The Muslims felt that the changes
could harm their beliefs. The educational backwardness of the Muslims effected their economic
and political condition badly.

7. Prosperity and riches

During the Mughal rule India was known as the “Golden bird” and because of its wealth it was
called so. The Mughals created peaceful atmosphere in the country, developed industries,
brought prosperity to the people but when luxury became plentiful, the emperors and their
courtiers became pleasure-loving. Aurangzeb tried to stop this habit but after his death this habit
of the royal family became worse.

8. Corruption
In order to maintain the high standard of living, the Muslim rulers and the nobles indulged in
corruption and bribery, In order to extract money from the people they became cruel.

9. The rise and fall of Marhattas

After the death of Aurangzeb Alamgir, the Marhattas in the west became very powerful and
wanted to snatch away Delhi from the hands of Muslims. On this occasion it was Shah Wali
Ullah, the great reformer who came to rescue the Muslims from the growing power of the
Marhattas by inviting Ahmed Shah Abdali from Afghanistan who defeated the Marhattas in the
battle of Panipat 1761 AD, but the Mughals had become so weak that this victory was of no use
to them.