Chapter – 9 Decline of the Mughal
Q. Describe Bahadur Shah I’s rise to power after Aurangzeb’s death
At the death of Aurangzeb in 1707, another war of succession took place among his
three sons Muazzam (Shah Alam), Azam and Kambaksh.
Azam and Kambaksh were defeated by Shah Alam.
Q. Explain the events which led to Bahadur Shah’s battle with Banda Bahadur.
In 1708 the Sikh leader, Guru Govind was killed while travelling with Bahadur Shah’s
army and Banda Bahadur declared himself the Sikh leader. A violent Sikh revolt under
Banda Bahadur broke out in the Punjab and Bahadur Shah himself marched against him.
Banda Bahadur defeated and the fortress of Lohgarh taken by the Mughals. While Banda
Bahadur escaped into the hills.
Q Explain the Personal traits of Bahadur Shah.
Bahadur Shah -1 had become emperor at the age of sixty-four, but died five years later.
He was dignified, learned, mild-tempered and generous monarch.
Bahadur Shah -1 ruled from 1707 to 1712. During these five years he tried to pacify the
Marathas and Rajputs. Shahu, the son of Sambhaji was released and allowed to go back
to Maharashtra.
Q. Elucidate the events and change which happened after the death of Bahadur
Shah.
Bahadur Shah-1 four sons contested the throne after him and Jahandar shah the most
dissolute of his sons, came to the throne for a year from 1712 to 1713, during which the
custom of living an idle life and spending time in song and dance became a part of the
Mughal court.
Zulfiqar Khan, who helped Jahandar to the throne became the Chief Minister and ran the
empire. He soon became disappointed with Jahandar Sha’s irresponsible behaviour and
eventually had him killed.
Q. Why were Sayyid brothers called Kingmakers?
The two Sayyid brothers were Abdullah Khan and Hussain Ali Khan. The efforts of these
two brothers won Farrukh Siyar his Empire.
After Farrukh Siyar, the sayyid brothers placed Rafi-ud-Darajat to the throne.
The Sayyid brothers absolutely controlled the activities of Rafi-ud-Darajat. The Sayyid
brothers carried on the administration in his name.
After Rafi-ud-Darajat Sayyid brothers placed Rafi-ud-Daulah to the throne.
The Sayyids at last in 1719 set up Muhammad Shah as the Emperor. As they were not
the kings but they are the one who decided that who will became next king. that is the
reason they are known as king makers.
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Chapter – 9 Decline of the Mughal
Do it
Yourself
Bahadur Shah I
Born in Burhanpur on October 14, 1643, Bahadur Shah I, originally named Muazzam,
was the eldest son of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. After the usual war of succession,
Bahadur Shah survived and ascended the throne. He assumed the title of Bahadur
Shah, and reigned for less than five years.
Bahadur Shah faced numerous problems during his reign. The Mughal Empire was in
shreds by the time Bahadur Shah had assumed control. He tried to keep peace with
the Hindus, but the limitations of his realm, and the realities of the situation, made it
almost impossible to rule. He had to face trouble in Rajputana as the Sikhs had risen
under Guru Gobind Singh, their tenth and last guru. The Guru was however killed and
his political heir, Banda Bahadur led a popular uprising against Bahadur Shah. This
uprising led to the loss of Punjab, leaving Banda Bahadur as the virtual ruler of Sikhs
in Punjab.
Bahadur Shah was mild and generous, but a weak ruler. Thus it was beyond his
ability to hold the empire together. After a brief reign of less than five years, Bahadur
Shah died in February 1712 at Lahore, while engaged in the task of improving and
making alterations to the Shalimar Gardens. He was later buried at Delhi. He left
behind four sons, three of whom were killed in the bloody war of succession, with the
sole survivor, Jahandar Shah, who ascended the throne.
Read about Bahadur Shah I from above passage, take reference from page 60 of
Understanding History Book 2 and attempt the following tasks:
1. State how Bahadur Shah I came to power after his father’s death and what made
him battle with Banda Bahadur
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Chapter – 9 Decline of the Mughal
2. After reading about Bahadur Shah I from the above passage, write a brief but an
interesting character sketch of Bahadur Shah I.
3. Each Mughal emperor is succeeded by another either during his life time or after his
death. Give a brief explanation of the events that took place after Bahadur Shah’s
death
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Chapter – 9 Decline of the Mughal
Muhammad Farrukhsiyar:
Muhammad Farrukhsiyar was the grandson of Bahadur Shah I, and the son of
Azim-ush-Shan. Farrukhsiyar succeeded the throne on June 11, 1713, at the age
of 30 with the aid of the two Saiyid brothers. He was extremely handsome but
utterly weak ruler who was swayed by his advisors. He lacked the ability and
character to rule independently. With his reign began the ascendancy of the Saiyid
brothers who controlled all power of the state and reduced the Emperor to a
figurehead. Saiyid Huseyn Ali became Wazir or Prime Minister while the other
brother, Abdullah, became Commander-in-Chief of the army. Because of their
influence, they came to be known as kingmakers.
Farrukhsiyar felt the supremacy of the Saiyid brothers as annoying and irritating
and never stopped to plot against their overthrow. However, no plot could be ever
executed, but the imperial internal conflict had a very ill effect on administration of
the empire. Taking advantage of the situation, the Rajputs, the Jats, and the Sikhs
started creating panic. Farrukhsiyar was successful in his campaign against the
Sikhs and executed Banda Bahadur in 1716, and recovered Lohagar from the
Sikhs. It was during Farrukhsiyar’s reign in 1717 that the East India Company
bought duty-free trading rights in Bengal for a mere 3,000 rupees. This favor aided
the British in later years to establish a firm foothold in India.
The constant plotting eventually led the Saiyid brothers to depose the Emperor.
Farrukhsiyar was imprisoned, starved, blinded and finally strangled to death in
1719.The Saiyid brothers, even after deposing Farrukhsiyar, continued to play the
role of kingmakers and placed on the throne Rafi-ul-Darajat who lived as a captive
of the Saiyid brothers. He was later disposed and replaced by his elder brother,
Rafi-ud-Daula. After the death of Rafi-ud-Daula, Saiyid brothers appointed
Muhammad Shah, the grandson of Bahadur Shah I, as the next emperor.
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Chapter – 9 Decline of the Mughal
Read about Farrukhsiyar from above passage, take reference from page 60
and 61 of Understanding History Book 2 and attempt the following question:
Q. Describe the rise to power of Farrukhsiyar and the problems he faced during his
reign till his death.
Do it
Yourself
FarrukhSiyar:
FarrukhSiyar was the grandson of Mughal Emperor bahadur Shah. He succeeded to the
throne after Jahandar Shah.
He had ruled for six years from 1713 to 1719.
The Sayyid brothers effectively took on the role of Kingmakers and Farrukhsiyar was a
puppet in their hands he was weak person and despite plotting against them could not
shake off the hold of the Sayyids.
As a result of poor government and lack of good advice the economy almost collapsed
and people suffered.
FurrukhSiyar successfully campaigned against Sikhs. Their leader Banda Bahadur was
captured and executed with large number of his followers. The Sikhs did not dare to rise
up against Mughal authority for a whole generation after that.
The Sayyid brothers overthrew FarrukhSiyar in 1719. He was imprisoned, and blinded
and finally put to death.
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Chapter – 9 Decline of the Mughal
Sayyid Brothers:
The Sayyid Brothers became highly influential in the Mughal Court after
Aurangzeb's death and became king makers during the political disorder
following the death of emperor Aurangzeb in 1707.
They created and dethroned Mughal Emperors at their will during the 1710s.
The Sayyid brothers were Abdullah Khan and Hussain Ali Khan.
The actions of these two brothers won Farrukhsiyar his empire after
Aurangzeb. After Farrukhsiyar, the Sayyid Brothers placed Rafi-ud-Darajat.
The Sayyid brothers absolutely controlled the activities of Rafi -ud-Darajat.
and carried on the administration in his name.
After Rafi-ud-Darajat, Sayyid brothers placed Rafi-ud-Daulah, brother of
Rafi-Ud-Darajat, to the throne. Rafi-ud-Daulah is also known as Shah Jahan
II.
The Sayyids at last in 1719 set up Muhammad Shah as the Emperor and it
was during his rule that the brothers were killed.
As they were not the kings but they are the one who decided that who will
became next king, that is the reason they are known as king makers.
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Chapter – 9 Decline of the Mughal
Q Sayyid brothers were called the ‘King makers’. Do you agree with this
statement? Give reasons for your answer.
The two sayyid brothers were Abdullah Khan and Hussain Ali khan. The efforts of these
two brothers won Farrukh Siyar his Empire.
After Farrukh Siyar the Sayyid brothers placed Rafi-ud-Darajat to the throne.
The Sayyid brothers absolutely controlled the activities of Rafi-ud-Darajat. The Sayyid
brothers carried on the administration in his name.
After Rafi-ud-Darajat Sayyid brothers placed Raf-ud-Daulah to the throne.
The Sayyids at last in 1719 set up Muhammad Shah as the Emperor.
As they were not the kings but they are the one who decided that who will became next
king that is the reason they are known as King makers.
Q. Explain the reason why Sayyid brothers’ power came to an end after
Muhammad Shah’ ascension to the throne.
In Muhammad shah’s rule The Sayyid brothers continued their hold but they were now
opposed by the other nobles at court. In the Deccan Nizam-ul-Mulk established himself
as virtual ruler. When one of the Sayyid brothers, Hussain Ali tried to subdue Nizam-ul-
Mulk, he was assassinated. His brother then made an unsuccessful attempt to replace
Muhammad Shah, but was imprisoned and thus the power of the Sayyid brothers came
to an end.
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Chapter – 9 Decline of the Mughal
Muhammad Shah
Muhammad Shah:
Muhammad Shah was raised to the throne by the Saiyid brothers. He remained on
the throne for 29 years. He was an idle and pleasure-loving person and the Saiyid
brothers continued to rule through this imperial puppet for a few years.
Although Muhammad Shah was put on the throne by the Saiyid brothers, he tried
to get rid of them. Muhammad Shah, with the help of Nizam-ul-Mulk finally able to
remove the Sayyid brothers.
The Mughal Empire had begun to break up during the reign of Muhammad Shah.
After the disposal of the Saiyid brothers, Muhammad Shah didn’t bother to
strengthen the empire but remained busy in seeking pleasures and remained
inactive towards the affairs of the state. Muhammad Shah’s reign was long but his
lack of interest in the affairs of the state had lethal consequences.
Provinces after provinces became independent. In Deccan, Asaf Jah and Nizam-ul-
Mulk, established an independent kingdom with Hyderabad as his capital.
About the same time Sa’adat Khan, the governor of Oudh, and Ali Vardi Khan, the
governor of Bengal, also set up their respective independent kingdoms.
Muhammad Shah’s reign was also witness to the humiliating defeat and plunder of
delhi by Nadir Shah of Persia.
Q. Explicate different events which happened during the reign of Muhammad Shah
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Chapter – 9 Decline of the Mughal
Nadir Shah
• Nadir Shah was a Persian ruler
• Invaded India in 1739.
• He robbed and looted Delhi.
• Nadir Shah took away enormous wealth
• including the Kohinoor Diamond
• and famous Peacock throne of Shah Jahan.
Read Chapter 9 ‘The Decline of the Mughal Empire’ page 62 and 63 of Understanding
History Book 2 to develop awareness of the historical events that took place in the past.
1.Observe the given pictures and answer the given questions. Refer to page 62 for
further reference.
Nadir Shah’s Invasion, 1739.
Do it
Yourself
Page 9 of 17
Chapter – 9 Decline of the Mughal
Why his army looted What were the results of
Delhi and which famous this invasion?
Who was Nadir Shah?
throne of Mughals was
stolen by them?
Q Discuss how Nadir Shah’s invasion of India was the final nail in the coffin of
Mughal empire’s decline.
Nadir Shah’s Invasion left the most humiliated and destructive mark on the Mughal
history of India. Sack of Delhi left Mughal Empire so weak and miserable that Mughals
were not able to regain their strength and fight against other enemies.
Q. What events led to Nadir Shah’s invasion in 1739?
There are two main reasons:
One—Muhammad Shah, the Mughal Emperor of Delhi had humiliated the persian envoy
at Delhi’s royal court. Muhammad Shah completely stopped exchange of ambassadors
with the royal court of Persia. This was a great insult to Nadir Shah which compelled him
to invade India.
Two—Frequent struggles for throne and corrupt administration resulted in the weakening
of the Mughal empire. Nadir shah saw the weak and crumbling Mughal Empire as an
opportunity.
Q. Who was Nadir Shah
Nadir Shah was a persian ruler who invaded India in 1739. He plundered and looted
Delhi. Nadir Shah took away enormous wealth including the Kohinoor Diamond and
famous Peacock throne of Shah Jahan.
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Chapter – 9 Decline of the Mughal
Read the given source and state how you think Muhammad Shah promoted
literature and culture during his reign. Support your answer evidence. Refer to
page 62 and 63 of Understanding History Book 2 for further reference.
In the culture field, Muhammad Shah’s reign is a notable landmark. Urdu the new
language, came of age during this time and developed literature. Arzu, the
greatest Persian Poet and scholar of his time, taught many Urdu poets. Mir Taqi
Mir became the foremost Urdu poet of this time. Shah Waliullah translated the
Quran into Persian and Muhammad Shah gave him a building inside the city of
Delhi to carry on his teaching. In music too new trends took place and dance
became an art form. Muhammad Shah was succeeded by his son.
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Through the sequence diagram given below, list down the achievements of
Shah Alam and Ahmad Shah and connect them with The Third Battle of
Panipat.
Shah Alam
Do it
Yourself
Ahmad shah
Abdali
The Third
Battle of
Panipat
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Chapter – 9 Decline of the Mughal
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Mir Taqi Mir: He was one of the pioneers who gave shape to the Urdu language.
He is remembered as one of the best poets of the Urdu language. He has
expressed a lot of grief over the downfall of his city, Delhi. He spent the latter part
of his life in the court of Asaf-ud-Daulah in Lucknow.
Q. What literature and cultural developments took place during Muhammad
Shah’s reign?
Muhammad Shah founded the culture of spending time in writing or listening to
poetry, that later on became the symbol of the Indian Muslim Society.
Urdu became more popular among the people as Muhammad Shah declared it as
court language replacing Persian.
Qawwali was reintroduced into the Mughal court and it quickly spread throughout
the South Asia.
The greatest Persian poet Arzu, taught many Urdu poets. Mir Taqi mir became the
popular Urdu poet of his time. In music new trends took place and dance became
an art form.
Page 12 of 17
Chapter – 9 Decline of the Mughal
Battle of Karnal:
The Battle of Karnal was fought in 1739, between Nadir Shah and Mughal
Emperor Muhammad Shah near Lahore. Nadir Shah’s forces defeated
Muhammad Shah paving the way for the Delhi.
Ahmed Shah Abdali
Ahmed Shah Abdali also known as Ahmed Shah
Durrani, was Nadir Shah’s governor.
Abdali repeatedly invaded and plundered northern India
right down to Delhi 1748 and 1767.
In 1761, Abdali defeated the Maratha in the Third Battle
of Panipat
Page 13 of 17
Chapter – 9 Decline of the Mughal
Q. What were the consequences of the third battle of Panipat on Marathas?
The third battle of Panipat was held in1761 between Marathas and Ahmed Shah Abdali
1. Loss of Marathas in a Big Number:
In this battle a big number of Marathas were killed. It wont be wrong to say that a
generation of Maratha caste ended in this battle. The Maratha Peshwa’s son was
killed in this battle.
2. End of Maratha’s influence in North India:
After the defeat of third battle of Panipat Marathas lost their authority and power in
North India.
3. End of Dream of Hindu Empire:
This battle ended the power of Marathas and Hindus by which the dream of Hindu
Empire was forgot for a long time from India.
4. Marathas Lost Power, Prestige and Unity:
After this battle Maratha Sardars began to quarrel among themselves and the
Maratha power completely ended.
Q. Make a timeline of Aurangzeb’s successors from 1707 to 1857. Write names
with the dates of their reigns.
Page 14 of 17
Chapter – 9 Decline of the Mughal
Read Chapter 9 ‘The decline of the Mughal Empire’ page 64 and 65 to
answer the worksheet questions.
State the important events in sequence from Akbar Shah II to Bahadur Shah
Zafar’s exile
Do it
Yourself
Page 15 of 17
Chapter – 9 Decline of the Mughal
Using the following chart jot the information elucidating the reasons which led to the
end ofthe glorious age of Mughals
Do it
Yourself
Aurangzeb
Shah Alam II
Bahadur
shah Zafar II
Page 16 of 17
Chapter – 9 Decline of the Mughal
Bahadur Shah Zafar: Last ruler of the Mughal dynasty. Bahadur Shah Zafar
was a noted Urdu poet, having written a number of Urdu ghazals.
During the War of Independence, Indian troops from the city of Meerut seized
Delhi and compelled Bahādur Shāh to accept leadership of the revolt. Bahadur
Shah was arrested and exiled by the British Army after it captured Delhi in
September 1857.
Do it
Q. Evaluate the reasons for the decline of the Mughal Empire Yourself
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