HAPPY HOME SCHOOL

GRADE VIII
HISTORY
DECLINE OF THE MUGHAL EMPIRE
• The period of the Great Mughals, which began in 1526 with Babur’s
accession to the throne, ended with the death of Aurangzeb in 1707.
• Aurangzeb’s death marked the end of an era in Indian history.
• When Aurangzeb died, the empire of the Mughals was the largest in
India.
• Yet, within about fifty years of his death, the Mughal Empire
disintegrated.
 
The major Mughal emperors
Reasons for the decline
of Mughal empire
 No law of succession Lack of Military Efficiency Rise of Marathas

Attacks of invaders Empty treasury Ignorance to sea power

What does the source tell you about Mughal empire in 18th Century?
Aurangzeb policies
• He lost the support of the Rajput's who had contributed
greatly to the strength of the Empire.
• The wars with the Sikhs, the Marathas, the Jats and the
Rajputs had drained the resources of the Mughal Empire.
• Imposing additional taxes on the Hindus along with Jizya
also added to the Hindus opposition.
• The expansion of the empire and undue wars also emptied
the Mughal treasury. 
 • No Definite Law of
Succession 
• Seven battles for
succession 
• An efficient bureaucracy 
Weak who had played the role of
the king makers and king
successors breakers made the Mughal
Empire weak. 
• The loss of soldiers, princes
and nobles weakened the
royal  empire. 
Lack of Military Efficiency

There was lack of :

• unity of purpose in the
Mughal army 
• skilled soldiers 
• modern weapons
• discipline and unity.
Empty
Treasury:
Shah Jahan :
• Taj Mahal and Peacock throne
Aurangzeb:
• Masjids and warfare
 • Neglected the importance
of the sea power. 
Ignorance • Administrative chaos
resulted in economic
towards downfall. 
• Economic instability thus
Sea Power undermined the stability of
the empire
 Weak
Administration 
• Large Size of the
Empire 
• The later Mughals were
poor administrators. 
• The distant provinces
became independent.
• As independent states
arose this led to the
disintegration of the
Mughal Empire
 • The rise of the Marathas under the
Peshwas.
• Aurangzeb attempted to crush them , but
the Marathas became the strongest power
Rise of in Northern India in the Mid – Eighteenth
Century.
Maratha • They played the role of King – makers at the
power Delhi court .
• Their conquests in the Northern India in the
18th Century gave a death blow to the
Mughal empire .
Attacks of invaders

• The Marathas: In 1737, they

defeated the Mughal army and
plundered Delhi. 
• The Persians: In 1739, Nadir
Shah invaded the Mughal
Empire.
• The Afghans: In 1747 invaded
Kabul, Peshawar and Lahore.
 With the decline of the Mughal Empire a number of provinces
seceded from the empire and several independent states came into
existence.
• Hyderabad: 
Rise of By the mid-18th century, after the decline of the Mughal Empire,

independent the Nizam-ul-Muk seized control of the region and the Asaf Jah
dynasty was founded. The descendants of Asaf Jah
ruled Hyderabad as Nizams until India's independence. During the
states in the Nizam rule, Hyderabad was the largest princely state in India.
• Bengal:
18th century: Bengal in the 18th century comprised Bengal, Bihar and Orissa.
Murshid Quli Khan was the Diwan of Bengal under Aurangzeb.
Farrukhsiyar appointed him Subedar (governor) of Bengal in 1717. 
• The Carnatic:
The Carnatic was one of the provinces of the Mughals in the Deccan
and was under the authority of the Nizam of Hyderabad. However,
in practice, the Carnatic was virtually independent under its nawab.