Mugal dynasty - 15 Minutes Seminar Notes

Mugal dynasty - 15 Minutes Seminar Notes  

 Jahangir (1605–1627)

• Jahangir was born on 31 August 1569 at Fatehpur Sikri, present Uttar Pradesh to Mughal Emperor Akbar and his wife Mariam-uz-Zamani.
  
• Jahangir was named Mirza Nur-ud-din Beig Mohammad Khan Salim and was known simply as Prince Salim. He assumed the title of Jahangir (conqueror of the world) when he assumed the Mughal throne.
  
• His mother was a Hindu Rajput princess whose original name is not known for certainty. She is sometimes referred to as Harkha Bai or Jodhabai. She was the daughter of Raja Bihari Mal
  

• Jahangir’s reign witnessed the visit of two Englishmen – William Hawkins and Sir Thomas Roe.
• While the former could not get the consent of the Emperor for establishing an English factory in India, the latter, sent as ambassador by King James I, succeeded in securing permission to establish a British factory at Surat.
  
• Mewar, which had defied Akbar under Rana Udai Singh and his son Rana Pratap Singh, was brought to terms by Jahangir after a military campaign led by his son Prince Khurram (later to become Emperor Shah Jahan) against Rana Amar Singh, the grandson of Rana Udai Singh.
  
• They concluded a treaty whereby Rana Amar Singh could rule his kingdom after accepting the suzerainty of Jahangir. In 1608 Ahmad Nagar in the Deccan had declared independence under Malik Ambar.
  
• Several attempts by prince Khurram to conquer Ahmad Nagar ended in failure. Prince Khurram had conquered the fort of Kangra after a siege of 14 months. Kandahar, conquered by Akbar from the Persians in 1595, was retaken by the Persian King Shah Abbas in 1622
  
• Nur-Jahan, who ruled the empire for ten years, lost her power and influence after Jahangir’s death in December 1645.
  

Shah Jahan (1627-1658)

• When Shah Jahan ascended the throne in Agra his position was secure and unchallenged. Yet the affairs of the empire needed attention.
  
• The Afghan Pir Lodi, with the title Khanjahan, who had been governor of the southern provinces of the empire was hostile.
  
• Despite Shah Jahan’s order transferring him from the government of the Deccan, he aligned with Murtaza Nizam Shah II, the Sultan of Ahmed-Nagar, and conspired against Shah Jahan.
  
• As the situation turned serious, Shah Jahan proceeded to the Deccan in person. The newly appointed governor of the Deccan, Iradat Khan, who received the title Azam Khan led the imperial army and invaded the Balaghat.
  
• Seeing the devastation caused by the imperial troops, Murtaza changed his attitude towards Khanjahan.
  
• Khanjahan thereupon fled from Daulatabad into Malwa, but was pursued and finally slain.
  
• Peace thus having been restored in the Deccan, Shah Jahan left the Deccan after dividing it into four provinces: Ahmednagar with Daulatabad; Khandesh; Berar; and Telengana.
  
• The viceroyalty of the four provinces was conferred by Shah Jahan on his son Aurangzeb, then eighteen years of age.
  
• Thus the Deccan was brought under the effective control of the Mughal empire during the reign of Shah Jahan. Ahmad Nagar, which offered resistance to the Mughals, was annexed despite the efforts of Malik Ambar.
  
• Shah Jahan, with the help of Mahabat Khan, subdued the Nizam Shahi rulers of Ahmad Nagar in 1636. When the Shi’ite Qutub Shahi ruler of Golkonda imprisoned his own minister Mir Jumla it was used as a pretext by Aurangzeb to invade Golkonda.
  
• A treaty made the Qutub Shahi ruler a vassal of the Mughal empire. In 1638 Shah Jahan made use of the political intrigues in the Persian empire and annexed Kandahar, conquered by Akbar and lost by Jahangir.
  
• Europeans like Bernier (French physician and traveller), Tavernier (French gem merchant and traveller), Mandelslo (German adventurer and traveller), Peter Mundy (English Trader) and Manucci (Italian writer and traveller) visited India during the reign of Shah Jahan and left behind detailed accounts of India.
  
• Aurangzeb imprisoned Shah Jahan and crowned himself as the Mughal emperor. Shah Jahan died broken hearted as a royal prisoner in January 1666 and was buried in the Taj Mahal next to his wife.
  

Aurangzeb (1658–1707)

• Aurangzeb Alamgir (“World Conqueror”) ascended the throne in 1658.The Jats (Mathura district), the Satnamis (Haryana region), and the Sikhs rebelled against Aurangzeb. The Jat rebellion (1669).
• The Satnamis revolt was crushed with the help local Hindu zamindars. The Sikh (The Punjab) rebellion erupted due to the political intrigues of Ram Rai, a claimant for the position of Sikh Guru, against the incumbent Guru Tegh Bahadur.
  
• This led to a revolt with the help of Ratho   Rajputs, but was effectively put down. The Rana of Mewar, Rana Raj Singh, resenting the interference of Aurangzeb in the affairs of Marwar rose in revolt and he was supported by Prince Akbar, the rebellious son of Aurangzeb.
  
• However, the Rana could not match the Mughal forces and fought a guerrilla warfare till his death in 1680. In 1681 Rana Jai Singh, the new Rana of Mewar, signed a peace treaty with Aurangzeb.
  
• The Adil Shahi ruler Sikkandar Adil Shah of Bijapur resisted the different forces sent by Aurangzeb. Aurangzeb first sent his son Azam Shah (1685) but to no avail.Golkonda was captured in 1687 after defeating the ruler Abul Hasan
  
• However, the Rana could not match the Mughal forces and fought a guerrilla warfare till his death in 1680. In 1681 Rana Jai Singh, the new Rana of Mewar, signed a peace treaty with Aurangzeb
  
• Kabir was a weaver, Ravidas, a worker in hides, Sain, was a barber, and Dadu, a cotton carder. The Satnami sect in Haryana credited its origin to Kabir and his teachings.
  
• Aurangzeb died in Ahmednagar in February 1707 of old age and illness at the age of 88. He was in the middle of a Deccan campaign then. He had reigned for 49 years. His son Azam Shah ascended the throne thereafter but was soon defeated by his half-brother Shah Alam. Shah Alam then succeeded to the Mughal throne assuming the title, Bahadur Shah I.
  

Presented By,

Manjunath

Tnpsc Student

Magme School Of Banking