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Mughal Empire in the Subcontinent

The Mughal Empire began in 1526, when Babur came from Afghanistan to India through Khyber Pass and defeated Ibrahim Lodi in the Battle of Panipat. Babur was the son of the Turkish-Indian Mongol ruler named Timor Chagatai, who was the second son of Genghis Khan. In the 16 th century, many Muslim rulers were ruling the northern region of India until eventually the Mughal mobility and armory conquered the place. The existing leaderships were not removed, instead they were provided an opportunity to have power in their own areas therefore creating a better system of a centralized government and administration. Babars son Akbar soon came to the throne under whose rule, Islamic culture boomed in the subcontinent. Agriculture generated major revenue for the government; meanwhile taxes in silver currency were made mandatory. During the 17 th century, Indias economy and art expanded. Indias textiles, architecture, painting and other industries also grew. The provincial and regional governments such as of the Marathas, Sikhs and the Rajputs, gained military experience and proper recognition under the Mughal rule. During their peak, the Mughals ruled over majority areas in the Indian subcontinent all the way from Bengal to Kabul. In that time around 110-150 million people lived in that area and hence, the Mughals ruled over a quarter of the Earths total population at that time. The prime period of their regime began with the rule of Akbar-e-Azam, or Akbar the Great. Under his rule, India enjoyed economic growth and religious harmony. Akbar had also made alliances with many Hindu rulers including the Rajputs, who were a major threat to the Mughal rule. Even though all the Mughal emperors were Muslims, Akbar and his son Jahangir followed Deen-e-ilahi. This was a religion formed by Akbar that was intentionally made as a blend of religions and traditions of the subcontinent. Shah Jahan then succeeded Jahangir and started the golden age of Architecture in India. He built several huge monuments of which Taj Mahal is the most famous. He had built Taj Mahal in the honor of his deceased wife. Along with that, the Moti Masjid in Agra, the Badshahi Masjid and the Lahore fort in Lahore and the Jama Masjid in Delhi were all masterpieces built in Shah Jahans era of rule.

The mid 18th century marked the downfall of the Mughal Empire. The Marathas conquered several Mughal territories due to the now weakened economic and political systems under the rule of the Mughal successors. Eventually, all regional rulers claimed their lands and denied the Mughal rule, until the power of the last Mughal emperor; Bahadur Shah II was only limited to the city of Delhi; then known as Shahjahanabad. Bahadur Shah II had helped in the Indian Rebellion of 1857, which resulted in him being impeached by the British Raj. As a result, Bahadur Shah was at first imprisoned and eventually exiled to Rangoon.

Source: http://www.researchomatic.com/the-legacy-of-the-moghul-imperial-rule-in-south-asia90309.html