Islam Dynasty

The main ISLAM dynasties during medieval India were. Bahadur Shah Zafar 1837-57.
Slave dynasty (1206-90) birth 24 oct 1775 death 7 nov. 1862
Khilji dynasty (1290-1320)
Tughlaq dynasty (1320-1413) Ahmad Shah Bahadur 1748-54
Sayyid dynasty (1414-51) born 1725 (1725) death 1775,1776
Lodi dynasty (1451-1526).
Mughal Time All Rulers Akbar Shah II (1760 - 1837)
Babur (1526-1530) born 22 apr 1760 died 28 sept 1837
Humayun 1530-1540,55-56
Akbar (1556-1605) Alamgir || (1754-1759)
Jahangir (1605-1627) born 1699 died dec.11,1759
Shah Jahan (1627-1658)
Aurang Zeb (1658-1707) Aurangzeb reign 1658 - 1707 born 4 nov.1618 died 3
Bahadur Shah 1 (1707-1712 march 1707
Jahandar Shah (1712-1713)
Furrukhsiyar (1713-1719) List Of All Mughal Rulers In India
Rafi-ul-Darjat (1719) After the greater period of the Gupta Empire and the
Rafi-ud-Daulat (1719) reign of the Sultanate of Delhi, India saw the emergence
Nikusiyar (1719) of the largest ever empire with the rise of the Mughal
Muhammad Ibrahim (1720) rule in the country. The founder of this new state in India
Muhammad Shah 1719-1748 was Zahir-Ud-din Muhammad Babur, a descendant of
Ahmad Shah Bahadur 1748-54 Genghis Khan and Timur the Lame. Babur had been
Alamgir || (1754-1759) thrown out of Central Asia earlier by the Uzbeks, but he
Shah Jahan ||| (1759) managed to gain control of Afghan territories and then
Shah Alam || (1759-1806) set his eyes on India by conquering which he could
Akbar Shah || (1806-1837) become more powerful and richer.
Bahadur Shah Zafar 1837-57 In 1518 and 1524 he attacked India and in 1525 he led a
well-organized army to Delhi. In the battle of Panipat, in
Chronology date of Mughal period 1526, he defeated Ibrahim Lodi, the last of the Delhi
Zahir-Ud-din Muhammad Babur. Sultans. The next year he defeated the Rajputs and then
born Feb. 23, 1483. death dec 26th 1530. he succeeded in capturing most of the Ganges Valley.
First Battle of Panipat 21 April 1526.
(Babur and Ibrahim Lodi). In the Mughal dynasty he founded, six emperors were
Date: December 26, 1530 reign 30/4/152626/12/1530 famous Babur (1526 1530), Humayun (1530 1556),
Akbar (1556 1605), Jehangir (1605 1627), Shah Jehan
Nasiruddin Muhammad Humayun (1627 1658), and Aurangazeb (1658 1707). Of these,
born Mar 6, 1508 death Jan 1556. Akbar and Shah Jehan were two of the most important
emperors in the history of India.
The Battle of Chaunsa 26 June 1539
Babri masjid construct in 1527 Some Point About Babur
Birth date: 14 or 23 February 1483
Akbar (1556-1605) Birth Place: Andijan, Farghana
Akbar born 23 November 1542(1542-11-23) died 27 oct Death Date: December 26, 1530
1605 reign 1556-1605 Death Place: Agra India
Reign: 30/4/152626/12/1530
Bahadur Shah 1 (1707-1712) Born 14 October 1643 Died Main Battle: First battle Panipat, Khanwa battle, Ghaghra
February 27, 1712 (aged 68) battle.
 Achievements: Mughal Dynasty Founder, win battle of
first panipat, battle of khanwa, battle of ghaghra.
Zahiruddin Muhammad Babur, popularly known as
"Babur", meaning lion, was the founder of Mughal
Empire in India. He was born in Farghana, now in
Uzbekistan, on February 14, 1483. The Mughal Empire
founded by him lasted for 331 years.
Babur was a descendant of Timur on his father's side and
of Chengez Khan on his mother's side. When Babur's
father Umar Sheikh Mirza died in 1494, he inherited the
ancestral kingdom of Farghana. He was only 14 years old
at that time. Babur faced many hardships during this
period of his life. He was driven out of his father's state
and for two years became a wanderer. In 1504, he came
to Afghanistan and occupied Kabul. Here he assumed the
title of Padshah.
Babur was born on February 23 [or February 14] 1483 in the
town of Andijan, in the Fergana Valley which is in modern
Uzbekistan. He was the eldest son of Omar Sheykh Mirz, ruler
of the Fergana Valley, and his wife Qutluq Negr Khnum,
daughter of Yonus Khn, the ruler of Moghulistan. In 1495, At
only twelve years of age, Babur obtained his first power
position, succeeding his father as ruler of Farghana, in present-
day Uzbekistan. His greatest ambition was to rule Samarkand.
He fought many battles in the pursuit of this goal, winning and
losing his kingdom many times in the process. In 1504, he
ventured into what is now Afghanistan and conquered Kabul.
Babur Buried at Bagh-e Babar. Babur's Wives Aisha ultan
Begum, Bib Mubarika Yuufzay, Dildar Begum, Gulnar aghacha,
Gulrukh Begum, Maham Begum, Ma'suma Begum, Nargul
aghacha, Sayyida Afaq..
The battle with Ibrahim Lodi, First battle of Panipat.
The first battle of Panipat was actually the event end of the
Lodhi dynasty and the beginning of the Mughal dynasty in
India. The 1st battle of Panipat was fought between the last
ruler of Lodhi dynasty, Ibrahim Lodhi and the ruler of Kabul,
Babur. By 1525, Babur had captured the whole of Punjab and
then he proceeded towards Delhi. The history of the first battle
of Panipat was an important milestone that was to change the
face of history in India. After capturing Punjab, Babur
proceeded towards Delhi to meet Ibrahim Lodhi. The Sultan
got the message that Babur was proceeding towards Delhi with
a huge army and strong artillery. But Ibrahim Lodhi's army was
much bigger and he had war elephants. But Babur defeated
the army with organization and skilled maneuvering.
This historic battle of Panipat took place on April 21st (1526)
at the place called Panipat which is located in modern day
Haryana. This place has been the site many important battles
in the history of India. Though Ibrahim Lodhi had elephants
and huge army, he did not know how to control them. Babur
had guns and he used them to scare the elephants. As a result,
the elephants went out of control and trampled Lodhi's own
army. He lost a lot of soldiers like that. Ibrahim Lodhi was
finally abandoned by his generals and advisors and was left to
die on the battlefield. This battle was the turning point in the
history of Delhi as it marked the beginning of one of the most
important empires in India, the Mughal dynasty.
Babur as a Person
Babur was an able general with gifted military powers. His
powerful artillery and skillful cavalry won him success in India.
He did not believe in ruthless massacres. He was very kind-
hearted, a firm believer in God, and a very affectionate father.
Babur was a gifted writer and poet. His memoirs Tuzuk-e-
Baburi are well-known. They reveal that Babur was a lover of
nature and a man of refined taste. His memoirs hold a very
high place in the history of human literature. They were
translated into Persian in the times of Akbar in 1590, into
English in 1826 and into French in 1871.
Babur's four years in Hindustan
Babur's early death prevented him from organizing his empire.
There was no uniformity in administration of the conquered
territories by Babur. There was no time for Babur to enact new
laws. He spent much of his wealth in offering presents and gifts
to his followers. Though Babur left nothing to say about his
rule, he plays an important role in the Indian history as he was
the first architect to lay the foundation stone of Mughal
empire in India.
Story about his death.
The Muslim historians relate a romantic anecdote
regarding his death. It is said that when his son,
Humayun, fell ill, Babur by a fervent prayer to God, had
his son's disease transferred to his own body, and thus
while his son began to recover, the father's health
gradually declined till he ultimately succumbed, two or
three months after Humayun's recovery. A modern
writer however argues that Babur's death was due to
attack of a disease.
Babur's body was first laid at Arambagh in Agra, but was
afterwards conveyed to Kabul, where it was buried in
one of his favorite gardens.
Date: 21 April 1526
Location: Panipat, Haryana, India
Result: Decisive Mughal victory
Territorial changes: Delhi Sultanate annexed by Mughals
Belligerents: Mughal Empire with Delhi Sultanate
Commanders
BaburSultan Ibrahim Lodi
Strength
12,000 Mughals & Afghans,
5,000 allied Indian troops,
24 field artillery
130,000-140,000 troops,
300 war elephants
The first battle of Panipat took place in northern India,
and marked the beginning of the Mughal Empire. This
was one of the earliest battles involving gunpowder
firearms and field artillery. In 1526, the forces of Zahir al-
Din Muhammad Babur, the ruler of Kabul and of Timurid
descent, defeated the much larger army of Ibrahim
Lodhi, the ruler of the large North Indian Delhi Sultanate.
The battle was fought on April 21 near the small village
of Panipat, in the present day Indian state of Haryana, an
area that has been the site of a number of decisive
battles for the control of Northern India since the twelfth
century.
The handsome Ibrahim Lodhi multiplied his rigors at
Delhi. Mian Bhua the vazir of his father was first thrown
in prison then given a cup of poisoned wine. Noblemen
like Azam Humanyun (Not Babur's son) and Hussayn
Khan Farmuli were assassinated. Daulat Khan Lodhi
governor of Lahore was ordered to appear at Delhi, he
excused himself and sent his son in his place. Sultan took
his son to prison and was shown the bodies of rebels
hanging from the walls. "now you know what awaits
those who disobey me" said Ibrahim Lodhi to the
frightened boy.
Daulat Khan appealed to Babur. "For 30 years " Babur
said to him "you have eaten the salt of Lord Ibrahim and
of his father, why this?". "It is true that my father and
grandfather have spent many years in their service, but
this sultan prosecutes most faithful of his vassals.
Without cause, he has put to death 23 of his best men
and ruined their families. That is why the nobles have
sent me to you to convey their homage, they wait you
anxiously."
The first Battle of Panipat gave a death blow to the Lodhi
empire and marked the end of the Delhi Sultanate's rule
in India. It establishment of Mughal Empire in India.
Mongol prince Zahir-ud-Din Muhammad, known as
Babur, had promised to help Daulat Khan Lodhi,
Governor of Lahore, to fight the Sultan of Delhi Ibrahim
Lodhi in 1523 and made many raids into Punjab. Babur,
after occupying the whole of Panjab by 1525 AD,
marched towards Delhi. In November 1525 he set out to
meet the Sultan of Delhi. Passage of Indus took place on
15th December. Babur had about 12,000 soldiers.
Crossing Sutluj at Roper and reached Ambala without
meeting any resistance. On April 1st Babur reached
Panipat. Rumors came that Sultan was coming with an
army of 100,000 and 1000 war elephants. Afghan Sultan
of Delhi, Ibrahim Lodhi advanced from Delhi to meet the
invader. Babur had a strong artillery which was
effectively pressed into service battle started at six in the
morning. Sultan Ibrahim Lodhi advanced rapidly. At
about 400 yards Babur's Cannons opened fire, noise and
smoke from the artillery terrified the Afghans and the
attack lost momentum.
Though Ibrahim Lodhi had elephants and huge army, he
did not know how to control them. Babur had guns and
he used them to scare the elephants. As a result, the
elephants went out of control and trampled Lodhi's own
army. He lost a lot of soldiers like that. Ibrahim Lodhi was
finally abandoned by his generals and advisors and was
left to die on the battlefield. This battle was the turning
point in the history of Delhi as it marked the beginning of
one of the most important empires in India, the Mughal
dynasty. Most of his army stretching behind up to a mile
never saw action. Battle ended in about 3 hours with the
death of Ibrahim Lodhi who was at forefront.
Ibrahim Lodhi's tomb is still present in Panipat. When
afghans fled they left 20,000 dead and wounded. Losses
to Babur's army were heavy 4000 of his troops were
killed or wounded. Had Sultan Ibrahim survived another
hour of fighting he would have won, as Babur had no
reserves and his troops were rapidly tiring in Indian mid-
day sun. Babur observes in his autobiography, "The
mighty army of Delhi was laid in the dust in the course of
half a day." In the words of Rush brook Williams, "If there
was one single material factor, which more than any
other conduced to his ultimate triumph in Hindustan, it
was his powerful artillery." The elephants trampled their
own soldiers after being frightened away by the
explosion of gunpowder. Two weeks later the victorious
Babur entered Agra where he was presented with the
famous diamond 'Koh-i-noor'. Babur celebrated his
victory in a lavish manner and occupied Delhi and Agra.
Battle of Khanwa
Part of Mughal conquests
Date: 1527
Location: Khanwa, near Agra, India
Result: Decisive Mughal victory
Territorial changes Result: Decisive Mughal victory
Northern India annexed by Babur Territorial changes
Belligerents Bihar annexed by Mughal Empire including surrounding
Mughal Empire territories.
Western Afghan Confederates, Peace settlement with the Kingdom of Bengal.
Rajput Confederates Belligerents
Commanders Mughal Empire
Babur Eastern Afghan Confederates
Rana Sanga, Hasan Khan, Sultan Mahmud Lodi Kingdom of Bengal
Strength Commanders
>12,000 soldiers including cavalry archers, matchlock Babur, Humayun
men Askari
500 Kabul reinforcements Muhammad Zaman Mirza
15-20 Artillery guns (cannons) Sultan Jalal ud-Din Sherki
120,000 horsemen Sultan Junaid Birlas
500 War Elephants Ustad Ali Kuli
Casualties and losses Musfata Rumi
Medium
High Sultan Mahmud Lodi
Khanwa is about 60 km west of Agra. Here the epic battle Nusrat Shah
between the Muslim Mughals and the Hindu Rajputs Sultan Jalal ud-Din Lohani
would play out and decide the fate of India. The battle Sher Shah Suri
began about 9:30 in the morning by a desperate charge Bayezid
made by the Rajputs on Babur's right. Bodies of the Baban
reserve were pushed on to its assistance and Mustafa Fateh Khan Shirwani
Rumi who commanded one portion of the artillery on the Shah Muhammad Maaruf
right of the center opened a fire upon the assailants. Strength
Babur sent orders to the flanking columns to wheel >50,000
round and charge and he soon after ordered the guns to ~100,000
advance and by a simultaneous movement the 100-150 Naval Vessels
household troops and cavalry stationed behind the Casualties and losses
cannon were ordered to gallop out on right and left of Low
the matchlock men in the center who also moved High
forward and continued their fire hastening to fling Babur then turned to the Afghans chiefs who had formed
themselves with all their fury on the enemy's center. a confederacy against him under the Ibrahim Lodi's
As a result of the Battle of Panipat in 1526, Babur became brother Mahmud Lodi. He met the Afghans on the banks
the ruler of Delhi and Agra. He founded Mughal emperor of Ghagra, near the confluence of that river with the
in India. He now had to fight against two other enemies, Ganga above Patna. Babur defeated the Afghans on May
the Afghan nobles of Bihar and Bengal, and the Rajputs 6, 1529.
under Rana Sanga of Mewar. Babur sent his nobles to Thus as a result of these three victorious battle (Battle of
unconquered parts of the country to expel the Afghans Panipat, Battle of Khanwar and Battle of Ghagra), Babur
chiefs from there, while he was engaged in collecting the became the master of the whole of northern India.
resources to wage a war against the Rajputs. Agra became the capital of Babur's empire.
Ghagra Battle was fought between the Afghan king
Battle of Ghaghra Mahmud Lodi and the Mughal emperor Babur. At that
Part of Mughal conquests time Babur was trying to consolidate his dominion by
Date: May 6, 1529 encompassing all of North India. Lodi was supported by
Location the Rajput kings of India and he raised serious threats to
Ghaghara River, near Bihar side, India the Mughal. Mahmud Lodi had good relations with the
kings of Bihar and Bengal where he had taken refuge
once. In 1529, Babur fought a vigorous war with the
Afghan force on the bank of river Ghagra in Bihar.
Mahmud Lodi was defeated in the battle, and Babur
extended his frontier from the Oxus River in the west to
the Ghagra River in the east and from the Himalayas to
Gwalior.
The Battle of Ghaghra, fought in 1529 and was the last
major battle for the conquest of India by the Mughal
Empire. It followed the first Battle of Panipat in 1526 and
the Battle of Khanwa in 1527. The forces of now Emperor
Zahir ud-Din Muhammad Babur of the emerging Mughal
Empire were joined by Indian allies in battle against the
Eastern Afghan Confederates under Sultan Mahmud Lodi
and Kingdom of Bengal under King Nusrat Shah. Sultan
Mahmud Lodi, who aspired to the throne of Delhi and
who had been declared the rightful heir to the Delhi
Sultanate by the Western Afghan Confederates and
aided by the Rajput Confederates, was put to flight after
the defeat at the Battle of Khanwa in 1527. He took
refuge in Gujarat. After trying to get in touch with his
kinsmen in the east he managed to join them. He at the
head of the Eastern Afghan Confederates took Bihar.
Rana Sanga was a brave warrior. He was joined by some
Muslim supporters of the Lodi dynasty. He marched with
an army of 120 chiefs, 80,000 horses and 500 war
elephants, and the rulers of Ajmer, Gwalior, Amber,
Marwar against Babur. Babur's army was comparatively
small and were struck with terror and panic. So Babur
appealed to his men to fight bravely. His men promised
to support him. Mughals and the Rajputs met in the
decisive battle of Khanwa in on March 16, 1527.
Rajputs fought bravely but Babur used the same tactics
that he used in the battle of Panipat and thus defeated
the Rajputs. Rana Sanga escaped with the help of some
of the followers but died after about two years. This
victory facilitated Babur's task as it enabled him to
establish the rule of the Mughals in India.
Reign
December, 1530 - February 22, 1556.
Full name
Al-Sultan al-'Azam wal Khaqan al-Mukarram, Jam-i-
Sultanat-i-haqiqi wa Majazi, Sayyid al-Salatin, Abu'l
Muzaffar Nasir ud-din Muhammad Humayun Padshah
Ghazi, Zillu'llah.
Mughal Emperor Humayun
Born: 17 March 1508(1508-03-17)
Birthplace: Kabul
Died: 4 March 1556 (aged 47)
Place of death: Delhi
Buried: Humayun's Tomb
Predecessor: Babur
Successor: Akbar
Consort to Hamida Banu Begum Bega Begum ,Bigeh
Begum , Haji Begum , Mah-chuchak, Miveh Jan ,Shahzadi
Khanum
Offspring
Akbar son, Mirza Muhammad Hakim son, Aqiqeh Begum
daughter Bakshi Banu Begum daughter, Bakhtunissa
Begum daughter
Royal House: House of Timur
Dynasty: Mughal
Father: Babur
Mother: Maham Begum
Babur's eldest son and successor, Humayun, was 22
years old when his father passed away. Humayun lacked
the experience and the tough fiber necessary to
consolidate a new dynasty. The first decade of his rule
brought a steady erosion of Mughal authority in northern
India. In particular, Humayun had to deal with the
determined hostility of the Afghans who were still allied
with the dispossessed Lodi regime.
Humayun was defeated by insurrections of nobles from
the old Lodi regime. In 1540, the Mughal domain came
under the control of one of those nobles, Farid Khan Sur,
who assumed the regional name of Sher Shah Sur.
Humayun would spend the next 15 years in exile in Sind,
Iran, and then Afghanistan. During this exile, Humayun's
Persian wife, Hamida Begum, a native of Turbat-I Shaykh
Jam in Khurasan, gave birth to the future emperor Akbar.
Humayun was the eldest son of Babur. He had three
younger brothers, Kamran, Askari and Hindal. Born on
March 6, 1508, at Kabul, he learnt Turkish, Arabic and
Persian at a very young age. He assisted his father in the
governance of the country. In 1520, he was appointed
the Governor of Badakshan at the age of 12 years. When
Babur invaded India in 1526, Humayun joined him.
Humayun won a maiden victory in this campaign. He also
participating in the battle of Kanwaha. After Babur's
death in 1530, he was chosen as his successor. Humayun
ascended the throne at Agra on December 30, 1530, at
the age of 23, four days after his father's death.
Humayun inherited an empire barely held together by
force of arms. It lacked a consolidated civil
administration. He faced numerous problems right from
the start. He faced troubles from the Afghan nobles, the
Rajputs, and most of all from his brothers who were
mean and disloyal to him. Unable to judge the growing
power of Sher Shah, Humayun was defeated in the battle
of Kanauj in 1540. He became a fugitive and escaped
towards Iran via Sindh.
While in Sindh, he married a young Persian girl, Hamida
Bano, who joined him in his wanderings. A year later in
Umerkot in upper Sindh, his first son Akbar was born.
Legend has it that Humayun had nothing to give to his
followers at this happy occasion except some musk. The
musk was broken into pieces and passed among his men.
He is reported to have said that one day the fame of the
prince would spread like the smell of the musk.
For a period of 15 years, the Mughal Empire lay dormant
and Sher Shah founded the Suri Dynasty. In 1555
Humayun returned once again, and by his sheer
perseverance, was able to recover his kingdom.
Although lacking his father's abilities, Humayun was a
cultivated gentleman. He was unrivalled in the science of
astrology and mathematics. he was very kind towards his
brothers; and despite their treachery, forgave them
again and again. He possessed a very charitable and
magnificent personality.
Although Humayun had recovered his kingdom, he was
not destined to rule it for long. In January 1556, he met
his tragic end by slipping from the famous building
known as Din Panah.
Architecture of those days
Sher Shah built a lot of other monuments around Delhi.
In 1541 he built the dargah (tomb of a Sufi saint) over the
grave of the sainted Bakhtiyar Kaki, popularly known as
Qutub Sahib, near the Qutub Minar.
Dargah--Tomb of Sufi Saint
Sher Shah built a lot of other monuments around Delhi.
In 1541 he built the dargah (tomb of a Sufi saint) over the
grave of the sainted Bakhtiyar Kaki, popularly known as
Qutub Sahib, near the Qutub Minar.
Construction of The Magnificent Humayun Tomb.
Humayun started living in Dinpanah again. He converted
the Sher Mandal into his library, again an ill-fated
decision, since he slipped to his death from the stairs of
this pavilion. kings grief-stricken wife Hamida Banu
undertook the construction of Humayuns Tomb in 1565.
Power Passed Over To Akbar After Humayun
Sher Mandal Tower
Sher Shah had built the Sher Mandal a two-storeyed
octagonal tower in red sandstone and the Qila-i-Khona
Masjid, an exquisite mosque inside the Purana Qila.
Formation of The Seventh City of Delhi
Humayun and Sher Shah Suri, the defeater and the
defeated, both built the seventh city of Delhi. Humayun
started it as Dinpanah or Purana Qila and Sher Shah Suri
finished it as Delhi Sher Shahi.In 1540 Sher Shah Suri took
over the reins of Dinpanah. It took 15 years and Sher
Shahs death for Humayun to defeat and regain control
of his city.
Humayun- A Charming Person But No Warrior
To be fair to the poor fellow, he was not king material at
all. Contemporary accounts describe him as an affable,
charming person excellent at making parties go, a great
friend and a good companion. But definitely not a
warrior.
Sher Shah Suri-The Interim Sultan
Sher Shah Suri, the interim sultan between the reigns of
Humayun and Akbar, was altogether a much better king
and administrator than Humayun. The Babur had once
remarked about Sher Shah: keep an eye on Sher Khan.
He is a clever man and the marks of royalty Without a
doubt, Babur must have wished for a son like him to
succeed him. In his short reign, Sher Shah Suri showed
remarkable talents as an administrator, diplomat,
builder. When Sher Shah defeated Humayun in the Battle
of Chausa, the Mughal did not have time to save his
queens and was himself saved by a water carrier. Sher
Khan ensured that the royal ladies were treated with
respect and returned to Humayun.
Construction of Dinpanah
But for now lets get back to Dinpanah, or Dehli Sher
Shahi as it was called under Sher Shah Suri. While
Humayun built the body, the soul of Dinpanah was Sher
Shahs work. He built a number of buildings within the
fort with material from the cities of Siri and Ferozabad.
Sher Garh--The Citadel
Sher Shah also built Sher Garh, the citadel of his city
whose were completed by his son Islam Shahi. The only
remains of the fort now are the Lal Darwaza and the
Kabuli Darwaza. Purana Qila itself has three gates,
Humayun Darwaza (Humyauns Gate), Talaqi Darwaza
(Divorce Gate! Nobody knows why it was named thus.)
and Bara Darwaza (the Big Gate). The Bara Darwaza is the
one you would use to enter the fort today.
Battle of Chausa ( suri dynasty found in india1540-1555)
Mughal emperor Humayun attacked Sher khan, the ruler
of Bengal and Bihar, in 1537 with the aim of bringing the
latter's province under the control of the Mughals. Sher
khan was an able strategist than Humayun and he coped
up a peace treaty with the Mughal king. When Humayun
turned his attention from the east Sher khan attacked
him at a place called Chausa. In this battle of Chausa in
1539, Humayun was defeated and he escaped to Agra.
Shr Khan. After he defeated a Bengal army, he took over
the rule of Bihar. In early 1539 he conquered Bengal and,
through clever deception, the Rohtas stronghold
southwest of Bengal. At the Battle of Chausa on June 26,
1539, he defeated the Mughal emperor Humyn and
assumed the royal title of Fard al-Dn Shr Shah. In May
1540 at Kannauj he again defeated...
The Battle of Chausa
Title : The Battle of Chausa
Where (Place ) : South of Buxar (currently situated in
Uttar Pradesh)
When (date) : June 26, 1539
Warring parties: Sher Shah Suri Vs Humayun
Result : Sher Shah Suri win start suri dynasty in india.
Sher Shah Suri was an ethnic Peshawari and Humayun
belonged to the Mughal dynasty. The battle of Chausa
took place 10 miles south of Buxar, which correspond to
the modern day state of Uttar Pradesh.
Humayun attacked Sher Shah Suri with the intention of
bringing the latter's territory under Mughal control. Sher
Shah Suri was a master warrior and he convinced the
Mughals to form a peace treaty with him.
When Humayun turned his attention away from this
region, Sher Shah Suri attacked, caught him unaware and
defeated him with ease. Humayun fled to Agra and Sher
Shah Suri then assumed the title of Farud-din Sher Shah.
Sher Shah Suri Tomb at Sasaram
Akbar The Great
Reign: 1556 to 1605
Full name: Abu'l-Fath Jalal ud-din Muhammad Akbar I
Titles
His Majesty Al-Sultan al-'Azam wal Khaqan al-Mukarram,
Imam-i-'Adil, Sultan ul-Islam Kaffatt ul-Anam, Amir ul-
Mu'minin, Khalifat ul-Muta'ali Sahib-i-Zaman, Padshah
Ghazi Zillu'llah ['Arsh-Ashyani], Emperor of India
Born
23 November 1542(1542-11-23)
Birthplace: Amarkot Fort, Sind
Died: 27 October 1605 (aged 63)
Place of death: Fatehpur Sikri, Agra
Buried: Bihishtabad Sikandra, Agra
Predecessor: Nasiruddin Humayun
Successor: Nuruddin Salim Jahangir
Offspring
Jahangir, 5 other sons and 6 daughters
Royal House: House of Timur
Dynasty: Mughal
Father: Nasiruddin Humayun
Mother: Nawab Hamida Banu, Begum Sahiba
Religious belief: Islam, Din i Ilahi
Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar ( Jall ud-
Dn Muhammad Akbar), also known as Akbar the Great
(November 23, 1542 October 27, 1605) was the third
Mughal Emperor of India/Hindustan. He was of Timurid
descent; the son of Humayun, and the grandson of Babur
who founded the dynasty. At the end of his reign in 1605
the Mughal empire covered most of Northern India.
Akbar was only thirteen when his father died of an
unfortunate accident in the palace at Delhi.
Akbar "The Great" was one of the greatest rulers in
Indian history. He was born when Humayun and his first
wife, Hamida Bano, were fugitives escaping towards Iran.
It was during these wanderings that Akbar was born in
Umerkot, Sindh, on November 23, 1542. Legend has it
that Humayun prophesied a bright future for his son, and
thus accordingly, named him Akbar.
Akbar was raised in the rugged country of Afghanistan
rather than amongst the splendor of the Delhi court. He
spent his youth learning to hunt, run, and fight and never
found time to read or write. He was the only great
Mughal ruler who was illiterate.
Akbar was lucky to have bairam Khan as regent in those
early teenage years. During the first five years of his rule,
Akbar was assisted and advised by Bahram Khan in
running the affairs of the country. Bahram Khan was,
however, removed and for a few years Akbar ruled under
the influence of his nurse Maham Anga. After 1562,
Akbar freed himself from external influences and ruled
supreme.
During his reign, Akbar managed to subdue almost all of
India, with the remaining areas becoming tributary
states. Along with his military conquests, he introduced
a series of reforms to consolidate his power. Akbar
practiced tolerance aimed at Hindu-Muslim unification
through the introduction of a new religion known as Din-
i-Ilahi. He appointed nobles and mansabdars without any
religious prejudice.
His court had numerous scholars of the day who are well
known as "Nauratan". Akbar had three sons Prince Salim,
Murad and Daniyal. Prince Murad and Daniyal died in
their prime during their father's lifetime. Akbar faced
problems with Prince Salim and the last four years of
Akbar's life were consumed in crushing Salim's rebellion.
Akbar fell ill and died of slow poisoning on October 27,
1605. With him ended the most glorious period in Indian
history. Abul Fazal written Akbarnama.
Unlike Babur or Humayun, Akbar had both the time and
the resources to build on a monumental scale. Most of
the monuments were constructed in or near Agra rather
than in Delhi, Hambly writes. Akbar did not have great
affection for Delhi, although most important Mughal
structures had been built there. For Akbar, Delhi must
have been a city of unhappy memories -- the scene of his
father's death and his own narrow escape from an
assassination attempt. the principal landmarks in Delhi -
- the Purana Qala, the city walls and gateways --
commemorated the greatness of Sher Shah whom Akbar
considered as the usurper of his father's kingdom. Since
Delhi was the capital of both the Lodi Sultanate and the
Sher Shah Sur dynasty, the city was always restless and
hostile to the Mughals. In light of these circumstances,
Akbar must have found Agra a more attractive residence.
Akbar initially ruled from Delhi, but two years later he
moved to Agra. The city was renamed Akbarabad in his
honor and became the greatest city in the empire. The
main part of the city lay on the west bank of the Yamuna
and was provided with a drainage system to control the
flow of rainwater.
Akbar was not drunkard like his grandfather nor clumsy
like his father, he became a wise and strong
administrator, he reconciled with the Hindus in the
kingdom, preaching tolerance, he encouraged
intermarriage between Hindus and Muslims, abolished
the jizya, promoted Hindus into high ranking positions in
governmentcreated a new religion, Din-i-Ilahi, a
combination of Islam and Hinduism
Panipat second Battle
Date: November 5, 1556
Location: Panipat
Result: Decisive Mughal victory
Belligerents
Mughal Empire
Hindus
Commanders
Bairam Khan
Samrat Hem Chandra Vikramaditya
Second Battle of Panipat occurred in November 5, 1556.
Emperor Akbar, who was crowned in the same year after
his father`s death defeated Muhammad Adil Shah Suri of
Suri dynasty and his Prime minister Hemu (Hemchandra).
This defeat of Muhammad Adil Shah and Hemu initiated
Akbar`s reign. Humayun, the second Mughal emperor
died suddenly on 24th January, 1556 as he slipped from
the steps of his library. That time his son Akbar was only
thirteen years old boy. Many Mughal Generals advised
Akbar and Bairam Khan to retreat to Kabul as Mughal
forces may not face Hemu's might and new awareness
among Hindus to liberate their country, but Bairam Khan
decided in favour of war. Akbar's army marched towards
Delhi. On November 5, both armies met at the historic
battlefield of Panipat, where, thirty years earlier, Akbar's
grandfather Babur had defeated Ibrahim Lodi in what is
now known as the First Battle of Panipat. The Mughal
forces were charged repeatedly by elephants to break
their lines. Hemu was himself commanding his forces
from atop an elephant. It seemed Hemu was on a
winning track and Akbar's army will run away. However,
Bairam Khan, the veteran of many a wars and an able
general had planned otherwise. With a much smaller
army, his plan was clear. The warriors of that time,
including Hemu wore armour completely covering their
body specially the vulnerable organs except the eyes.
After repeated attempts a stray arrow could find Hemu's
eye. Hemu, struck in the eye by an arrow was knocked
down senseless, almost dead in his Ohda on the
elephant. Not seeing Hemu in his Ohda, Hemus army
was in disarray and defeated in the ensuing confusion.
Almost dead Hemu was captured by Shah Quli Khan and
brought to Akbars tent in the camp located at village
Saudhapur in Panipat. General Bairam Khan was desirous
that Akbar should slay General Hemu himself and should
establish his right to the title of Ghazi (Champion of
Faith or war veteran). But Akbar,who still was a child,
refused to strike a dead enemy, just to be called a Ghazi.
Bairam Khan irritated by Akbars scruples beheaded
Hemu himself.
The victory of Akbar at the Battle of Panipat in 1556 was
the real restoration of the Mughal Dynasty to Power in
India. It took Akbar 8 years to capture the territory which
was occupied by Hemu Vikramaditya. It marked the
fulfillment of the destiny of Mughals in India as rulers.
Battle of Haldighati
Part of Mughal conquests
Date: June 21, 1576
Location: Haldighati, Rajasthan, India
Result: Decisive Mughal victory.
Belligerents:
Mughal Empire: Mewar
Commanders
Raja Man Singh
Maharana Pratap Singh
Casualties and losses
Low
Very High
The Battle of Haldighati was fought between the Mughal
Empire and the forces of Mewar on June 21, 1576 at
Haldighati in Rajasthan, India. It was a decisive victory for
the Mughal Emperor Jalal ud-Din Muhammad Akbar's
general Raja Maan Singh against the Maharana Pratap
Singh of Mewar, Haldighati, is a small village in the
Aravalli Hills about 44 km north of Udaipur. Haldighati,
Battle of (June 18, 1576), a four-hour confrontation
between the Imperial forces of Mughal Emperor AKBAR
and Maharana PRATAP SINGH I (1572-1597) of Mewar.
Despite it being an indecisive battle - an inglorious
success of sorts for the Mughals and "a glorious defeat"
for Mewar - it has entered the annals as one of the
kingdom's most memorable episodes.
Raja Man Singh marched with his Mughal forces from
Ajmer on April 3, 1576. On June 21, 1576 (June 18 in
other texts), the two armies met at Haldighati, near the
town of Gogunda in present-day Rajasthan. While
accounts vary as to the exact strength of the two armies,
all sources concur that the Mughal forces greatly
outnumbered Pratap's men. The battle of Haldighati,
lasted only four hours. Both sides fought bravely on the
field. Folklore has it that Pratap personally attacked Man
Singh: his horse Chetak placed its front feet on the trunk
of Man Singh's elephant and Pratap threw his lance; Man
Singh ducked, and the mahout or Elephant rider was
killed. However, the numerical superiority of the Mughal
army and their artillery began to tell. Seeing that the
battle was lost, Pratap's generals prevailed upon him to
flee the field so as to be able to fight another day. To
facilitate Pratap's escape, one of his lieutenants, a
member of the Jhala clan, donned Pratap's distinctive
garments and took his place in the battlefield. He was
soon killed. Meanwhile, riding his trusty steed Chetak,
Pratap made good his escape to the hills. Maharana
Pratap's son, Amar Singh, fought 17 wars with the
Mughals but he conditionally accepted them as rulers. At
this time, a large chunk of Maharana Pratap's band of
loyal Rajputs became disillusioned and left Rajasthan.
This group included Rathores, Deora Chauhans,
Pariharas, Tomaras, Kacchwaha and Jhalas. They are
called "Rors" and settled mostly in Haryana, with some
in Uttar Pradesh and Pakistan
Dn-i Ilh
The Dn-i Ilh (" Divine Faith"), was a syncretic
religious doctrine propounded by the Mughal emperor
Jallu d-Dn Muammad Akbar ("Akbar the Great"), who
ruled the Indian subcontinent from 1556 to 1605.
From the discussions he led there in 1575, Akbar
concluded that no single religion could claim the
monopoly of truth. This inspired him to create the Dn-i
Ilh in 1581. Various Muslim clerics, among them the
Qadi of Bengal and the seminal Sufi personality Shaykh
Ahmad Sirhindi, responded by declaring this to be
blasphemy.
Akbar not only tolerated religions other than Islam, he
encouraged interfaith discussion and debate. After
listening to many religious scholars from the prominent
religions of his empire (i.e., Islam, Hinduism,
Zoroastrianism, and, to a lesser extent Jainism,
Christianity and Judaism) he decided that no one faith
was entirely and exclusively true; he developed a
syncretic religion which he called Din-i Ilahi, "the Divine
Faith" and encouraged his subjects to follow it. It
combined elements primarily from Islam and Hinduism,
but also from Zoroastrianism, Jainism and Christianity.
While it never gained a real following, it promoted many
universal values found in these religions, including
compassion, piety, abstinence and prudence. It forbade
celibacy and animal slaughter.
THE MANSABDARI SYSTEM
Every official in the Mughal empire, high or low, had a
rank or a mansab. Their status, duties, pay and
importance were graded accordingly. Technically, all
mansabdars had to maintain a military contingent for
which they were paid. All other officials were paid in
cash. During Akbars time the official bearing a decimal
rank of 500 were ranked as a noble nor umara. But by the
end of the seventeenth century the mansabdars with
1000 rank were accorded the status of a umara.
All mansabdars had dual ranks and they were
remunerated on that basis. The successful regulation of
the mansabs and the salary assignment (jagirdari system)
can be truly termed as a Mughal phenomenon
All Mughal officials received a dual rank when they joined
the Mughal imperial service. That was zat (personal
salary) and sawar (payment for the military contingent).
For example: the mansab of Prince Salim (Jahangir) was
5000 zat/5000 sawar. What does it mean: Prince Salims
personal salary was based on his mansab of 5000 zat and
for 5000 sawar, he had to maintain a military contingent.
During Akbars reign the ratio was one horsemen and
two horses and a mansabdar of 5000 sawar had to
maintain a contingent of 5000 horsemen. The
mansabdars zat rank never exceeded his sawar rank
(either it used to be equal 5000/5000 or 3000/ 4000 or
less than the sawar rank). The zat numerals were always
used to be stated first.
The highest rank (mansab) was 7000/7000 which was
awarded to the officials/royalty
CHANGES IN THE MANSABDARI
The crisis in the mansabdari system was becoming
obvious by the time of Shahjahan. The zat rank of the
mansabdars starting exceeding their sawar rank and had
crossed the maximum limit of 7000. A mansabdar could
have a mansab of 20,000/ 5000. (will be elaborated).
CHANGES IN THE MANSABDARI
After the reign of Akbar when the highest ranking
mansabdars who had reached the maximum limit in their
mansab had nothing to aspire for. For this reason there
were some changes in the mansabdari system.
The quota of the contingent which each mansabdar had
to maintain was lowered and there were further
reductions in the contingent if the mansabdars were
posted on the frontiers or faraway places.
Changes in the mansabdari system:
Du-aspa and sih-aspa categories: For example the
mansab of Ali Mardan Khan (1628) was 7000/7000 du-
aspa (His personal rank was 7000 but for his 7000
contingent he had to maintain only 66% of troops)
If the sih-aspa category was added then the mansabdar
had to maintain 33% of his contingent.
Mughal Emperor Jahangir
Jahangir preferring a sufi sheikh to kings, 1620
Reign: 1605 - 1627
Full name
Nuruddin Salim Jahangir
Born: September 20, 1569
Birthplace: Fatehpur Sikri
Died: November 8, 1627 (aged 58)
Buried
Tomb of Jahangir
Predecessor
Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar
Successor
Shah Jahan
Wives
Manbhawati Bai , Princess Manmati , Nur Jahan
Offspring
Nisar Begum, Khusrau Mirza, Parwez, Bahar Banu
Begum, Shah Jahan, Shahryar, Jahandar
Dynasty
Timurid
Father
Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar
Mother
Princess Hira Kunwari (a.k.a. Mariam Zamani) (Jodhabai)
Religious beliefs
Islam
Revolt
In 1600, when Akbar was away from the capital on an
expedition, Salim broke into an open rebellion, and
declared himself Emperor. Akbar had to hastily return to
Agra and restore order. There was a time when Akbar
thought of putting his eldest grandson Khusrau Mirza on
the throne instead of Salim.Prince Salim forcefully
succeeded to the throne on November 3, 1605, eight
days after his father's death. Salim ascended to the
throne with the title of Nur-ud-din Muhammad Jahangir
Badshah Ghazi, and thus began his 22-year reign at the
age of 36. Jahangir soon after had to fend off his son,
Prince Khusrau Mirza, when he attempted to claim the
throne based on Akbar's will to become his next heir.
Khusrau Mirza was defeated in 1606 and confined in the
fort of Agra. As punishment Khusrau Mirza was blinded,
and the Sikh Guru Arjun (the religious spiritual head of
the sect at the time) was put to death, for giving the then
fugitive Khusrau Mirza money when he visited Guru
Arjun.In 1622, Khurram (Shah Jahan), younger brother of
Khusrau Mirza, had Khusrau murdered in a conspiracy to
eliminate all possible contenders to the throne. Taking
advantage of this internal conflict, the Persians seized
the city of Qandahar and as a result of this loss, the
Mughals lost control over the trade routes to
Afghanistan, Persian and Central Asia and also exposed
India to invasions from the north-west.
Jahangir and Religion
Jahangir was certainly willing to engage with other
religions. When drunk, Jahangir swore to Sir Thomas Roe,
England's first ambassador to the Mughal court, that he
would protect all the peoples of the book. Many
contemporary chroniclers were not even sure quite how
to describe his personal belief structure. Roe labelled
him an atheist,
Most notorious was the execution of the Sikh Guru Arjun.
It is unclear that Jahangir even understood what a Sikh
was, referring to Guru Arjun as a Hindu, who had
"captured many of the simple-hearted of the Hindus, and
even of the ignorant and foolish followers of Islam, by his
ways and manners for three or four generations (of
spiritual successors) they had kept this shop warm." The
trigger for Guru Arjun's execution was his support for
Jahangir's rebel son Khusrau Mirza, yet it is clear from
Jahangir's own memoirs that he disliked Guru Arjun
before then: "many times it occurred to me to put a stop
to this vain affair or bring him into the assembly of the
people of Islam."
Guru Arjun was handed over to the Mughal governor of
Lahore, and was tortured to death for refusing to convert
to Islam. Jahangir ordered his execution, but it is unlikely
that he also ordered Guru Arjun to be tortured and
converted, for two reasons; one, because we have no
other examples from Jahangir's generally tolerant reign
to support the idea that he forced people to convert to
Islam, and two, because Jahangir makes no note of Guru
Arjun's torture, yet cheerfully describes the torture of
two other rebels, as well as Guru Arjun's execution.
Jahangir maintained his hostility towards the Sikhs,
imprisoning Guru Hargobind, the successor of Guru
Arjun, for several years.
Such a religious situation allowed the more recently
arrived form of Christianity to have opportunity to grow.
Jahangir did not seem to have anything against
Christianity. He wrote fondly of Akbar's reign, when
"Sunnis and Shias met in one mosque, and Franks and
Jews in one church, and observed their own forms of
worship." Roe noted that "of Christ he never utters any
word irreverently." His prayer room in Agra contained
pictures of "our Lady and Christ." In the imperial palace
in Lahore, over one of the doors, according to William
Finch, a merchant, was "the Picture of our Sauiour," with
an image of the Virgin Mary facing it. Elsewhere, the
emperor had pictures of angels and demons, with the
demons having a "most ugly shape, with long hornes,
staring eyes with such horrible difformity and
deformity, that I wonder the poore women are not
frightened therewith."
There was even some baseless suggestion that Jahangir
had converted to Christianity. Thrown by the religious
tolerance of Akbar and Jahangir's rule, the Jesuits had
long thought that they were always on the verge of
conversion.
Nur-ud-din Salim Jahangir (full title: Al-Sultan al-'Azam
wal Khaqan al-Mukarram, Khushru-i-Giti Panah, Abu'l-
Fath Nur-ud-din Muhammad Jahangir Padshah Ghazi
[Jannat-Makaani]) (September 20, 1569 November 8,
1627) (OS August 31, 1569 NS November 8, 1627) was
the ruler of the Mughal Empire from 1605 until his death.
The name Jahangir is from Persian , meaning
"Conqueror of the World". Nur-ud-din or Nur al-Din is an
Arabic name which means " Light of the Faith."Born as
Prince Muhammad Salim, he was the third and eldest
surviving son of Mogul Emperor Akbar. Akbar's twin
sons, Hasan and Hussain, died in infancy. His mother was
the Rajput Princess of Amber, Jodhabai (born Rajkumari
Hira Kunwari, eldest daughter of Raja Bihar Mal or
Bharmal, Raja of Amber, India)
The child was named Salim after the darvesh and was
affectionately addressed by Akbar as Sheikhu Baba.
Marriage
The marriage with Manbhawati Bai took place on
February 13, 1585. Manbhawati gave birth to Khusrau
Mirza. Thereafter, Salim was allowed to marry, in quick
succession, a number of accomplished girls from the
aristocratic Mughal and Rajput families. One of his
favourite wives was a Rajput Princess, known as Jagat
Gosain and Princess Manmati, who gave birth to Prince
Khurram, the future Shah Jahan, Jahangir's successor to
the throne. The total number of wives in his harem was
more than eight hundred.
Jahangir married the extremely beautiful and intelligent
Mehr-ul-Nisa (better known by her subsequent title of
Nur Jahan), in May 1611. She was the widow of Sher
Afghan. She was witty, intelligent and beautiful, which
was what attracted Jahangir to her. Before being
awarded the title of Nur Jahan ('Light of the World'), she
was called Nur Mahal ('Light of the Palace'). Her abilities
are said to range from fashion designing to hunting.
There is also a myth that she had once killed four tigers
with six bullets.
Death
The health of Jahangir was completely shattered by too
much drinking of alcohol. He was trying to restore it by
visiting Kashmir and Kabul. He went from Kabul to
Kashmir but returned to Lahore on account of a severe
cold. Jahangir died on the way from Kashmir in 1627 and
was buried in Shahdara Bagh, a suburb of Lahore, Punjab.
He was succeeded by his third son, Prince Khurram who
took the title of Shah Jahan. Jahangir's elegant
mausoleum is located in the Shahdara locale of Lahore
and is a popular tourist attraction in Lahore. On his death
in 1627 he uttered 'Kashmir only Kashmir'.
Jahangir Reign
Jahangir promised to protect Islam and granted general
amnesty to his opponents. He was also notable for his
patronage of the arts, especially of painting. During his
reign the distinctive style of Mughal painting expanded
and blossomed. Jahangir supported a flourishing culture
of court painters.
Jahangir is most famous for his golden "chain of justice."
The chain was setup as a link between his people and
Jahangir himself. Standing outside, the castle of Agra
with sixty bells, anyone was capable of pulling the chain
and having a personal hearing from Jahangir himself.
Sovereignty, according to Jahangir, was a "gift of God"
not necessarily given to enforce God's law but rather to
"ensure the contentment of the world." In civil cases,
Islamic law applied to Muslims, Hindu law applied to
Hindus, while criminal law was the same for both
Muslims and Hindus [citation needed]. In matters like
marriage and inheritance, both communities had their
own laws that Jahangir respected. Thus Jahangir was able
to deliver justice to people in accordance of their beliefs,
and also keep his hold on empire by unified criminal law.
Jahangir's relationship with other rulers of the time is
one that was well documented by Sir Thomas Roe,
especially his relationship with the Persian King, Shah
Abbas. Though conquest was one of Jahangir's many
goals, he was a naturalist and lover of the arts and did
not have quite the same warrior ambition of the Persian
king. This led to a mutual enmity that, while
diplomatically hidden, was very clear to observers within
Jahangir's court.
Autobiography
A number of his observations are detailed in Tuzk-e-
Jahangiri, also referred to as Jahangirnama. He liked
paintings and collected many of them in his palace. Some
of them are still found in museums.
Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan
"Shah Jahan on a globe" from the Smithsonian Institution
Reign: 1628 - 1658
Full name: Shahab-ud-din Muhammad Shah Jahan
Born: 1 May 1592(1592-05-01)
Birthplace: Lahore
Died: 22 January 1666 (aged 74)
Place of death: Agra
Buried: Taj Mahal
Predecessor: Jahangir
Successor: Aurangazeb
Wives
Akbarabadi Mahal (d. 1677) , Kandahari Mahal (b. 1594,
m. 1609) , Mumtaz Mahal (b. 1593, m. 1612, d. 1631) ,
Hasina Begum Sahiba (m. 1617) , Muti Begum Sahiba ,
Qudsia Begum Sahiba , Fatehpuri Mahal Sahiba (d. after
1666) , Sarhindi Begum Sahiba (d. after 1650), Shrimati
Manbhavathi Baiji Lal Sahiba (m. 1626)
Offspring
Jahanara Begum, Dara Shukoh, Shah Shuja, Roshanara
Begum, Aurangzeb, Murad Baksh, Gauhara Begum
Dynasty: Mughal
Father: Jahangir
Mother: Princess Manmati
Religious beliefs: Islam
Biography
Shah Jahan was born as Prince Khurram Shihab-ud-din
Muhammad, in 1592 in Lahore, Pakistan as the third and
favorite son of the emperor Jahangir, [3] his mother
being a Rathore Rajput Princess, known as Princess Jagat
Gosain who was Jahangir's second wife. The name
Khurram - Persian for 'joyful' - was given by his
grandfather Akbar.
Shah Jahan had two main passions: beautiful buildings
and his wife Mumtaz Mahal
Mumtaz Mahal died while giving birth to their 14th
child, so the Taj Mahal was built as her tomb
Cost of building angered many of his people
Marriage
In 1607 CE (1025 AH), at the age of fifteen, Khurram was
to marry Arjumand Banu Begum, the granddaughter of a
Persian noble, who was 14 years old at the time. She
would become the unquestioned love of his life. They
would, however, have to wait five years before they were
married in 1612 CE. After their wedding celebrations,
Khurram "finding her in appearance and character elect
among all the women of the time," gave her the title
Mumtaz Mahal: (Jewel of the Palace). Mumtaz Mahal
had 14 children. Despite her frequent pregnancies, she
travelled with Shah Jahan's entourage throughout his
earlier military campaigns and the subsequent rebellion
against his father.
The intervening years had seen Khurrum take two other
wives known as Akbarabadi Mahal and Kandahari Mahal.
Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal as a tomb for his beloved
wife, Mumtaz Mahal
Tomb as to be as beautiful as she was beautiful
Took 22 years and 20,000 workers to build, Made of
marble, sapphires, bloodstones, rubies, and lapis lazuli
Shah Jahan tried to turn his empire into an Islamic state
Ordered the destruction of Hindu temples, taxed non-
Muslims more heavily than Muslims, removed Hindus
from high govt. offices
Mughal empire reached its peak, but the religious
intolerance weakened the govt
Shah Jehan succeeded his father in 1627.
Better ruler than Jehangir.
Restored the efficiency of government.
Recovered territories.
Maintained peace
Foreign traders were allowed into India and trade
increased considerably.
The empire was expanded.
Shah Jehan was a patron of the arts
Built many great architecture buildings including the Taj
Mahal and the Peacock Throne, a brilliant gold throne
encased in hundreds of precious gems.
Taj Mahal
Built in honor of his wife who died during childbirth.
Took over a decade to build and it nearly bankrupted
the empire.
1657 - Shah Jehan became seriously ill and a dispute
over the succession of the throne ensued between his
three sons.
Aurangzeb deposed Shah Jehan in a coup detat in 1658.
Shah Jehan was imprisoned in the Octagonal Tower of
the Agra Fort from which he could see the Taj Mahal. He
died in 1666 and was buried next to his wife in the Taj
Mahal.
Prince Khurram was 35 years old when he ascended the
throne as Shah Jahan (King of the World). Succeeding
Jahangir in 1627, Shah Jahan enjoyed the support of
experienced administrators and advisors -- like his
father-in-law Asaf Khan -- who were holdovers from the
previous reign.
During the early years of his reign, Shah Jahan preferred
Agra to Delhi as a place of residence. This preference is
reflected in his selection of Agra as the site for a number
of building ventures including the world's most famous
and beautiful mausoleum, Taj Mahal. Shah Jahan is in the
first rank of Indian rulers.
In 1638, Shah Jahan moved his capital from Agra to a city
in Delhi. Known as Shahjahanabad, the new capital city
was laid out under the emperor's auspices from 1639-
1648.
From Shah Jahan to the end of the Mughal line the
famous Red Fort was heart of the empire and the
principal residence of the emperors. Hambly writes that
in the 17th century, at the height of the Mughals' power,
the Red Fort constituted not only the residence of the
emperor and his court but also housed the central
dministrative machinery of the empire, a military
garrison, an arsenal, the imperial treasury, factories
(karkhaneh) for the manufacture of luxury commodities,
and much more.
Shah Jahan, like his father Jahangir, was a notable patron
of gardens. Lahore is also another site of the greatest of
the Mughal water gardens known as Shalimar (Abode of
Bliss), Brend (1991) notes. The garden was constructed
in 1642.
During Shah Jahan's reign, the Mughals penetrated
deeper into the Deccan and the successful campaign in
1636 forced the state ruled by Adil Shah to acknowledge
Mughal dominance. Shah Jahan returned north to
concentrate on his new capital at Shahjahanabad, while
his son, the young prince Aurangzeb, was appointed
viceroy and commander-in-chief of Mughal forces in the
Deccan.From an early age, Shah Jahan's four sons, Dara
Shukoh, Shah Shuja, Aurangzeb, and Murad Bakhsh,
grew up in an atmosphere of bitter rivalry.Dara Shukoh,
Shah Jahan's favorite and his heir, was a man of broad
intellectual interests.
Mughal Emperor AurangZeb
Reign: 1658 - 1707
Full name: Abul Muzaffar Muhiuddin Muhammad
Aurangzeb Alamgir
Titles: Al-Sultan al-Azam wal Khaqan al-Mukarram Abul
Muzaffar Muhiuddin Muhammad Aurangzeb Bahadur
Alamgir I, Padshah Ghazi
Born: 4 November 1618(1618-11-04)
Birthplace: Dahod
Died: 3 March 1707 (aged 88)
Place of death: Ahmednagar
Buried: Khuldabad
Predecessor Shah Jahan
Successor Bahadur Shah I
Wives: Nawab Raj Bai Begum, Dilras Bano Begam , Hira
Bai Zainabadi Mahal , Aurangabadi Mahal , Udaipuri
Mahal
Offspring: ( Dilras Bano Begam),Zeb-un-Nissa, Zinat-un-
Nissa, Muhammad Azam Shah,Mehr-un-Nissa,
Muhammad Akbar, (Nawab Raj Bai Begum), Sultan
Muhammad, Bahadur Shah I, Badr-un-Nissa, w.
Aurangabadi Mahal Zabdat-un-Nissa, (w. Udaipuri
Mahal), Muhammad Kam Baksh
Dynasty: Mughal
Father: Shah Jahan
Mother: Mumtaz Mahal
Religious beliefs: Islam
Aurangzeb, Emperor Shah Jahan's sixth son, was born on
24th October 1618 at Dohad in Madhya Pradesh,
wrested India's crown from his father before the end of
June 1658, after defeating his brother Prince Dara
Shukoh's armies, first at Dharmat near Ujjain (15th April
1568) and the second, led by Dara himself, at Samugarh
on 29th May 1658.The War of Succession to the richest
throne in the world was practically over with this victory,
and Aurangzeb secured his position by making Murad,
his brother his prisoner, by treachery, on 25th June. He
had already made his old father Emperor Shah Jahan a
prisoner in the Agra Fort (8th June 1658).
Aurangzeb, the last emperor of the great Mughal
emperors in India, ascended the throne of the Mughal
Empire, in 1658 through bloodstained wiping away of his
own brothers, the other contestants in the battle for
authority. Under him the Mughal Empire reached its
greatest height. He assumed the title of Alamgir
(Conqueror of the World) Padshah (emperor) Ghazi (Holy
Warrior) to propound the essence of the roles he would
play. His experience as the governor of Gujrat, Multan
and Sindh, helped him to strengthen his much -coveted
position.
Firstly he adopted measures like :
hike in the salaries of his officers;
abolition of tax on grain trade ;
refusal of gifts and
honouring his supporters with titles.
War Of succession
Shah Jahan fell ill in 1657. With this news, the struggle
for the succession began. Aurangzeb's eldest brother,
Dara Shikoh, was regarded as heir apparent, but the
succession proved far from certain when Shah Jahan's
second son Shah Shuja declared himself emperor in
Bengal. Imperial armies sent by Dara and Shah Jahan
soon restrained this effort, and Shuja retreated.
Soon after, Shuja's youngest brother Murad Baksh, with
secret promises of support from Aurangzeb, declared
himself emperor in Gujarat.
The Deccan wars and the Rise of the Marathas
In the time of Shah Jahan, the Deccan had been
controlled by three Muslim kingdoms: Ahmednagar
(Nizams), Bijapur (Adilshahi) and Golconda (Qutbshahi).
Following a series of battles, Ahmendnagar was
effectively divided, with large portions of the kingdom
ceded to the Mughals and the balance to Bijapur. One of
Ahmednagar's generals, a Hindu Maratha named
Shahaji, joined the Bijapur court. Shahaji sent his wife
Jijabai and young son Shivaji in Pune to look after his
Jagir.
In 1657, while Aurangzeb attacked Golconda and Bijapur,
Shivaji, using guerrilla tactics, took control of three
Adilshahi forts formerly controlled by his father. With
these victories, Shivaji assumed de facto leadership of
many independent Maratha clans.
Just before Shivaji Raje's his coronation in 1659,
Aurangzeb sent his trusted general and maternal uncle
Shaista Khan to the Deccan to recover his lost forts.
Shaista Khan drove into Maratha territory and took up
residence in Pune.
Aurangzeb ignored the rise of the Marathas for the next
few years. Shivaji continued to capture forts belonging to
both Mughals and Bijapur. At last Aurangzeb sent his
powerful general Raja Jai Singh of Amber, a Hindu Rajput,
to attack the Marathas. Jai Singh's blistering attacks were
so successful that he defeated Shivaji and had him
arrested Shivaji agreed becoming a Mughal vassal. Jai
Singh also promised the Maratha hero his safety, placing
him under the care of his own son, the future Raja Ram
Singh I. However, circumstances at the Mughal court
were beyond the control of the Raja, and when Shivaji
and his son Sambhaji went to Agra to meet Aurangzeb,
they were placed under house arrest, from which they
managed to effect a daring escape.
In 1689 Aurangzeb captured and had Sambhaji killed.
Sambhaji's successor chhatrapati Rajaram and his,
Maratha Sardars (commanders) fought individual battles
against the Mughals, and territory changed hands again
and again during years of endless warfare.
Now let us deal with Aurangzeb's imposition ofthe jizya
tax which had drawn severe criticism from many Hindu
historians. It is true that jizya was lifted during the reign
of Akbar and Jahangir and that Aurangzeb later
reinstated this. Before I delve into the subject of
Aurangzeb's jizya tax, or taxing the non-Muslims, it is
worthwhile to point out that jizya is nothing more than a
war tax which was collected only from able-bodied
young non-Muslim male citizens living in a Muslim
country who did not want to volunteer for the defense
of the country. That is, no such tax was collected from
non-Muslims who volunteered to defend the country.
This tax was not collected from women, and neither from
immature males nor from disabled or old male citizens.
For payment of such taxes, it became incumbent upon
the Muslim government to protect the life, property and
wealth of its non-Muslim citizens. If for any reason the
government failed to protect its citizens, especially
during a war, the taxable amount was returned.
It should be pointed out here that zakat (2.5% of savings)
and ushr (10% of agricultural products) were collected
from all Muslims, who owned some wealth (beyond a
certain minimum, called nisab). They also paid sadaqah,
fitrah, and khums. None of these were collected from
any non-Muslim. As a matter of fact, the per capita
collection from Muslims was several fold that of non-
Muslims. Further to Auranzeb's credit is his abolition of a
lot of taxes, although this fact is not usually mentioned.
In his book Mughal Administration, Sir Jadunath Sarkar,
foremost historian on the Mughal dynasty, mentions
that during Aurangzeb's reign in power, nearly sixty-five
types of taxes were abolished, which resulted in a yearly
revenue loss of fifty million rupees from the state
treasury.
While some Hindu historians are retracting the lies, the
textbooks and historic accounts in Western countries
have yet to admit their error and set the record straight.
Bahadur Shah 1 (1707-1712)
Reign: 1707 - 1712
Born: 14 October 1643
Birthplace: Burhanpur
Died: February 27, 1712 (aged 68)
Place of death: Lahore
Predecessor: Aurangzeb
Successor: Jahandar Shah
Wife: Nizam Bai
Offspring(sons): Jahandar Shah, Azim-ush-Shan, Rafi-
ush-Shan, Khujista Akhtar Jehan Shah, Buland Akhtar
Dynasty: Timurid
Father: Aurangzeb
Religious beliefs: Islam
First of the Mughal emperors to preside over a steady
and severe decline in the territories under the empire's
control and military power. After his reign, the emperor
became a progressively insignificant figurehead.
Early life
Muazzam, the second son of the emperor Aurangzeb
through Nawab Bai Begum Saheba, the daughter of Raja
of Rajauri (Jarral Rajput), was born in Burhanpur in 1643.
In his father's lifetime, Muazzam was deputed governor
of the northwest territories by Aurangzeb. His province
included those parts of the Punjab where the Sikh faith
was blossoming. As governor, Muazzam relaxed the
enforcement of Aurangzeb's severe edicts, and an
uneasy calm prevailed in the province for a brief time. In
fact, he maintained a friendly relationship with the last
Sikh spiritual leader, Guru Gobind Singh. When Muazzam
was challenging his brothers for the Mughal throne, Guru
Gobind Singh Ji provided military assistance and spiritual
guidance to the liberal prince.
Bahadur Shah ( Bahdur Shh) (14 October, 1643, old age and to his father's geographical overextension.
Burhanpur27 February, 1712, Lahore) was a Mughal
Emperor, who ruled India from 1707 to 1712. His original
name was Qutb ud-Din Muhammad Mu'azzam later
titled as Shah Alam by his father. He took the throne
name Bahadur Shah in 1707. His name Bahdur means
"braves" in Persian. Bahadur Shah, who is commonly
neglected because his reign lasted just five years,
completes the gallery of the great Mughals.He was an old
man of 63 when he came to power but his achievements
in those five years would have done credit to most men
in their prime. He made settlements with the implacable
Marathas, tranquilized the Rajputs, added Assam to the
Mughal Empires and became friendly with the Sikhs in
the Punjab. He was travelling throughout his reign and
only came to rest in Lahore in the last few months of his
life.
Reign
After Aurangzeb's death, Muazzam Bahadur Shah took
the throne. A war of succession began immediately after
Aurangzeb died. One younger brother, Prince Azam
Shah, proclaimed himself emperor and marched towards
Delhi, where he unsuccessfully fought Bahadur Shah and
died after a nominal reign of three months. Another
brother, Muhammad Kam Baksh, was killed in
1709.Aurangzeb had imposed Sharia law within his
kingdom with harsh enforcement of strict edicts. This led
to increased militancy by many constituencies including
the Marathas, the Sikhs and the Rajputs. Thus, rebellion
was rife at the time of Aurangzeb's death and Bahadur
Shah inherited a very unstable polity. A more moderate
man than his father, Bahadur Shah sought to improve
relations with the militant constituencies of the rapidly
crumbling kingdom. Bahadur Shah constantly struggled
with the rise of Sikh strength, with the Sikh General
Banda Singh Bahadur being a constant threat to th
empire. he was able to gains control over Assam purely
because of the assistance he got from his son, Azim-ush-
Shan. Bahadur Shah never abolished jizyah, but the effort
to collect the tax became ineffectual. Support to music
was apparently renewed during his brief rule of five
years. There was no destructions of temples in his reign.
During Bahadur Shahs briefs reign of five years, although
the empire remained united, factionalism in the nobility
reached a new height. However, he could do little to
mitigate the damage already done by his father.
After his short reign of less than five years, the Mughal
Empires entered a long decline, attributable both to his
Reports are that he was courageous and intelligent, but
that his fathers repressions had harmed his abilities. All
accounts agree in representing Bahadur Shah as a man
of mild and equable temper, learned, dignified,
disciplined, magnanimous and generous to fault.
Although not a greats sovereign like his predecessors,
Bahadur Shah may be called, at least in comparison with
his successors, a fairly successful one. According to many
historian Bahadur Shah was the last major Mughal
emperor as the rulers who succeeded him were either
proxies or puppets of some influential regional chieftains
and their influence was hardly felt outside the imperial
capital city of Delhi. Bahadur Shah hardly shared
Aurangzeb's orthodox views. Unlike his father,
Aurangzeb, he was a liberal sufi in outlook. In fact, it is
true that after his sudden death the disintegration of the
Mughal Empire became very much evident.
Moti Masjid, Mehrauli, built by Bahadur Shah I.
Died.
Bahadur Shah died on February 27, 1712 in Lahore while
making alterations to the Shalimar Gardens. He was
succeeded by his son Jahandar Shah. His grave lies, next
to the dargah of 13th century, Sufi saint, Qutbuddin
Bakhtiar Kaki at Mehrauli, in a marble enclosure, along
with that of Shah Alam II, and Akbar II.
Jahandar Shah (1712-1713)
Reign 1712 - 1713
Born 10 May 1661
Died February 11, 1713 (aged 51)
Place of death: Delhi
Predecessor: Bahadur Shah I
Successor: Farrukhsiyar
Wife: Lal Kunwar
Dynasty: Timurid
Father: Bahadur Shah I
8th mughal emperor
Jahandar Shah (1661-1713) was a Mughal Emperor who
ruled Hindustan for a brief period in 1712-1713 CE.
Jahandar Shah was born on May 10, 1661, a son of the
emperor Bahadur Shah I. Upon the death of their father
on 27 February 1712, he and his brother Azim-ush-Shan
both declared themselves emperor and conducted a
struggle for the succession. Azim-ush-shan was killed on
17 March 1712 and Jahandar Shah was able to rule for a
further eleven months. His court was depraved. He was
a mere puppet in the hands of his favourite wife, Lal
Kunwar, who, before her elevation to the position of
Queen Consort was a mere dancing girl. Her children
were promoted to the highest offices of the Empire.
He was defeated in the battle at Agra on 10 January 1713
by Farrukhsiyar, his nephew the second son of Azim-ush-
shan, with the support of the Sayyid Brothers. He fled to
Delhi, from where he was captured and handed over to
the new Emperor, who confined him along with Lal
Kunwar. He lived in confinement for a month, until 11
February 1713, when professional stranglers were sent
to murder him. When the stranglers were admitted into
the prison, Lal Kunwar shrieked, "clasped hold of her
lover and refused to let go." Violently forcing the two
apart, they laid hands on Jahandar Shah and finished him
off. His head was severed and presented to Farruksiyar,
while his body was taken to Humayun's Tomb and
interred there. Lal Kunwar was sent to "suragpura"
(Hamlet of Happy Wives), where the widows of previous
emperors lived in retirement. Before coming to the
throne, Jahandar Shah had sailed around the Indian
ocean, and had been a very prosperous trader. He was
the father of three sons, including, Aziz-ud-Din, or
Alamgir II, who reigned as Mughal emperor between
1754 and 1759.
He was merely a puppet in the hands of his Chief Minister
Zulfikar Khan. The acts of Jahandar Shah brought down
the prestige of the Mughal Empire.
Furrukhsiyar (1713-1719)
Reign: 1713 - 1719
Full name: Farrukhsiyar
Born: 11 September 1685
Birthplace: Aurangabad
Died: April 19, 1719 (aged 33)
Place of death: Delhi
Predecessor: Jahandar Shah
Successor: Rafi Ul-Darjat
Wives: Nawab Fakhr-un-Nisa Begum Sahiba, Indira
Kanwar
Dynasty: Timurid
Father: Azim-ush-Shan
Mother: Sahiba Niswan
Abu'l Muzaffar Muin ud-din Muhammad Shah Farrukh-
siyar Alim Akbar Sani Wala Shan Padshah-i-bahr-u-bar
[Shahid-i-Mazlum] (or Farrukhsiyar, August 20, 1685 -
April 19, 1719) was the Mughal emperor between 1713
and 1719. Noted as a handsome but weak ruler, easily
swayed by his advisers, Farukhsiyar lacked the ability and
character to rule independently. His reign witnessed the
primacy of the Syed Brothers who became the effective
powers of the land, behind the faade of Mughal rule.
Furrukhsiyar Biography
Farrukhn Siyar was born at Aurangabad in the Deccan on
September 11, 1683. He was the second son of Azim ush
Shan, a son of former emperor Bahadur Shah I. His
mother was Sahiba Niswan, a sister of Nawab Shaista
Khan, the erstwhile Mughal Subedar of Kashmir. He
married his first wife, Nawab Fakhr-un-Nisa Begum
Sahiba, daughter of Nawab Sa'adat Khan Bahadur [Mir
Muhammad Taqi Husaini], a Kashmiri nobleman from the
Marashi clan, sometime prior to December, 1715. In
September 1715, Farrukhsiyar married Indira Kanwar,
daughter of Maharaja Ajit Singh of Jodhpur. He was also
married to at least one other lady.
Trade concessions
It was during Farrukhsiyar's reign, in 1717, that the
British East India Company purchased duty-free trading
rights in all of Bengal for a mere three thousand rupees
a year. It is said that the Company's surgeon, William
Hamilton, cured Farrukhsiyar from some ailment and the
emperor was moved to grant trading rights to the
Company. Another story tells of a bribe to a eunuch of
the seraglio and a rumoured British Naval attack on the
Moghul navy at Surat.
This order, which the Company hailed as the golden
firman, was not of much practical use. Even though the
Company claimed duty exemptions based on this firman,
the Mughal governors of Bengal, from Murshid Quli Khan
onwards, ignored this order of their suzerain and
continued to collect customs duty from the East India
Company.
Furrukhsiyar Reign
Jahandar Shah was defeated at Samugarh near Agra on
10 January 1713. Following this, the Syed Brothers,
helped Farukhsiyar to secure his throne. He took the
throne On January 11, 1713, at the age of 30. His reign
marked the ascendancy of the Syed Brothers who
monopolized state power and reduced the Emperor to
an effective figurehead. The town of Farrukhnagar in
Gurgaon district, 32 km south of Delhi, was rechristened
after his name, during his reign, here he built a Sheesh
Mahal and also a mosque.
In 1717 he(furrukhsiyar) granted a firman to the English
East India Company granting them duty free trading
rights for Bengal, and confirmed their position in India.
Furrukhsiyar Death
However, Farrukhsiyar in the very short term met a
humiliating and bloody end, his constant plotting
eventually led the Syed Brothers to officially depose him
as the Emperor. Farrukhsiyar was imprisoned and
starved; later, on February 28, 1719, he was blinded with
needles at the orders of the Syed Brothers. Farrukhsiyar
was strangled to death on the night of April 27/28, 1719.
After accomplishing his assassination, the Syed Brothers
placed his first-cousin, Rafi Ul-Darjat on the throne. Rafi-
ud-durjat's father and Farukhsiyar's father had been
brothers.
Rafi-ul-Darjat (1719)
Reign 1719, Born 30 November 1699
Rafi-ul Darjat, youngest son of Rafi-us-shaan (brother of
Azim ush Shan) was the 10th Mughal Emperor. He was
born on 30 November 1699, and succeeded Furrukhsiyar
on 28 February 1719, being proclaimed Badshah by the
Syed Brothers.
Role of the Syed Brothers.
As Rafi-ul Darajat owed his throne to the Syed Brothers
they took full advantage of this. They wanted him to be
a puppet ruler and so took steps to curtail his power, the
previous emperor Furrukhsiyar was deposed by the Syed
Brothers as he had tried to maintain his independence.
rafi ul darjat is 10th mughal emperor.
On one occasion a warrant of appointment, having been
signed by the Emperor, a second was brought to him the
next day by the Wazir, giving the appointment to
someone else. The emperor asked, "Is this the same
village or some other village by the same name?" On
being told that it was the same, but this new man was
more suitable for the post because he offered more
money, the Emperor refused to sign it, saying it was
foolish to act this way. He was also slighted by the Syed
Brothers. Once, Husain Ali Khan sat in his presence
without his permission (which was contrary to the royal
etiquette). In response, the emperor requested him to
take off his (the emperor's) stockings [moza]. Although
inwardly boiling, Husain was forced to comply. His
younger brother went a step forward, flirting with Inayat
Banu, the emperor's wife, saying that he had fallen in
love with her "long curling locks." So the former cut her
"locks" off, and sent them to her lover.
Rival claim to throne
The reign of Rafi Ul-Darjat was one of turbulence. On 18
May 1719, less than three months after his own
accession, Rafi Ul-Darjat's uncle, Nekusiyar assumed the
throne at the Agra Fort as he thought he had more right
to the throne than the "new born child".i.e. Rafi Ul-
Darjat. (Nekusiyar was twenty years older than the
former). The Syed Brothers were extremely determined,
of course, to defend the emperor they had raised to the
throne and punish the offender. In this they easily and Succeeded by Mohammed Ibrahim
swiftly succeeded, and only three months after
Muhammad Ibrahim (1720)
Nekusiyar's enthronement, the fort surrendered and
Nekusiyar was captured. He was respectfully received by Reign 1720
the Amir Ul-Umara, and confined at Salimgarh where he
died in 1723. Meanwhile, Rafi Ul-Darjat had died. His Died 1744
lungs had failed. When it became clear that he was dying, Dynasty Timurid
he requested that his elder brother be raised to the
throne, so that he could die a happy man. Accordingly, Emperor 13th Mughal emperor
on 4 June 1719, after a reign of 3 months and four days, Mohammed Ibrahim ( ) was the 13th Mughal
he was dethroned and sent to the "haram". Two days emperor. The brother of Rafi Ul-Darjat and Rafi Ud-
later his brother, Rafi Ul-Daulah was enthroned. Thus Daulat, he took the throne in 1720, after a war of
delighted, Rafi Ul-Darjat died five days later. His remains succession to inherit the short-lived Furrukhsiyar throne
were interred near the shrine of Khawaja Qutub ud-din against the Syed Brothers. He was the claimant of the
in Delhi. Syed Brothers after Muhammad Shah joined Nizam ul-
Rafi- ud- Daulah ( ) also known as Shah Jahan II Mulk Chin Kilich Khan Mir Qamar ud-Din Khan's camp.
( ( ) born 1696) was Mughal emperor for a brief After the Syed Brothers' defeat, he was sent back to
period in 1719. He succeeded his short-lived brother Rafi harem. He died in 1744.
Ul-Darjat in that year, being proclaimed Badshah by the Preceded by Nikusiyar
Syed Brothers. Like his brother, he also died in 1719 at
Delhi, being deposed and killed at the behest of the Syed Mughal Emperor 1720
Brothers.
Succeeded by Muhammad Shah
After his death he was succeeded by the unfortunate
Muhammed ibrahim coin
Nikusiyar who was a nominal sovereign (and whose reign
is sometimes discounted). Muhammad Shah 1719-1748

Nikusiyar (1719) Reign 1719 - 1748

Reign: 1719 Full name Abu al-Fatah Roshan Akhtar Naseer-ud-din

Muhammad Shah
Born: 1680
Born 1702
Died: Delhi
Birthplace Fatahpur
Dynasty: Timurid
Died 1748
12th Mughal Emperor
Place of death Delhi
throne at age of 40 plus
Buried Delhi
Neku Siyar or Nikusiyar Mohammed was the 12th
Mughal Emperor. He took the throne in 1719 at the age Predecessor Shah Jahan II
of 40 plus. He was son of rebel Muhammad Akbar, son of
Successor Ahmad Shah Bahadur
Aurangzeb and was brought up in a harem in Agra. The
local Minister Birbal (not the Birbal of Akbar's fame) used Wife Badshah Begam Malika-uz-Zamani, Udhambai
him as puppet and proclaimed him emperor. But as the
prince had spent his life inside harem and talked like a Offspring Ahmad Shah Bahadur
catamite, he was laughingly ignored and again put in jail Dynasty: Timurid
by the Syed Brothers. He died around 1743 at age of 63.
Father: Khujista Akhtar Jahan Shah
Preceded by Rafi Ud-Daulat
Mother: Qudsiya Begam
Mughal Emperor: 1719
Muhammad Shah ()( 1748 1702) also known as Ahmad Shah Bahadur 1748-54
Roshan Akhtar was a Mughal emperor of India between
1719 and 1748.He was son of Khujista Akhtar Jahan Shah,
the 4th son of Bahadur Shah I. Ascending the throne at
the age of seventeen with the help of the Syed Brothers,
he later got rid of them with the help of Nizam ul Mulk
Chin Qilich Khan. He was nicknamed as Rangeela
meaning merrymaker by many historians.
Reign
During his reign, the Mughal empire eventually broke up
into a loosely-knit collection of several regional states,
each with its own ruler, thus declining the authority of
the emperor into a greater extent
In 1722, Muhammad Shah got rid of the Syed Brothers.
The following year he lost Malwa to the Marathas. In
1725, the Marathas took Gujrat. In 1737, the Mughal
emperor Muhammad Shah had to fight the Marathas
once again. He asked the Nizam-ul-Mulk to help him.
Both forces fought the Marathas at Bhopal but were
defeated. Under the terms of a treaty, Muhammad Shah
gave the Marathas 5 million rupees and also ceded
Malwa to them.
Aftermath.
After Nadir Shah's invasion, the Mughal Empire
disintegrated rapidly. Nawab Ali Wardi Khan of Bengal
proclaimed independence in 1740.In 1748, to the
people's relief, the Mughal prince Ahmad Shah Bahadur
defeated Ahmad Shah Abdali.
Muhammad Shah died in 1748 at the age of 46.
Invasion of Nadir Shah
In February 1739, the Persian emperor, Nader Shah
decided to conquer India. Due to poor tactics,
Muhammad Shah's army was easily defeated, and Nader
Shah triumphantly entered Delhi within the span of one
month, where he had the Khutba read in his name
[citation needed]. In the violence that followed, more
than 30,000 civilians were killed by the Persian troops,
forcing Muhammad Shah to beg for mercy and handing
the keys to his treasury [citation needed]. In response,
Nader Shah agreed to withdraw, but Muhammad Shah
paid the consequence - handing over the keys of his royal
treasury and losing even the Peacock Throne, along with
the Koh-i-Noor and Darya-ye Noor diamonds, to the
Persian emperor
Reign 1748
Born 1725
Died 1775 (1776)
Predecessor Muhammad Shah
Dynasty Timurid
Father Muhammad Shah
Ahmed Shah Bahadur (17251775) was born to
Mohammed Shah. He succeeded his father to the throne
as the 15th Mughal Emperor in 1748 at the age of 23. His
mother was Udhambai, (also known as Kudsiya Begum).
When Ahmed Shah came to power the rule of the
Mughal Empire was collapsing. During the reign of his
father the city of Delhi (the Mughal capital) had been
plundered and much of northern India had been
ransacked by the invading army of Nadir Shah).Ahmed
Shah inherited a much weakened Mughal state and after
ruling unsuccessfully for 6 years, he was deposed by the
Vizier Ghazi ud-Din Khan Feroze Jung III in 1754 and later
blinded along with his mother. He spent the remaining
years of his life in prison and died of natural causes in
January 1775. His son Bidar Bakhsh II temporarily rose to
power in 1788 as puppet of Ghulam Qadir.
After the death of Muhammad Shah, his son Ahmad Shah
ascended the throne on April 29, 1748. At the time of his
accession, he was 23 years old and had no experience in
the field of administration. Although Ahmad Shah was
the hero of the battle of Sarhind, in which Ahmad Shah
Abdali was defeated, he lacked qualities of leadership
and was unable to manage the affairs of the state. As a
result the administration fell into the hands of his Wazir,
Safdar Jang. Safdar Jang was also unable to run the
administration proficiently and spent most of his time in
internal strife and self-aggrandizement. Safdar Jang later
joined the Marhattas against Ahmad Shah in 1750.
Ahmad Shah's short reign was a period of great
disturbance. The Rohillas rose in rebellion and Ahmad
Shah Abdali invaded Punjab for the second time and
marched towards Delhi. In order to avoid the destruction
of Delhi, Ahmad Shah made peace with Ahmad Shah
Abdali by ceding Punjab and Multan.
Considering Ahmad Shah unfit to rule, Imad-ul-Mulk
Ghazi-ud-Din, the grand son of Asaf Jah, assumed the
office of Wazir. In 1754, Ahmad Shah was captured,
blinded and imprisoned with the help of Marhattas, and
the second son of Jahandar Shah, Aziz-ud-din Alamgir
was put on the throne. Ahmad Shah died under
confinement on January 1, 1775, at Delhi.
Alamgir || (1754-1759)
Reign 1754-1759
Full name Aziz-ud-din Alamgir II
Born 1699
Died December 11, 1759
Buried Delhi
Predecessor Ahmad Shah Bahadur
Successor Shah Jahan III
Dynasty Timurid
Father Jahandar Shah
Aziz-ud-din Alamgir II () ( 1759 - 1699) was the The Battle of Plassey 23 June 1757, was a decisive British
Mughal Emperor of India from June 3, 1754 to December
11, 1759. He was the son of Jahandar Shah.
Aziz-ud-Din, the second son of Jahandar Shah, was raised
to the throne by Ghazi-ud-Din after he deposed Ahmad
Shah Bahadur in 1754. On ascending the throne, he took
the title of Alamgir and tried to follow the approach of
Aurangzeb Alamgir. At the time of his accession to throne
he was an old man of 55 years. He had no experience of
administration and warfare as he had spent most of his
life in jail. He was a weak ruler, with all powers vested in
the hand of his Wazir, Ghazi-ud-Din Imad-ul-Mulk. In
1756, Ahmad Shah Abdali invaded India once again and
captured Delhi and plundered Mathura. Marathas
became more powerful because of their collaboration
with Ghazi-ud-Din, and dominated the whole of northern
India. This was the peak of Maratha expansion, which
caused great trouble for the Mughal Empire, already
weak with no strong ruler.
The relations between Alamgir and his Wazir, Ghazi ud-
Din Khan Feroze Jung III, by this time had gotten worse.
Alamgir was murdered by Nawab Mir Ghazi ud-Din Khan
Feroze Jung III (grandson of Asaf Jah I), and the son of
Alamgir, Ali Gauhar succeeded him.
Aziz-ud-Din, the second son of Jahandar Shah, was raised
to the throne by Ghazi-ud-Din Imad-ul-Mulk after he
deposed Ahmad Shah Bahadur in 1754, whom he
blinded, imprisoned and later killed (1775). During
Ahmad Shah's reign, the Persian ruler, Nader Shah had
sacked Delhi (1738-1739) and carried off both the
Peacock Throne and the Koh-i-Noor diamond, both
symbols of Moghul prestige and so much treasure that
Persians subsequently enjoyed a three year holiday from
taxation. According to Schimmel, et al, Ahmad Shah had
been raised by "women" and taught nothing about
military matters.
Assassination: As Ahmad Shah Durrani prepared to
retake the Punjab from the Hindu Marathas, encouraged
by Muslim leaders such as Shah Waliullah, relations
between Alamgir and the Vizier, Ghazi-ud-Din
deteriorated beyond repair. Fearing that Alamgir might
fall captive to the Afghan overlord and well aware that
the imperial treasury could not afford to pay a ransom,
the vizier ended Alamgir's life in the same way he had
ended his predecessorsby killing him. The vizier then
quickly left for the hajj in Mecca and was never punished
for either act of regicide.
East India Company victory over the Nawab of Bengal
and his French allies, establishing Company rule in India
which expanded over much of South Asia for the next
190 years. The battle took place at Palashi, West Bengal,
on the riverbanks of the Bhagirathi River, about 150 km
north of Calcutta, near Murshidabad, then the capital of
the Nawab of Bengal. The opponents were Siraj Ud
Daulah, the last independent Nawab of Bengal, and the
British East India Company.
The battle was waged during the Seven Years' War
(17561763) and in a mirror of their European rivalry, the
French East India Company sent a small contingent to
fight against the British. Siraj-ud-Daulah had a
numerically superior force and made his stand at Plassey.
British, worried about being outnumbered and so
promising huge amounts in bribes, reached out to Siraj-
ud-Daulah's demoted army chief - Mir Jafar along with
others such as Khuda-Yar Lutuf, Jagat Seths (Mahtab
Chand and Swarup Chand), Umichand, Maharaja Krishna
Nath and Rai Durlabh. Mir Jafar thus assembled his
troops near the battlefield, but made no move to actually
join the battle. Siraj-ud-Daulah's army was defeated by
roughly 3050 soldiers of Robert Clive. Some historians
argue that it was Mir Jafar's treachery that caused this
defeat. This is questionable since even without Mir
Jafar's soldiers who were around 15000 in number, Siraj-
ud-Daulah's army numbered about 35000 troops against
1100 British troops under Robert Clive. Siraj-ud-Daulah
fled, eventually to be captured and executed. As a result, Ahmad Shah Abdali
the entire province of Bengal fell to the Company, with
Mir Jafar appointed as the Company's puppet Nawab. Siraj-Ud-Daulah faced conflicts on three fronts
simultaneously. In addition to the threat posed by the
The Battle of Plassey British East India Company, he was confronted on his
western border by the advancing army of the Afghan
Date June 23, 1757 Ahmad Shah Abdali, who had captured and looted Delhi
in 1756as well as the possibility of raids by the
Location Palashi, West Bengal, India
Marathas (who had raided/looted Bengal many times
Decisive victory for the British East India during the reign of his grandfather, and continued to
Result raid Northern and Eastern India of which Bengal was
Company
part). So, Siraj sent the majority of his troops west to
Territorial Bengal annexed by British East India fight under the command of his close friend and ally,
changes Company the Diwan of Patna, Ram Narain .

Belligerents Order of battle

Siraj Ud Daulah (Nawab of

British East India
Bengal) The East India Company's army led by Robert Clive,
Company
French East India Company consisting of 950 Europeans and 2100 native Indian
Commanders sepoys and a small number of guns was vastly
outnumbered. The Nawab had an army of about 50,000
Diwan Mohan Lal (C-in-C) with some heavy artillery operated by about 50 French
Colonel Robert CliveMir Madan - Vanguard soldiers sent by the French East India Company.
Major KilpatrickMir Jafar Ali Khan -Cavalry However, 16,000 of the 50,000 were under the control
Major Grant(defector) of Mir Jafar. Upon the promise of crown from the
Major Eyre CooteKhuda-Yar Lutuf Khan 'company masters', he chose not to fight, so the morale
Captain Gaupp(defector) of the Nawab's army sank. Along with Mir Jafar, the
Captain Richard Knox Rai Durlabh (defector) troops commanded by Khuda-Yar Lutuf Khan and Rai
Monsieur Sinfray - Artillery Durlabh did not take part in the battle because of a
Strength secret pact made with the British. Only 15,000 troops
actually engaged in battle under Mohan Lal and Mir
950 European soldiers Madan.
2,100 Indian sepoys50,000 soldiers initially (but
100 gunnersonly 35,000 of them Mir Zafar Fate....
9 cannon (eight six-participated in battle),a
Mir Jafar, for his betrayal of the Nawab Siraj Ud Daulah
pounders and a53 cannon
and alliance with the British, was installed as the new
howitzer)
Nawab, while Siraj Ud Daulah was captured on 2 July in
Casualties and losses Murshidabad as he attempted to escape further north.
He was later executed on the order of Mir Jafar's son
22 killed Miran. Amina Begum (Siraj Ud Daulah's mother);Ghaseti
(7 Europeans, 16 natives) Begum (Siraj Ud Daulah's aunt) and other powerful
53 wounded500 killed and wounded women were transferred to a prison in distant Dhaka,
(13 Europeans and 36 where they were eventually drowned in the river on
natives)[citation needed] pretext of taking them to Murshidabad in safety. This
a Out of the initial 35,000 infantry and 15,000 cavalry, diabolical murder was the brain child of Miran as well
35,000 of them were withheld by Mir Jafar, leaving who was in Bihar at the time, pursuing Nazim Khadim
15,000 men to participate in the battle. Hussain Khan, his cousin and governor of Purnia. Mir
Jafar chafed under the British supervision, and so asked
the Dutch East India Company to intervene. They sent
seven ships and about 700 sailors up the Hoogley to their
settlement, but the British led by Colonel Forde managed
to defeat them at Chinsura on 25 November 1759.
Thereafter, Mir Jafar was deposed as Nawab (1760) and
Mir Kasim Ali Khan, (Mir Jafar's son-in-law) was
appointed as Nawab. Mir Kasim showed signs of
independence and was defeated in the Battle of Buxar
(1764), after which full political control shifted to the
Company. Mir Jafar was re-appointed and remained the
titular Nawab until his death in 1765, though all actual
power was exercised by the Company.
Shah Jahan |||
Reign: 1759-1760
Predecessor: Alamgir II
Successor: Shah Alam II
Dynasty: Timurid
Wife: Nawab Taj Mahal Begum Sahiba
Offspring: Over 50 sons and daughters
Dynasty: Timurid
Father: Alamgir II
Mother: Nawab Zinat Mahal Sahiba
About shah Alam 2
Suffered the invasion of Ahmed-Shah-Abdali in 1761;
granted the 'Nizami' of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa to the
BEIC in 1765, formally accepted the protection of the
BEIC in 1803.
Battle of Buxar
Shah Alam also asked for British help, but Robert Clive
chose to continue with Mir JafarShah .Alam's forces were
defeated at Buxar in 1764 and driven back by the British.

Shah Jahan III ( ) also known as Muhi-ul-millat Diwani rights..

was Mughal Emperor briefly. He was son of Muhi-us-
sunnat, the eldest son of Muhammad Kam Baksh who
was the youngest son of Aurangzeb. He was placed on
the Mughal throne in December, 1759 by Ghazi ud-Din
Khan Feroze Jung III but subsequently deposed by the
Afghan confederation (Rohillas and Ahmad Shah Abdali)
and Nawab of Oudh Shuja-ud-Daula in 1760 in
recognition of Shah Alam II as the rightful heir to the
throne who was in exile at Allahabad.
Shah Alam || (1759-1806)
Reign: 24 December 1759-19 November 1806
By the Treaty of Allahabad (1765) Shah Alam granted the
diwani (right to collect revenue) of Bengal (which
included Bihar and Orissa) to the British East India
Company in return for an annual tribute of 2.6 million
rupees. The company further secured for him the
districts of Kora and Allahabad. Sikh raidsTrouble with
the Sikhs was endless; they raided as far as Delhi
practically every year for plunder. They entered Delhi
three times in 11 years from 1772 to 1783 -- in 1772,
1778 and 1783 with underhand help from the then
wazirs of Shah Alam II.

Coronation: 24 December 1759

Full name

'Abdu'llah Jalal ud-din Abu'l Muzaffar Ham ud-din

Muhammad 'Ali Gauhar Shah-i-'Alam II

Born: 25 June 1728(1728-06-25)

Birthplace: Delhi

Died: 19 November 1806 (aged 78)

Place of death: Red Fort, Delhi

Buried: Red Fort, Delhi

Predecessor: Shah Jahan III

Successor: Akbar Shah II

Mughal dynasty Founded
30 april 1526
Most popular Rulers
Akbar(1556-1605), Shah jahan(1627-1658) .
Jahangir Married
in 1611 jahangir married mihr-un-nisa ,the widow of
sher afgan get title of nur jahan after marriage.
Panipat second Battle
in 1556 , Akbar and Hemu, Bairam khan is in Akbar reign
his son name were abdur rahim
Shah Alam II (17281806), also known as Ali Gauhar, was
a Mughal emperor of India. He inherited the throne from
his father, Alamgir II as Shah Alam II (17611805).After
the murder of Alamgir II, his son Ali Gauhar succeeded
him by taking the title of Shah Alam. Emperor Shah Alam
was an ornamental figurehead with the reins of
government actually under the control of his Wazir,
Ghazi-ud-Din.
Ghazi-ud-Din by his deceitful dealings had created
around him a host of enemies, and in order to defeat
them he sided with the Marathas. During the reign of
Alamgir II in 1758, the Marathas had occupied Lahore
and deposed Timur Shah who had been appointed a year
earlier as viceroy by his father, Ahmad Shah Abdali. In
August 1759, the Afghan monarch Ahmad Shah Abdali
entered India. It took him almost two years to deal a fatal
blow to Marathas in the third battle of Panipat, fought
on June 14, 1761. Consequently, the power of the
Marathas was crushed.
After the battle of Panipat, Ahmed Shah Abdali left the
throne of Delhi to Shah Alam with Najib-ud-Daula as his
Wazir. From 1761 to 1771, the capital was without a king.
Shah Alam, after his unsuccessful effort to defeat the
British in the Battle of Buxar in 1764, was taken in as the
prisoner and did not return to Delhi till 1772. By giving
the Diwani of Bengal, Bihar and Orrisa to the East India
Company, Shah Alam strengthened British control over
the Indian Sub-continent. After the death of Najib-ud-
Daula, Shah Alam remained a puppet in the hands of the
ministers and the Maraatthas. He appointed Sindhia, a
Maraattha leader, as in-charge of the administration of
Delhi.
In an expedition against Dabitah Khan, who was earlier
appointed as Mir Bakhsi by Shah Alam, the entire family
of Dabitah Khan and other Rohilla leader were arrested
and severely humiliated. Among them was Dabitahs son,
Ghulam Qadir Rohilla, who was castrated and made to
serve as a page in the palace. In September 1787,
Ghulam Qadir Rohilla forced the emperor to appoint him
as Mir Bakhshi and Regent. He then had to leave Delhi
dues to differences with the emperor, but the next year
he entered Delhi to take revenge. He blinded Shah Alam
with great cruelty and subjected the inmates of the
palace, princes and princesses to severely hardship and
humiliation. Sindhia, however, hunted him down and the
blinded Shah Alam was restored as the king.
Sindhia continue to be the overlord of Delhi till he was
defeated by Lord Lake in 1803. The British, whose control
over India was almost complete, didn't disturb Shah
Alam who was a king only in name, and continued to rule
till his death in 1806.
Battle of Buxar
Date: November 6 (O.S.) or November 16 (N.S.), 1764
Location: Near Buxar
Result: British East India Company Victory.
Belligerents
Nawab of Bengal, Awadh , Mughal Empire
British East India Company
Commanders
Mir Qasim ,Suja-ud-Daula, Shah Alam II
Hector Munro of Novar
Strength
40,000 infantry
18,000 infantry
Casualties and losses
high
low
Battle of Buxar was fought in October 1764 between the
forces under the command of the British East India
Company, and the combined armies of Mir Kasim, the
Nawab of Bengal; Shuja-ud-Daula, the Nawab of Awadh;
and Shah Alam II, the Mughal Emperor. The battle fought
at Buxar (currently in Bihar state, India), a town located
on the bank of the Ganges river, was a decisive battle
won by the forces of the British East India Company.
The battle and booty
British troops engaged in the fighting numbered 7,072
comprising 857 British, 5,297 Indian sepoys and 918
Indian cavalries. The number of the native forces were
estimated to be around 40,000. Lack of co-ordination
among the three desperate allies, each with a different
axe to grind, was responsible for their decisive debacle.
British losses are said to have been 847 killed and
wounded, while the three Indian allies accounted for
2,000 dead; many more were wounded. The victors
captured 133 pieces of artillery and over 1 million rupees
of cash.
Battle of Buxar makes British revenue collectors
Battle of Buxar (October 1764) was fought between the
forces under the command of the British East India
Company on the one side, and combined armies of Mir
Kasim, Nawab of Bengal; Suja-ud-Daula, Nawab of
Awadh and Shah Alam II, the Mughal Emperor. The battle
fought at Buxar (currently in Bihar state, India), a town
located on the bank of the Ganges river, was a decisive
battle won by the forces of the British East India
Company.
Battle resulted into securing of Diwani rights to
administer the collection and management of revenues
of large areas which currently form parts of Indian states
of West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Uttar Pradesh , as
well as of Bangladesh. Battle of Buxar establishment of
the rule of the East India Company in the eastern part of
the Indian subcontinent.
While the Battle of Plassey secured a foot for the British
east India company in India, the Battle of Buxar made
them the dominant force in India.
Battle of Buxar in the year 1764 marked the grouth of
British rule in Bengal. battle of Plassey in 1757 the English
East India Company came up with the idea that Bengal
had i property and wealth. Company directors ordered
Bengal to pay expenses of Bombay and Madras
presidency and to purchase revenues for all the
Company`s export from India. Company wanted to bring
the Nawabs of Bengal under their control to drain of
wealth from them. Mirjafar, new Nawab of Bengal
realized that it was impossible to meet the demands of
East India Company and its officials of company already
started criticizing the Nawab as he could not fulfill his
demands.
(Oct. 22, 1764), conflict between forces of the British
East India Company, commanded by Major Hector
Munro, and those of the Mughal emperor, Shah Alam;
the Mughal governor of Oudh (Ayodhya), Shuj al-
Dawlah; and the dispossessed governor of Bengal, Mr
Qsim. This decisive battle confirmed the British in the
control of Bengal and Bihar after their initial success at
Plassey in 1757.
Akbar Shah II (1760 - 1837)
Reign: 19 November 1806-28 September 1837
Coronation: 19 November 1806
Full name: 'Abu Nasir Mu'in ud-din Muhammad Akbar
Shah II
Born: 22 April 1760 (1760-04-22)
Birthplace: Makanpur, Rewa
Died: 28 September 1837 (1837-09-29) (age 77)
Place of death Red Fort, Delhi
Buried: Mahrauli, Red Fort, Delhi
Predecessor: Shah Alam II
Successor: Bahadur Shah II
Wife: Mughal Princess
Offspring: 14 sons, several daughters
Dynasty: House of Timurid
Father: Shah Alam II
Mother: Qudsia Begum (3rd wife of Shah Alam II)
Akbar Shah II (1760 - 1837), also known as Mirza Akbar,
was the second-to-last of the Mughal emperors of India.
He held the title from 1806 to 1837. He was the second
son of Shah Alam II and the father of Bahadur Shah Zafar
II. Akbar had little real power due to the increasing British
control of India through the East India Company. Shortly
before his death he sent Ram Mohan Roy as an
ambassador to Britain. During his regime, in 1835, the
East India Company discontinued calling itself the
lieutenant of the Mughal Emperor and issuing coins in his
name.
Reign: Emperor Akbar Shah II presided over an empire
titular large but in effect limited to the Red Fort in Delhi
alone. His attitude with the British was honorable to him
but it angered the British. They reduced even his titular
authority to Delhi in 1835.The British no more called
itself the lieutenant of Mughal Empire as they did so from
1803 to 1835.
Emperor Akbar Shah II had four sons, one of which
Bahadur Shah Zafar eventually succeeded him at age 60.
Before Bahadur Shah, one of his other sons, Mirza Nali
was given the title of Crown Prince of the Mughal, but
the title went on to his brother.
After the mutiny, he fled Delhi and took refuge in other
parts of India. In the mid 1800s he came to Bengal. His
sons and two daughters lived the same life he did, in
constant fear of the British. His eldest son, Mirza
Jalaluddin became an official to a Bengal King's court. He
was succeeded by his eldest son, Mirza Zafar. He was an
official to the King too. His son Mirza Jamsher renounced
his titles in 1895. Their children settled down
permanently in North Bengal and to this day they still
remain in the capital city of Dhaka and Rajshahi. Most of
the members are still considered royalty in the country
and often held in high esteem, the elderly members of
the princely family have vast amounts of land around
North Bengal and have educational Institutions named
after them. Members of the dynasty have been
candidates at Parliamentary elections and fought on the
Army of East Bengal during the Bloody Birth of
Bangladesh in 1971.
Bahadur Shah Zafar 1837-57.
Birth: 24 October 1775
Death: 7 November 1862
Reign Period: 1837-1857
Notes: Deposed by the British and exiled to Burma
following the Great Mutiny.
Mother: Lalbai
Father: Akbar Shah || .
Burial: 7 November 1862 Rangoon, Burma, British Raj .
Four wives. Six sons, 3 or 4 daughter,
Occupation: Mughal emperor; Urdu Poet
Zafar Mahal in Mehrauli, a locality of Delhi.last remains
for mughal empire...
Abu Zafar Sirajuddin Muhammad Bahadur Shah Zafar (
) , also known as Bahadur
Shah or Bahadur Shah II ( ( ) October 1775 7
November 1862) was the last of the Mughal emperors in
India, as well as the last ruler of the Timurid Dynasty. He
was the son of Akbar Shah II and Lalbai, who was a Hindu
Rajput. He became the Mughal Emperor upon his
father's death on 28 September 1837. Zafar ( ) , was
(takhallus) as an Urdu poet. Even in defeat it is
traditionally believed that he said.
Ghzio m b rahegi jab talak imn ki; Takht-e-London
tak chalegi tgh Hindustan ki Means As long as there
remains the scent of faith in the hearts of our heroes, so
long shall the sword of Hindustan flash before the throne
of London
Bahadur Shah Zafar was a noted Urdu poet. He wrote a
large number of Urdu ghazals. While some part of his
opus was lost or destroyed during the Indian Rebellion of
1857-1858, a large collection did survive, and was later
compiled into the Kulliyyat-i Zafar. The court that he
maintained, although somewhat decadent and arguably
pretentious for someone who was effectively a
pensioner of the British East India Company, was home
to several Urdu writers of high standing, including Ghalib,
Dagh, Mumin, and Zauq (Dhawq). In1857 Bahadur Shah
Zafar had warned the Indian people against this policy of
the British. The Shahi Firman issued on May 12,1857
declared," To all the Hindus and Mussalmans of
India.Zafar Mahal Closely woven into the history of the
last remains of Mughal rule is the history of Zafar Mahal
in Mehrauli, a locality of Delhi. Zafar Mahal was originally
built by Akbar II, but it was his son, Bahadur Shah Zafar,
who constructed the gateway and added to the palace in
the mid-1800s.
Events of 1857.
When the victory of the British became certain, Zafar
took refuge at Humayun's Tomb, in an area that was then
at the outskirts of Delhi, and hid there. British forces led
by Major William Hodson surrounded the tomb and
compelled his surrender on 20 September 1857. The next
 day British officer William Hodson shot his sons Mirza
Mughal, Mirza Khizr Sultan, and grandson Mirza Abu Bakr
under his own authority at the Khooni Darwaza (the
bloody gate) near Delhi Gate. On hearing the news Zafar
reacted with shocked silence while his wife Zeenat Mahal
was content as she believed her son was now Zafar's heir.
Bahadur Shah died in exile on 7 November 1862. He was
buried near the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, at the site
that later became known as Bahadur Shah Zafar Dargah.
His wife Zeenat Mahal died in 1886.
In 1959, the All India Bahadur Shah Zafar Academy was
founded expressly to spread awareness about his
contribution to the first major anti-British movement in
India.
Statue of Bahadur Shah Zafar
Vijayanagaram palace in Varanasi
In Bangladesh
the Victoria Park of old Dhaka has been renamed as
Bahadur Shah Zafar Park.
Burial
7 November 1862 Rangoon, Burma, British Raj.
Mughal Monuments
A major Mughal contribution to the Indian Subcontinent was
their unique architecture. Many monuments were built by
the Muslim emperors, especially Shahjahan, during the
Mughal era including the UNESCO World Heritage Site Taj
Mahal, which is known to be one of the finer examples of
Mughal architecture. Other World Heritage Sites includes
the Humayun's Tomb, Fatehpur Sikri, Red Fort, Agra
Fort and Lahore Fort.
The palaces, tombs and forts built by the dynasty stands
today in Delhi, Aurangabad, Fatehpur
Sikri, Agra, Jaipur, Lahore, Kabul, Sheikhupura and many
other cities of India, Pakistan,
Afghanistanand Bangladesh.With few memories of Central
Asia, Babur's descendents absorbed traits and customs of the
Indian Subcontinent, and became more or less naturalised.
The Mughal period would be the first to witness the blending
of Indian, Iranian and Central Asian customs and traditions.
Contributions such as:
Mughal Architecture found its way into local Indian
architecture, most conspicuously in the palaces built by
Rajputs and Sikh rulers, Landscape gardening, New trade
routes to Arab and Turkic lands, Centralized, imperialistic
government which brought together many smaller
kingdoms,The Urdu language developed from the Hindi
language by borrowing heavily from Persian as well as
Arabic and Chaghatai Turkic. Urdu developed as a result
of the fusion of the Indian and Islamic cultures during the
Mughal period. Modern Hindi which uses Sanskrit-based
vocabulary along with loan words from Persian and
Arabic, is mutually intelligible with Urdu. Mughal
monuments give us so much place as we see these days
in daily routine life.
What are the ten monuments of india built in mughal
empire?
1.Taj Mahal
2.Fatehpur Sikri
3. Red Fort (lal Qila),
4.Anarkali Tomb ,
5. Moti Masjid (mosque)
6. Babri masjid,
7.Bibi Ka Maqbara-Aurangabad
8.Shalimar Gardens,
9.Jama Masjid
10.Humayun Tomb.
In India Mughal period start in 1526 and end in 1857,
through this period they (Mughal empire) made many
monuments and those monuments are so popular in
these days some are as shown above. From all
monuments Taj Mahal is most popular and also counted
as one from seven wonder of world. Mughal give so
much India as not any dynasty gives. Most Popular ruler
period is Akbar period and Shah Jahan period.
Taj mahal made by shah jahan construction began in
1631 and complete in 1654.in memory of mumtaz his
wife.
Fatehpur sikri 1570-1586 fatehpur sikri is capital of
mughal empire. Buland Darwaza at Fatehpur Sikri is one
of the largest Gateways in India. In honour of saint Shaikh
Salim Chisti, akbar found this city. Jami Masjid in
fatehpur sikri
Babri masjid
Babri Masjid or Mosque of Babur was a mosque in
Ayodhya.
Humayun Tomb
Variant Names, Mausoleum of Humayun. Location,
Delhi, India. Date, 1562-72 ... Humayun's Tomb is now
one of the best-preserved Mughal monuments in Delhi
Anarkali Tomb
A tomb, thought to be that of Anarkali, is situated on the
premises of the Punjab Civil Secretariat in Lahore.title
given to Nadira Begum or Sharf-un-Nisa, one of the
favourites of the harem of Emperor Akbar
Bibi ka maqbara
In aurangabadh. Bibi Ka Maqbara is the tomb of Mughal
Emperor Aurangzeb's wife, Rabia Durani.
Taj Mahal India
THE TAJ MAHAL : The Taj Mahal on a bend in the river
Jamuna at Agra. It was dedicated to the emperor Shah
Jahans well beloved consort the empress Arjund Banu
Begam. Mumtaz Mahal-means chosen of the palaces.
Taj Mahal - means Crown of the palaces. which has
been abbreviated as the Taj. Many schemes were
prepared and finally decided and altered by Shah Jahan
himself. Many master builders presented their designs,
one being a Venetian jeweler and silversmith. The main
inspiration derived from Humayuns tomb at Delhi and
tomb of Khan Khanan-a noble man of Delhi. On the
traditions of the Humayuns tomb and with the
experience of the tomb of Khan Khanan, Shah Jahans
architects evolved this master piece of builders art.
The main tomb building actually occupies only a portion
relatively smaller than the whole architectural scheme.
The plan of the whole concept takes the form of a
rectangle.
This rectangle measures 1900x1000 and is aligned
north-south.
The central area is divided into a square garden of side
1000.
This division leaves an oblong space at each end of the
rectangle
The southern side is laid out with roads and service
dwellings.
The northern side consists of a raised terrace containing
the white marble tomb building with two supplementary
structures, all overlooking the Jamuna below.
The entire garden is enclosed within a high wall
boundary with octagonal pavilions at each corner.
There is a monumental entrance gateway in the center
of the southern side.
This scheme extends even beyond with stables, out-
houses and bazaars etc outside the premises.
No subsequent amendments or after thoughts were
made.
All its parts were initially perfected with every need
anticipated.
The approach could be made equally well by roads or
river.
Landing stages with steps were provided on the north-
west corner of the terrace
The structures on the terrace of the northern end
consist of the tomb buildings at the center and two
detached subsidiary buildings one on each side.
The one on the west is a mosque and the other one is
only a replica without any purpose just for the sake of
symmetry.
The white marble tomb structure was meant to be the
focal point of attraction in the entire scheme.
The building height is 108 with a great bulbous dome
on top, and the total height measures 187.
On each corner of this plinth a tall minaret was built in
three stages to a height of 137
The central dome extends and distributes the
architectural effect. Its proportions also are as simple as
its shape for example; the entire width is equal to the
total height.
THE TAJ MAHAL :
The interior arrangements of compartments are like
that of Humayuns tomb at Delhi.
The main hall is also of two stories of arcade over which
the inner shell of the double dome stands.
The dispositions of rooms are very simple with similar
rooms on the upper storey.
Perforated marble screens enclosing the cenotaph are
of high quality workmanship.
The charm of the building is produced by the quality and
texture of the material used- the white marble from
Markrana.
An underground cenotaph chamber was provided and
the main level cenotaph chamber being a false one.
The queens cenotaph in the centre and the emperors
cenotaph on one side both enclosed with perforated
marble screens.
Taj Mahal India
The ornamental garden was so planned to prepare the
spectator for the exquisite appearance and lovely dignity
of the central structure.
In addition there were water courses with fountains
and elevated lotus pool, all arranged to mirror its
beauties from various point of views.
The plastic delicacy, soft molding of its contours, super-
fine treatment of its decorations, the texture and the
subtle coloring of its materials all combined with a
gracious and poetical nature of
The building as a whole.
Humayun Tomb
Humayun's tomb ( ,:
Humayun ka Maqbara) is a complex of buildings built as
the Mughal Emperor Humayun's tomb, commissioned by
Humayun's wife Hamida Banu Begum in 1562 CE, and
designed by Mirak Mirza Ghiyath, a Persian architect. It
was the first garden-tomb on the Indian subcontinent,
and is located in Nizamuddin East, Delhi, India, close to
the Dina-panah citadel also known as Purana Qila, that
Humayun founded in 1533. It was also the first structure
to use red sandstone at such a scale The complex was
declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993, and
since then has undergone extensive restoration work,
which is still underway.
The complex encompasses the main tomb of the
Emperor Humayun, which houses the graves of his wife,
Hamida Begum, and also Dara Shikoh, son of the later
Emperor Shah Jahan, as well as numerous other
subsequent Mughals, including Emperor Jahandar Shah,
Farrukhsiyar, Rafi Ul-Darjat, Rafi Ud-Daulat and Alamgir
II.It represented a leap in Mughal architecture, and
together with its accomplished Charbagh garden, typical
of Persian gardens, but never seen before in India, it set
a precedent for subsequent Mughal architecture. It is
seen as a clear departure from the fairly modest
mausoleum of his father, the first Mughal Emperor,
Babur, called Bagh-e Babur (Gardens of Babur) in Kabul
(Afghanistan). Though the latter was the first Emperor to
start the tradition of being buried in a paradise garden.
Modelled on Gur-e Amir, the tomb of his ancestor and
Asia's conqueror Timur in Samarkand, it created a
precedent for future Mughal architecture of royal
mausoleum, which reached its zenith with the Taj Mahal,
at Agra.
The site was chosen on the banks of Yamuna river, due
to its proximity to Nizamuddin Dargah, the mausoleum
of the celebrated Sufi saint of Delhi, Nizamuddin Auliya,
who was much revered by the rulers of Delhi, and whose
residence, Chilla Nizamuddin Auliya lies just north-east
of the tomb. In later Mughal history, the last Mughal
Emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar took refuge here, during
the Indian Rebellion of 1857, along with three princes,
and was captured by Captain Hodson before being exiled
to Rangoon. At the time of the Slave Dynasty this land
was under the 'Kilo Kheri Fort' which was capital of Sultan
Kequbad, son of Nasiruddin (1268-1287).
Humayun Tomb
This tomb, which as built by emperor Humanyun's wife,
took eight years to complete. The emperor's wife Begai
Begum was buried in the tomb and the structure is first
of its kind built in the center of a well - planned garden.
The combination of white marble and red sand stone was
a great influence on later Mughal architecture. It is
generally regarded as a prototype of the famed Taj
Mahal of Agra.
The tomb design is attributed to Sayyid Muhammad and
his father, Mirak Sayyid Ghiyath (Mirak Mirza Ghiyas),
Persian architects and poets active in the Timurid and
later the Mughal courts. The tomb is situated south of
the Purana Qila, on the eastern edge of Delhi. It is set in
the center of a garden in the classical Mughal char bagh
pattern. A high wall surrounds the garden on three sides,
the fourth side being bounded by what was once the
bank of the river Jamna, which has since been diverted.
The garden is divided into four parts by two bisecting
water channels with paved walkways (khiyabans), which
terminate at two gates: a main one in the southern wall,
and a smaller one in the western wall.
Fatehpur Sikri
Fatehpur Sikri was planned as a great town by Akbar with
great care and planning in the honor of Sheikh Salim
Chisti but had to be abandoned only after fifteen years
due to scarcity of water in the town. Sheikh Salim Chishti
was a Sufi saint who blessed the Akbar with his first son
and heir, who was named Salim after him and later came
to be known as Jehangir. The town was originally named
Sikri after the village, where it was founded but its twin
city Fatehpur (Victory Town) was erected to celebrate
Akbar's conquest of Gujarat in June 1573. However, ruins
of the temple dating back to 12th century suggest the
reign of Rajputs in the area long before Mughals took
over the area. The two mosques in the village of Sikri
have inscriptions, which announce their conception in
1314 under Mohd. Khilji. There have been records that
Babur renamed the village 'Sikri' as 'Shukri', meaning
'thanks to the god'. It was also the famous dwelling place
and khanqah of Shiekh Salim Chishti, the famous Sufi
saint whom Akbar revered for blessing him with child.
Built during the second half of the 16th century by the
Emperor Akbar, Fatehpur Sikri (the City of Victory) was
the capital of the Mughal Empire for only some 10 years.
The complex of monuments and temples, all in a uniform
architectural style, includes one of the largest mosques
in India, the Jama Masjid.
Fatehpur Sikri ( Urdu: ) is a city and a
municipal board in Agra district in the state of Uttar
Pradesh, India. historical city was constructed by Mughal
emperor Akbar beginning in 1570 and served as the
empire's capital from 1571 until 1585. Though the court
took 15 years to build, it was abandoned after only 14
years because the water supply was unable to sustain the
growing population. The surviving palace and mosque
are a tourist attraction and a UNESCO World Heritage
Site. The site itself is a ghost town. Akbar had inherited
the Mughal Empire from his father Humayun and
grandfather Babur. During the 1560s he rebuilt the Agra
Fort and established it as his capital. He had a son and
then twins, but the twins died. He then consulted Salim
Chishti the sufi saint who lived as a recluse in the small
town Sikri near Agra. Salim predicted that Akbar would
have another son, and indeed one was born in 1569 in
Sikri. He was named Salim to honor the saint and would
later rule the empire as Emperor Jahangir. The following
year, Akbar, then 28 years old, determined to build a
palace and royal city in Sikri, to honor Salim Chishti. The
name, Fateh is Arabic in origin and means "victory", also
in Urdu and Persian language. It is at Fatehpur Sikri that
the legends of Akbar and his famed courtiers, the nine
jewels or Navaratnas, were born . The legendary
musician Tansen is said to have performed on an island
in the middle of the pool Anup Talao
Some of the important buildings in this city, both
religious and secular are : Anuuup Talao,Buland
Darwaza,Diwan-i-Am,Diwan-i-Khas, Hujra-i-Anup
Talao,Jama Masjid ,Mariam-uz-Zamani's Palace, Naubat
Khana, Pachisi Court ,Panch Mahal, Birbal's House, Tomb
of Salim Chisti
Red Fort Delhi
Delhi's famous Red Fort is known by that name because
of the red stone with which it is built and it is one of the
most magnificent palaces in the world. India's history is
also closely linked with this fort. It was from here that the
British deposed the last Mughal ruler, Bahadur Shah
Zafar, marking the end of the three century long Mughal
rule. Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan, after ruling from Agra
for eleven years, decided to shift to Delhi and laid the
foundation stone of the Red Fort in 1618. For its
inauguration in 1647, main halls of the palace were
draped in rich tapestry and covered with silk from china
and velvet from Turkey. Within circumference of almost
one and a half miles, the fort is an irregular octagon and
has two entrances, the Lahore and Delhi Gates.
Red Fort ( English as Lal Qil'ah or Lal Qila) is a 17th
century fort complex constructed by the Mughal
emperor Shahjahan in the walled city of Old Delhi (in
present day Delhi, India). It served as the capital of the
Mughals until 1857, when Mughal emperor Bahadur
Shah Zafar was exiled by the British Indian government.
British used it as a military camp until India was made
independent in 1947. It is now a popular tourist site, as
well as a powerful symbol of India's sovereignty: Prime
Minister of India raises the flag of India on the rampant
of the Lahori Gate of the fort complex every year on
Independence Day. It was designated a UNESCO World
Heritage Site in 2007.Mughal Emperor Shahjahan started
construction of the massive fort in 1638 and work was
completed in 1648(10years). Red Fort was originally
referred to as "Qila-i-Mubarak" (the blessed fort),
because it was the residence of the royal family. The
layout of the Red Fort was organized to retain and
integrate this site with the Salimgarh Fort.
fortress palace was an important focal point of the
medieval city of Shahjahanabad. This Fort has had many
developments added on after its construction by
Emperor Shahjahan. the site after the First War of
Independence during British Rule in 1857. After
Independence, the site experienced a few changes in
terms of addition/alteration to the structures. During the
British period the Fort was mainly used as a cantonment
and even after Independence, a significant part of the
Fort remained under the control of the Indian Army until
the year 2003.The Red Fort is a tourist attraction from
around the world. The Red Fort was the palace for
Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan's new capital,
Shahjahanabad, the seventh city in the Delhi site. He
moved his capital here from Agra in a move designed to
bring prestige to his reign, and to provide ample
opportunity to apply his ambitious building schemes and
interests. The fort lies along the Yamuna River, The wall
at its north-eastern corner is adjacent to an older fort,
the Salimgarh Fort, a defense built by Islam Shah Suri in
1546.The construction of the Red Fort began in 1638 and
was completed by 1648.The last Mughal emperor to
occupy the fort was Bahadur Shah II "Zafar". Despite
being the seat of Mughal power and its defensive
capabilities, the Red Fort was not defended during the
1857 uprising against the British. After the failure of the
1857 rebellion, Zafar left the fort on 17 September. He
returned to Red Fort as a prisoner of the British. Zafar
was tried on in a trial starting on 27 January 1858, and
was exiled on 7 October.
Red Fort delhi
Red Fort, also known by all as the Lal Qila, lies on Netaji
Subhash Marg in New Delhi towards Old Delhi next to
Chandni Chowk and can be reached by Metro with
Kashmiri Gate as the nearest Metro Station. It is the
seventh fort of Delhi and was constructed in 1639 that
took ten years to complete in 1648 over the 'Mughal city'
and 'seventh city of Delhi' named 'Shahjahanabad' or the
'Walled City' by Mughal Emperor ShahJahan. It was
named as the Quila-i-Mubarak which means the 'Blessed
Fort' that would be a home to the Mughal Royal Family
and also serve as the Capital of the Mughal Empire. In
1857, Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar was exiled by the
British who then used the fort as their Military camp up
till Independence of India in 1947. During the Mughal
reign, the fort saw numerous changes, alterations and
additions by Emperor Shah Jahan, Emperor Aurangzeb
and the British Government.
Main attraction of the Red Fort is the Sound and Light
Show that tells tales of its historical past .The fort is
opened for public viewing from Sunday to Tuesday and
closed on Mondays. The entry fee for Indian residents is
only Rs. 10/- whereas for Foreign Nationals is US $2.00 or
Rs. 100/- (entry fees are subject to change). For video
filming, the charge is Rs. 25/- for each camera and one
can spend the entire day from 1000 hours to 1600 hours
during its preferred visitation time.
Lahore Fort
Lahore Fort, locally referred to as Shahi Qila ( )
is citadel of the city of Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. It is
located in the northwestern corner of the Walled City of
Lahore. Origins of the fort go as far back as antiquity, the
existing base structure was built during the reign of
Mughal emperor Akbar (1556-1605), and was regularly
upgraded by subsequent rulers, having thirteen gates in
all. Thus the fort manifests the rich traditions of Mughal
architecture. Some of the famous sites inside the fort
include: Sheesh Mahal, Alamgiri Gate, Naulakha pavilion,
and Moti Masjid. In 1981, the fort was inscribed as a
UNESCO World Heritage Site along with the Shalimar
Gardens (Lahore).
Origins
The origins of Lahore Fort are obscure and are
traditionally based on various myths. However, during
the excavation carried out in 1959 by the Department of
Archaeology, in front of Diwan-e-Aam, a gold coin of
Mahmood of Ghazni dated A.H. 416 (1025 A.D.) was
found at a depth of 7.62 metres from the level of the
lawns. Cultural layers continued to a further depth of 5
metres, giving strong indications that people had lived
here, long before the conquest of Lahore by Mahmood
in 1021 A.D. Further mention of the fort is traceable to
Shahab-ud-din Muhammad Ghuri's successive invasions
of Lahore from 1180 to 1186 A.D.
Lahore Fort is located at an eminence in the
northwestern corner of the Walled City. citadel is spread
over approximately 60 acres and is trapezoidal in form.
Although the origin of this fort goes deep into antiquity,
the present fortification were begun by Mughal Emperor
Akbar. There is evidence that a mud fort was in existence
here in 1021, when Mahmud of Ghazni invaded this area.
Akbar demolished old mud fort and constructed most of
the modern fort on the old foundations. fort's mud
construction date back to the early Hindu period.fort is
mentione in connection with Muhammad Sam's
invasions of Lahore in 1180, 1184, and 1186. It was
ruined by the Mongols in 1241, and then rebuilt by
Balban in 1267. It was again destroyed by Amir Taimur's
army in 1398, to be rebuilt in mud by Sultan Mubarak
Shah in 1421, then taken and repaired by Shaikh
Ali.present fort, in brick and solid masonry, was built
during Akbar's reign between 1556 and 1605. Every
succeeding Mughal emperor, as well as the Sikhs and the
British, added a pavilion, palace, or wall to the Lahore
Fort, making it the only monument in Pakistan which
represents a complete history of Mughal architecture.
Structure
strategic location of Lahore city between the Mughal
territories and the stronghold of Kabul, Multan, and
Kashmir required the dismantling of the old mud-fort
and fortification with solid brick masonry. Structure is
dominated by Persian influence that deepened with the
successive refurbishments by subsequent emperors. The
fort is clearly divided into two sections: first the
administrative section, which is well connected with
main entrances, and comprises larger garden areas and
Diwan-e-Aam for royal audiences. Second - a private and
concealed residential section - is divided into courts in
the northern part, accessible through 'elephant gate'. It
also contains Shish Mahal (Hall of Mirrors of Mirror
Palace), and spacious bedrooms and smaller gardens. On
the outside, the walls are decorated with blue Persian
kashi tiles. The original entrance faces the Maryam
Zamani Mosque, whereas the larger Alamgiri Gate opens
to the Hazuri Bagh through to the majestic Badshahi
Mosque.
Lahore Fort
Timeline
1 It cannot be said with certainty when the Lahore Fort
was originally constructed or by whom, since this
information is lost to history, possibly forever. However,
evidence found in archaeological digs gives strong
indications that it was built long before 1025 A.D
2 1241 A.D. - Destroyed by Mongols.
3 1267 A.D. - Rebuilt by Sultan Ghiyas ud din Balban.
4 1398 A.D. - Destroyed again, by Amir Tamir's army.
5 1421 A.D. - Rebuilt in mud by Sultan Mubark Shah Syed.
6 1432 A.D. - The fort is occupied by Shaikh Ali of Kabul
who makes repairs to the damages inflicted on it by
Shaikha Khokhar. * 1566 A.D. - Rebuilt by Mughal
emperor Akbar, in solid brick masonry on its earlier
foundations. Also perhaps, its area was extended
towards the river Ravi, which then and up to about 1849
A.D., used to flow along its fortification on the north.
Akbar also built Doulat Khana-e-Khas-o-Am, the famous
Jharoka-e-Darshan (Balcony for Royal Appearance),
Masjidi Gate etc.
7 1618 A.D. - Jehangir adds Doulat Khana-e-Jehangir
8 1631 A.D. - Shahjahan builds Shish Mahal (Mirror
Palace).
9 1633 A.D. - Shahjahan builds Khawabgah (a dream
place or sleeping area), Hamam (bath ), Khilwat Khana
(retiring room), and Moti Masjid (Pearl Mosque).
10 1645 A.D. - Shahjahan builds Diwan-e-Khas (Hall of
Special Audience).
11 1674 A.D. - Aurangzeb adds the massively fluted
Alamgiri Gate.
12 (Sometime during) 1799-1839 A.D. - The outer
fortification wall on the north with the moat, the marble
athdera, Havaeli Mai Jindan and Bara Dari Raja Dhiyan
Singh were constructed by Ranjit Singh, Sikh ruler from
1799-1839 A.D.
13 1846 A.D. - Occupied by the British.
14 1927 A.D. - The British hand over the Fort to the
Department of Archaeology after demolishing a portion
of the fortification wall on the south and converting it
into a stepped form thus defortifying the fort.
Bibi Ka Maqbara or Dakkhani Taj
Location: 5 km from Aurangabad
Entombs: Rabia-ul-Daurani alias Dilras Banu
Begum (wife of Aurangazeb)
Built In: 1661 AD
Cost of Construction: Rs. 6,68,203-7 (Rupees Six Lakh,
Sixty Eight Thousand, Two Hundred and Three, & Seven
Annas.
It is situated in Aurangabad , Maharashtra. The tomb in
itself represents the transition from the ostentatious
architecture of Akbar and Shah Jahan to the simple
architecture of the later Mughals.
Bibi Ka Maqbara ( ) is a maqbara built by Prince
Azam Shah, son of Emperor Aurangzeb,one of the
Mughal Emperors, in the late 17th century as a loving
tribute to his mother, Rabia Durrani. The comparison to
the Taj Mahal has resulted in a general ignorance of the
monument. This monument is also called the Dakkhani
Taj.
The monument's name translates literally to 'Tomb of
the Lady', but has earned the nickname 'poor mans Taj'
because it was made to rival the Taj Mahal.
The Maqbara is erected beyond a locality called
Begumpura. The Mausoleum stands within an enclosed
area measuring 500 yards by 300 yards. The surrounding
high wall is crenellated with pointed arched recesses on
the outside. There are bastions at intervals, and the
recesses are divided by pilasters crowned with little
minarets. The centre of the southern wall is occupied by
a handsome portal entrance closed by folding doors
which are covered with a running foliage pattern in brass.
The structure is in the form of a hexagon and angles are
ornamented with minarets.
Bibi Ka Maqbara is a magnificent mausoleum, situated at
a distance of approximately 5 km from the Aurangabad
city of India. It entombs Rabia-ul-Daurani, alias Dilras
Banu Begum, the wife of the Mughal Emperor
Aurangzeb. The construction work on the mausoleum
was started in the year 1651 and it took approximately
10 years to complete it. Prince Azam Shah, the son of
Aurangzeb, got the tomb built in the memory of his
mother. main entrance door of Bibi ka Makbara is
adorned with an inscription.
This inscription tells us that the tomb was designed by
Ata-ullah, an architect, and constructed by Hanspat Rai,
an engineer. The marble used in its construction is said
to have been brought from mines situated near the 'Pink
City'. The design of the Bibi Ka Maqbara has largely been
based on Taj Mahal of Agra. However, it could not rival
the magnificent 'Monument of Love' and was reduced to
a poor imitation. Still, the mausoleum is today known as
the 'Taj of Deccan'.
Anarkali's tomb
Anarkali (Urdu: ;Anrkal ) was a legendary slave * Quince Seedless
girl from Lahore, Punjab, which now part of Pakistan.
During the Mughal period, she was supposedly ordered
to be buried alive between two walls by Mughal emperor
Akbar for having an illicit relationship with Prince
Nuruddin Salim later to become Emperor Jahangir. Due
to the lack of evidence and sources, the story of Anarkali
is widely accepted to be either false or heavily
embellished. Nevertheless, her story is cherished by
many and has been adapted into literature, art and
cinema.
Anarkali's tomb
A tomb, thought to be that of Anarkali, is situated on the
premises of the Punjab Civil Secretariat in Lahore and
now houses the Punjab Records Office. Previously, it had
been transformed into a Christian church by the invading
British. A bazaar (market) located nearby on The Mall
Road is named Anarkali bazaar after Anarkali. It is one of
the oldest surviving markets in Pakistan, dating back at
least 200 years
Shalamar Garden
Shalamar Garden was built by Mughal emperor Shah
Jahan in Lahore in 1642. To irrigate the Garden, a canal
named Shah Nahar meaning Royal canal, was brought
from a distance of over 160 kilometers. The canal
intersected the Gardens and discharged into a large
marble basin in the middle terrace. From this basin, and
from the canal, rise 410 fountains, which discharge into
wide marble pools. It is a credit to the creativity of the
Mughal engineers that even today scientists are unable
to comprehend how the fountains were operated.
In 1981, Shalimar Gardens was included as a UNESCO
World Heritage Site along with the Lahore Fort.
Some of the varieties of trees that were planted included
in shalimar garden:
* Almond
* Apple
* Apricot
* Cherry
* Gokcha
* Mango
* Mulberry
* Peach
* Plum
* Poplar
* Sapling of Cypress
* Shrubs
* Sour & sweet oranges
* Numerous other varieties of odoriferous (fragrant) and
non-odoriferous and fruit giving plants
Shalamar Bagh (Garden) was constructed by the Mughal
Emperor Shah-Jehan in 1642 AD. Originally, the gardens
had seven ascending terraces, but now only three remain
spread over an area of about 42 acres. There is a marble
pavilion under which water flows and cascades down
over a carved, marble slab creating a water-fall effect.
Across the water-fall is a marble throne. At the end of the
second terrace is a beautiful structure called "Sawan
Bhadon.Shalamar Garden, also written Shalimar Garden,
was built by the great Mughal emperor Shah Jahan.
Construction began in 1641 A.D. and was completed in a
year.halamar Garden is a great example of Mughal
architecture. There are three successive terraces in the
middle of the garden, raised one above the level of the
other by a height of 12 or 15 feet (4 or 5 m). These
terraces were named as:
1. Farah Baksh means Bestower of Pleasure. (Upper
Terrace)
2. Faiz Baksh means Bestower of Goodness. (Middle
Terrace)
3. Hayat Baksh means Bestower of life. (Lower Terrace)
Shalimar Garden
Location: 10 kms north west of Old Delhi
About The Garden:
garden lies 10 kms north west of Old Delhi, and is one of
the important Mughal gardens in the city.garden lies of
the suburbs of the city and fascinates most of the
travellers from all across the city. According to the
legend, Aurangzeb was crowned emperor here in the
year 1658.
The Shalimar Gardens (: ) , sometimes written
Shalamar Gardens, is a Persian garden and it was built by
the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in Lahore, modern day
Pakistan. Construction began in 1641 A.D. and was
completed the following year. The project management
was carried out under the superintendence of Khalilullah
Khan, a noble of Shah Jahan's court, in cooperation with
Ali Mardan Khan and Mulla Alaul Maulk Tuni.
Moti Masjid
Moti Masjid ( ) is a large white marble mosque
built by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb at the Red Fort
complex in Delhi, India, from 1659-1660. A mosque by
the same name was also built in 1645 CE by Shah Jahan,
Aurangzeb's father, inside the Lahore Fort in Lahore,
Pakistan. Another small mosque by the same name, was
built for private prayer, by Mughal emperor, Bahadur
Shah I (1707-1712) and Aurangzeb's son, close to the
Ajmere Gate of the dargah of Sufi saint, Qutbuddin
Bakhtiar Kaki at Mehrauli, and is an imitation of the one
inside the Red Fort of Delhi.Moti Masjid or the Pearl
Mosque was built by the emperor who built Taj Mahal,
Shah Jahan. The mosque as it shined like a pearl got the
popular name of Moti Masjid.The mosque was built by
Shahjahan for his members of the royal court. The three
marble domes of the mosque rest over the red
sandstone walls and seen in totality the structure is
inviting. The structure is built taking a good care of its
symmetry. It is grounded to the right of the structure hall
Diwan-E-Aam of the Agra Fort. Moti Masjid or the Pearl
Mosque was built by the emperor who built Taj Mahal,
Shah Jahan. The mosque as it shined like a pearl got the
popular name of Moti Masjid.The mosque was built by
Shahjahan for his members of the royal court. The three
marble domes of the mosque rest over the red
sandstone walls and seen in totality the structure is
inviting. The structure is built taking a good care of its
symmetry. It is grounded to the right of the structure hall
Diwan-E-Aam of the Agra Fort.
Moti Masjid is a beautiful mosque situated in Bhopal,
Madhya Pradesh. It was built by Sikander Jehan Begum,
daughter of Kudsia Begum, in 1860. It is architecturally
similar to the Jama Masjid at Delhi. Moti Masjid boasts
two dark red minarets crowned by golden spikes. Bhopal
Junction Railway Station is the nearest railhead.
Babri Masjid
The Babri Mosque ( , ) , Babri
Masjid or Mosque of Babur was a mosque in Ayodhya, on
Ramkot Hill ("Rama's fort"). It was destroyed in 1992
when a political rally developed into a riot involving
160,000 people, despite a commitment to the Indian
Supreme Court by the rally organisers that the mosque
would not be harmed. More than 3000 people were
killed in ensuing riots in many major Indian cities
including Mumbai and Delhi. The mosque was
constructed in 1527 by order of Babur, the first Mughal
emperor of India. Before the 1940s, the mosque was
called Masjid-i Janmasthan ("mosque of the birthplace").
It is alleged Babur's commander-in-chief, Mir Baqi,
destroyed an existing temple at the site which
commemorated the birthplace of Rama, an incarnation
of Lord Vishnu and ruler of Ayodhya. The Babri Mosque
was one of the largest mosque in Uttar Pradesh, a state
in India with some 32 million Muslims. Although there
were several older mosques in the city of Ayodhya, an
area with a substantial Muslim population, including the
Hazrat Bal Mosque constructed by the Shariqi kings, the
Babri Mosque became the largest, due to the importance
of the disputed site. political, historical and socio-
religious debate over the history and location of the
Babri Mosque and whether a previous temple was
demolished or modified to create it, is known as the
Ayodhya Debate.
When the Muslim emperor Babur came down from
Ferghana in 1527, he defeated the Hindu King of
Chittodgad, Rana Sangrama Singh at Sikri, using cannon
and artillery. After this victory, Babur took over the
region, leaving his general, Mir Baqi, in charge as viceroy.
Mir Baqi allegedly destroyed the temple at Ayodhya,
built by the Hindus to commemorate Rama's birthplace,
and built the Babri Masjid, naming it after Emperor
Babur. Although there is no reference to the new
mosque in Babur's diary, the Baburnama, the pages of
the relevant period are missing in the diary. The
contemporary Tarikh-i-Babari records that Babur's
troops "demolished many Hindu temples at Chanderi"
Babri was an important mosque of a distinct style,
preserved mainly in architecture, developed after the
Delhi Sultanate was established (1192). The square
CharMinar of Hyderabad (1591) with large arches,
arcades, and minarets is typical. This art made extensive
use of stone and reflected Indian adaptation to Muslim
rule, until Mughals art replaced it in the 17th century, as
typified by structures like the Taj Mahal. The Babri
Mosque was a large imposing structure with three
domes, one central and two secondary. It is surrounded
by two high walls, running parallel to each other and
enclosing a large central courtyard with a deep well,
which was known for its cold and sweet water. On the
high entrance of the domed structure are fixed two stone
tablets which bear two inscriptions in Persian declaring
that this structure was built by one Mir Baqi on the
orders of Babur. The walls of the Babri Mosque are made
of coarse-grained whitish sandstone blocks, rectangular
in shape, while the domes are made of thin and small
burnt bricks. Both these structural ingredients are
plastered with thick chunam paste mixed with coarse
sand.
Muslims generally dispute the legitimacy of Hindu claims
to the site and their significance. They believe the
archeological reports relied on by the Hindu nationalist
groups Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Vishwa
Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Hindu Munnani to lay claim to
the Babri Masjid site are politically motivated and
inherently biased against Islam.
Agra Fort..city of Agra is most famous for Taj Mahal, but
it is also famous for the Agra Fort, which is among the
finest Mughal Forts in India. Situated on the banks of
river Yamuna, it is 2 kms from north west of Taj Mahal. It
is great monument of red sandstone built by Mughal
Emperor Akbar between the years 1565 and 1573.the
fort was built primarily as a military structure but later on
Shah Jahan transferred into the palace and later it
became the gilded prison for eight years after his son
Aurangzeb seized power in 1658. The special attractions
of the Mahal are Jahangiri Mahal, Diwan-i-Am, Diwan-i-
Khas, Anguri Bagh and an ornamental bath housed inside
the palace of mirrors or Sheesh Mahal
Contributions such as: Centralised, imperialistic
government which brought together many smaller
kingdoms.
Persian art and culture amalgamated with Indian art and
culture.
New trade routes to Arab and Turkic lands.
The development of Mughlai cuisine.
The Urdu language developed from the Hindi language
by borrowing heavily from Persian as well as Arabic and
Chaghatai Turkic. Urdu developed as a result of the
fusion of the Indian and Islamic cultures during the
Mughal period. Modern Hindi which uses Sanskrit-based
vocabulary along with loan words from Persian and
Arabic, is mutually intelligible with Urdu.
Mughal Architecture found its way into local Indian
architecture, most conspicuously in the palaces built by
Rajputs and Sikh rulers.
Landscape gardening: Although the land the Mughals
once ruled has separated into what is now India,
Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan their influence can
still be seen widely today. Tombs of the emperors are
spread throughout India, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
There are 16 million descendants spread throughout the
Subcontinent and possibly the world.