Question – What were the reasons responsible for the decline of the Mughal Empire in India. Discuss.
- February 16, 2023
- Posted by: Pallavi Singh
- Category: Blog
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Answer –
The period of the Great Mughals, which began in 1526 with Babur’s accession to the throne, ended with the death of Aurangzeb in 1707. Aurangzeb’s death marked the end of an era in Indian history. When Aurangzeb died, the empire of the Mughals was the largest in India. Yet, within about fifty years of his death, the Mughal Empire disintegrated.
The reasons Responsible for the decline of the Mughal Empire in India are:
1) Wars of succession:
The Mughals did not follow any law of succession like the law of primogeniture. • Consequently, each time a ruler died, a war of succession between the brothers for the throne started. This weakened the Mughal Empire, especially after Aurangzeb.
2) Aurangzab’s Policies :
Aurangzeb’s religious orthodoxy and his policy towards the Hindus damaged the stability of the Mughal Empire.
He lost the support of the Rajputs who had contributed greatly to the strength of the Empire. They had acted as pillars of support, but Aurangzeb’s policy turned them to bitter foes.
3) Weak Successors of Aurangzeb:
The successors of Aurangzeb were weak and became victims of the intrigues and conspiracies of the faction-ridden nobles.
They were inefficient generals and incapable of suppressing revolts.
4) Empty Treasury:
Shah Jahan’s zeal for construction had depleted the treasury. Aurangzeb’s long wars in the south had further drained the exchequer.
5) Invasions:
Foreign invasions sapped the remaining strength of the Mughals and hastened the process of disintegration. The invasions of Nadir Shah and Ahmad Shah Abdali resulted in further drainage of wealth. These invasions shook the very stability of the empire.
6) Size of the Empire and challenge from Regional Powers:
The Mughal Empire had become too large to be controlled by ruler from one centre, that is Delhi. The Great Mughals were efficient and exercised control over ministers and army, but the later Mughals were poor administrators. As a result, the distant provinces became independent. The rise of independent states (Hyderabad, Bengal, Awadh) led to the disintegration of the Mughal Empire.
Conclusion –
The decline of the Mughal Empire was due to social, economic, political and institutional factors. In 1857, the Indian Rebellion occurred which prompted the British colonial office to exile the last emperor, Bahadur Shah II and take complete control of the Indian subcontinent.