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The Mogul Empire 1526-1857. Babur 1526-1530. He founded the empire in 1526 when he defeated a Delhi sultan His army of 12,000 defeated the sultan ’ s 100,000 men Moguls were descendants of the Mongols, Turks, Iranians and Afghans. Babur. Educated warrior Fond of poetry
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Babur 1526-1530 • He founded the empire in 1526 when he defeated a Delhi sultan • His army of 12,000 defeated the sultan’s 100,000 men • Moguls were descendants of the Mongols, Turks, Iranians and Afghans
Babur • Educated warrior • Fond of poetry • Created Persian gardens wherever he conquered, missed cool climate of his homeland (see painting)
Babur • He had to fight to keep order in his society • Victory at Kanwaha on March 10, 1527 • Became absolute ruler of North India • Spent the rest of his life trying to organize his empire & build his capital- Agra • Died 12/126/1530 • Empire passed to his son Hymayan
Humayan • Walks the fine line between tragedy & embarassment • Lost empire to rival, had to flee to Safavid empire (Persia / Iran) for help • Son Akbar born during exile, left behind with mother and guardian
Humayan’s Tomb • With help of Safavids, Humayan regained the empire, 1555 • Shortly after, fell down stairs of his observatory, and died (1556)
Akbar 1556-1605 • He was Babur’s grandson and took the throne at 13 • He spent most of his reign making and changing administrative policies • Added many new territories to the empire and built the largest army in Mogul history
Akbar • He was one of the first Mogul rulers to effectively rule the diverse ethnic make-up of the empire • Akbar, a Muslim, appointed Hindus to high ranking positions • He encouraged intermarriage • He accepted all religions and sects
Jahangir • Often drunken and cruel, his later years found him often incapacitated by opium and alcohol abuse • Married a 34 year-old Persian widow he renamed Nur Jahan Painting commissioned by Akbar celebrating the birth of Jahangir
Jahangir • Nur Jahan was the de facto ruler of the Mogul empire for the last half of Jahangir’s reign, due to his laziness and inebriation. • She schemed to get her relatives in positions of power • Replaced by his son Prince Khurram, who he renamed Shah Jahan (“Emperor of the World”)
Shah Jahan 1627-1658 • Prince Khurram took the throne at 35 and changed his name to Shah Jahan • He spent most of his time trying to expand south
Shah Jhan • He was a competent commander with a strict sense of justice • During his rule he built palaces, mosques and gardens • The best known structure is the Taj Mahal • When he became sick his sons fought for control of the empire
Shah Jahan • Eventually his son Aurangzeb captured the throne and imprisoned his father at Fort Agra because he supported Dara Shukoh (an older son) • Although it sounds harsh, most Mogul rulers killed their fathers upon succession
TAJ MAHAL • Shah Jahan built the mausoleum for his wife Mumtaz Mahal in Agra • It is constructed of materials from India and all over Asia
Mughal Expansion Under Aurangzeb • Aurangzeb also known as Alamgir (“World Conqueror”) • Aurangzeb launched military campaigns that eventually added most of the Deccan and South India to the empire • The cost of these expeditions would later weaken the empire