The Rise and Fall of the Mughal Empire in the Indian Subcontinent

A short historical account of the Mughals in India

Jama Masjid (great mosque) was built under the rule of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in 1656 | It is located in the heart of puraani (old) Delhi, India, surrounded by the infamous Chandni Chowk market | Image source: Sergio Capuzzimati on Unsplash

It took the Mughals more than a century to strengthen their hold over the Indian subcontinent. After Babur won the First Battle of Panipat against Lodi in 1526, the Mughals’ series of conquests began in the Indian land.

With the British gaining more strength within the Indian subcontinent, the Mughals began losing their power. This was a consequence of rising internal conflicts. Moreover, with the European countries trying to find more ways to expand their economic territory — they focused on the empire’s abundant wealth. Though the empire survived until the great revolt of 1857, its power steadily declined since the mid-1700s.

Let’s now look at what happened during this century that began the rule of one of the ancient world’s largest empires.

The rise of the Mughal empire

The areas under the Mughal empire | Image source: Wikimedia Commons

The largest expansion of the Mughal empire occurred during Aurangzeb’s rule during the 1700s. This period was the most successful for the Mughals. There are many possible reasons behind them…