The Mughal Empire – Detailed Summary
Book: Samacheer Kalvi 7th Social Science
Term: Term 2
Subject: History
Unit: Unit 2
Lesson Name: The Mughal Empire
About the Lesson
“The Mughal Empire” is an important History lesson in the Samacheer Kalvi 7th Social Science book. This lesson explains the foundation, expansion, administration, culture, architecture, and decline of the Mughal Empire in India.
The Mughal Empire was founded by Babur after the First Battle of Panipat in 1526. Later Mughal rulers such as Humayun, Akbar, Jahangir, Shah Jahan, and Aurangzeb shaped the political and cultural history of India.
Learning Objectives
- To understand the foundation of the Mughal Empire.
- To learn about Babur and the First Battle of Panipat.
- To know the struggles of Humayun and the rise of Sher Shah.
- To understand the achievements of Akbar.
- To learn about Mansabdari system and Mughal revenue administration.
- To understand Jahangir’s rule and foreign trade connections.
- To learn about Shah Jahan’s architectural achievements.
- To understand Aurangzeb’s policies and the decline of the Mughal Empire.
- To know important Mughal art, architecture, literature, and administration points for exams.
Detailed Summary of the Lesson
1. Introduction
The Mughal Empire was one of the most powerful empires in Indian history. It ruled large parts of India from the sixteenth century.
The Mughals brought many changes in administration, military organisation, revenue system, architecture, painting, literature, and cultural life. Their rule began with Babur and reached its greatest extent under Aurangzeb.
2. Meaning of Mughal
The word Mughal is connected with Babur’s ancestors. Babur was descended from Timur on his father’s side and from the Mongol line of Chengiz Khan on his mother’s side.
The Mughals were originally from Central Asia. They established their power in India after defeating the Delhi Sultanate ruler Ibrahim Lodi.
3. Babur
Zahir-ud-din Muhammad Babur, popularly known as Babur, was the founder of the Mughal Empire in India.
Babur was born on 14 February 1483. He inherited Farghana, a small kingdom in Central Asia, when he was only twelve years old. Later, after facing many difficulties, he established himself as the ruler of Kabul.
4. Babur’s Ancestry
Babur was the great-grandson of Timur on his father’s side.
On his mother’s side, his grandfather was Yunus Khan of Tashkent, who belonged to the line of Chengiz Khan.
5. Babur’s First Expedition Towards India
Babur led his first expedition towards India in 1505.
At first, he was mainly interested in Central Asian affairs. Later, he turned his attention towards India when he received an invitation from Indian nobles who were unhappy with Ibrahim Lodi.
6. Circumstances Leading to the First Battle of Panipat
Dilawar Khan, son of Daulat Khan Lodi, and Alam Khan, uncle of the Sultan of Delhi, went to Kabul to seek Babur’s help.
They wanted Babur to help remove Ibrahim Lodi from power. This gave Babur a good opportunity to enter Indian politics.
7. First Battle of Panipat
The First Battle of Panipat was fought in 1526.
In this battle, Babur defeated Ibrahim Lodi. After this victory, Babur occupied Delhi and Agra. The Mughal dynasty was established in India with Agra as its capital.
8. Babur’s Military Conquests
Babur strengthened his power in North India through many battles.
- He defeated Ibrahim Lodi in the First Battle of Panipat in 1526.
- He defeated Rana Sanga and his allies at the Battle of Khanwa in 1527.
- He won against the chief of Chanderi in 1528.
- He defeated Afghan chiefs of Bengal and Bihar in 1529.
9. Tuzuk-i-Baburi
Babur was a scholar in Turkish and Persian languages.
He recorded his impressions about Hindustan, its animals, plants, trees, flowers, and fruits in his autobiography called Tuzuk-i-Baburi.
10. Death of Babur
Babur died in 1530 before he could fully consolidate his victories.
Following the tradition of Chengiz Khan, Babur chose his favourite and eldest son Humayun as his heir.
11. Humayun
Humayun was the son and successor of Babur. He ruled from 1530 to 1540 and again from 1555 to 1556.
After becoming king, Humayun divided his inheritance among his brothers Kamran, Hindal, and Askari. But this weakened his position because each brother had ambitions for the throne.
12. Problems Faced by Humayun
Humayun faced many rivals. The most important among them was Sher Shah Sur, the Afghan ruler of Bihar and Bengal.
Humayun’s weak control over his brothers and nobles made it difficult for him to rule effectively.
13. Battle of Chausa and Battle of Kanauj
Sher Shah defeated Humayun at the Battle of Chausa in 1539.
He again defeated Humayun at the Battle of Kanauj in 1540. After these defeats, Humayun had to flee to Iran.
14. Humayun Recaptures Delhi
Humayun received help from Shah Tahmasp, the Persian ruler of the Safavid dynasty.
With Persian support, Humayun recaptured Delhi in 1555. But he died in 1556 after falling down the stairs of his library in Delhi.
15. Sher Shah
Sher Shah ruled from 1540 to 1545. His original name was Farid.
He defeated Humayun and established the Sur rule in North India. Though his rule was short, his administration and reforms were very important.
16. Sher Shah’s Administration
Sher Shah was an able administrator. He introduced reforms in revenue, currency, roads, communication, and military organisation.
Akbar later adopted and improved many administrative practices introduced by Sher Shah.
17. Roads and Sarais
Sher Shah improved road communication. He repaired and developed important roads.
He also built sarais or rest houses for travellers, traders, officials, and soldiers. These helped trade and administration.
18. Akbar
Akbar was the son of Humayun. He became king in 1556 when he was only fourteen years old.
Since Akbar was a minor, Humayun’s trusted general Bairam Khan acted as his regent and ruled on his behalf in the beginning.
19. Second Battle of Panipat
Hemu, a general of the Sur dynasty, captured Agra and Delhi in 1556.
In the same year, Bairam Khan defeated and killed Hemu in the Second Battle of Panipat. This victory helped Akbar secure the Mughal throne.
20. Akbar Assumes Full Control
Later, Akbar removed the influence of Bairam Khan and assumed full control of the government.
Akbar brought most of India under his control through military conquests, alliances, and administrative skill.
21. Akbar’s Conquests
Akbar conquered Malwa and parts of Central India. He defeated Rani Durgavati of the Central Province.
He also faced Rani Chand Bibi, regent of Ahmednagar, in South India. Her brave resistance impressed the Mughal army.
22. Battle of Haldighati
The Battle of Haldighati was fought in 1576.
In this battle, Akbar’s forces defeated Rana Pratap of Mewar. Though defeated, Rana Pratap escaped on his horse Chetak and continued his resistance from the forests.
23. Akbar’s Control Over Trade Routes
Akbar’s conquest of Gujarat helped him control overseas trade with Arabs and Europeans.
His campaigns in East Bihar, Odisha, and Bengal gave him access to trade routes towards Southeast Asia and China.
24. Akbar’s Religious Policy
Akbar followed a policy of religious tolerance. He respected scholars and religious leaders from different faiths.
He abolished the jizya poll tax on non-Muslims and the tax on Hindu pilgrims. This made his rule more acceptable to many communities.
25. Ibadat Khana
Ibadat Khana was a hall at Fatehpur Sikri where scholars of all religions met for discussion.
Akbar used it to encourage religious debate, understanding, and intellectual exchange.
26. Din-i-Ilahi
Din-i-Ilahi was a religious idea introduced by Akbar.
It aimed to bring together good ideas from different religions. It was not accepted widely, but it shows Akbar’s interest in religious harmony.
27. Akbar as a Patron of Learning
Akbar was a great patron of learning. His personal library had more than four thousand manuscripts.
He patronised scholars, poets, musicians, artists, storytellers, and capable officials. His court included Abul Fazl, Faizi, Abdur Rahim Khan-i-Khanan, Birbal, Raja Todar Mal, Raja Bhagwan Das, Raja Man Singh, Tansen, and Daswant.
28. Mansabdari System
Akbar introduced the Mansabdari system. It was an important military and administrative system of the Mughal Empire.
A Mansabdar’s rank was based on two numbers: Zat and Sawar. Zat showed the personal status of the Mansabdar. Sawar showed the number of horses and horsemen he had to maintain.
29. Importance of Mansabdari System
The Mansabdari system helped the emperor control nobles and military officers.
Mansabdars were paid according to their rank. Their horses were branded to prevent fraud. The emperor could use the troops maintained by a Mansabdar whenever needed.
30. Akbar’s Revenue Administration
Land revenue administration was improved during the reign of Akbar.
Raja Todar Mal, Akbar’s revenue minister, adopted and refined the revenue system introduced by Sher Shah.
31. Zabt System
Todar Mal’s Zabt system was introduced in the north and north-western provinces.
According to this system, lands were surveyed and classified according to nature and fertility. The share of the state was fixed at one-third of the average produce for ten years.
32. Jagir System
The Mughals continued the old Iqta system and renamed it Jagir.
Under this system, the right to collect revenue from an area was given to a military or civil official called Jagirdar.
33. Zamindars
Zamindars were appointed to collect revenue from landholders.
They collected taxes and maintained law and order with the help of Mughal officials and soldiers. Later, many zamindars gained hereditary rights over their land.
34. Suyurghal
Suyurghal refers to tax-free lands given by the Mughal emperor to scholars, holy men, and religious institutions.
This is an important one-mark point from the lesson.
35. Jahangir
Jahangir ruled from 1605 to 1627. His original name was Prince Salim.
Jahangir was the son of Akbar through a Rajput wife. He was also called Nur-ud-din Muhammad Jahangir, meaning Conqueror of the World.
36. Jahangir’s Rule
Jahangir was more interested in art, painting, gardens, and flowers than in government administration.
His wife Mehr-un-nisa, known as Nur Jahan, became very influential and was the real power behind the throne for some time.
37. Jahangir and the Sikhs
Jahangir ordered the execution of Guru Arjun, the Sikh leader, for helping his rebellious son Khusrau.
This created a long conflict between the Mughals and the Sikhs.
38. Jahangir and European Trade
Jahangir granted trading rights to the Portuguese and later to the English.
Thomas Roe, the representative of King James I of England, visited Jahangir’s court. This paved the way for the British to establish their first factory at Surat.
39. Shah Jahan
Shah Jahan ruled from 1627 to 1658. His original name was Prince Khurram.
He succeeded Jahangir after a struggle for power. Shah Jahan means “King of the World.”
40. Shah Jahan’s Deccan Campaigns
Shah Jahan led a campaign against Ahmednagar and annexed it in 1632.
Later, Bijapur and Golconda were also conquered. However, Maratha warriors offered strong resistance to Mughal expansion in the Deccan.
41. Shah Jahan’s Architectural Splendour
Shah Jahan’s reign witnessed the climax of Mughal splendour.
He built famous monuments such as the Taj Mahal, Moti Masjid at Agra, Jama Masjid of Delhi, Diwan-i-Khas, Diwan-i-Am, and Red Fort in Delhi.
42. Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal was built by Shah Jahan on the bank of the river Yamuna at Agra.
It is one of the most famous monuments of Mughal architecture and is remembered as a symbol of Shah Jahan’s love for Mumtaz Mahal.
43. War of Succession
Shah Jahan fell ill in 1657. After this, a war of succession broke out among his four sons.
Aurangzeb emerged successful after killing his three brothers Dara, Shuja, and Murad. Shah Jahan spent the last eight years of his life as a prisoner in the Shah Burj of Agra Fort.
44. Aurangzeb
Aurangzeb ruled from 1658 to 1707. He was the last great Mughal emperor.
During his reign, the Mughal Empire reached its greatest territorial extent. But his long wars and religious policies weakened the empire.
45. Aurangzeb’s Religious Policy
Aurangzeb followed an orthodox religious policy. He re-imposed the jizya and pilgrim tax on Hindus.
His intolerance towards other religions made him unpopular among many sections of people.
46. Aurangzeb and the Deccan
Aurangzeb spent many years in the Deccan trying to control the region.
His long Deccan wars drained the resources of the empire and weakened Mughal power.
47. Decline of the Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire declined after Aurangzeb’s death in 1707.
Weak successors, succession wars, religious intolerance, revolts, Maratha resistance, economic pressure, and regional powers contributed to the decline of Mughal power.
48. Mughal Administration
The Mughal Empire had a centralised administrative system. The emperor was the supreme head of administration, army, justice, and revenue.
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