Question

The closing years of the 17th century witnessed the decline of the Mughal Empire. What were the factors that paved the way for the decline? Explain.

Answer 1

Instructions: Make sure to cover the following points in your answer:

• Aurangzeb: Long wars and inefficient successors
• Nobles: Increase in power, competition, and peasant rebellions
• Invasions and plundering

Solution:

• Emperor Aurangzeb’s long wars in the Deccan exhausted the military and financial resources of the Mughal Empire. His successors couldn’t keep an eye on their mansabdars.
• The Mughal emperors after Aurangzeb could not prevent the gradual shifting of the political and economic authority into the hands of the provincial governors and chieftains.
• Nobles who were appointed as governors or subadars often managed the offices of revenue and military administration as well, which lent them political, economic, and military authorities over huge regions of the empire.
• As these governors strengthened their control over the provinces, there was a decline in the periodic remission of revenue to the capital.
• The competition amongst the two groups of nobles - the Iranis and Turanis - further weakened the empire.
• The later Mughal emperors were puppets in the hands of either of these groups.
• In many parts of northern and western India, the peasants and zamindars rose in rebellion.
• These revolts were often due to mounting taxes or because of the attempts of the powerful chieftains to establish their own positions.
• In 1739, Nadir Shah, the ruler of Iran, invaded and plundered the city of Delhi and took away a huge amount of wealth.
• This was followed by a series of raids by the Afghan ruler Ahmad Shah Abdali, who invaded northern India five times between 1748 and 1761.