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Home / IAS Preparation / Decline Of The Mughal Empire

Decline Of The Mughal Empire - Learn About The Major Causes That Lead To The Decline And More

Last Updated on Feb 05, 2024
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The Great Mughal era began with Babur's accession to the throne in 1526 A.D. and lasted until Aurangzeb's death in 1707 A.D. An epoch in Indian history came to an end with the death of Aurangzeb. With the end of Aurangzeb’s reign, started the decline of the Mughal Empire. Nonetheless, the Mughal Empire collapsed around fifty years after his passing. The institutions and processes integral to its cultural identity and governing principles displayed signs of decay. 

Due to a lack of capable leaders, the Mughal army was also weakened; unlike Akbar, no more military innovations or new technology were introduced. The political climate in Northern India made it abundantly evident that the Mughal Empire's glory was ending. Historians have attributed many factors to the decline of the Mughal Empire. 

In this article, we will explore the history, causes and consequences of decline of the Mughal Empire. This forms a major part of the UPSC IAS exam, and questions related to this topic are seen in Prelims, UPSC Mains Paper I, as well as in UPSC History Optional. This topic is equally important for the UGC NET History exam, as 5-6 questions are asked every year from the Political history of India.

Major Factors That Lead to Decline of Mughal Empire

Let us look at the cause and effect of the decline of the Mughal Empire in detail.

Weak Successors

The law of primogeniture, a type of succession law, was not observed by the Mughals. As a result, every time a ruler died, a battle between the brothers for the throne broke out. This caused the Mughal Empire to fall, notably after Aurangzeb. The nobles boosted their influence by supporting one or the other candidate.

  • The decline of the Mughal empire started to take hold under the reign of Aurangzeb and could not be stopped by his feeble successors, and the ongoing succession conflict made matters worse.
  • In the 18th century, under Muhammad Shah's rule, the Mughal Empire started to fall. The Marathas and then the British took over most of the part of the Mughal Empire. After taking part in the Indian Mutiny of 1857–1858, the last Mughal Emperor, Bahadur Shah II, was banished by the British.
  • The decline of the Mughal empire was due to the lack of a capable army, an effective bureaucracy, and a strong leader. Since they lacked strength, Aurangzeb's successors fell prey to the plots and intrigues of the feudalized nobility. These were ineffective generals who couldn't put down uprisings.

Degeneration of the Mughal Nobility

The wealth and leisure that the foreign Muslims acquired in India fostered luxury and sloth. The presence of many women in their harems encouraged debauchery, undermining their character and love of adventure. With the decline in the persona of the later Mughal Emperors, however, decline also set in the character of the nobility. Thus, the ruling elites deteriorated physically, morally, and intellectually. This, in turn, led to the decline of the Mughal Empire.

Read Here Role Of Women In Public Life In Early Medieval India!

Aurangzeb's Religious Policies

Hindus were religiously persecuted by Aurangzeb, who was unaware that the enormous Mughal Empire depended on the people's loyal support. The conflicts with the Sikhs, Marathas, Jats, and Rajputs depleted the Mughal Empire's resources. 

  • The Rajputs, who had made significant contributions to the power of the Empire, abandoned him. They had served as strongholds, but Aurangzeb's policies transformed them into hatred.
  • By granting them religious tolerance and allowing talent to pursue occupations regardless of caste, race, or creed, Akbar had won over the Hindus. He had engaged the Rajput and other Hindu warrior tribes as trustworthy protectors of his throne.
  • The Rajputs had carried the Mughal flag under him and his three heirs to the farthest reaches of the Indian subcontinent as well as the center of Central Asia. But, Aurangzeb mistrusted the Rajputs, reinstituted the detested jizya on the Hindus, and made an unworthy attempt to convert the Marwar's successor to Islam.
  • As a result, the Rajputs felt alienated and were eager to confront the oppressive Mughals. Up until the demise of the Empire, the Rathor and Sisodia families effectively remained in revolt. The Sikhs and Bundelas followed their lead and emulated them. This resulted in the decline of the Mughal Empire.

Also Read about Brahmin Religion with Testbook!

Poor Management in the Mughal Army

The demoralization of the Mughal Army, which by origin and structure was weak and faulty, was another significant factor in the decline of the Mughal Empire. It was mostly made up of contingents chosen and supported by nobles and high-ranking officials, who were given money from sizable portions of the nation for their upkeep. 

  • Because of this, each soldier regarded his mansabdar as his chief rather than his officer. The individual soldiers, paid by their commander or mansabdar rather than directly from the Royal treasury, had no contact with the Emperor. The system's intrinsic flaws became more severe during Aurangzeb's and his successors' rule.
  • The powerful nobles or commanders of the Empire started to turn the responsibility they held for sustaining armies into their hereditary possessions as the authority of the later Mughal monarchs waned. The Emperor was thus left without a substantial number of personal troops to support his rule. In addition, because of the lack of imperial authority, mansabdars grew so envious of one another that a commander would frequently purposefully delay ending a siege or a battle that had been won by three-fourths if he believed that another officer would receive credit for the victory.
  • In the last part of the 17th century, Mughal officers developed the habit of communicating treacherously with their adversaries. This was another significant factor in the decline of the Mughal Empire.
  • The army was reduced to a well-armed mob because the Emperor and the Mir Bakshi lacked the skill and moral fortitude to enforce proper discipline. Even Aurangzeb did not pay attention to military offenses, and there were no consistent penalties for neglect of duty. The army that had carried the Mughal flags to the farthest reaches of the nation and even beyond the river Oxus and the Helmand in Central Asia were rendered ineffective for both offense and defense as a result.

Economic Situation

Shah Jahan's enthusiasm for the building had exhausted the coffers. Meanwhile, the lengthy battle in the south between Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb had severely depleted the exchequer. This was a major factor in the decline of the Mughal Empire.

  • They increased the state demand to account for half of the agricultural output, and as the demand for revenue increased, so did the production. The farmers started to leave their fields but were forced to continue by force. In the era of Aurangzeb and his successors, who had to wage numerous battles to seize and hold the throne, bankruptcy started to confront the Mughal state in the face. Thus, the decline of the Mughal Empire set in.
  • Alamgir II (1754–1759), who was starving, had an economic catastrophe during whose reign the cunning Wazir Imad-ul-Mulk took the royal privy purse-earnings estates. Alamgir II had to walk from the harem to the stone mosque of the Fort a month and a half after becoming king since he lacked the proper conveniences to ride in procession to the Idgah. The Mughal government's continued existence for another 50 years is a miracle.

Read about Kakatiya Dynasty, Its Rulers, Administration, Economy And Culture.

External Invasions

Foreign invasions reduced the Mughals' remaining power and fastened the decline of the Mughal Empire. Much wealth was lost due to the expeditions of Nadir Shah and Ahmad Shah Abdali. These assaults shook the stability of the Empire itself. This was an important factor in the decline of the Mughal Empire.

Also Read about the Third Battle of Panipat 1761 with Testbook!

Empire's Size and the Threat Posed by Regional Powers

The decline of the Mughal Empire marked the emergence of independent states. A single king from Delhi could no longer maintain authority over the Mughal Empire due to its size. Although the later Mughals were useless kings, the Great Mughals were powerful and had control over armies and nobles. The far-off regions consequently gained independence. This was an important factor in the decline of the Mughal Empire.

The Deccan Policy of Aurangzeb

Aurangzeb's Deccan strategy, which resulted in the death of the best troops and irreparably damaged the Mughal reputation, played a significant role in the decline of the Mughal Empire. 

  • He engaged in a protracted, never-ending battle of annihilation against the Marathas while destroying the Shia Kingdoms of Bijapur and Golconda. The tenacious Marathas were compelled to defend themselves. When they were successful, they were inspired to go on the offensive, crossing the Narmada and conquering the Mughal provinces in Northern India. 
  • Due to Aurangzeb's policy of religious persecution, the Hindu commanders and vassals of the Empire were either apathetic to the Mughal cause or secretly antagonistic to it, alienating the Hindus in Northern India further. The Marathas will benefit from this opportunity.
  • When Bajirao boldly carried out his strategy of striking at the withering trunk of the Mughal Empire in the hope that after the fall of that Empire, the independent provincial dynasties would grow. Since no Hindu tribe of military importance remained on their side, within 31 years of Aurangzeb's passing, his successor was forced to go to war with the Sikhs, Jats, Bundelas, Rathores, and Sisodias. 
  • Due to the Emperor's protracted absence from Northern India, many provincial governors became independent, and certain areas experienced unrest. Hence, Aurangzeb's protracted Deccan Wars had a role in the decline of the Mughal Empire.

Also, Read About Emergence of Regional Powers in 18th Century!

The Jagirdari Crisis

The Mughal Emperor was an extremely centralized bureaucratic structure, with the Emperor at the top whose vitality depended upon the might of the military aristocracy positioned right below him. Akbar had made room for the nobility within this framework by instituting the mansabdari civil and military organization system in the late 16th century. Mansabdars who did not receive cash payments were given a jagir, or landed estate, in place of pay.

  • The jagirdars were responsible for gathering the revenue from each jagir, of which one-third was to be given to the government and the other two-thirds were to be used by the jagirdar to pay for his own expenses as well as the upkeep of his soldiers and horses.
  • The number of jagirdars appointed had increased to such a high number in the final years of Aurangzeb's reign that there was a severe shortage of paibaqi land. The functional tie between the Emperor and the nobility was broken by this reduction in the Empire's resources, signaling the start of the imperial Mughal administration system's inefficiency.
  • The various ethnic and religious groups within the nobility started to compete with one another due to this economic crisis in the 18th century.
  • Mansabdars and jagirdars controlled about four-fifths of the land revenue of the Mughal Empires. Still, the nobility became envious because of how income was dispersed, especially when the Empire's resources were running out. 
  • The actual revenue collection, in this case, was significantly lower than anticipated, lowering the expected income of the jagirdars.
  • Due to the Deccan war, which necessitated a larger number of mansabdars, the crisis grew during the final year of Aurangzeb's rule. The subsequent political unrest made it harder to collect taxes. The result of the chaos was the decline of the Mughal Empire.
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Conclusion

Within a couple of decades of Aurangzeb's death, the Mughal Empire began to fall dramatically and suddenly due to many different but connected circumstances. In this way, the great Mughal Empire, a brilliant period in medieval Indian history, ended, paving the way for the foundation of other independent regional kingdoms.

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Decline of the Mughal Empire FAQs

Seventeen times, Ahoms defeated the Mughals.

Due to his inexperience, Humayun was the least capable of the early Mughal Emperors.

Zafar was seized on September 20, 1857, after company soldiers under the command of Major William Hodson encircled the tomb.

According to legend, Narasimhavarman was one of the Hindu monarchs who never suffered a defeat at the hands of their adversaries.

Religious prejudice caused the Mughal Empire's primary decline.
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