THE MUGHALS

1. The Mughals were Turks. They belonged to the Sunni sect. Babur (1526- 30) defeated Ibrahim Lodhi in the first Battle of Panipat in 1526 to lay the foundation of the Mughal dynasty. In this war he used his famous. Tulguma system to Warfare to overwhelm his adversary. He defeated Rana Sanga in the battle of Khanwa in 1527. Babur declared jehad and adopted the title of ‘Ghazi’. In 1528 he defeated Medini Rai in Chanderi. In 1529, he defeated the Afghans in the battle of Ghagra. He was buried in Rambagh (Agra) but later shifted to Kabul. He wrote his memoir in Turki called ‘Tuzuk-I-Babri’ or ‘Babarnama’.

2. Humayun (1530-56) succeeded Babur. He built a new city ‘Dinpanah’. He was defeated by Sher Shah at Chausa near Buxar in 1539. He again lost to Sher Shah in the battle of Kanauj or Bilgram and had to take flight from Delhi. He came back after his exile and captured Lahore in 1555. He defeated the Afghans near Sirhin in 1555. Thus he was successful in regaining his crown on 23rd July 1555. He died after falling from the steps of his library in 1556.

3. Akbar (1556-1605): was born in Amarkot in the palace of Virasaal. He was crowned at Kalanaur at the age of 13 years. Bairam Khan was his regent. He defeated Hemu in the second battle of Panipat in 1556. In 1576 was fought the famous battle of Haldighati between Akbar and Rana Pratap. Mansingh and Asaf Khan led the Mughal forces. Despite resistance by Chand bibi, Ahmednagar was conquered in 1600. The last campaign of Akbar was against Asirgarh in 1601. Akbar aboilished the pilgrim tax in 1563 and Jaziya in 1564. In 1575, he constructed the Ibadat Khana for religious discussions, Porshottam das (Hindu), Maharaji Rana (Parsi), Harivijaya Suri (Jain), Monserate and Aquaviva (Christians) participated in the discussions. Akbar read the Khutba composed by Faizi in his own name in 1579. In 1579, the proclamation of Mazhar took place. Akbar became the Imam-I-Adil. In 1582 the discussion in Ibadat Khana were closed. In 1582 Tauhid-I-illahai or Din-I-Ilahi was enunciated. According
to Badauni, Akbar wanted to created a new religion. Birbal, Abul Fazal and Faizi joined the Din-I-Illahi. Abul Fazal was murdered by Bir Singh Bundela. Akbar died after an attack of dysentery. He was buried at Sikandara.


4. Jahangir (1604-1627): was the son of Jodhabai. He married Bhagwan Das’s daughter Manbai and had a son Khusrau. In 1611, he married Mehrunissa and gave her the name Nurmahal. Her father Gyas Beg was given the title it maduddaullah. The British visited Macchlipatnam during his reign. Captain Hawkins and Thomas Roe visited his court. He had a chain of justice hung outside his palace.

5. Shah Jahan (1627-1658) succeeded Jahangir. His mother was Jagat Gosain. His childhood name was Khurram. In 1612, he married Arzmand banu Begum who became famous as Mumtaz Mahal. He was crowned in Agra in 1628. Aurangzeb imprisoned Shah Jahan and after a war of succession became the king. Shah Jahan’s reign is described by French traveler Bernier and Tavernier and the Italian traveler Manucci. Peter Mundy described the famine that occurred during Shah Jahan’s time.


6. Aurangzeb (1658-1707): had to fight a war of succession to gain the throne. After the death of Shahjahan Shuja declared himself the king at Rajmahal but was defeated by Suleiman Shikoh, son of Dara. Murad crowned himself a tAhmadabad. Aurangzeb and Murad agreed to partition the empire. Aurangzeb and Murad defeated Jashwant Singh and Qasim Khan at Dharmat in 1658. The again defeated dAra at Samugarh. This battle practically decided the issue of succession. Murad was arrested and executed and Aurangzeb crowned himself at Delhi. The second coronation of Aurangzeb took place after the battle of Deorai. Shah Jahan died in 1666. Aurangzeb took the title of ‘Alamgir’ in 1659.

MUGHAL ARCHITECTURE
1. Humayun built his palace Dinpanah and Jamili Masjid.
2. His widow Haji Begum built Humayun’s tomb. It is the prototype of the Taj Mahal with its bulbous double dome.
3. About Akbar, Abut Fazl has remarked that he planned splendid edifices and dressed the work of his mind and heart in the garment of stone and clay.
4. Fergussons has remarked that Fatehpur Sikri was a reflex of the mind of a great man.
5. He built the Jahangiri Mahal in Agra fort according to Hindu design based on Man Mandir.
6. The Jodhabai’s palace, the Diwan-I-am and Diwan-I-khas are Indian in their plan.
7. The Jami Masjid has been described by Fergusson as a romance in stone.
8. The panch mahal has the plan of Buddhist Vihara.
9. Be built the ports of Ajmer and Allahabad.
10. He also built Sheikh Salim Chisti’s tomb and Mariyam Palace. He also began to build his own tomb at Sikandara, which was completed by Jahangir.
11. During the reign of Jahangir, his wife Nurjahan built her father Itmadudoullah’s tomb in Agra. A new technique borrowed from Golmandal temple, Udaipur, Pietra Dura was introduced here.
12. Jahangir built the Moti Masjid in Lahore and his own tomb at Shahadra near Lahore.
13. Shah Jahan built the famous Taj Mahal in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal. It’s chief architects were Ustad Ahmad Lahori who was given the title Nadi-ul-Asar, Mir Abdul Karim and Makkaramat Khan, Isa Khan etc.
14. He constructed the Diwan-I-Khan, Diwan-I-Am, Mussamman Burz, Moti Masjid, Shish Mahal, Khas Mahal, Machchi Mahal etc.
15. He built the Red Fort with its own Diwan-I-Khas and Diwan-I-am
16. He got the peacock throne built by Bebadal Khan on which Amir Khusrau’s couplet ‘if there is a paradise on earth it is here’ inscribed on it.
17. He built the Shalimar bagh in Srinagar.
18. Aurangzeb built the Moti Masjid in the Red Fort at Delhi. He also built the Badshahi mosque in Lahore and his tomb in Aurangabad.

MUGHAL PAINTING
1. Mir Sayyid Ali, the pupil of Bihzad of heart who has been styled the Raphael of the east and Khwja Abdus Samad were in the court of Humayun.
2. Jahangir could tell the names of individual artists in a composite piece of painting.
3. In his court Aga Reza, Abul Hasan o fHeart, Muhammad Nadir, Muhammad Murad, Ustad Mansur, Bishan Das, Manohar, Goverdhan etc. flourished.

NEXT:SHER SHAH SURI AND THE SUR DYNASTY