Mughal Empire began to decline after attaining its highest point of success and stability.

During
this time, the empire was under the leadership of Shah Jahan and his son, after a successful rule
of Aurangzeb. History records that the decline of Mughal Empire began towards the end of
Aurangzebs rule. It is important to note that there were numerous reasons that led to the fall of
such a great dynasty in the history of mankind. In this essay, we shall discuss major causes of the
decline.
The first cause was Aurangzebs responsibility. He was largely responsible for the downfall of
the Mughal Empire. This happened even though those kings, who ruled before him, did a great
job in winning the loyalties of their subjects like the Hindus and the Rajputs. As a fanatic,
Aurangzeb was unable to tolerate those who were non-Muslims in his empire. He introduced
oppressive laws like the introduction of jazia and a total ban on celebration of Hindu festivals.
Because of this animosity, he lost the trust and friendship with the Rajputs. He executed Sikh
guru and created widespread enmity with the Marathas, forcing them to rebel against his
leadership.
Additionally, Aurangzeb was also obsessed with the Deccan, which had detrimental effects on
Mughal army. As a staunch Sunni Muslim, he did not have room for the Shias, who also turned
against him. The nobles also developed rebellion against their king because he was mostly
against their way of life, including dancing, singing and drinking. These were common habits
among most Muslim nobles, who felt oppressed by the King. It is therefore evident that King
Aurangzeb was responsible for the decline of the Mughal Empire.
Besides the oppressive rule of Aurangzeb that, his successors also contributed to the fall of
Mughal Empire. For example, his successors turned out to be weak and incompetent to take
control of the entire empire. Most of them found pleasure in lavish lives without bothering the
stability of the state. This created weaknesses that led to the decline of the once strong and stable
empire. This weakness from successors took root because there was no law that defined the
process of succession in the Mughal Empire. Oftentimes, the death of a king resulted into wars
among their sons before a king would sit on the throne. They used nobles and royal family
members to fight for power. Consequently, nobles were divided as they fought to safeguard their
interests. This bred anarchy as nobles resorted to conspiracies, making Mughal Empire weak and
vulnerable to external attacks.
Poor economy of Mughal Empire further weighed heavily on its stability. Importantly, the
economy grew weak because of constant wars, which rocked the empire. In most cases, the wars
had much loss that gain as no inch was added to the empires land. Moreover, Mughal Empire
kings were less concerned with economic growth as they spent public resources on having fun
and putting up monuments, which added no value in the state. This weak and crumbling
economy was completely shattered by external invasions, as enemies saw loopholes to explore.

APR

IGCSE HISTORY-DOWNFALL OF MUGHAL EMPIRE

Q
'Aurangzeb's successors failed to live up to his courageous and determined personality.' Was
this the
most important reason for the decline of the Mughal Empire? Give reasons for your answer.
[14-N.03-N.01]
Q
Were the weak and greedy characteristics of Aurangzeb's successors the most important
reasons for
the collapse of the Mughal Empire? Explain your answer.
[14-N.05]
Q
'The coming of the British was the main reason for the decline of the Mughal Empire'. Do you
agree or
disagree? Give reasons for your answer.
[14-J.07]
Q
The spread of Maratha power was the main reason for the decline of the Mughal Empire. Do
you
agree or disagree? Give reasons for your answer.
[14.J.11]
This is a detailed answer dealing with the downfall of Mughals. Students should choose any
three reasons according to the need of the exam.

Aurangzebs powerful, determined and brave personality kept the Mughals united and strong. He
had a vast experience of fighting in north-west frontier and south India. He was very disciplined,
religious and far away from luxuries and un-Islamic practices. He was determined brave and active
throughout his life. His descendants lacked these qualities. Succession wars made the situation
even worse. Auranzebs three sons fought with each other and became greedy. They did not listen to
the advise of Aurangzeb who had divided the Empire into three of his sons. The sons of Muazzam
also fought with each other. Only within ten years of Aurangzebs death, more than twelve people
were claiming as kings. These wars made Mughals financially bankrupt and they lost their prestige.
Weak administration was another cause of the decline. Until the death of Aurangzeb, the Mughals
possessed the largest territory in the history of India. The descendants of Aurangzeb could not
control such a vast Empire. Gradually, the nobles and local leaders became powerful. The rebellions
broke out and the tax income to the government almost stopped. The large and important provinces
like Bengal and Oudh became independent of Mughal authority by 1720. Mughals lost their
authority, power, wealth and above all their prestige.

Invasions on Delhi also made the Mughals weak. Marathas were the major opponents of Mughals.
They were from central and south India. Auranzeb fought with them but could not control them. Until
1750, they had become a major threat for the Mughals. However, Marathas were defeated in 1761 in
the battle of Panipat and powerless Mughals got some more time to rule India. Besides Marathas,
two more invasions took place from Afghanistan and Persia. In 1738, Persian General nadir shah
invaded Delhiand looted their wealth. Between 1747 and 1769, Afghan General Ahmed Shah
invaded India ten times. Even in Punjab, Sikhs were also a major threat for the Mughals. All these
invasions made the Mughals virtually bankrupt and they lost their power completely.

Strength of the British became another reason of the downfall. Until 1750, The East India Company
did not involve in active politics and concentrated on making more wealth and more power. They
defeated their European rivals, the French in 1752 . Their major occupation was in 1757 of
bengalWithin hundred years, the entire Indiawas in their control. The British were organized and
disciplined. They had national spirit. Due to industrial revolution, they were producing best weapons
in large quantity. EIC was supported by the rich British Government. The British understood the
weaknesses of Indians. They bribed them and played the game of diplomacy. On the other hand,
Mughals were lacking these qualities and they could not resist the British.

Due to unlimited power and wealth, the Mughals had become lazy and pleasure seeking. They used
to spend huge amounts on their clothes, food, jewellery and other spendings. They broke the Islamic
principles of simple life and involved in immoral activities. The Mughals thought that they were
invincible. They fought with the outdated weapons and old war techniques. Due to this, they had to
suffer in their wars against Marathas, Nadir Shah, Ahmed Shah and the British. The power and
wealth made the nobility so strong that they went out of the control of the Emperor. They stopped
giving income to the Emperor. The attacks of Marathas, Nadir Shah and Ahmed Shah made the
Mughals virtually bankrupt.
Evaluation
The weak and greedy characteristics and luxurious life of Mughals seem to be the most important
reason of the down fall of Mughals. This is because in-fighting between the princes is common in
dynasties. The coming of the British is also not a genuine reason because the British were a weak
minority. It was the Indian nobility who betrayed their own people. Mughals had become luxurious
and they had no realization of the enemies around them. Luxuries had also made them lazy and
they were not strong and active. They did not pay attention to improve their weapons and war
techniques. Any strong enemy could defeat them easily. They were greedy because instead of
creating unity among themselves, they fought with each other which disunited them and made them
financially and morally bankrupt.