Who was Akbar's regent? What role did he play in the politics of the time?
Important Points to Remember in Chapter -1 - The Mughal Empire from Vipul Singh New Longman Vistas Solutions
1. Introduction to the Mughals:
(i) Babur came to India and led the foundation of Mughal Empire, it became one of largest empire in India.
(ii) In the sixteenth century, Mughal expanded their dominion from Agra and Delhi to different parts of India, till century, they controlled nearly an entire subcontinent.
(iii) Mughal governance set up an exemplary administration. Their administrative system lasted after their rule too.
2. Origin of Mughals:
(i) Mughals trace their descendants from two great lineages. Timur and Genghis Khan.
(ii) Mughals from mother's side were successors of Genghis Khan (died ), he belongs to the Mongolian tribe, and they ruled in the Central part of Asia.
(iii) Mughal from their father’s side were the descendants of Timur (died ), the king of Iran, Iraq and Turkey.
(iv) Genghis Khan’s memory was linked with the massacre of numerous people, the Mughals did not preferred to be known as Mughal or Mongol.
3. Mughal Military Campaigns:
(i) Babur:
(a) Babur, was the founder of Mughal empire in India, he took the throne when he was only years old in Farghana Valley.
(b) Babur was forced to vacate his ancestral home and position due to the annexation of another Mongol group, the Uzbeks.
(c) He went to different places and explored new towns, then he captured Kabul in .
(d) In, he triumphed over the Sultan of Delhi, Ibrahim Lodi, in the Battle of Panipat and captured Delhi and Agra.
(e) The Mughals were always cautious of Afghan invasion.
(ii) Humayun:
(a) He divided his legacy according to the choice of his father.
(b) Sher Khan defeated Humayun at Chausa , and Kanauj , pressurised him to run away to Iran.
(iii) In Iran Humayun got assistance from the Safavid Shah. He took Delhi under his control in . Later on, he died next year just after an accident in his own palace.
(iii) Akbar:.
(a) The prince Akbar lost his father at a very young age and was declared the king when he was twelve year old.
(b) The period between, Akbar got the authority in his hand and became fully independent from his regent Bairam Khan. Several other members of his court who considered him young and indecisive were also replaced by him.
(c) Under the authority of Akbar several military raids were initiated against the Suris and Afghans. To control and suppress the revolt by his half-brother Mirza Hakim and the Uzbegs, Akbar took several steps and solved the issue.
(d) Akbar wanted to expand his territory and later on in , he took control of the Sisodiya's capital Chittor. Later in, he also captured Ranthambhor.
(e) Akbar planned military campaigns in, to Gujarat. Eventually he planned the raids in the eastern part which includes Bihar, Bengal, and Orissa.
(f) The raids and campaigns launched by him became chaotic as his half-brother Mirza Hakim opposed his authority and made the situation complex.
(g) The agenda behind Akbar’s campaign in , was to develop his power and control in the north-western part of his empire.
(h) After the death of Mirza Hakim, Qandahar was captured from the Safavids, Kashmir was annexed, as also Kabul came under his authority.
(i) Akbar was distracted by the rebellion of Prince Salim, the future Emperor Jahangir.
(iv) Jahangir:
(a) The Sisodiya ruler of Mewar, Amar Singh, accepted Mughal authority and service after so much struggle.
(b) The raids opposing the Sikhs, the Ahoms, in the northeastern part, and Ahmadnagar, were not very effective and successful..
(c) Prince Khurram, the future Emperor Shah Jahan, rebelled in the last years of his reign.
(v) Shah Jahan:
(a) Shah Jahan was famous for his architectural contribution. He also defeated an Afghan noble Khan Jahan Lodi who opposed him.
(b) He launched many military raids against Ahmadnagar in South, and the Bundelas were defeated by Shah Jahan's army and the region of Orchha was captured.
(c) In the north-western part of the Mughal empire, the plan and raid to capture the Balkh from the Uzbegs was a failure, they lost Qandhar too.
(d) In Ahmadnagar was captured and the Bijapur army asked for peace and avoided violence.
(e) There was a War of Succession in , between Shah Jahan’s sons. Aurangzeb won the war by hook and crook. His brothers died in this war, and he ordered to punish Dara Shikoh.
(f) Aurangzeb imprisoned his father Shah Jahan in Agra Fort.
(vi) Aurangzeb:
(a) Aurangzeb defeated the Ahoms in , but they resisted again in the , against the Mughal rule.
(b) The raids of Aurangzeb in the northwestern part were against the authority of Yusufzai and the Sikhs. He became successful for very short period of time.
(c) The intervention of the Mughal in the internal conflicts of Rajputs of Marwar and the Rathors led to the fight between them.
(d) The campaigns opposing Shivaji the Maratha chieftain were at first successful but later on it was not as planned.
(e) Aurangzeb offended Shivaji who ran from Agra secrectly and defying the Mughal security, announced himself as king, and declared that region under his rule is an independent area and Mughal has no control over it.
(f) Prince Akbar opposed Aurangzeb and received assistance from the Marathas and the Deccan Sultanate, because they both wanted to end the Aurangzeb's rule.
(g) After Akbar’s rebellion Aurangzeb sent armies against the Deccan Sultanates.
(h) The two significant regions of South, Bijapur was annexed in , and Golconda in .
(i) Aurangzeb himself, commanded the military operations in the Deccan region from against the Marathas who initiated the famous guerrilla warfare technique.
(j) During the rule of Aurangzeb the rebellions took place in north India of the Sikhs, Jats, and Satnamis. The Ahoms were against the Mughal authority in the northeastern part of the empire.
4. Mughal Traditions of Succession:
(i) The concept of primogeniture was not followed by the Mughal Rulers, in this system the eldest son inherited his father’s wealth and becomes the guardian.
(ii) Mughals followed the Timurid custom of coparcenary inheritance or a division of the wealth between all the male heirs.
5. Mughal Relations with Other Rulers:
(i) Mughal rulers were constantly raiding those dominions which, denied their rule and authority.
(ii) The power and authority of Mughal rulers were increasing, they started expanding their empire and required support from various ruling classes, one of them was Rajputs who joined them voluntarily.
(iii) Rajputs became part of the Mughal empire and served them with efficiency and loyalty. Many of the Rajput princess were married to Mughal families and received honour and higher positions under their rule.
(iv) The Mughal rules expanded in Rajasthan too but Sisodiya Rajputs of Mewar refused to be under the authority for a long period of time.
(v) After the defeat of their enemies Mughal rulers gave their Watan or lands to them and asked them to serve them as a part of Mughal empire.
(vi) The Mughal rulers always maintained a careful balance between winning over their enemies but not embarrassing their opponents earned them their respect, and it also helped them in building their legacy.
6. Mansabdars and Jagirdars:
(i) Territorial expansion took place, several officers were appointed in different regions.
(ii) Mansabdars were the people who joined the Mughal authority.
(iii) Mansabdar were people who carry a mansab (position or rank).
(iv) It was a grading system used by the Mughals to fix Rank, Salary, and military responsibilities.
(v) Zats numerical value decides Rank and salary.
(vi) The higher the Zat, the more prestigious was the noble’s position in court and the larger his salary.
(vii) The mansabdar’s was required to maintain a fixed number of sawar as their military responsibilities.
(viii) The horses were branded and then Mansabdars received money according to the number of horses.
(ix) Mansabdars received their salaries as revenue assignments called jagirs which were somewhat like iqtas.
(x) But unlike muqtis, most mansabdars did not reside in or administer their jagirs.
(xi) They only had rights to the revenue of their assignments which was collected for them by their servants.
(xii) During Akbar's rule, jagirs were strictly evaluated so that their revenues were equivalent to the compensation of mansabdars.
(xiii) Under Aurangzeb’s authority total revenue was less than the sum granted.
(xiv) There were long lines for Jagirs because the number of Mansabdars rose increasingly.
(xv) Aurangzeb was unable to control these developments in the last years of his reign and the peasantry, therefore, suffered tremendously.
7. Zabt and Zamindars:
(i) Mughal rulers collected most of their revenue from the agricultural tax.
(ii) The word zamindars were used to describe all the village headmen, intermediaries, and other people in the position of chieftains.
(iii) Todar Mal, was a revenue minister, he carried out a careful survey of crop yields, prices, and regions cultivated for a -year period, .
(iv) Under Mughal rule provinces were divided into revenue circles with a chart of revenue rates for each crop, this revenue system was called zabt.
(v) Zamindars executed his power in some regions to a great extent which also affected the opinion of peasants.
(vi) The manipulations by Mughal administrators could lead them to rebel against Mughal rule, because they were suffering a lot.
(vii) Peasant rebellion opposed the authority of the Mughal Empire from the end of the century.
8. A Closer Look - Akbar’s Policies:
(i) Akbar asked Abul Fazl, a courtier to state a history of empire under his rule.
(ii) Abul Fazl was a Wazir in Akbar's court and he was also a writer who translated Bible in Persian.
(iii) The first volume dealt with Akbar’s ancestors.
(iv) The second volume is about main events of Akbar’s reign.
(v) Ain-i Akbari's third volume deals with governance, and the local household living under Akbars's rule with the geographical idea of the vast empire.
(vi) The book deals with traditions and culture of the people living in the Mughal empire.
(vii) Ain-i Akbari was written by Abu Fazl and its rich statistical details helps us to gather information about agriculture, revenue and administration.
(viii) Abul Fazl discusses in his writings, about subas, administrated by a subadar, political and military functions were performed by them.
(ix) Each province also had a financial officer or diwan.
(x) The maintenance of harmony and prosperity in his dominion, subadar was assisted by several officials.
(xi) The military paymaster (bakhshi).
(xii) The (sadr) was the minister in charge of religious or charitable issues related works.
(xiii) Military commanders (faujdars).
(xiv) The town police commander (kotwal).
(xv) In the end of seventeenth century, several nobles started an independent region of their own with their authority. The loyalties were weakened once they experienced the full power of the region.
(xvi) Akbar was showing his desire in knowing the religious and social rituals of distinct religion.
(xvi) At Fatehpur Sikri in the , Akbar initiated a religious discussion with the Ulama, Brahmanas, Jesuit priests.
(xvii) The religious decision took place in Ibaadat Khana during the reign of Akbar.
(xviii) Sulh-i Kul or “Universal Peace” idea was the outcome of discussion held at Ibaadat Khana.
(xix) The new religion formed by Akbar created a system of ethics – like honesty and peace.
(xx) Abul Fazl assisted Akbar in creating a vision for the efficient administration and promoted the idea of Sulh-i Kul. Jahangir and Shah Jahan later followed the same concept.
9. Mughal Empire in Seventeenth-Century and After:
(i) The Mughal governance and military system led to great economic and commercial harmony in the Mughal Empire.
(ii) The sources and documents from the twentieth year of Shah Jahan’s rule helps us to gain information about ranking of officials and the mansabdars.
(iii) The revenue collected from the empire was used to compensate the officials and their troopers the estimated revenue was very high, and it was profitable.
(iv) The lower section of the people lived a life of struggle, and they were no money left to invest in other resources to increase productivity.
(v) Peasant, artists, bankers, and merchants groups earned profit.
(vi) Mughal emperor's authority gradually decreased, and many of the powerful officials declared independence from the Mughal rule.
(vii) They formulated a new region and held control of states like Hyderabad and Awadh.
(viii) Some of them continued to consider the Mughal emperor as their supreme master sitting in Delhi.
(ix) By the eighteenth century, the provinces of the empire had consolidated their independent political identities.
