Causes of downfall of dehli sultanate:
Lack of Administrative Ability
Some of the sultans had poor administrative skills and were unable to
maintain strong control over their empire.
Illiteracy and Lack of Education
Many rulers were uneducated and failed to understand the
complexities of governance and statecraft.
Weak Relationship with the Common People
The gap between the rulers and the general population widened,
creating dissatisfaction and weakening internal unity.
Political Weakness
During the Sayyid and Lodi dynasties, the political structure became
weak and fragile, making the empire vulnerable to internal and
external threats.
Financial Instability
Continuous Mongol invasions and conflicts drained the treasury,
creating serious financial problems for the sultanate.
Mughal Dynasty (1526–1857):
The origin of the Mughal Dynasty was Turko-Mongol. It was a Muslim dynasty.
It ruled most parts of northern India from 1600 to the mid-1800s.
It ruled for 331 years, during which 19 emperors came.
The Mughal Dynasty was notable for its more than two-century rule over
much of India.
Great Mughals of this dynasty were competitive, had the ability to rule with
great administrative power, and stabilized the dynasty.
They had good administrative qualities, made the empire economically
powerful, and extended the empire.
This dynasty was founded by Babar in 1526 in the First Battle of Panipat
between Lodhi and Babar.
Ibrahim Lodhi was defeated by Babar.
Babar Era (1526–1530 CE)
He was the founder of the Mughal Empire and its first ruler.
He held the title of a Chagtai Turkic prince.
He had relations with Taimoor Lang. He was descended from the Turkic
conqueror Taimoor on his father’s side.
His mother had links with Ghengis Khan.
His father was Umar Sheikh Mirza, ruler of Ferghana.
Real name: Zaheeruddin Babar. His mother called him Babar, Sher.
He was born on 14 February 1483 in the capital of Ferghana.
When Babar was 12 years old, his father died. For the next 11 years, he
wandered here and there because his uncles did not behave well with him.
His uncles captured the sultanate until he grew older.
In 1504, he became emperor of Kabul and Balkh. From here he started
building his empire and expanding.
He reached India, where he built a new dynasty called the Mughal
Dynasty.
He fought many wars, remained successful, and continued expanding
his empire from Kabul to Bengal and from the Himalayas to Gawaliar.
He was a brave and courageous person, though he had very little time
to rule.
Babar’s Writings
He wrote the book Tuzk-e-Babari, which was his autobiography
(about his life).
From his book we learn that he was not only a man of the sword but
also an educated person.
He was also called Qalam ka Badshah.
In his book, he wrote about his wars, his life, problems, and how he
extended his empire.
Family
Daughter: Gulbadan Bano.
Son: Humayun (second Mughal emperor).
Gulbadan Bano wrote in her book Humayun Nama about Babar’s death.
She mentioned that when Babar’s son Humayun became very sick, Babar,
who loved his son deeply, walked around his bed and prayed to Allah to
transfer his son’s illness to him. His prayer was accepted, and Humayun
recovered, but Babar’s health began to decline slowly until his death.
Death: 15 December 1530 in Agra.
He was buried in Kabul because of his will.
-----------------------------------------
Nasiruddin Humayun (1530–1540, 1555–1556):
Humayun was the son of Zaheeruddin Babar and became the second
Mughal emperor. His rule is divided into two parts: 1530–1540 and 1555–
1556. Unlike his father, Humayun was not very competitive, and his reign
was full of challenges and difficulties.
He faced two types of problems: first from external enemies, and second
from his own brothers, who fought wars of succession with him. From 1530 to
1540, he could not extend his empire or solve its problems. In 1539, he was
defeated by Sher Shah Suri, who established the Suri Dynasty. Under
Sher Shah, the dynasty became strong, but under his son Saleem Shah, it
grew weaker.
In 1555, Humayun returned to power after defeating Saleem Shah Suri. He
crossed the Sindh River and conquered Delhi, Lahore, and Agra, ruling
again for a short period from 1555 to 1556.
After six months of regaining the throne, he died in a tragic accident. While
going to offer Maghrib prayer, he stumbled, fell, and got severely injured.
He passed away in 1556. A Western historian, Lane Pole, remarked:
“Humayun faced difficulties his whole life and finally died because of a
difficulty.”
Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar (1556–1605):
Akbar was born in 1542 in Merkot. He was the son of Humayun and
became the third Mughal emperor. He ruled from 1556 to 1605. Akbar
was considered a very capable ruler. He became famous for two main
reasons: his expansion of vast territories across northern and central
India, and the political, administrative, and military structure he
created to govern the empire.
When Humayun died, Akbar was only 13 years old and living in Kalanoor,
Gurdaspur district. At that time, Bairam Khan, the Mughal army
commander, crowned Akbar as emperor and acted as his guardian. After
Akbar’s accession, many problems arose around the empire. A Hindu
minister named Hemu Bakal declared himself ruler after Humayun’s death.
This led to the Second Battle of Panipat in 1556, where Bairam Khan
defeated Hemu Bakal.
On the eastern side, Adil Shah Suri from the Suri Dynasty also created
problems. Akbar and Bairam Khan fought against him, and after Adil Shah’s
death, the Mughals extended their empire further east. Important areas were
gradually conquered under Akbar’s rule. These included Delhi, Agra,
Punjab, Gwalior, Ajmer, and Jaunpur (1556); Malwa (1562);
Gondwana (1564); Chittor (1568); Ranthambore (1569); Gujarat
(1572); Bengal (1576); Kabul (1585); Kashmir (1586); Sindh (1591);
Orissa (1592); and Ahmadnagar, Qandahar, Asirgarh (1595).
Akbar was also known for his policy of religious tolerance. He gave high
ranks to Rajputs as generals and governors, reduced discrimination against
non-Muslims, and abolished the Jizya tax. In 1582, he introduced a new
religion called Din-i-Ilahi (Divine Faith). It was a syncretic religion,
combining elements of Islam, Hinduism, Christianity, and Zoroastrianism,
aimed at promoting religious harmony. However, this act was not well-
received and many religious scholars opposed him.
In his later years, Akbar fell ill on 3 October 1605 and died on 27 October
1605. He was buried in Agra. He left behind immense wealth, including
5,000 elephants, 12,000 horses, 1,000 tigers, and 10 crore coins.