First Mughal emperor Babur
The very first Mughal emperor and the founder of the Mughal emperor Babur brought gunpowder to India
He is known for defeating:
Ibrahim Lodhi in the First Battle of Panipat (AD 1526)
Rana Sanga (Sangram Singh) at battle of Khanwa
Medini Rai of Chenderi at Battle of Chanderi (AD 1528)
Mahmud Lodi at Battle of Ghagra (AD 1529)
Babur wrote Tuzuk-i-Baburi in Turkish language
The first Mughal emperor declared Jehad and adopted the title Ghazi
Babur died in 1530 and was buried at Aram Bagh (Agra). Late, his body was taken to Bagh-e-Babun (Kabul)
Second Mughal emperor Humayun
Babur’s son, Humayun, built Dinpanah at Delhi as his second capital
Humayun fought two battles with Sher Shah Suri and was ultimately deafeated:
Battle of Chausa (AD 1539)
Battle of Kannauj (AD 1540)
The second great Mughal emperor passed 15 years in exile and again invaded India in 1555 with the help of his officer Bairam Khan
Humayun died in AD 1556 falling from the stairs of his library building
Humayun-nama was written by his half-sister Gulbadan Begum
Third Mughal emperor Akbar
Humayun’s officer Bairam Khan crowned 13-year-old Akbar as the third Mughal emperor
He defeated Hemu at the Second Battle of Panipat (AD 1556) with the help of Bairam Khan
Akbar conquered:
Malwa (AD 1561) after defeating Baz Bahadur followed by Garh-Katanga (ruled by Rani Durgawati)
Chittor (AD 1568)
Ranthambhor and Kalinjar (AD 1569)
Gujarat (AD 1672)
Mewar (AD 1576) in the Battle of Haldighati after defeating Rana Pratap
Kashmir (AD 1586)
Sindh (AD 1593)
Asirgarh (AD 1603)
Buland Darwaza was contructed at Fatehpur Sikri after Akbar’s victory over Gujarat in AD 1572
Akbar discouraged the practice of Sati and encouraged widow remarriage
Akbar was married to Harkha Bai, daughter of Rajpur ruler Bharmal
Ralph Fitch was the first Englishman to visit Akbar’s court in AD 1585
The third Mughal emperor introduced a land revenue system called Todar Mal Bandobast or Zabti system, through his finance minister Raja Todar Mal, wherein the classification of land and fixation of rent was introduced
He also introduced the Mansabdari System or the rank-holder system to organise the nobility and army
The Navratnas or the nine famous intellectuals of Akbar’s court were Todar Mal, Abul Fazal, Faizi, Birbal, Tansen, Abdur Rahim Khana-i-Khana, Mullah-do-Pyaza, Raja Man Singh, and Fakir Aziao-Din
Fourth Mughal emperor Jahangir
Akbar's son Jahangir executed the fifth Sikh Guru, Arjun Dev
His greatest political failure was the loss of Kandahar to Persia in AD 1622
The fourth Mughal emperor Mehr-un-Nisa in AD 1611 and conferred the titles of Nur Jahan on her
Jahangir established Zanjir-i-Adal at Agra Fort for those who sought royal justice
Captain Hawkins and Sir Thomas Roe visited his court
A few famous painters in Jahangir’s court were Abdul Hassan, Ustad Mansur, and Bishandas
Fifth Mughal emperor Shah Jahan
Jahangir’s son, Shah Jahan annexed Ahmednagar while Bijapur and Golconda accepted him as their overlord
Shah Jahan secured Kandahar in AD 1639
Shah Jahan’s court was visited by two Frenchmen Bernier and Tavernier, and an Italian adventurer Manucci
Apart from the Taj Mahal, Shah Jahan also built the Moti Mahal in Agra, and the Red Fort and Jama Masjid in Delhi
Shah Jahan’s reign is considered the Golden Age of the Mughal empire
Sixth Mughal emperor Aurangzeb
Shah Jahan’s son and the last seriously notable Mughal emperor Aurangzeb secured the Mughal throne after a brutal war of succession with his brothers Dara, Shuja and Murad
Aurangzeb issued a Royal Firman against Sati (in AD 1664 or 1666) and also gave a death penalty to those forcing widows to be burnt
He was called Darvesh or a Zinda Pir
He faced several rebellions during his rule, namely from the Jat Peasantry at Mathura, the Satnami Peasantry in Punjab, and the Bundelas in Bundelkhand
The annexation of Marwar in AD 1658 led to a serious rift between Rajput and Mughals after the death of Raja Jaswant Singh
Aurangzen conquered Bijapur (AD 1686) and Golconda (AD 1687) and re-imposed Jaziya in AD 1679
The Mughal empire conquests reached a climax during his rule. Aurangzeb’s empire stretched from Kashmir in the north to Jinji in the south, and from the Hindukush in the west to Chittagong in the east
Aurangzeb executed the ninth Sikh Guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur in AD 1675
Aurangzeb built Biwi ka Makbara on the tomb of his queen Rabaud-Durani at Aurangbad, Moti Mahal within Red Fort at Delhi, and the Jami or Badshahi Mosque at Lahore
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