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THE MUGHAL EMPIRE with the Advent of the Mughals Begins a New Era of Indian History

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THE MUGHAL EMPIRE with the Advent of the Mughals Begins a New Era of Indian History THE MUGHAL EMPIRE With the advent of the Mughals begins a new era of Indian history. The Mughal Empire was established by Babur. He was connected with Timur (on his father's side) and Chingez Khan, the Mongol (on his mother's side). SOURCES TO RECONSTRUCT THE AGE OF THE MUGHALS There are plenty of sources, both literary and archaeological to reconstruct the age of the Mughals. LITERARY SOURCES 1. Ain-i-Akbari: It was written by Abul Fazl, the minister and one of the Nine jewels at Akbar's court. It was part of a large project of history writing commissioned by Akbar. It is regarded as a precious source material for knowing the administration and culture during the reign of Akbar. The Ain-i-Akbari is divided into five books. Abul Fazl wrote Akbarnama (Ain-i-Akbari is a part of it) which throws a great deal of light on Akbar's conquests; religion; administrative, social, economic, religious and revenue reforms; his hobbies, great qualities and virtues. His writings had great elegance and force. ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOURCES 2. The Taj Mahal: The most outstanding monument built by Shah Jahan is the Taj Mahal at Agra on the banks of the River Yamuna. This grand mausoleum was built in memory of his beloved Queen Mumtaz Mahal. The Taj Mahal is rightly regarded as one of the Wonders of the World for its majesty and splendour. 3. Jama Masjid: Another noteworthy building with which Shah Jahan adorned his newly built capital is the Jama Masjid. It is one of the largest in India and was completed in ten years at a cost of about ten lakhs of rupees. This mosque itself stands on platform to which ascent is made by a flight of 35 steps. It was designed to attract the eye of the faithful from afar and proclaim the glory of Islam. 4. Red Fort: It was constructed by Shah Jahan during the period 1639-1648. It is a huge structure made of sandstone and marble. It has a circumference of 2.4 km. It is located on the banks of the Yamuna. Among the many impressive buildings in the complex are Diwan-i-Aam and Diwan-i- Khas. Aurangzeb later built the Moti Masjid in the Red Fort. The Red Fort is an important historical monument. POLITICAL HISTORY AND ADMINISTRATION OF AKBAR Akbar was the greatest of Mughal rulers of India. He was thirteen years old when he ascended the throne and was guided by his tutor, Bairam Khan. Soon after Akbar's accession Hemu, a nephew of Sher Shah Suri, captured Agra and was on the march to Delhi. Hemu was defeated by the Mughal forces under the command of Bairam Khan at the historic battlefield of Panipat in 1556 (Second Battle of Panipat). The true foundation of the Mughal empire was laid after the Second Battle of Panipat. Akbar took the reigns of his government in his hand as soon as he came of age. He followed the policy of conquests andexpanded his empire. His empire extended from Afghanistan in the west to the Bay of Bengal in the east. It also extended from the Himalayas in the north to the Vindhyas in the South. The Rajput policy of Akbar proved to be one of his greatest achievements. He entered into marriage alliances with the Rajputs, married Rajput princesses and appointed Rajputs to high positions. Even when he conquered the Rajput kingdoms, he treated the rulers with kindness and religious tolerance. Of the Muslim rulers of India Akbar was the most liberal. He was the first Muslim ruler of India to divorce religion from politics and free the state from the influence and interference of the Ulemas. He constructed Ibadat Khana or the House of Worship at Fathepur Sikri for the purpose of religious discussion. But this discussion did not satisfy his boundless curiosity about religion. He then invited all religious experts -- Hindu, Muslim, Jain, Christian and Zoroastrian. Akbar promulgated a monotheistic religion called Din-i-Ilahi or Divine religion. It contained elements of different faiths. The object of the new religion was to establish a national religion which would be acceptable to both Muslims and Hindus. He abolished the Jaziya tax and Pilgrimage tax imposed on Hindus. He gave a strong and just administration to his people and improved the land revenue system. His Mansabdari Sysyem was very efficient. Music, art, architecture and literature flourished under his rule. .
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