Ghiasuddin Balban (1266– 86 C.E.)

ØHe was slave of Iltumish.

ØHe was one of the prominent members of the Chalgani created by Iltutmish.

ØHis major challenge was from the Chalgani (The Forty) so through overt (putting down the rebellions) & covert operations (Sijda, Paibos) he liquidated them. ØBalban’s policy was of Blood & Iron, this made him a despot. Continued..

ØHe propounded the Divine Right Theory of Kingship as he considered himself the Vice Royalty of God on Earth. ØHe described himself as Zil-i-Ilahi (shadow of God on Earth) in his coins. ØHe traced his descent to the Mythical Turkish hero Afrasiyab. ØHe introduced several Persian customs such as Sijda (prostration to the king) and Paibos (Kissing of king’s feet) ØPersian Calendar & Persian festival of Nauroz was introduced by him. ØBalban patronized Amir Khusrau (The parrot of India). ØHe established a separate military department Diwan-i-Arz & reorganized the army. ØHe also appointed spies to check the activities of the nobles. ØBalban’s rule saw the restoration of law & order around Delhi. ØEarlier the Mewathis often plundered its outskirts, so, Balban went down heavily on them & restored order thus the roads became safe for travel. End

ØBalban groomed his son prince Muhammad to be his successor but the latter was killed in a battle against Mongols in the North-West. ØBalban died in 1287 C.E., nominating Kai Khusrau, his grandson to be the next Sultan but he was over looked & Kaikubad, other grandson of Balban was placed in the throne but he was incompetent & this led Jaluluddin Khilji, to occupy Delhi by a military coup in 1290 C.E. ØThus the dynasty came to an end within 3 years of the death of Balban. Sample Question

Which among the following rulers belonged to Mamulak Dynasty?

[a] Sikandar Lodhi

[b] Mahmud Ghazni

[c] Balban

[d] Mohammed Ghori The Khilji Dynasty (1290 C.E. – 1320 C.E.) Jalal-ud-din Khilji(1290–96 C.E.)

ØJalal-ud-din Khilji was the founder of this dynasty. ØHis policy was of peace & moderation. ØHe arrested numerous thugs & robbers but pardoned & sent them to Bengal. ØHe defeated the Mongols who invaded the north-western region in 1292 C.E. but accepted their peace offer & pardoned them. Ø1296 C.E.: Alauddin Khilji took an expedition to Devagiri & returned to Kara with a huge booty, during the reception there, he treacherously murdered his father-in-law Jalaluddin Khilji & usurped the throne of Delhi. Alauddin Khilji (1296 C.E. – 1316 C.E.)

ØHis original name was Ali Gurshasp. ØHe was considered the most powerful sultan of Delhi.

ØMilitary Conquests: Ø1299 C.E.: Alauddin sent an army under the command of Nusrat Khan & Ulugh Khan to conquer Gujrat. The Raja Karan of Anhilvar (Bhagela dynasty) was caught unaware, therefore, he escaped along with his daughter while the queen was caught & sent to Delhi where the sultan married her and made her the chief queen. ØAlauddin’s 2nd great find in Gujarat was the handsome Hindu turned Muslim eunuch (Malik Kafur), who was made the Malik Naib military commander by him later. Allauddin’s Victories

Ø In 1301 C.E., Alauddin marched against Ranthambore. It fell after a 3 months siege & its ruler Hamir Deva was killed. Ø Raja Ratan Singh of Chittor was defeated but his wife & other women including Rani Padmini performed Jauhar keeping up with the tradition. (This Padmini episode has been described in the book Padmavat written by Malik Mohammed Jayasi) Ø Alauddin Khilji was the first sultan who invaded South India. Ø He sent his trustworthy general Malik Kafur against the ruler of the south namely Ramachandra ,the Yadava ruler of Devagiri, Pratap Rudra Deva, the Kakatiya ruler of Warangal, Vira Ballal III, the Hoysala ruler of Dwarasamudra & Vira Pandya the Pandya ruler of Madurai. Ø Malik Kafur defeated them all & brought a huge booty to Delhi. Ø Malik Kafur reached till Rameshwaram before returning to Delhi. Ø Ala-ud-din successfully repelled the Mongol invasion several times except once when the Mongols came upto Delhi but they were prevented from entering the city. Sample Question

Which of the following military general of Alauddin led the Khilji dynasty invasions to South India?

[a] Ulugh Khan

[b] Malik Kafur

[c] Khusrau Shah

[d] Arizuddin Khan Reforms of Alauddin Khalji

Ø He maintained a large permanent standing army & paid them in cash from the royal treasury. Ø He introduced Dagh (branding of horses) & prepared Huliya (description list of soldiers). Ø Review of army from time to time was also carried out. Ø He introduced price regulations for various products. Ø He established 4 markets (Mandis) in Delhi Ø Grain market Ø Cloth market Ø Cattle market (horses, donkeys etc.) & Ø Miscellaneous commodities. Ø Government store houses were built & this ensured that the prices did not rise even during famines. Ø Each market was under a high control called Shahna-i-Mandi. Ø Every merchant was registered under the market department which was under the Diwan-i-Riyasat (The commerce ministry) Ø Secret agents called Munhiyans sent reports to the sultan about the functioning of the markets. Ø Weights & measures were seriously checked. Reforms of Alauddin Khalji

ØHe was the first sultan of Delhi who ordered for the measurement of land.

ØMeasurement of land ensured that nobody evades land tax. ØHe fixed the land revenue as half of the produce & called it Kharaj. ØHe abolished intermediaries such as Zamindars & brought the peasants a&farmers in direct contact with the sultanate.

ØCattle tax & house tax were also levied. ØThe Khalisa lands (the territory whose revenue accrued directly to the imperial treasury) were significantly expanded. ØLand revenue was collected in cash. Reforms to control the Rebellions ØHe considered that the general prosperity of the nobles, inter marriages between noble families, inefficient spy systems & drunkenness of the nobles were the reasons for the rebellions, therefore, he passed 4 ordinances, which are: ØMarriage, social gatherings and festivities should only be conducted after receiving the permission from the sultan. ØHe introduced complete prohibition on the sale of liquor & other intoxicating drugs. ØHe confiscated lands granted to nobles. ØHe reorganized the intelligence system. ØAlauddin Khilji was the first sultan of Delhi to segregate politics from religion. ØAlauddin Khilji established a new city called Siri near Delhi which became his new capital and in this city he constructed a huge tank called Hauz Khas. ØHe constructed a famous gateway of Delhi known as Alai Darwaza. ØAlauddin Khilji died in 1316 C.E. due to an acute health condition. End

ØAfter his death, Malik Kafur placed Shihabuddin , six year old son of Alauddin Khalji to the throne but he was removed by Mubarak Khan (1316 C.E. – 1320 C.E.) ØQutbuddin Mubarak Shah was an incapable & weak ruler and he showed special favors on one of the slave boys named Khusrau Khan and made him Wazir. ØIn 1320 C.E., Khusrau Khan, treacherously put his master to death & ascended the throne with the title of Nasiruddin Khusrau Shah. ØNasiruddin Khusrau Shah let loose the reign of terror & this made Gazi Malik (Ghiasuddin Tughlaq), the governor of Punjab to rise in & and invade Delhi, this resulted in the defeat & death of Khusrau Shah Tughlaq Dynasty Ghiasuddin Tughlaq Shah:(1320 –25 C.E.)

Ø He was the founder of Tughlaq dynasty. Ø He was originally called Ghazi Malik but after ascending the throne of Delhi in 1320 C.E., he called himself Ghiasuddin Tughlaq Shah. Ø He constructed the city of Tughlagabad, the first fortified city built by Sultans of Delhi Sultanate. Ø Amir Khusrau adorned his court also. Amir Khusrau served under 5 different sultans. Ø He made Jauna Khan (Ulugh Khan (then) Mohammed-bin-Tughlaq) his son the crown prince. Ø Ghiasuddin Tughlaq left Delhi in charge of Jauna Khan & led an expedition to Bengal. He won the battle. Ø Jauna Khan arranged a grand reception for Ghiasuddin Tughlaq, his father at Afghanpur near Delhi on the triumphant return of the imperial army from Bengal. The Wooden Pavilion Under which the Sultan was received & entertained collapsed suddenly killing the king Ghaisuddin Tughlaq when the elephants entered the venue. Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq (1325 –51 C.E.)

ØFakruddin Muhammad Jauna Khan ascended the throne after the death of his father at Tughlaqabad after which he was popularly called as Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq. ØHe was the most educated of all the preceding sultans of Delhi. ØHe was a scholar of Persian & Arabic and well versed in subjects like Astronomy, Mathematics and Philosophy. ØHe maintained diplomatic relations with far off countries like Egypt, China & Iran. ØIsami, Ibn Battuta (Morrocan traveler), Ziauddn Barani were the notable cotemporary authors of his time. ØHe brought in reforms in almost all sectors but almost all reforms either failed or back fired at him. Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq (1325 –51 C.E.)

ØThe first grand project conceived by Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq was to transfer his capital from Delhi to Devagiri in Deccan which was renamed Daulatabad in 1327 C.E. This project caused the people great hardship as the whole royal household, Ulemas & Sufis were also ordered to shift. Many people died during the rigorous journey in the summer. After 2 years, the Sultan abandoned Daulatabad & asked everyone to return to Delhi. ØThe second unprecedented project launched by Muhammad-bin- Tughlaq was the introduction of Token Currency. This was a concept that was far ahead of his time. ØThis token currency experiment costed him dearly because people began to forge currencies & the new coins were not accepted in the market. So, the sultan stopped the circulation of token currency and exchanged silver coins for bronze coins this emptied the state treasury. ØMuhammad-bin-Tughlaq’s idea of token currency earned him the name ‘Prince among Moneyers’ from historians. Continued..

ØTaxation in Doab (land between Ganga & Yamuna) at the time when severe famine ravaged the region. This created peasant unrest & the peasants fled the villages but the sultan took harsh measure to capture and punish them. ØMuhammad-bin-Tughlaq also launched a Scheme by which Takkavi loans (loans for cultivation) were given to the farmers to buy seed & to extend cultivations. ØA separate department for agriculture, Diwan-i-Kohi was established. ØHe created a model farm under the state in an area of 64 sq. miles for experimentation on soil and crops. ØKhurasan Episode (He raised army of 3 lac soldiers to raid Persia, but abandoned the idea causing huge financial and administrative issues) and Qarachil (Kundan-Garhwal region of Himalayas, where he sent his army of 10,000 soldiers who suffered huge losses because of hilly terrain, guieralla warfare and illness) proved to be a disaster in terms of finance. ØMuhammed-bin-Tughlaq died in 1315 C.E., on his way to Sind near Thatta to crush a rebellion Firoz Tughlaq (1351–88 C.E.)

ØFiroz Tughlaq was chosen as Sultan by the nobles after the death of Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq. ØHe appointed Khan-i-Jahan Maqbul, a Telugu Brahim convert, as Wazir (P M). ØHis period did not see any external invasion or any serious internal rebellions. ØHe led a campaign against Jajnagar (modern Orissa) & destroyed the Jagannath temple at Puri. ØHe acquired rich booty from the temples. During this campaign the Sultan collected 1300 Sanskrit manuscripts from the Jawalamukhi temple & got them translated into Persian by Arizuddin Khan under the title ‘Dalail-i-Firozshahi’ ØHe strictly followed the advice of Ulemas in running his administration. Taxation

ØHe revived the Iqta systems & made it hereditary. ØHe cancelled several taxes & cesses and levied only 4 taxes according to Islamic Shariat. ØKharaj – land revenue. ØZakat – tax for charity on muslims. ØJiziya - tax imposed on non-muslims. ØKhams- tax on plunder i.e. 1/5th of plunder. ØBrahmins were not exempted from paying Jiziya. Firoz Tughlaq (1351–88 C.E.)

ØHe dug several irrigation canals and Wells ØYamuna to Hissar ØSutlej to Hansi (200 km) ØOld monuments like Qutb-Minar & Hauz Khaz (Water tank) were repaired. ØHe built a new city called Firozabad near now called Firoz Shah Kotla. ØAlmost 300 towns came up during his reign; famous among them were Hissar, Jaunpur & Fatehabad. ØHe established a hospital at Delhi called Dar-ul- Shifa. ØHe established Diwan-i-Khairat (department for poor & needy) & Diwan-i- Bandagan (department of Slaves). ØThere were almost 1,80,000 slaves during his period & they were made to work in several royal factories called Karkhanas. ØHe also established a separate department for public works. ØHe brought 2 Ashokan pillars from Ambala & Meerut to Delhi. ØFiroz Tughlaq wrote his autobiography entitled Futuhat- i-Firozshahi. ØThe death of Firoz Shah Tughlaq in 1388 C.E. marked the beginning of the end of Tughlaq dynasty. Later Rulers

ØFiroz Tughlaq was succeeded by his grandson Tughlaq Shah (Ghaisuddin Tughlaq II) in 1388 C.E., followed by Abu Bakar (1389 C.E. –1390 C.E.), (1390 C.E.-1394 C.E.) & (Alauddin Sikendar Shah) in 1394 C.E. But he died in 1395 C.E. This made the nobles to place Mahmud Shah (1395 C.E. – 1412 C.E.) the younger brother of Humayun on the throne. ØTimur invaded Delhi in 1398 C.E. After plundering and devastating the city he returned back leaving the city in ruins. ØMahmud, escaped to Gujarat fearing the onslaught of Timur. He only returned after Timur left. ØAfter his death in 1412 C.E. Daulat Khan ruled the kingdom for 2 years and he was finally defeated by Khizr Khan, the Governor of Timur, in 1414 C.E. Sample Question

Who was Sultan of Delhi Sultanate when Timur invaded India in 1398?

[a] Mahmud Shah Tughluq

[b] Jalal ud din Firuz Khilji

[c] Aram Shah

[d] Ghiyas-ud-din Balban Sayyid Dynasty (1414 C.E. – 1451 C.E.) Khizr Khan (1414 – 1421 C.E.)

ØKhizr Khan, the Governor of Multan appointed by Timur defeated Daulat Khan & ascended the throne of Delhi. ØHe was the founder of the Sayyid dynasty. ØKhizr Khan did not assume any royal title rather he continued to call himself rayat-i-Ala (vassal of Timur). ØThe coins were minted & Khutba was read in the name of Timur. ØHe died in 1421 C.E. Mubarak Shah(1421 – 1434 C.E.)

ØMubarak Shah, the son & successor of Khizr Khan assumed the title of Sultan, suppressed the revolt of Hindu Zamindars of the Doab & defeated the rebellions of Muslim nobles in Punjab. ØFor the first time he appointed Hindu nobles in the court of Delhi. ØHe built the city of ‘Mubarakbad’ on the banks of the river Jamuna. ØHe was murdered in 1434 C.E. Muhammad Shah (1434 – 1443 C.E.)

ØMuhammad Shah , the nephew of Mubarak Shah succeeded him. He defeated the ruler of Malwa with the help of Bahlol Lodhi, the Governor of Sirhind.

ØHe conferred the title of Khan-i-Khana on Bahlol Lodhi. Alam Shah

ØAlauddin, the son of Muhammad Shah ascended the throne in 1445 C.E. under the title Alam Shah.

ØHis incompetence provided an opportunity for Bahlol Lodhi, the Governor of Lahore, to capture Delhi. This ended the rule of Sayyid dynasty. Lodhi Dynasty: (1451 – 1526 C.E.) Bahlol Lodhi (1451 – 1489 C.E.)

ØThe Lodhis were Afghans.

ØFounder

ØEstablished himself after Timur’s attack in Punjab.

ØAfter the death of Bahlol Lodhi in 1489 C.E. his son Sikandar Lodhi succeeded the throne. Sikander Lodhi (1489 – 1517 C.E.)

ØHe was the greatest of the 3 Lodhi Sultans. ØHis actual name was Nizam Khan. ØHe built the city of & shifted his capital to Agra from Delhi. ØHe introduced a new measurement rod called Gaz-i-Sikandari. ØHe had an efficient espionage system. ØHe repaired the Qutub Minar. ØHe enjoyed Shehnai music. ØPoet –Composed poems in Persian. Pen name Gulrukhi ØFanatic :Broke the images of Jwalamukhi temple at Nagar kot & destroyed temples in Mathura (1517 – 1526 C.E.)

ØHe was the son of Sikander Lodhi. ØThe Afghan nobles generally considered the King to be first among the equals but Ibrahim Lodi acted as a dictator & this angered the nobles & other chieftains which made them rise in revolt against him. ØDilawar Khan Lodhi, the son of Daulat Khan Lodhi the governor of Lahore was treated cruelly by Ibrahim Lodhi. In order to take revenge on him Daulat Khan Lodhi invited , the ruler of Kabul, to invade India. ØBabur invaded India & defeated Ibrahim Lodhi in the 1st battle of Panipat in 1526 C.E., thus putting an end to the Delhi Sultanate. Mughals Babur (1526 - 1530 C.E.)

ØBabur originally called as Zahiruddin Muhammed Babur was the founder of the in India. ØHe was a descendent of Timur (Father’s line) & Changez Khan (mother’s line). His dynasty was called as Timurid dynasty. ØAround 1494 C.E. Babur succeeded his father Umar Sheikh Mirza as the ruler of Ferghana. ØHe won the Timurid capital of Samarkand twice but lost it instantly. Battle of Panipat

ØIn 1525 C.E., Daulat Khan Lodhi, the governor of Punjab sought aid from Babur to overthrow Ibrahim Lodhi. ØIn 1526 C.E., at the historic battle ground of Panipat, Babur met the army of the last Delhi sultan Ibrahim Lodhi &decisively defeated the latter. ØIbrahim Lodhi was killed in the battle field. He was the only Delhi sultan to die in the battle field.

ØThe reasons for this victory ØBest artillery & Babur had 2 important Turkish artillery experts Ustad Ali & Mustafa. ØBabur’s war tactics, particularly the Tulghema (Flanking) tactic helped him to win the war. ØThe victory of Babur in the 1st battle of Panipat laid the foundation for rule of Mughal dynasty in India. Battles

ØBabur ruled for 4 years in India, but he had to fight continuously. Apart from the 1st battle of Panipat, he fought 3 other battles. Ø1527 C.E.: Babur’s army faced of Mewar in the (near Agra) & defeated the latter. He acquired the title Ghazi after his victory in this war. Ø1528 C.E.: Babur defeated Medini Rai of Chanderi and conquered the Malwa region. Many Rajput queens of Chanderi ruler performed Jauhar. Ø1529 C.E.: Babur fought against the Afghans in the battle of Ghagra & captured Bihar. ØBabur wrote his autobiography Tuzuk-i-Babari in his mother tongue Turkish. It was translated into Persian during the reign of by Abdur Rahim Khan-i-Khana. ØHe died at Agra in 1530 C.E. He was initially buried at Agra but later shifted to Kabul. Now the Tomb of Babur is at Kabul. Humayun (1530-1540 C.E.)

ØHumayun means ‘The Fortunate’. He ascended the throne of Babur at Agra in 1530 C.E. ØDuring the first phase of his rule from 1530 C.E. to 1540 C.E., he had to face numerous struggles from his brothers Kamran, Askari, Hindal & also from the Afghans & . ØHumayun defeated Sher Shah in the battle of Chausa & entered into a peace treaty with him. But later Humayun was defeated by Sher Shah in 1539 C.E., Battle of Chausa & in 1540 C.E., Battle of Kannauj or Bilgram which made him to flee to Agra for his safety for the next 15 years. Humayun: (1555 - 1556 C.E.)

ØWhen Humayun left India in 1540 C.E., he married Hamida Begum on his way to Sind. Ø1542 C.E.: Hamida Begum gave birth to Akbar in Umarkot (Amarkot), a Hindu kingdom. ØHumayun, then proceeded to Persia & stayed under the protection of the Persian ruler Shah Tahmasp. ØIn 1555 C.E., when the Sur dynasty was in shambles Humayun with the help of Bairam Khan, the Persian general defeated Sikander Shah Sur & Adil Shah Sur & captured his lost kingdom. ØHumayun founded a city called Dinpanah. ØHumayun’s sister Gulbadan Begum wrote his biography Humayunama. ØSayyid Ali & Abdus Samad were the two great artists in the court of Humayun. ØHumayun died accidently in 1556 C.E. after he fell from the staircase of his Dinpanah library. ØHumayun wrote poetry in Persian language. dynasty (1540 - 55 C.E.)

Ø Sher Shah was the founder of the Sur dynasty. This was the 2nd Afghan dynasty to rule India. Ø His original name was Farid. He was the son of Hasan Khan, a Jagirdar of Sasaram in Bihar. Ø After defeating Humayun in the battle of Chausa (1539 C.E.) and battle of Kanauj or Bilgram (1540 C.E.), he took the title ‘Farid-ud-din-Shersha’ and issued coins in his name printed in Persian & Hindi. Ø Shershah’s coins: Ø Copper coin – Dam Ø Silver coin – Rupia. Ø This replaced the tanka of Delhi Sultanate and this stayed till 1835 C.E. till Britishers changed it. Ø He was also called as ‘Sher Khan’ a title given by Bharkhan Lohani, the ruler of Bihar for whom Sher Shah worked earlier. Ø Sher Shah was succeeded by his son Islam Shah Sur (1545 - 1554 C.E.). Ø Islam Shah Sur was known for his contribution to the field of judiciary. He codified the laws. Ø Islam Shah Sur was succeeded by Sikandar Shah Sur and Adil Shah Sur. Ø Humayun first defeated Sikander Shah Sur in the battle of Sirhind in 1555 C.E. and recaptured Delhi. Ø Akbar defeated Adil Shah Sur in the 2nd battle of Panipat (1556 C.E.), thus the Sur dynasty came to an end. Ø The commander-in-chief of Adil Shah Sur was . He led the Afghan army in the 2nd battle of Panipat. Akbar (1556-1605 C.E.)

Ø Akbar was crowned at the age of 13 at Kalanaur. Bairam Khan the tutor of Prince Akbar & loyal officer of Humayun became the Wakil (Regent) of the kingdom. Ø Bairam Khan was given the title Khan-i-Khana. Ø Akbar defeated Hemu (Vikrama Jit), the commander in chief of Adil Shah Sur in the 2nd battle of Panipat, 1556 C.E. Ø Around 1560 C.E., Akbar issued a Farman dismissing Bairam Khan from his office and started to take the power in his own hands. Though Bairam Khan rebelled initially he was forced to submit within six months. Ø Bairam Khan was assassinated by an Afghan at Patan near Ahmedabad on his way to Mecca. Ø Akbar brought up Bairam’s son Abdur Rahim as his own son who was later conferred the title Khan-i- Khana. Ø The Kachhawaha ruler, Raja Bharmal of Amber voluntarily married his daughter Harkha Bai to Akbar. Ø Akbar built the famous Buland Darwaza at his newly founded city of in order to commemorate his victory over Gujarat. Ø During the siege of Chittur fort the Sisodiya ruler Rana Udai Singh retired to the hills leaving the fort incharge of his generals Jaimal and Patta. They both fought valiantly but were massacred along with other 30000 Rajput warriors by the Mughals. Ø In honor of the Brave Jaimal and Patta, Akbar ordered to erect two stone statues of these warriors seated on elephants outside the chief gate of the fort of Agra. Ø He abolished Pilgrim tax in 1563 C.E. and Jaziya in 1564 C.E. Ø In 1575 C.E. he established the for religious discussions in which Hindus were represented by Devi and Purushottam, Zorastrians by Dastur Maharji, Jains by Hari Vijay Suri (Akbar bestowed on him the title Jagat Guru), Christians were represented by Father Antony Monsorette., Ø Akbar was the first Indian ruler to organize Haj pilgrimage at the state expense. Ø In 1579 C.E. Akbar proclaimed his famous Mahzarnama (infallibility decree) which made him Mustahid Imam-i-Adil (Final interpreter of Islamic laws) and Sultan-i-Adil (the just ruler). Ø In 1582 C.E. he founded Tauhid-i-Illahi (divine monotheism) which was later called as Din-i-Illahi. It is considered more as a Sufi order than as a religion. Ø Birbal’s original name was Mahesh Das, he wrote under the pen name ‘Brahma’. Ø Ralph Flitch, an English merchant visited Akbar’s court in 1585 C.E. Navratnas

ØBirbal ØAbul Fazal ØFaizi ØTodarmal ØMan Singh ØMulla Do Pyaza ØBhagwan Das ØTansen ØAbdur Rahim Khan-i-Khana Administration of Mughals

ØThe Mansabdari system was introduced by Akbar. It was a military-cum-civil bureaucracy, in which ‘Mansab’s were assigned as civilian government officers and military commanders. ØThere were two ranks, Zat- fixed the status and standing in the administrative hierarchy. Sawar- fixed the number of troopers held by the . ØMan Singh (who introduced Raag Malhar) & Mirza Aziz Koka had the highest rank. ØThe Dagh system: or branding of horses was strictly enforced. ØThe empire was divided into different provinces called Subas. They were headed by a governor called as Subedar. In 1580 C.E., Akbar had 12 Subas. Land revenue under Mughals:

ØIn 1580 C.E., Akbar introduced the Dahsala system of revenue collection. It was based on the rates of crops prevailing over the last ten years. Later this system was adopted by the Britishers as Ryotwari system.

ØLand based on fertility: ØPolaj – Land in which two crops were raised every year. ØParanti –Land had to be legt fallow for one year ØCachar – was cultivated once every 3 or 4 years. ØBanjar – Mostly unfit for cultivation. ØAkbar improved the cultivation by giving Taccavi loans (loans in advance) for the peasants. ØRaja Todarmal & Muzaffar Khan were the important revenue officials of Akbar. ØAkbar prohibited slavery and sati system. He legalized widow remarriage. For marriage he fixed age of fourteen years for girls and sixteen years for boys. ØAbul Fazl was killed by Vir Singh Bundela on the command of Mughal prince Salim (). ØFor some time Akbar transferred his capital to Lahore, then shifted it back to Agra. ØHe constructed the & . ØHe began to build his own tomb at Sikandara, which was later completed by Jahangir. ØHe died after an attack of dysentery & was buried in 1605 C.E. at Sikandara near Agra. Jahangir (1605 C.E. –27 C.E.)

ØJahangir (conquerer of the world) initially revolted against Akbar in 1599 C.E. but was pardoned, later he was crowned at Agra in 1605 C.E. ØJahangir’s original name was Salim. ØEstablished a Zanzir-i-Adalat at Agra fort for the seekers of royals justice. ØCaptain Hawkins visited his court during 1609 C.E. – 1611 C.E. ØSir Thomas Roe (1615 C.E. – 1618 C.E.) ambassador of James I, obtained Imperial Farman from Jahangir to start a factory at Surat. ØJahangir was a great scholar, had knowledge of History, Geography, Natural Science and Arts. He himself was an accomplished painter. Jahangir (1605 C.E. –27 C.E.)

ØHe had the 5th Sikh guru Arjun Dev executed for the latter’s support to Jahangir’s son Khusrau. ØGuru Hargobind was imprisoned in the fort of Gwalior for his refusal to pay the fine. ØPrince Khurram () supported by his father-in- law, Asaf Khan rebelled against Jahangir. His rebellion was put down. Later he was pardoned by Jahangir. ØJahangir’s military general, Mahabat Khan rebelled against him. His rebellion too was crushed but he was saved by the diplomatic efforts of (Mihar –un –Nisa). Ø1615 C.E.: Mughal-Mewar peace treaty was signed. Rana Amar Singh of Mewar accepted Mughals sovereignty. ØNur Jahan built Itimad-ud-Daula’s tomb at Agra. ØJahangir built Moti Masjid & his own mausoleum at Lahore. ØJahangir employed a number of printers like Abul Hasan, Bishan Das, Madhu, Anant, Manohar, Govardhan & Ustad Mansur. ØMiniature painting developed under the patronage of Jahangir. ØJahangir died in 1627 C.E. & was buried at Lahore. Later when Shah Jahan became the Sultan, Nur Jahan was given a pension & was asked to stay at Lahore where she stayed till her end. Shah Jahan (1627 - 1658 C.E.)

Ø Shah Jahan was born to Jagat Gosain (Jodhabai), the Rajput wife of Jahangir. His childhood name was Khurram. Ø In 1612 C.E., he married Anjuman Banu Begum, the daughter of Asaf Khan and neice of Nur Jahan. She was later given the title ‘Mumtaz Mahal’. Ø Shah Jahan ascended the throne at Agra. Ø In 1632 C.E., he defeated Portuguese near Hugli. Ø After 1649 C.E., Shah Jahan sent three expeditions towards Qandhar, under the command of Prince & then under but all attempts proved disastrous. Ø Apart from Dara Shikoh (Agra), he had three other sons posted at different places. Ø Shuja – Bengal Murad – Gujarat Aurangzeb – Deccan Ø Shah Jahan built Shahjahanabad in 1648 C.E. Ø Shah Jahan also restarted the Hijra-era. Ø Shah Jahan built the (Agra), Red fort & Jama Masjid at Delhi & Moti masjid in Agra. Ø Shah Jahan laid the Shalimar gardens in Lahore. Ø Bernier, a French physician & traveller visited the court of Shah Jahan. Ø In 1657 C.E., Shah Jahan became ill but he recovered gradually under the care of Dara Shiko. Meanwhile rumors spread across the kingdom that Shah Jahan was really dead and Dara Shikoh was concealing this reality for his own selfish purposes. This made the other princes Shuja, Murad & Aurangzeb to prepare for the war of succession. Ø After recovering Shahjahan nominated his eldest son Dara Shikoh as his successor (Wali-ahad). Ø Sulaiman Shikoh, son of Dara Shikoh was sent by Shah Jahan to deal with Shuja of Bengal who crowned himself as the Sultan. Ultimately the army of Sulaiman Shikoh aided by Mirza Raja Jai Singh defeated Shuja near Banaras in 1658 C.E. Ø In May 1658 C.E., Dara Shikoh’s army was defeated by Aurangzeb in the battle of Samugarh (near Agra). Ø Shah Jahan was besieged by Aurangzeb in the fort of Agra and the source of water supply to the fort of Agra was cut by Aurangzeb. He was confined within the fort where he lived for eight long years under the care of his favourite daughter Jahanara. Ø In December 1658 C.E., Shuja was defeated by Aurangzeb at Khajwa near Allahabad. Ø In March 1659 C.E. Dara Shikoh was defeated once in for all by Aurangzeb in Deorai near Ajmer, was tried in the court and beheaded on the charge of Anti Islamic activity. Ø Murad was treacherously imprisoned and sent to Gwalior jail where he was killed later. Thus Aurangzeb eliminated all his opponents and paved the way for his coronation. Aurangzeb (1658–1707 C.E.)

ØAurangzeb’s original name was Muinuddin Mohammed. ØHe ascended the throne at Delhi. ØAurangzeb assumed the title Alamgir (world conqueror). ØHe discontinued the system of Jharokha darshan and practice of weighing the emperor in gold. ØAstronomers & Astrologers were dismissed and he forbade the use of Kalima in his coins. He also abolished Nauroz. ØAurangzeb was a strict Sunni Muslim. ØIn 1679 C.E., he reimposed Jaziya. Ø In 1679 C.E., the Rathores of Marwar rose in rebellion against Aurangzeb, after the death of Jaswant Singh. Durga Das was the leader of the rebellion. This rebellion was crushed but resulted in deterioration of relations between Rajputs and Mughals Ø The Sikh Guru Teg Bahadur was executed by Aurangzeb. Ø In 1665 C.E. the Treaty of Purandar was signed between Mirza Raja Jai Singh (on behalf of Mughals) & , the Maratha leader. Ø Shivaji paid a visit to Agra, but was imprisoned & later he secretly escaped. Ø In 1689 C.E., Shambaji the eldest son of Shivaji Maharaj was captured and beheaded. Ø Mughal conquests reached its climax during his reign as Bijapur and Golconda were annexed in 1686 C.E. & 1688 C.E. respectively. Ø The English special envoy Sir Williams Norris visited Aurangzeb’s court to secure trading concession but his mission failed. Ø Aurangzeb was an accomplished Veena player & Calligrapher. Ø Aurangzeb built Moti masjid in Redfort, Bibi-ka-Makbara, tomb of his wife at Aurangabad & the in Lahore. Ø He died at Aurangabad in 1707 C.E. which marked the decline of Mughal supremacy in India.