Page 1 of 6 Later Mughal Emperors (1707-1857 A.D.) The Mughal Empire was vast and extensive in the beginning of the eighteenth century. But by the close of the century it had shrunk to a few kilometres around Delhi. After the death of Aurangzeb in 1707, a war of succession began amongst his three surviving sons, Muazzam – the governor of Kabul, Azam-the governor of Gujarat, and Kam Baksh-the governor of Deccan. Azam turned to Ahmednagar and proclaimed himself emperor. Kam Baksh too declared himself the sovereign ruler and conquered important places as Gulbarga and Hyderabad. Muazzam defeated both Azam at Jajau in 1707 and Kam Baksh near Hyderabad in 1708. Muazzam emerged victorious and ascended the Mughal throne with the title of Bahadur Shah I. He was also known as Shah Alam I. Muazzam 'Bahadur Shah I' (1707-1712 A.D.) Jahandar Shah (1712 – 1713 A.D.) Bahadur Shah I was the third son of Aurangzeb He was ascended himself on the throne after with Muslim Rajput wife, Nawab Bai. killing his three brothers with the help of Zulfikar Bahadur Shah's full name was 'Abul-nasr Sayyid Khan who was the leader of Irani Party in Mughals Qutb-ud-din Muhammad Shah Alam Bahadur Shah Court. Badshah' He was puppet of Zulfikar Khan who acts as the He was popularly known as Shah Alam I and defacto ruler which led the foundation of the called Shahi-i- Bekhabar by Khafi Khan due to his concept of king makers. He was also under the appeasement parties by grants of title and influence of his mistress Lal Kunwar which rewards. reminded the style of Nur Jahan. He was the only Mughal Emperor who used the He gave the title of ‘Mirza Raja’ to Jai Singh of title of Sayyid. The title was primarily used by the Malwa and ‘Maharaja’ to Ajit Singh of Marwar. descendants of Prophet Mohammad. His step of giving grants of Chauth and Sardesh In 1663, at the age of 20, Bahadur Shah was made Mukhi to Marathas led the foundation of the governor of Deccan province. weakening Mughal domination. Bahadur Shah was imprisoned for eight years after He encouraged Ijara System (the revenue farming/ he was defeated in Pune by Shivaji. contract farming and abolished Jazia). In 1695, Aurangzeb sent Bahadur Shah to Punjab He was the first Mughal ruler who killed by Sayyid to fight the army of Guru Gobind Singh. Bahadur brothers- Abdulllah Khan and Hussain Ali (were the Shah refused to start a war out of genuine respect Hindustani Party leaders) in captivity. for the religion. The inglorious reign of Jahandar Shah soon came In 1696, Shah was appointed as the governor of to an end in 1713 when he was defeated by his Akbarabad, now known as Agra. nephew Farrukh Siyar at Agra. He was ascended himself on the throne in 1707 Zulfikar Khan was soon executed by the orders of after killing his two brothers, and defeating Kam the new emperor. Baksh in the Battle of Jajau. Farrukh Siyar (1713 – 1719 A.D.) He was the first and the last of the later Mughal rulers to exercise real authority. He was known as ‘Sahid-i-Mazlum’ and the second A person of mild temper, learned and dignified, son of Azim-al-Shah. was too old. He ascended himself on the throne with help of He could not prevent the decline of the empire, Sayyid brothers- Abdulllah Khan and Hussain Ali due to his sudden death in 1712. Khan Barha (were the Hindustani Party leaders). Shah's body was buried in Moti Masjid in They were given the office of the Wazir and Mehrauli, Delhi. Mirbakshi respectively. He followed a conciliatory policy towards the They came to be known as "king-makers" due to Rajput’s and Marathas but a strict policy towards their dubious king making role during the period of the Sikhs. the later Mughals. A fresh war of succession had started after the He assigned the duty of Deccan’s governor to Chin death of Muazzam between his sons- Jahander Quilch Khan who was better known ‘Nizam-ul- Shah, Azim-us Shah, Rafi-us Shah and Jahan Shah. Mulk’, later who laid the foundation of independent state of Hyderabad. © 2019 Pratiyogita Abhiyan | All Rights Reserved | pratiyogitaabhiyan.in Page 2 of 6 It was during the reign (1715 AD) of Farrukh that The two armies met at Karnal in 1739 and the Banda Bahadur the Sikh chief was captured and Mughals suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of killed. Nadir Shah. Peshwa Balaji Vishwanath visited in his court to Emperor Muhammad Shah was taken prisoner and take grant for collecting Chauth and Sardesh Nadir Shah marched on to Delhi. Mukhi on Maratha land. Nadir Shah plundered the royal treasury at his, The struggle for power between the emperor and own pleasure and carried back the immense the Sayyid brothers increased and the efforts of wealth from India. the emperor to overthrow the brothers failed He carried away with him the famous Koh-I-Noor repeatedly. diamond and the jewel studded Peacock throne of He was finally deposed and murdered in April 1719 Shahjahan. by Saiyid Brothers who were assisted by Ajit Singh Ahmad Shah Abdali, the successor of Nadir Shah of Marwar in this act. invaded the kingdom for the first time during Muhammad Shah’s reign in 1748. What is Farrukhsiyar Farman? Ahmad Shah Abdali was defeated at Manpur by In 1714, an Englishman John Surman was sent Ahmad Shah. to Delhi Court for securing trading facilities for the company. Note: He succeeded in obtaining from Emperor In 1720, the rebellious nobles killed Hussain Ali and Farukhsiyar a farman in 1717. Abdullah Khan died in 1722 after he was defeated at Agra. The East India Company secured valuable This ended the rule of the Sayyid brothers in the Mughal privileges in 1717 under the royal farman. Empire. The Company was permitted to carry on trade in Bengal, Bombay and Madras free of customs Ahmad Shah (1748 – 1754 A.D.) duty. Granted the Company the freedom to export The next emperor, Ahmad Shah, son and import their goods in Bengal without paying of Muhammad Shah, was unable to hold the forces taxes. that had grown so alarming. The Company was also permitted to mint its The empire abruptly reduced to a small district own coins. round Delhi and the Emperor was deposed and The Nawabs of Bengal, however, showed scant regard for the imperial farman. This is one of blinded in 1754 by the wazir Ghazi-ud-din Imad-ul- the reason why Siraj-Ud-Daula attacked Fort Mulk, a grandson of the deceased Nizam-ul- Williams, the British Company. mulk of the Deccan, who now played a role of the Kingmaker. Alamgir II (1754 – 1759 A.D.) Muhammed Shah (1719 – 1748) ‘Aziz-ud-din’, the son of Jahandar Shah, was placed As successors Sayyid the brothers quickly raised on the throne by the new king maker. two young princes, Rafi-ud-Darajat and Rafi-ud- He adopted the same title as the great Aurangzeb, Daula (Shah Jahan II) who died within months. and called himself ‘Alamgir-II’. Roshan Akhtar ascended the throne The new ruler was a kind of ‘prisoner on the as Muhammad Shah in 1719. throne’ in the hand of king maker. The new emperor did not prove to be a docile The military and financial position of the empire agent of the Sayyid brothers, who were soon killed during this period became worst to the extent that by him. the emperor’s household troops carried off the Young and handsome Muhammad Shah, with all articles from the houses of the wazirs and nobles the pleasures, was addicted to an inactive life. and sold them into the market. Though destiny granted him a long reign, he let Abdali invaded Delhi in 1757 and the imperial city affairs drift in their own way, and soon province was plundered. after province slipped out of imperial control. The relations between Alamgir II and Wazir Imad- The Marathas established their power again, the ul-Mulk were not satisfactory and the latter got Jats became independent near Agra, him murdered in 1759. the Ruhelas founded Ruhelkand, and the Sikhs became active in Panjab. The invasion of Nadir Shah of Persia hit the empire with the greatest blow. © 2019 Pratiyogita Abhiyan | All Rights Reserved | pratiyogitaabhiyan.in Page 3 of 6 Shah Jahan III (1759-60 A.D.) The presentation of Nazrs (gifts involving sovereign status) was ended by Lord Hastings in Muhi-ul-Milat, the grandson of KamBaksh was 1813. placed on the throne as Shah Jahan III by Imad-ul- Akbar Shah II appointed the Bengali reformer Ram Mulk. Mohan Roy, to appeal against his treatment by the He was deposed by the Marathas who captured East India Company. Delhi in 1760. Ram Mohan Roy then visited England, as the Mughal envoy to the Court of St. James Shah Alam II (1759 – 1806 A.D.) Ram Mohan Roy submitted a well-argued Ali Gauhar, the son of Alamgir II became the memorial on behalf of the Mughal ruler, but to no Mughal emperor in 1759 and took up the title of avail. Shah Alam II. The Mughal Emperor Akbar II conferred Ram Having been blinded by the Afghan chief Gulam Mohan Roy with the title “Raja” in 1831. Qadir, he was saved by the Maratha Sindhia. Bahadur Shah II (1837-57 A.D.): In 1803, Delhi was captured by the English after Lord Lake defeated the Marathas and Shah Alam After the death of Akbar II, Bahadur Shah II became the British pensioner.