Chapter 17 Section 3

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THE GRANDEUR OF THE MUGHALS

• Chapter 17 Section 3

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The Mughal Dynasty A Gunpowder Empire?

• 1500 1800
• High point of traditional culture in India
• Founders of the Mughals (or Moguls)
• not natives of India from north Indus River
  Valley
• Founder Babur
• Seized Kabul and then headed to India

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• Advantages
• Advanced weapons artillery and fast cavalry
  tactics
• Captured Delhi with 12,000 soldiers
• Established his power in North India
• Grandson, Akbar, expanded the empire
• From Himalayan Mnts. to the Godavari River from
  Kashmir to Brahmputra and Ganges Rivers

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Akbar and Indo-Muslim Civilization

• Akbar Greatest conquering Mughal monarchs
• Also known for the humane character of his rule
• Tolerant of Indian diversity and religion
• Allowed Hindus to serve in court
• Married a Hindu princess
• Tolerant in government
• Upper ranks filled with nonnative Muslims
• Lower positions were Hindus

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• Practiced payment of local officials with land
  instead of salaries
• Local officials zamindars kept a portion of
  the taxes paid by the peasants in lieu of a
  salary
• Akbar era a good one
• When bad weather struck, the taxes were reduced
  and sometimes suspended
• Because of peace, trade flourished

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• Trade
• Textiles, tropical food products and spices,
  precious stones exported for gold and silver

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Twilight of the Mughals

• Adbar died in 1605
• Son succeeded Jahangir
• Strengthened India in the early years control
  weakened eventually
• The court under this wife Nur Jahan
• Took advantage by helping her own family
  especially her son, Shah Jahan
• He ordered the assassination of his rivals
• Shah Jahan expanded the empire
• Domestic problems no money!!! His mom spent it
  all
• Raised taxes

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• Did little to improve the rural conditions
• Drought was frequent
• Transport primitive
• 3 months to travel 600 miles
• Shah Jahan got sick
• Sons argued who would be successor
• Aurangzeb killed his brother and imprisoned his
  father and made himself emperor

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Aurangzeb

• Most controversial ruler in India
• Tried to eliminate Indias social evils
• Forbade the Hindu custom of suttee and the
  levying of illegal taxes
• Tried to forbid gambling and drinking
• Very Muslim anti-Hindu
• Led to a lot of revolts
• Other outside forces helped bring the empire down
• Delhi was sacked by the Persians Europeans
  started coming in

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Impact of Western Power in India

• First Europeans Portuguese
• Dominated regional trade in Indian Ocean
• British and Dutch took over
• British presence in India steadily increased
• Trading forts at Surat, Fort William, Bay of
  Bengal and Madras
• Cotton was the export

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• British attracted rivals Dutch French
• French were more persistent
• British guy Sir Robert Clive, military genius
• Pushed the French back as well as Mughal armies
• Battle of Plassey British had 3,000 Mughal
  army had 30,000 British won
• British creeping further and further into the
  interior of India for economic purposes for the
  British East India Company
• Ruled with arrogance, corruption and incompetence

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Contd

• Smart Indian commanders used guerrilla tactics of
  ambush when rebelling
• Said Haidar Ali pg 536
• Not all Indian commanders were that good
• East India Company under Lord Cornwallis and then
  Lord Mornington
• Able to consolidate British power in India

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• Immediate impact on India was on the coast
• Fort William turned into a major city (later
  Calcutta) as well as Bombay
• British kept coming more inland to squeeze the
  local population to trading privileges
• Good for British wealth terrible for Indian
  economy
• No money for the Indians

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• Destroyed the once healthy local industries
• Hurt the peasants
• Applied British law
• Couldnt pay taxes? Were gonna take your land
• Poverty shot through the roof.
• Massive famines in the 1770s killed 1/3 of the
  population