The Mughal Empire reached its peak during the reign of Aurangzeb Alamgir, but within a few decades of his death it collapsed dramatically. The Mughal Empire owes its demise and ultimate decline. First of all, Aurangzeb's religious policy is considered to be one of the reasons for the decline of the Mughal Empire as it caused division among the Indian people. Another reason was Aurangzeb's incompetent and incompetent successor. The character of the Mughal emperors deteriorated over time. The rulers who came after Aurangzeb were weak and lacked character, courage and determination to rule the empire firmly. He had easily become a lover and a coward. They completely neglected their state duties and failed to stop the declining empire from collapsing. These later Mughal rulers were completely incompetent and weak. He proved to be neither a good general nor a good politician who could not control or manage this huge empire covering almost the entire subcontinent during the rule of Aurangzeb. Later rulers were also lovers of pleasure and were known for leading extravagant lifestyles with little thought of its effects on the empire's economy. They also lacked courage, determination and training. Money was spent on fine buildings, jewelry, fine clothing and food. No infrastructure has been built to improve administration, industry or agriculture. The absence of a definitive succession law was another important factor. The succession war not only caused bitterness, bloodshed, and damage to the empire's money and prestige over time, but ultimately led to its downfall. Succession wars were also an important factor. After the death of a ruler, the princess fought for the throne. It overthrew the power and destabilized the Mughal Empire. Aurangzeb fought his brothers Dara Shuko and Shuja and later killed Kamran. Fighting continued even after Aurangzeb, who ascended the throne in the name of Bahadur Shah after Aurangzeb, defeated and killed his brothers Azam and Kambakhsh. Bahadur Shah ruled for 5 years and died in 1712. His sons also fought for the throne. The battle for the throne greatly weakened the Mughal Empire.
Local and foreign attacks
on Delhi also weakened the Mughals. The Marhats were great opponents of the
Mughals. He belonged to Central and South India. Aurangzeb fought them but
could not control them. By 1750, they had become a major threat to the Mughals.
However, the Marhats were defeated in the Battle of Panipat in 1761 and the powerless
Mughals had some more time to rule India. In addition to the Marhata's, there
were two more attacks from Afghanistan and Persia. In 1738, Persian General
Nadir Shah invaded Delhi and looted his wealth. Between 1747 and 1769, Afghan
General Ahmad Shah invaded India ten times. In the Punjab too the Sikhs were a
great threat to the Mughals. All these attacks practically bankrupted the
Mughals and they completely lost their power. Within 100 years after the death
of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, the area near Delhi became 300 miles long and
100 miles wide. The main reason for the decline of the Mughals was the rise of
British rule. The British took full advantage of the weakness of the Mughals
and gradually increased their power. The British, with the help of their
superior administration and organization, expanded their area of control.
Through a series of battles and annexations, such as "sub-alliance"
and "fault theory" and effective administration, the British
gradually took control of a large area of the subcontinent. They also had a
clear military advantage due to industrial development in England (1750-1850).
The British had better weapons, better fighting techniques and a well-trained
and disciplined army. The British had a strong navy. The result was that by
1803, the British had occupied Delhi and kept Shah Alam under British
protection with a pension.
MINOR REASONS:
The decline of the rulers also led to a moral
decline. In the early Mughal period, Raees performed useful work and
distinguished himself in both war and peace. But the subordinate elites of the
later Mughals were more interested in worldly gain and self-improvement. The
nobles who were once talented men with honesty, integrity and loyalty, became
selfish and deceitful. The rise of opposition and rival factions in the court
also weakened the power of the government. Large-scale corruption began in the
administration and bribery became commonplace. The main reason for the decline
of the Mughal Empire was the deterioration of the army and demoralization. The
army was not only ineffective but also lacked training, discipline and
coordination. The army was old in terms of equipment. It consisted of troops
under the command of various chiefs, who were the main source of the army's
weakness. As the emperors weakened, so did the army. This was because the
soldiers, instead of being identified and united as Mughal Indians, identified
themselves with different ethnic groups such as Persians, Afghans and Central
Asians. The Mughals had no navy and only had small ships which were not in
competition with the well-equipped ships of foreign merchants. It was this
weakness which the French and the British took advantage of and finally
succeeded in establishing their dominion over India. Another reason for the
decline was the financial condition of the Mughals which had become pitiable.
Succession wars, uprisings, and luxurious lifestyles at one time drained huge
treasures and led to financial bankruptcy. By the time of Aurangzeb, the Mughal
Empire had spread to its maximum size. This vast area had become impossible for
a ruler to control and govern from a single center. This was during the later
Mughal period when Deccan, Bengal, Bihar and Orissa declared their
independence.
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