Why is the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh considered important in the history of the Sikh Empire?


          The Sikh Empire was established following the capture of Lahore by Maharaja Ranjit Singh from its Afghan ruler, Zaman Shah Durrani. The subsequent and progressive expulsion of Afghans from Punjab, and the unification of the separate Sikh misls also played a role in the formation of the Empire. Ranjit Singh succeeded in the creation of a unified political state and was proclaimed as Maharaja of Punjab on 12 April 1801.



          It is believed that he had the second best army in Asia, the first being that of the English East India Company. Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s reign focussed on reformation and modernization. He invested the wealth of the state in general prosperity. He also respected all religions. There was an inflow of people from all over North India to join Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s army.



          The Sikh territories that lay in the undivided Punjab were later taken over by the British. Some regions were confiscated even before Ranjit Singh’s death in 1839.



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When was the Sikh Empire established?


          It was Maharaja Ranjit Singh who established the secular Sikh kingdom in Punjab. It emerged as a dominant kingdom in 1799, when Ranjit Singh captured Lahore, and remained powerful till 1849. The Sikh kingdom reached its pinnacle in the 19th century; and the Empire extended from the Khyber Pass in the west to western Tibet in the east.



          The foundations of the Sikh Kingdom can be traced to as early as 1707; that’s when Aurangzeb died and the Mughal Empire began disintegrating. With the Mughal power significantly weakened, the Sikh army, known as the Dal Khalsa, led expeditions against them and the Afghans in the west.



          The Sikh army grew and split into different confederacies or semi-independent misls. Each of these component armies exercised control over different areas and cities. However, the period between 1762 and 1799 saw the rise of Sikh commanders of the misls as warlords.



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Who were the adversaries in the Third Battle of Panipat?


 



          Ahmad Shah Abdali of Afghanistan invaded India many times. He had the support of many nobles as well. But, the Marathas fought a battle with Abdali at Panipat in 1761. However, they could not get the support of any other ruling groups as they all felt threatened by the Marathas. The Maratha chiefs were not united as well. This made it easy for Abdali to defeat them in what came to be known as the Third Battle of Panipat.



          This battle led to a significant reduction in the Maratha power that helped in the rise of the British.



          In 1775, the East India Company intervened in a Peshwa family succession struggle in Pune. This led to the First Anglo-Maratha War. The Marathas emerged victorious in this war and remained a pre-eminent power in India until their defeat in the Second and Third Anglo-Maratha Wars. Their defeat resulted in the emergence of the East India Company as a dominant power that controlled most of India.



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When, did the Peshwas become strong?


 



 



          Unlike his father who proved to be a natural ruler, Shivaji’s son Sambhaji was not so efficient. Though he gave shelter to Aurangzeb’s son Akbar, Sambhaji did not help him fight against Aurangzeb.



          Sambhaji was killed by the Mughals in 1689 following which his younger brother Rajaram came into power. After Rajaram’s death in 1700, his widow Tara Bai and Sambhaji’s son Shahu, fought for power.



          It was under Shahu that the Peshwas or the prime ministers became powerful. Peshwa Baji Rao proved to be a warrior; he plundered territories up till Delhi, and managed to receive Malwa and a large sum of money from the Mughal emperor. With this, it did not take very long for the Peshwas to extend their control from Malwa and Gujarat to Bundelkhand.



          By 1752, during the rule of Peshwa Balaji Baji Rao, the Marathas had captured territories all over India.



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Who was Chhatrapati Shivaji?


          Chhatrapati Shivaji, the founder of the Maratha kingdom is one of the bravest, most progressive and sensible rulers of India. Born in 1630, he grew up to be a natural leader and fighter. He was known for his bravery and tactics with which he won numerous battles against the Mughals.



          Under Shivaji, the Marathas emerged as a powerful kingdom and dominated a large portion of the Indian subcontinent in the 18th century. The Maratha rule that formally came to existence in 1674 with the coronation of Chhatrapati Shivaji ended in 1818 with the defeat of Peshwa Bajirao II. The Marathas lived in the Deccan, in present Maharashtra and north Karnataka and spoke a common language-Marathi.



          Shivaji revolted against the Adil Shahi dynasty and carved out a kingdom for the Marathas with Raigad as the capital. Shivaji’s expeditions extended as far as Thanjavur in the southeast to Khandesh and Berar in the north. At a time when most of the important ports were under Mughal control, Shivaji raided the port city of Surat. This happened in 1664 and the very next year, he signed a treaty with the Mughals agreeing to go to Aurangzeb’s court. But, the treaty was short-lived, as he felt insulted because Aurangzeb ignored him.



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Which were the main literary works produced during the Mughal Era?


          During the Mughal Era, many literary works were produced in different languages. Babur’s memories entitled Tuzuk-i-Babari that describes all that he had seen and done in India is an interesting read. One of Akbar’s courtiers Abul FazI wrote the Akbar-nama and Ain-i-Akbari describing the life and times of Akbar.



          Jahangir wrote an autobiography entitled Tuzuk-i-Jahangir. There are other works that discuss Humayun, Shah Jahan, Aurangzeb, the later Mughals, and the regional kingdoms. Tarikh-i-Alfi, a Persian history script is of significance; it talks about a thousand years of Mughal history. Though co-authored by many scholars, Mulla Ahmad and Asaf Khan are credited with major contributions.



          Many Hindi scholars and poets including Birbal, Raja Man Singh and Bhagwan Das lived at Akbar’s court. It was during the Mughal Era that Tulsidas wrote the Ramacharitamanas, a work on the life of Rama. Sanskrit works including the Mahabharatha, the Ramayana, Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita were translated into Persian as well.



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Who was the last of the Mughal rulers?


            Bahadur Shah Zafar was the last Mughal emperor. He was just a nominal emperor as the Mughal Empire existed only in name during his period. It was the mid-nineteenth century. The East India Company had become a dominant political and military power by then, and Zafar’s authority was limited only to the walled city of Old Delhi (Shahjahanbad). Hundreds of kingdoms and principalities fragmented the land outside the region controlled by the Company. Following his involvement in the Indian Rebellion of 1857, Bahadur Shah Zafar was convicted with several charges. The British exiled him to Rangoon in British-controlled Burma (now Myanmar).



            Bahadur Shah Zafar’s court had prolific Urdu writers including Mirza Ghalib, Dagh, Mumin, and Zauq. He himself was a noted Urdu poet who wrote a number of Urdu ghazals.



            Though some parts of his works were lost, a large collection did survive. It was later compiled into the Kulliyyat-i-Zafar.



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What led to the decline of the Mughal Empire?


            The death of Aurangzeb marked the end of a significant era in Indian history. The two centuries long reign of the Great Mughals that began with Babur’s accession to the throne in 1526 ended in 1707 with Aurangzeb’s death. At the time of Aurangzeb’s death, the Mughal Empire was the largest empire in India, but it disintegrated within the next fifty years.



           There were many reasons for the dissolution of this great Empire. The Mughals did not follow any specific law of succession. So, each time a ruler died, there began a war of succession between the brothers. These wars for the throne weakened the Mughal Empire, especially after Aurangzeb.



            Though Aurangzeb won many wars, he failed to realize that the vast Mughal Empire depended on the willing support of the people. His wars with the Sikhs, the Marathas, the Jats and the Rajputs had drained the resources of the Mughal Empire, as a result of which he lost the support of the common folk. The successors of Aurangzeb were weak; most of them became victims of the conspiracies of the faction-ridden nobles. The remaining strength of the Mughals was sapped by foreign invasions.



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Who was Aurangzeb? Which are the revolts he had to face?


             Aurangzeb was the last great Mughal ruler. Although his policies helped lead to its dissolution, the reach of the Mughal Empire widened during his reign.



             After he came to power in 1658, Aurangzeb had to fight battles with many groups such as the Jats, Satnamis and Sikhs. He also fought against the Rajputs of Mewar and Marwar. Though the conflict with the Rajputs of Mewar ended with allowing them independence under Rana Jai Singh of Mewar, the fights with Marwar continued. Aurangzeb also led armies against the Ahoms in the north-east, and various frontier tribes in the north-west, and the mighty Shivaji and other Marathas in the Deccan.



             However, continuous wars weakened the Empire as a result of which, Aurangzeb was not able to return to the north. He stayed in the Deccan for twenty-five years fighting wars, and died in 1707 at Ahmednagar.



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Why Shah Jahan’s period is considered an age of architectural wonder?


            Shah Jahan left behind a grand legacy of structures constructed during his reign, the most famous among them being the Taj Mahal. The white marble monument was built out of love for his wife, the empress Mumtaz. It took twenty years of skilled labour to build the Taj Mahal.



            It was Shah Jahan who built the Red Fort as well. Also known as the Delhi Fort, it is called Lal Qila in Urdu. Other famous buildings he constructed include large sections of Agra Fort, the Jama Masjid, the Wazir Khan Mosque, the Moti Masjid, the Shalimar Gardens, sections of the Lahore Fort, the Mini Qutub Minar in Hastsal, and the Jahangir mausoleum.



            When he became the king, Shah Jahan set aside diamonds and other precious stones worth 10 million rupees to build a magnificent throne. He sat on this throne for the first time in a grand ceremony in the presence of many royal guests. This fabulous ‘Peacock Throne’ was taken away by Nadir Shah when he invaded India.



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Who was Shah Jahan?


            The name Shah Jahan brings to our minds the picture of the Taj Mahal, one of the world’s seven wonders. He is perhaps best remembered for the grand monuments that were constructed during his reign.



           The Mughal Empire reached the pinnacle of its glory during Shah Jahan’s reign; he ascended the Mughal throne in 1628 after defeating his brother Shahriyar and ruled till 1658.



           Shah Jahan was earlier known as Khurram. Immediately after ascending the throne, he had to put down a rebellion of the Bundelas. This was followed by action against Khan Jahan Lodi, his governor in the Deccan. Shah Jahan then progressively conquered the Deccan region.



           Shah Jahan conquered Ahmednagar in 1629 and by 1656; he had made a treaty with the Shahis of Golconda. They also had to give up some forts. Shah Jahan then tried to win back Kandahar and conquer Balkh and Badakshan in the north-west.



           Shah Jahan’s health started failing by 1657. His four sons began fighting for the throne, and Aurangzeb emerged victorious. When Shah Jahan recovered from his illness, Aurangzeb put him under house arrest in Agra Fort. He was under house arrest until his death in January 1666.



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What are the notable events that happened during Jahangir’s reign?


            The Mughal Empire was a militant state attuned to conquest and expansion and it continued to be so under Jahangir. He fought many battles to expand his territory; Jahangir led campaigns against the Ahoms of Burma, Kangra, and most of the States of the Deccan region. While these wars gave Jahangir great prestige and power, his army got tired of them. Soon, the soldiers lost their interest in the king’s royal orders.



            The Raja of Kangra was their principal rival in the north. Jahangir’s forces under Khurram defeated him in 1615. Though they met with victories in many battles, the Mughals were once defeated by the Safavids at Kandahar. By 1626, Jahangir began to contemplate an alliance between the Ottomans, Mughals and Uzbeks against the Safavids. However, Jahangir’s ambition did not materialize; he died in 1627 near Sarai Saadabad while travelling from Kashmir to Lahore. It is said that he drank too much.



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When did Jahangir ascend the throne of the Mughal Empire?


            With a Persian name that meant ‘conqueror of the world’, Jahangir ruled the Mughal Empire from 1605 till his death in 1627. He was the fourth Mughal Emperor and eldest son of the emperor Akbar.



            Jahangir was earlier known as Salim. Akbar had nominated Jahangir to succeed to his throne. However, he turned to be too impatient and began revolting for power in 1599. Akbar was engaged in the Deccan then. Still, Akbar confirmed Salim as his successor on his deathbed. Salim accepted the titular name Jahangir upon ascending the throne.



            Jahangir carried on his father’s legacy and tradition. The hundred year long fight between the Mughals and the Rajputs of Mewar ended during his reign. This happened in 1614. He treated Amar Singh, the successor of Rana Pratap of Mewar with honour and restored Chittor to him.



            Jahangir made Nur Jahan his wife. Some historians believe that Nur Jahan and her relatives controlled the throne, especially after Jahangir’s health became poor in 1622.



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Why is it said that Akbar’s reign had a significant influence on the course of Indian history?


            The Mughal Empire tripled in size and wealth during Akbar’s reign. He instituted effective political and social reforms in addition to building a strong military.



Akbar was the first Mughal ruler to win the trust and loyalty of the native subjects. Akbar’s court included Rajputs like Bhagwan Das, Todar Mal and Birbal. Even though he exercised control over many local Rajput rulers, he allowed them some independence.



            Akbar knew that a stable empire depended on the co-operation and good-will of his subjects, so he participated in native festivals. He also commissioned the translation of many Sanskrit works. His empire was truly multicultural; he even formed a new religion known as Din-i-Ilahi, taking the best elements from all religions.



           Akbar’s reign was chronicled extensively. Akbarnama and Ain-i-akbari, two works authored by his court historian Abul FazI talks about his reign in detail. The works of Badayuni, Shaikhzada Rashidi and Shaikh Ahmed Sirhindi also throw light about his reign.



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Why is it said that the reign of Akbar was great?


            The name Akbar is synonymous with the glory of the Mughal reign. Undoubtedly, Akbar is the greatest of the Mughal emperors of India. He is credited with expanding the Mughal power over the Indian subcontinent. But, things were not easy for him.



            When Akbar came to power following the death of his father Humayun in 1556, he was just 13. In the beginning, his tutor Bairam Khan helped him to rule. Bairam Khan defeated Hemu, a minister of Adil Shah of Bengal in the second battle of Panipat in 1556. This victory made him dominant and arrogant. So, Akbar forced Bairam Khan to retire in 1560. From then, he began to govern on his own.



          With his strong personality and success as a general, Akbar’s power grew day by day, almost over the entire Indian subcontinent. He enlarged the Mughal Empire to include nearly all of the Indian subcontinent to the north of the Godavari river. During his reign, everything concerning the Mughals including their military, politics, culture, and economy were superior to that of others. Akbar’s rule also led to commercial expansion and patronage of culture.



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